Abstract
Diatoms are a broadly distributed and evolutionarily diversified group of microalgae that produce a diverse range of sterol compounds. Sterols are triterpenoids that play essential roles in membrane-related processes in eukaryotic cells. Some sterol compounds possess bioactivities that promote human health and are currently used as nutraceuticals. The relationship between sterol diversity in diatoms and their acclimation to different environments is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of different sterol types across twelve diatom species, as well as the effect of temperature reduction and changes in salinity on the sterol contents of three model diatom species. In the diatoms Thalassiosira pseudonana, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Chaetoceros muelleri, we found that changes in the relative contents of minor sterols accompanied shifts in temperature and salinity. This may be indicative of acquired adaptive traits in diatom metabolism.
Highlights
Sterols are essential triterpenoids present in all eukaryotes [1]
We evaluated the effects of a reduction in temperature and changes in salinity on the cell growth and sterol profiles of three commonly cultured mesophilic model diatoms: the centric diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana, the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum and the chaetocerid diatom Chaetoceros muelleri
The sterol contents of twelve diatom species evaluated here agreed with earlier studies [12]
Summary
Sterols are essential triterpenoids present in all eukaryotes [1]. They contribute to the maintenance of important cellular dynamics such as membrane permeability, signaling and modulation of membrane-bound protein functions [2]. Besides their importance in signaling, sterol metabolism has been reported to function as a “molecular fossil” to track important evolutionary events such as oxygen availability in the ocean–atmosphere system [3]. Known as phytosterols, have beneficial effects on human health including demonstrated cholesterol-lowering [4] properties, anti-inflammatory [5] and anti-diabetic activities [6]. The Board of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (Federal Register of Legislative Instruments F2015L00440) and The European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel have classified sterols as safe compounds to use in foods, as well as in the administration to patients for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia [8]
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