We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Metabolism and Transcriptome Stress in Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum for Value‐Added Products
Summary
Researchers investigated how microplastic exposure acts as an environmental stressor on the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, examining transcriptomic and metabolic responses including upregulation of genes involved in lipid and fucoxanthin biosynthesis that could be leveraged for value-added bioproduct applications.
Phaeodactylum tricornutum is one of the most ecologically successful diatoms dwelling in the oceans. Unlike other diatoms, it has the capability to exist in different morphotypes and cytostructural adaptations that may be stimulated by environmental conditions. Lipid and pigment mainly fucoxanthin aggregation in algae diatoms is often stimulated due to environmental stress manifested at the genomic level. Environmental stress includes nitrogen starvation, phosphate depletion, high salinity conditions, light stress, and even pollutants like microplastics. 3-Ketoacyl-CoA synthase and fatty acid elongase 2 are the two genes concerned in fatty acid elongation that confirmed better transcription stages in high-salt situations. The lipidome profile is characterized by the increase of lipid levels; for example, triacylglycerol (TAG) is observed in phosphorus starved cells of P. tricornutum . The most prevalent finding from transcriptome analysis of algal cells undergoing nitrogen starvation was lipid accumulation as a consequence of remodeling central metabolism. Genes of P. tricornutum are involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway, and certain genes are expressed to produce light-harvesting proteins, which are more sensitive to light stress. There are several treatments to upregulate the mRNA of encoding antenna proteins involved in light protection. Due to the existence of complete transcriptomics, proteomics and genomics databases, this diatom species is highly suitable for studying effects of oxidation, mild stress, nickel and naphthenic environment stress and surrounding physiochemical and light conditions for enhancement of value added products.