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Nitrogen starvation leads to TOR kinase-mediated downregulation of fatty acid synthesis in the algae Chlorella sorokiniana and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

ABSTRACT: The accumulation of triacylglycerol (TAG) as a storage compound in eukaryotic algae has been the subject of extensive studies over the last 25 years. The model industrial alga Chlorella sorokiniana accumulates TAG and other storage compounds under nitrogen (N)-limited growth. Previously we used transcriptomics to explore the regulation of TAG synthesis in C. sorokiniana. Surprisingly, our analysis showed that the expression of several key genes encoding enzymes involved in plastidic fatty acid synthesis are significantly repressed. Metabolic labeling with radiolabeled acetate showed that de novo fatty acid synthesis is indeed downregulated under N-limitation. Likewise, inhibition of the Target of Rapamycin kinase (TOR), a key regulator of metabolism and growth, decreased fatty acid synthesis. We compared the changes induced in the quantitative proteome and phosphoproteome of cells under N-limitation or TOR inhibition and found extensive overlap between the N-limited and TOR-inhibited conditions. We also detected variations in the phosphorylation of TOR complex proteins under N-limitation, indicating that TOR signaling is altered. Our results indicate that under N-limitation there is significant metabolic remodeling, including fatty acid synthesis, mediated by TOR signaling. We find that TOR-mediated metabolic remodeling of fatty acid synthesis under N-limitation is conserved in the chlorophyte algae Chlorella sorokiniana and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

INSTRUMENT(S): Q Exactive HF

ORGANISM(S): Chlorella Sorokiniana

TISSUE(S): Cell Culture

SUBMITTER: Sophe Alvarez

LAB HEAD: Sophie Alvarez

PROVIDER: PXD041691 | Pride | 2024-10-17

REPOSITORIES: Pride

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Nitrogen starvation leads to TOR kinase-mediated downregulation of fatty acid synthesis in the algae Chlorella sorokiniana and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Vijayan Jithesh J Alvarez Sophie S Naldrett Michael J MJ Morse Wyatt W Maliva Amanda A Wase Nishikant N Riekhof Wayne R WR

BMC plant biology 20240806 1

<h4>Background</h4>When subject to stress conditions such as nutrient limitation microalgae accumulate triacylglycerol (TAG). Fatty acid, a substrate for TAG synthesis is derived from de novo synthesis or by membrane remodeling. The model industrial alga Chlorellasorokiniana accumulates TAG and other storage compounds under nitrogen (N)-limited growth. Molecular mechanisms underlying these processes are still to be elucidated.<h4>Result</h4>Previously we used transcriptomics to explore the regul ...[more]

PMID: 39107711

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Project description:The oleaginous green microalga Neochloris oleoabundans accumulates both starch and lipids to high levels under stress conditions such as nitrogen starvation. In order to steer the metabolism towards starch or lipids only, it is important to understand the mechanisms behind it. In this study physiological changes and gene expression upon nitrogen starvation were analysed in controlled flat-panel photobioreactors over both short- and long-term time-scales. Starch accumulation is transient and occurs rapidly within 24 hrs upon starvation, while lipid accumulation lasts longer and reaches a maximum after 4 days. The major fraction of accumulated lipids is composed of de novo synthesized neutral lipids - triacylglycerides (TAG) - and is characterized by a decreased composition of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) C18:3 and C16:3 and an increased composition of the mono-unsaturated and saturated fatty acids C18:1/C16:1 and C18:0/C16:0, respectively. RNA-sequencing revealed that genes related to starch biosynthesis and degradation show different temporal expression dynamics compared to those of lipid biosynthesis. An immediate rapid increase in starch synthesis gene expression is followed by an increase in starch degradation and decrease in starch synthesis gene expression. In contrast, increased gene expression for fatty acid and TAG synthesis is initiated later and occurs more gradually. Expression of several fatty acid desaturase (FAD) genes was decreased upon starvation, which corresponds to the observed changes to higher levels of mono-unsaturated and saturated fatty acids. Moreover, several homologs of transcription regulators that were implicated in controlling starch and lipid metabolism in other microalgae showed differential gene expression and might be key regulators of starch and lipid metabolism in N. oleoabundans as well. Promising candidates for future metabolic engineering are a DYRKP homolog that in Chlamydomonas acts as a negative regulator of carbon storage and photosynthetic efficiency under N-starvation, and two bZIP-type regulators that have been implicated to control several steps in microalgal TAG synthesis. Our data for the first time show the temporal dynamics of storage compound accumulation and transcriptional changes on a short- and long-term time-scale during nitrogen starvation in N. oleoabundans, and increases insight into the genetic foundation for starch and lipid metabolism in this microalga. This information and the identified target genes can now be used for metabolic engineering strategies towards tailored N. oleoabundans strains for industrial applications with increased lipid production and altered fatty acid composition.

Project description:Fatty acid synthesis is closely linked to nutrient availability and cellular energetic status. The committed step in fatty acid synthesis is the acetyl CoA carboxylase. Eukaryotes have two genes encoding acetyl CoA carboxylases, one encoding a cytosolic enzyme and another coding for a mitochondrial enzyme. They catalyze the synthesis of malonyl CoA in the cytosol and the mitochondria, respectively. While cytosolic malonyl CoA is the precursor for fatty acid synthesis, mitochondrial malonyl CoA controls the transfer of fatty acyl group into the mitochondria by inhibiting carnitine/palmitoyl transferase activity and thus, regulates Î²-oxidation. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Î²-oxidation is restricted to the peroxisomes, raising the question of the function of the mitochondrial isoform (HFA1). In this study, we replaced the cytosolic Acc1 with Hfa1 expressed in the cytosol by removing the mitochondrial leader peptide, under control of the HFA1 promoter. We studied fatty acid synthesis and transcription profiles in this strain during starvation for carbon or nitrogen, using glucose or ethanol as the carbon source. Under all the conditions studied, the key sensor of energetic status, Snf1, was activated, indicating active inhibition of fatty acid synthesis. The pool size of fatty acids was smaller when Acc1 was replaced with truncated Hfa1 for fatty acid synthesis. Yet, the transcription profiles were similar in both the cases. These results point towards the conclusion that Hfa1 is either catalytically less efficient or it is more sensitive to inhibition by Snf1. Gene expression from a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae where cytosolic fatty acid synthesis occurs by mitochondrial acetyl CoA carboxylase (without its mitochondrial leader peptide) is compared with that in a reference strain while growing in chemostats on carbon or nitrogen starvation using glucose or ethanol as the carbon source. There are two strains (reference or mutant), two carbon sources (glucose or ethanol) and two limitations (carbon or nitrogen), resulting in 8 comparisons. Each array was performed in duplicate, resulting in 16 CEL files. Growth was limited by either carbon or nitrogen. When carbon was the limited nutrient, we tested growth on either glucose or ethanol (both using ammonium sulfate as the nitrogen source). When ammonium sulfate was limiting, we used either glucose or ethanol as the carbon source.

			Action	DRS
	20190927_JV_1x2_NA.raw	Raw
	20190927_JV_2x2_NB.raw	Raw
	20190927_JV_3x2_NC.raw	Raw
	20190927_JV_4x2_TA.raw	Raw
	20190927_JV_5x2_TB.raw	Raw