{"title":"Hormonal cross-talk in DHA biosynthesis: Regulatory roles of auxin and jasmonic acid in Schizochytrium spp. and Crypthecodinium cohnii","authors":"Abdul Wakeel Umar , Naveed Ahmad , Ming Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.algal.2025.104316","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a long-chain ω−3 fatty acid essential for human neurodevelopment, cardiovascular health, and immune function, is derived predominantly from fisheries, which is constrained by overfishing, pollutants, and rising global demand. Microalgae such as <em>Schizochytrium</em> spp. and <em>Crypthecodinium cohnii</em> offer a sustainable alternative, yet scalable DHA production requires deeper insight into the regulatory networks that control lipid metabolism under environmental stress. Here, we review emerging evidence positioning the crosstalk between auxin and jasmonic acid (JA) as a central regulatory hub integrating growth and stress signals to optimize DHA yield. Auxin enhances fatty acid elongation and triacylglycerol accumulation, while JA orchestrates stress-induced desaturation and lipid remodeling, together balancing carbon flux between energy storage and membrane stabilization. Our integrated models combine multi-omics approaches, genetic tools such as CRISPR/Cas9 and RNAi, and bioprocess strategies on how these hormones reshape transcriptional and metabolic networks to elevate DHA content. Furthermore, synthetic analogs, stress-hardening, and phytohormone integration offer solutions to industrial bottlenecks in DHA biosynthesis. By bridging hormone biology with biotechnology, auxin-JA crosstalk emerges as a tractable axis for sustainable microalgal DHA production to meet ecological and nutritional needs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7855,"journal":{"name":"Algal Research-Biomass Biofuels and Bioproducts","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 104316"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Algal Research-Biomass Biofuels and Bioproducts","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211926425004278","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a long-chain ω−3 fatty acid essential for human neurodevelopment, cardiovascular health, and immune function, is derived predominantly from fisheries, which is constrained by overfishing, pollutants, and rising global demand. Microalgae such as Schizochytrium spp. and Crypthecodinium cohnii offer a sustainable alternative, yet scalable DHA production requires deeper insight into the regulatory networks that control lipid metabolism under environmental stress. Here, we review emerging evidence positioning the crosstalk between auxin and jasmonic acid (JA) as a central regulatory hub integrating growth and stress signals to optimize DHA yield. Auxin enhances fatty acid elongation and triacylglycerol accumulation, while JA orchestrates stress-induced desaturation and lipid remodeling, together balancing carbon flux between energy storage and membrane stabilization. Our integrated models combine multi-omics approaches, genetic tools such as CRISPR/Cas9 and RNAi, and bioprocess strategies on how these hormones reshape transcriptional and metabolic networks to elevate DHA content. Furthermore, synthetic analogs, stress-hardening, and phytohormone integration offer solutions to industrial bottlenecks in DHA biosynthesis. By bridging hormone biology with biotechnology, auxin-JA crosstalk emerges as a tractable axis for sustainable microalgal DHA production to meet ecological and nutritional needs.
期刊介绍:
Algal Research is an international phycology journal covering all areas of emerging technologies in algae biology, biomass production, cultivation, harvesting, extraction, bioproducts, biorefinery, engineering, and econometrics. Algae is defined to include cyanobacteria, microalgae, and protists and symbionts of interest in biotechnology. The journal publishes original research and reviews for the following scope: algal biology, including but not exclusive to: phylogeny, biodiversity, molecular traits, metabolic regulation, and genetic engineering, algal cultivation, e.g. phototrophic systems, heterotrophic systems, and mixotrophic systems, algal harvesting and extraction systems, biotechnology to convert algal biomass and components into biofuels and bioproducts, e.g., nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, animal feed, plastics, etc. algal products and their economic assessment