Abstract
Microalgae can produce high-value-added products such as lipids and carotenoids using light or sugars, and their biosynthesis mechanism can be triggered by various stress conditions. Under nutrient deprivation or environmental stresses, microalgal cells accumulate lipids as an energy-rich carbon storage battery and generate additional amounts of carotenoids to alleviate the oxidative damage induced by stress conditions. Though stressful conditions are unfavorable for biomass accumulation and can induce oxidative damage, stress-based strategies are widely used in this field due to their effectiveness and economy. For the overproduction of different target products, it is required and meaningful to deeply understand the effects and mechanisms of various stress conditions so as to provide guidance on choosing the appropriate stress conditions. Moreover, the underlying molecular mechanisms under stress conditions can be clarified by omics technologies, which exhibit enormous potential in guiding rational genetic engineering for improving lipid and carotenoid biosynthesis.
Highlights
Microalgae have been considered as an alternative source of lipids and carotenoids (Chisti, 2007), the accumulations of which can usually be induced by stress conditions (Pribyl et al, 2012)
We summarize recent studies on stress-based fermentation strategies for the induction of lipid and carotenoid production in microalgae, including nutrient-related stresses and environmental stresses (Table 1)
High light intensity can boost the expression levels of the lycopene beta-cyclase gene (Ramos et al, 2008), which is the key enzyme for carotenoid accumulation in microalgae
Summary
Microalgae have been considered as an alternative source of lipids and carotenoids (Chisti, 2007), the accumulations of which can usually be induced by stress conditions (Pribyl et al, 2012). The underlying molecular mechanisms of the behavior of specific strains under stress conditions can increasingly be clarified using omics technologies, which can guide rational genetic engineering for improving the biosynthesis of lipids and carotenoids. The production of carotenoids, including β-carotene, astaxanthin, and lutein, was successfully enhanced by nitrogen limitation in Chlorella zofingiensis, Dunaliella salina, Neochloris oleoabundans, and Muriellopsis sp.
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