Analysis of metabolic profile of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cultivated under autotrophic conditions

Abstract

This study presents a metabolite profile analysis of unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii grown under autotrophic conditions at late stages of culture development. Metabolites were identified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Approximately 400 peaks corresponding to individual compounds were distinguished, of which approximately 100 compounds (including saccharides, fatty acids, aromatic compounds, amino acids, alcohols, etc.) were identified. A local database of mass spectra of unidentified compounds was created using MassBank software. Mapping of the metabolomic data with the use of the ChlamyCyc service showed that the identified compounds are involved in various energetic, synthetic, and signaling pathways in Chlamydomonas. The mapping of metabolites by their chemical structure with the use of Cytoscape software, combined with quantitative interpretation, showed that the majority of organic matter was concentrated primarily in the carbon backbones of fatty acids and terpenes, as well as saccharides and structurally similar compounds.