Light-harvesting protein Lhcx3 is essential for high light acclimation of Phaeodactylum tricornutum

A rapid aureochrome opto-switch enables diatom acclimation to dynamic light

Diatoms often outnumber other eukaryotic algae in the oceans, especially in coastal environments characterized by frequent fluctuations in light intensity. The identities and operational mechanisms of regulatory factors governing diatom acclimation to high light stress remain largely elusive. Here, we identified the AUREO1c protein from the coastal diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum as a crucial regulator of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), a photoprotective mechanism that dissipates excess energy as heat. AUREO1c detects light stress using a light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) domain and directly activates the expression of target genes, including LI818 genes that encode NPQ effector proteins, via its bZIP DNA-binding domain. In comparison to a kinase-mediated pathway reported in the freshwater green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, the AUREO1c pathway exhibits a faster response and enables accumulation of LI818 transcript and protein levels to comparable degrees between continuous high-light and fluctuating-light treatments. We propose that the AUREO1c-LI818 pathway contributes to the resilience of diatoms under dynamic light conditions.

Glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Osteonecrosis (ON) is a complex and multifactorial complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). ON is a devastating condition that causes severe pain and compromises the quality of life. The prevalence of ON in SLE patients is variable, ranging from 1.7% to 52%. However, the pathophysiology and risk factors for ON in patients with SLE have not yet been fully determined. Several mechanisms for SLE patients' propensity to develop ON have been proposed. Glucocorticoid is a widely used therapeutic option for SLE patients and high-dose glucocorticoid therapy in SLE patients is strongly associated with the development of ON. Although the hips and knees are the most commonly affected areas, it may be present at multiple anatomical locations. Clinically, ON often remains undetected until patients feel discomfort and pain at specific sites at which point the process of bone death is already advanced. However, strategies for prevention and options for treatment are limited. Here, we review the epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment options for glucocorticoid-induced ON, with a specific focus on patients with SLE.

Improving Fucoxanthin Production in Mixotrophic Culture of Marine Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum by LED Light Shift and Nitrogen Supplementation

Fucoxanthin (Fx), a kind of primary carotenoids in brown seaweeds and diatoms, has attractive efficacy in human's healthcare including loss weight, the prevention of diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum is now realized as a promising producer for commercial Fx production due to its higher content of Fx than brown seaweeds with easily artificial cultivation and Fx extraction. In the present study, to improve Fx production in P. tricornutum, the mixotrophic cultures were applied to optimize initial cell density, light intensity, light regime and nitrogen supplementation. The results showed that the higher initial cell density (1 × 10⁷ cells mL^-1) and lower light intensity (20 μmol m^-2 s^-1) were favorable for biomass production and Fx accumulation. The maximal Fx content [16.28 mg g^-1 dry weight (DW)] could be achieved under blue light (BL), but the highest biomass concentration (5.53 g L^-1) could be attained under red: blue light (R: B, 6:1) in the batch culture. A novel two-phase culture approach was developed to increase the biomass concentration to the highest value (6.52 g L^-1) with the maximal productivity of Fx (8.22 mg L^-1 d^-1) through light shift from R:B ratio (6:1) in phase 1 to R:B ratio (5:1) by enhancing BL and tryptone addition in phase 2. The content and intracellular amount of Fx were also increased 8% and 12% in phase 2 compared to phase 1. The expression levels analysis revealed that genes encoding phytoene synthase (PSY), zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP), and fucoxanthin-chlorophyll-protein b (FCPb) were upregulated significantly, with downregulation of the gene encoding violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE), leading to the improvement of Fx in phase 2. The present study demonstrated the two-phase culture strategy could promote Fx productivity through enhancing biomass production and increasing Fx content, indicating that strengthening BL coupled with adding tryptone were effective to facilitate Fx production by mixotrophic cultivation of marine diatom P. tricornutum.