The production and characteristics of glycogen synthesized by various strains of the thermoacidophilic red microalgae Galdieria grown heterotrophically

Abstract

Red microalgae from the Cyanidiophyceae, particularly Galdieria sulphuraria and Cyanidioschyzon merolae, are primitive photosynthetic thermoacidophiles that thrive in acidic hot springs and geysers. Unlike most Cyanidiophyceae, Galdieria strains are metabolically flexible as they can switch from photoautotrophic growth in the light to heterotrophic growth in complete darkness. Galdieria sulphuraria is especially noteworthy for its accumulation of various commercially valuable, functional compounds such as glycogen and phycocyanin. Glycogen, a branched fractal-like polysaccharide composed of several thousands of anhydroglucopyranose units, can be added to cosmetic products and sports drinks as a moisturizer or slow-digestible carbohydrate. While the production and structural characteristics of the glycogen of G. sulphuraria 108.79, isolated from Yellowstone National Park, have been previously described, our investigation aimed to explore glycogen production and properties across various Galdieria strains from different locations. Our findings reveal that all examined strains produce substantial amounts of highly branched glycogen when grown heterotrophically on glycerol in the dark. Notably, the structural characteristics of Galdieria glycogen distinguish it from both eukaryotic and prokaryotic glycogen, exhibiting a significantly higher degree of branching, substantially shorter side chains, and a considerable extent of indigestibility. These findings support the hypothesis that this highly branched, small glycogen is a long-term energy store, enabling survival during extended periods of complete darkness.