Structural elucidation of two types of novel glycosphingolipids in three strains of Skeletonema by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

Enhanced Expression of p53 and Suppression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR by Three Red Sea Algal Extracts: Insights on Their Composition by LC-MS-Based Metabolic Profiling and Molecular Networking

Brown algae comprise up to 2000 species with wide dissemination in temperate zones. A comprehensive untargeted metabolic profiling guided by molecular networking of three uninvestigated Red-Sea-derived brown algae, namely Sirophysalis trinodis, Polycladia myrica, and Turbinaria triquetra, led to the identification of over 115 metabolites categorized as glycerolipids, fatty acids, sterol lipids, sphingolipids, and phospholipids. The three algae exhibited low-to-moderate antioxidant capacity using DPPH and ABTS assays. Preliminary in vitro antiproliferative studies showed that the algal extracts displayed high cytotoxic activity against a panel of cancer cell lines. The most potent activity was recorded against MCF-7 with IC₅₀ values of 51.37 ± 1.19, 63.44 ± 1.13, and 59.70 ± 1.22 µg/mL for S. trinodis, P. myrica, and T. triquetra, respectively. The cytotoxicity of the algae was selective to MCF-7 without showing notable effects on the proliferation of normal human WISH cells. Morphological studies revealed that the algae caused cell shrinkage, increased cellular debris, triggered detachment, cell rounding, and cytoplasmic condensation in MCF-7 cancer cells. Mechanistic investigations using flow cytometry, qPCR, and Western blot showed that the algae induced apoptosis, initiated cell cycle arrest in the sub-G₀/G₁ phase, and inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells via increasing mRNA and protein expression of p53, while reducing the expression of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR.

Aeroterrestrial and Extremophilic Microalgae as Promising Sources for Lipids and Lipid Nanoparticles in Dermal Cosmetics

Microscopic prokaryotic and eukaryotic algae (microalgae), which can be effectively grown in mass cultures, are gaining increasing interest in cosmetics. Up to now, the main attention was on aquatic algae, while species from aeroterrestrial and extreme environments remained underestimated. In these habitats, algae accumulate high amounts of some chemical substances or develop specific compounds, which cause them to thrive in inimical conditions. Among such biologically active molecules is a large family of lipids, which are significant constituents in living organisms and valuable ingredients in cosmetic formulations. Therefore, natural sources of lipids are increasingly in demand in the modern cosmetic industry and its innovative technologies. Among novelties in skin care products is the use of lipid nanoparticles as carriers of dermatologically active ingredients, which enhance their penetration and release in the skin strata. This review is an attempt to comprehensively cover the available literature on the high-value lipids from microalgae, which inhabit aeroterrestrial and extreme habitats (AEM). Data on different compounds of 87 species, subspecies and varieties from 53 genera (represented by more than 141 strains) from five phyla are provided and, despite some gaps in the current knowledge, demonstrate the promising potential of AEM as sources of valuable lipids for novel skin care products.

Sterol and Sphingoid Glycoconjugates from Microalgae

Microalgae are well known as primary producers in the hydrosphere. As sources of natural products, microalgae are attracting major attention due to the potential of their practical applications as valuable food constituents, raw material for biofuels, drug candidates, and components of drug delivery systems. This paper presents a short review of a low-molecular-weight steroid and sphingolipid glycoconjugates, with an analysis of the literature on their structures, functions, and bioactivities. The discussed data on sterols and the corresponding glycoconjugates not only demonstrate their structural diversity and properties, but also allow for a better understanding of steroid biogenesis in some echinoderms, mollusks, and other invertebrates which receive these substances from food and possibly from their microalgal symbionts. In another part of this review, the structures and biological functions of sphingolipid glycoconjugates are discussed. Their role in limiting microalgal blooms as a result of viral infections is emphasized.

Lipidomics of Thalassiosira pseudonana under Phosphorus Stress Reveal Underlying Phospholipid Substitution Dynamics and Novel Diglycosylceramide Substitutes

Phytoplankton replace phosphorus-containing lipids (P-lipids) with non-P analogues, boosting growth in P-limited oceans. In the model diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana, the substitution dynamics of lipid headgroups are well described, but those of the individual lipids, differing in fatty acid composition, are unknown. Moreover, the behavior of lipids outside the common headgroup classes and the relationship between lipid substitution and cellular particulate organic P (POP) have yet to be reported. We investigated these through the mass spectrometric lipidomics of P-replete (P⁺) and P-depleted (P^-) T. pseudonana cultures. Nonlipidic POP was depleted rapidly by the initiation of P stress, followed by the cessation of P-lipid biosynthesis and per-cell reductions in the P-lipid levels of successive generations. Minor P-lipid degradative breakdown was observed, releasing P for other processes, but most P-lipids remained intact. This may confer an advantage on efficient heterotrophic lipid consumers in P-limited oceans. Glycerophosphatidylcholine (PC), the predominant P-lipid, was similar in composition to its betaine substitute lipid. During substitution, PC was less abundant per cell and was more highly unsaturated in composition. This may reflect underlying biosynthetic processes or the regulation of membrane biophysical properties subject to lipid substitution. Finally, levels of several diglycosylceramide lipids increased as much as 10-fold under P stress. These represent novel substitute lipids and potential biomarkers for the study of P limitation in situ, contributing to growing evidence highlighting the importance of sphingolipids in phycology. These findings contribute much to our understanding of P-lipid substitution, a powerful and widespread adaptation to P limitation in the oligotrophic ocean.IMPORTANCE Unicellular organisms replace phosphorus (P)-containing membrane lipids with non-P substitutes when P is scarce, allowing greater growth of populations. Previous research with the model diatom species Thalassiosira pseudonana grouped lipids by polar headgroups in their chemical structures. The significance of the research reported here is threefold. (i) We described the individual lipids within the headgroups during P-lipid substitution, revealing the relationships between lipid headgroups and hinting at the underlying biochemical processes. (ii) We measured total cellular P, placing P-lipid substitution in the context of the broader response to P stress and yielding insight into the implications of substitution in the marine environment. (iii) We identified lipids previously unknown in this system, revealing a new type of non-P substitute lipid, which is potentially useful as a biomarker for the investigation of P limitation in the ocean.

Sphingolipids in marine microalgae: Development and application of a mass spectrometric method for global structural characterization of ceramides and glycosphingolipids in three major phyla

Sphingolipid compositions are crucial for the structural and physiological properties of microalgae membranes. In the present study, we developed a quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometric method based on MS^E data collection for the identification of sphingolipids with high efficiency, selectivity, sensitivity and mass accuracy and applied this method for precise structural identification and quantitative profiling of ceramides and glycosphingolipids in total lipid extracts from 17 strains of microalgae, including 11 strains of diatom, 3 strains of dinoflagellate and 3 strains of haptophyta. Using this method, four species of sphingolipids including 27 ceramides, 13 monosaccharide ceramides, 18 disaccharide ceramides and 18 trisaccharide ceramides were identified. The compositions of sphingolipid-included glycosyl moieties, long chain bases and N-acyl chains showed a significant difference among different microalgae categories. Some long chain bases including d19:2, d19:3 and d19:4, glycosyl moieties including disaccharide and trisaccharide, and N-acyl chains such as 14:0, 14:1, 24:0, 24:1, h18:1, h19:1 and h22:0-2 can be chosen as the molecular signature for microalgae from three major phyla. This methodology will be useful for a wide range of physiological and pathological studies of sphingolipids. Furthermore, the diversity of sphingolipid structure could provide a new criterion for microalgae chemotaxonomy.

Simultaneous structural identification of diacylglyceryl-N-trimethylhomoserine (DGTS) and diacylglycerylhydroxymethyl-N,N,N-trimethyl-β-alanine (DGTA) in microalgae using dual Li+ /H+ adduct ion mode by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

Diacylgycerol-N-trimethylhomoserine (DGTS) and diacylglycerylhydroxymethyl-N,N,N-trimethyl-β-alanine (DGTA) are structural isomers that are the most commonly described betaine lipids in microalgae. The structural differentiation and precise identification of DGTS and DGTA in microalgae need to be established during mass spectrometry analysis.

METHODS

Total lipid was extracted from Amphora spp. with CHCl₃ /CH₃ OH (1:1, v/v). The qualitative analysis of DGTS and DGTA in Amphora spp. was carried out using Li⁺ /H⁺ dual mode by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry operating in MS^E mode (UPLC/QTOF MS^E ).

RESULTS

Characteristic fragment ions [C₁₀ H₂₂ O₅ N]⁺ at m/z 236.15 and [C₇ H₁₄ O₂ N]⁺ at m/z 144.10 from the [M + H]⁺ precursor ion can be used for the qualitative analysis of both DGTA and DGTS, whereas the loss of m/z 87 and 74 from the [M + Li]⁺ precursor ion are specific for DGTS, and the loss of m/z 103 from the [M + Li]⁺ precursor ion is only for DGTA. As a result, 9 DGTSs and 16 DGTAs with different fatty acids were identified simultaneously in Amphora spp. Semi-quantitative analysis of DGTS and DGTA in Amphora spp. showed that the contents of DGTS ranged from 0.003 to 0.438 nmol mg^-1 dw, and that of DGTA from 0.004 to 0.414 nmol mg^-1 dw.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report to achieve the ambiguous structural identification of DGTS and DGTA by UPLC/QTOF MS^E using dual Li⁺ /H⁺ adduct ion mode, which has remained a challenge in the past. It could provide new insights into their phylogeny and be helpful to characterize the natural phytoplankton communities as intact polar lipid biomarkers. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.