Cold stress combined with salt or abscisic acid supplementation enhances lipogenesis and carotenogenesis in Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Bacillariophyceae)

Microalgae from Cold Environments and Their Possible Biotechnological Applications

“…The highest yield per dry mass unit was 4.9% for PUFA (dry mass: 12.4 mg L −1 ) and 2.6% for EPA (dry mass: 6.6 mg L −1 ) when the temperature was shifted from 25 to 10 mid-hour [ 65 ]. In 2022, Fierli et al [ 66 ] further studied lipogenesis and carotenogenesis in the diatom Pheodactylum tricornutum exposed to a cold temperature shock (from 20 to 10 °C) with addition of NaCl salt (5 mg mL −1 ) and the phytohormone abscisic acid (4 mg L −1 ). At 24 h and 5 days from stress induction with low temperature, salt, and the phytohormone abscisic acid, Fierli et al analyzed the expression of key genes such as diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (DAGT), zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP3), and coding enzymes involved in the synthesis of lipids and carotenoids, demonstrating that cold temperature influenced lipid production, increasing it by 22%.…”

“…At 24 h and 5 days from stress induction with low temperature, salt, and the phytohormone abscisic acid, Fierli et al analyzed the expression of key genes such as diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (DAGT), zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP3), and coding enzymes involved in the synthesis of lipids and carotenoids, demonstrating that cold temperature influenced lipid production, increasing it by 22%. At the same time, they noted an increase in EPA of 22% and fucoxanthin of 33% [ 66 ]. Lipids can have applications in the nutraceutical and cosmeceutical fields, while fucoxanthin has been shown to have anticancer [ 67 ] and anti-obesity activities [ 68 ].…”