Effect of low intensity-magnetic field coupled with blue light on β-carotene synthesis in Blakeslea trispora

Blakeslea trispora is a promising microorganism used for the industrial production of β-carotene due to its rapid growth and high yield. However, the effects of magnetic fields and blue light on β-carotene synthesis in B. trispora remains have not been fully elucidated. For the first time, this paper investigated the effects of low-intensity magnetic field (LI-MF) and photomagnetic coupling on the synthesis of β-carotene by B. trispora. The results showed that the content of β-carotene increased from 3.77 mg/g to 7.57 mg/g under LI-MF. The production of β-carotene following the combination of LI-MF with blue light was lower compared to LI-MF treatment alone, yet higher than the control. It is hypothesized that the metabolic processes mediated by LI-MF and blue light interfere with each other. Transcriptome analysis indicated that LI-MF enhanced glucose metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and transporter pathways. Additionally, genes related to nucleobase-containing compound transport, and RNA localization were significantly affected by the co-treatment of LI-MF and blue light compared to LI-MF treatment. Overall, this study analyzed the enhancement of β-carotene production by LI-MF and the interaction mechanism between LI-MF and blue light in B. trispora at the molecular level, providing valuable insights for the application of LI-MF and blue light in B. trispora.