Acclimation strategies of the green alga Chlorella vulgaris to different light regimes revealed by physiological and comparative proteomic analyses

Abstract

Acclimation to different light regimes is at the base of survival for photosynthetic organisms, regardless of their evolutionary origin. Previous research efforts largely focused on acclimation events occurring at the level of photosynthetic apparatus and often highlighted species-specific mechanisms. Here, we investigated the consequences of acclimation to different irradiances in Chlorella vulgaris, a green alga that is one of the most promising species for industrial application, focusing on both photosynthetic and mitochondrial activities. Moreover, proteomic analysis of cells acclimated to high light (HL) or low light (LL) allowed identification of the main targets of acclimation in terms of differentially expressed proteins. The results obtained demonstrate photosynthetic adaptation to HL vs. LL that were only partially consistent with previous findings in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a model organism for green algae, but in many cases similar to vascular plant acclimation events. Increased mitochondrial respiration measured in HL-acclimated cells mainly relied on alternative oxidative pathway dissipating the excessive reducing power produced due to enhanced carbon flow. Finally, proteins involved in cell metabolism, intracellular transport, gene expression, and signaling—including an heliorhodopsin homolog—were identified as strongly differentially expressed in HL vs. LL, suggesting their key roles in acclimation to different light regimes.