Changes in the accumulation of alkenones and lipids under nitrogen limitation and its relation to other energy storage metabolites in the haptophyte alga Emiliania huxleyi CCMP 2090

Alkenones are long-chain methyl/ethyl ketones (mainly in length of C37-C39) with two to four trans-unsaturated bonds produced by several kinds of marine haptophytes such as Emiliania huxleyi (coccolithophore). The physiological functions and metabolic profile of alkenones are not well known yet. In this study, we focused on elucidating how alkenones contribute to energy storage and cellular carbon partitioning in relation to other cellular components. For the purpose, we analyzed the changes in carbon allocation among various cell components like lipids, alkenones, proteins, and polysaccharides between cells exposed to N-sufficient (+N) and N-limited conditions (−N) in E. huxleyi CCMP 2090. Finally, the alkenones were found to function as main storage lipids and their accumulation was clearly increased by −N, whereas triacylglycerols (TAGs) were barely detected under any N conditions. The mobilization of carbons into alkenones was stimulated by −N from 15% under +N to 27% under −N. However, photosynthetic C allocation into other components was suppressed by −N, showing that percent C allocation into fatty acids, proteins, and polysaccharides was decreased from 9, 46, and 6.8% under +N to 7, 25, and 4.5% under −N, respectively. In addition, fatty acids such as 16:0, 18:0, 18:1, and 18:2 became dominant under −N while 18:5 became dominant under +N conditions, with no significant change in 22:6. This study revealed that alkenones function as primary carbon storage pools especially under −N condition in E. huxleyi CCMP 2090 and that N supply triggers a dynamic change in carbon metabolism by modifying membrane lipid composition and regulating carbon allocation preferences.