Yanzhao Li , Jun Zhou , Xin Wang , Jie Zhang , Xin Fan , Jun Jin , Xin Quan , Mingyang Ma , Mingcan Wu
{"title":"特定碳源驱动的代谢重编程调节了混合营养型细叶草的形态可塑性,促进了高价值代谢物的积累","authors":"Yanzhao Li , Jun Zhou , Xin Wang , Jie Zhang , Xin Fan , Jun Jin , Xin Quan , Mingyang Ma , Mingcan Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.algal.2025.104308","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microalgae are recognized as promising sustainable bioresources, and their metabolic plasticity is pivotal for environmental adaptation and biotechnological applications. Nevertheless, the precise mechanisms through which distinct carbon sources regulate microalgal metabolic networks and the associated morphological plasticity remain inadequately understood. In this study, <em>Euglena gracilis</em> was employed as a model organism. We utilized untargeted metabolomics to comprehensively compare growth performance, morphological characteristics, pigment content, paramylon accumulation, and metabolic profiles under photoautotrophic (PT), ethanol-mixotrophic (MTE), and glucose-mixotrophic (MTG) cultivation conditions. Our findings reveal significant metabolic plasticity in <em>E. gracilis</em>. Glucose supplementation resulted in the highest specific growth rate and paramylon accumulation, with the volumetric paramylon yield increasing by 125.13 % compared to the PT group. Cell morphology exhibited dynamic alterations throughout the cultivation period; mixotrophic conditions markedly increased the proportion of elongated cells, particularly within the MTG group, where elongated cells ultimately represented 92 % of the population. Metabolomic analysis indicated that ethanol primarily stimulated growth via the activation of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and lipid metabolism. In contrast, glucose enhanced biomass accumulation through more direct sugar metabolic pathways, augmented paramylon synthesis, and more extensive reconstruction of signaling networks. Significant alterations in lipid metabolism were identified as the molecular basis for the dynamic transitions in cell morphology, thereby corroborating our proposed “metabolism-morphology-function” three-dimensional regulatory model. This investigation provides the first metabolomic elucidation of the adaptive response mechanisms of <em>E. gracilis</em> to different carbon sources. It offers novel insights into microalgal metabolic plasticity and establishes a theoretical foundation for optimizing cultivation strategies to improve paramylon yield, holding considerable implications for the advancement and application of microalgal biotechnology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7855,"journal":{"name":"Algal Research-Biomass Biofuels and Bioproducts","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 104308"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Metabolic reprogramming driven by specific carbon sources modulates morphological plasticity and enhances high-value metabolite accumulation in mixotrophic Euglena gracilis\",\"authors\":\"Yanzhao Li , Jun Zhou , Xin Wang , Jie Zhang , Xin Fan , Jun Jin , Xin Quan , Mingyang Ma , Mingcan Wu\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.algal.2025.104308\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><div>Microalgae are recognized as promising sustainable bioresources, and their metabolic plasticity is pivotal for environmental adaptation and biotechnological applications. Nevertheless, the precise mechanisms through which distinct carbon sources regulate microalgal metabolic networks and the associated morphological plasticity remain inadequately understood. In this study, <em>Euglena gracilis</em> was employed as a model organism. We utilized untargeted metabolomics to comprehensively compare growth performance, morphological characteristics, pigment content, paramylon accumulation, and metabolic profiles under photoautotrophic (PT), ethanol-mixotrophic (MTE), and glucose-mixotrophic (MTG) cultivation conditions. Our findings reveal significant metabolic plasticity in <em>E. gracilis</em>. Glucose supplementation resulted in the highest specific growth rate and paramylon accumulation, with the volumetric paramylon yield increasing by 125.13 % compared to the PT group. Cell morphology exhibited dynamic alterations throughout the cultivation period; mixotrophic conditions markedly increased the proportion of elongated cells, particularly within the MTG group, where elongated cells ultimately represented 92 % of the population. Metabolomic analysis indicated that ethanol primarily stimulated growth via the activation of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and lipid metabolism. In contrast, glucose enhanced biomass accumulation through more direct sugar metabolic pathways, augmented paramylon synthesis, and more extensive reconstruction of signaling networks. Significant alterations in lipid metabolism were identified as the molecular basis for the dynamic transitions in cell morphology, thereby corroborating our proposed “metabolism-morphology-function” three-dimensional regulatory model. This investigation provides the first metabolomic elucidation of the adaptive response mechanisms of <em>E. gracilis</em> to different carbon sources. It offers novel insights into microalgal metabolic plasticity and establishes a theoretical foundation for optimizing cultivation strategies to improve paramylon yield, holding considerable implications for the advancement and application of microalgal biotechnology.</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":7855,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Algal Research-Biomass Biofuels and Bioproducts\",\"volume\":\"91 \",\"pages\":\"Article 104308\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":4.5000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-09-19\",\"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/S2211926425004199\",\"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}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Algal Research-Biomass Biofuels and Bioproducts","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211926425004199","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}
Metabolic reprogramming driven by specific carbon sources modulates morphological plasticity and enhances high-value metabolite accumulation in mixotrophic Euglena gracilis
Microalgae are recognized as promising sustainable bioresources, and their metabolic plasticity is pivotal for environmental adaptation and biotechnological applications. Nevertheless, the precise mechanisms through which distinct carbon sources regulate microalgal metabolic networks and the associated morphological plasticity remain inadequately understood. In this study, Euglena gracilis was employed as a model organism. We utilized untargeted metabolomics to comprehensively compare growth performance, morphological characteristics, pigment content, paramylon accumulation, and metabolic profiles under photoautotrophic (PT), ethanol-mixotrophic (MTE), and glucose-mixotrophic (MTG) cultivation conditions. Our findings reveal significant metabolic plasticity in E. gracilis. Glucose supplementation resulted in the highest specific growth rate and paramylon accumulation, with the volumetric paramylon yield increasing by 125.13 % compared to the PT group. Cell morphology exhibited dynamic alterations throughout the cultivation period; mixotrophic conditions markedly increased the proportion of elongated cells, particularly within the MTG group, where elongated cells ultimately represented 92 % of the population. Metabolomic analysis indicated that ethanol primarily stimulated growth via the activation of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and lipid metabolism. In contrast, glucose enhanced biomass accumulation through more direct sugar metabolic pathways, augmented paramylon synthesis, and more extensive reconstruction of signaling networks. Significant alterations in lipid metabolism were identified as the molecular basis for the dynamic transitions in cell morphology, thereby corroborating our proposed “metabolism-morphology-function” three-dimensional regulatory model. This investigation provides the first metabolomic elucidation of the adaptive response mechanisms of E. gracilis to different carbon sources. It offers novel insights into microalgal metabolic plasticity and establishes a theoretical foundation for optimizing cultivation strategies to improve paramylon yield, holding considerable implications for the advancement and application of microalgal biotechnology.
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