Gene expression profiling of astaxanthin and fatty acid pathways in Haematococcus pluvialis in response to different LED lighting conditions

Ruijuan Ma; Skye R Thomas-Hall; Elvis T Chua; Faisal Alsenani; Eladl Eltanahy; Michael E Netzel; Gabriele Netzel; Yinghua Lu; Peer M Schenk

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2017.11.094

Gene expression profiling of astaxanthin and fatty acid pathways in Haematococcus pluvialis in response to different LED lighting conditions

Bioresour Technol. 2018 Feb:250:591-602. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.11.094. Epub 2017 Dec 22.

Authors

Ruijuan Ma¹, Skye R Thomas-Hall², Elvis T Chua², Faisal Alsenani², Eladl Eltanahy³, Michael E Netzel⁴, Gabriele Netzel⁴, Yinghua Lu⁵, Peer M Schenk⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China; Algae Biotechnology Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
² Algae Biotechnology Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
³ Algae Biotechnology Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Phycology Laboratory, Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Egypt.
⁴ Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, PO Box 156, Archerfield, QLD 4108, Australia.
⁵ Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
⁶ Algae Biotechnology Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia. Electronic address: p.schenk@uq.edu.au.

PMID: 29216572
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.11.094

Abstract

Haematococcus pluvialis is a green microalga of major interest to industry based on its ability to produce large amounts of astaxanthin. Biosynthesis of astaxanthin and its mono- and di-esters was significantly stimulated under 150 μmol m^-2 s^-1 of white LED (W-150) compared with lower light intensities, but the highest astaxanthin amounts were produced under 70 μmol m^-2 s^-1 of blue LED (B-70). Transcripts of astaxanthin biosynthesis genes psy, crtO, and bkt2 were upregulated under W-150, while psy, lcy, crtO, and crtR-B were upregulated by B-70. Total fatty acid content and biosynthesis genes fata and all dgat genes were induced under W-150, while C18:3n6 biosynthesis and dgat2a expression were specifically stimulated by B-70 which was correlated to astaxanthin ester biosynthesis. Nitrogen starvation, various LEDs and the identified upregulated genes may provide useful tools for future metabolic engineering to significantly increase free astaxanthin, its esters and fatty acid precursors in H. pluvialis.

Keywords: Astaxanthin esters; Fatty acid; Gene expression; Haematococcus pluvialis; LED lighting conditions.

MeSH terms

Chlorophyta*
Fatty Acids
Gene Expression Profiling*
Lighting
Xanthophylls

Substances

Fatty Acids
Xanthophylls
astaxanthine