Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), widely existing in different organisms, is rapidly accumulated in plants in response to environmental stresses. The main biosynthesis and degradation pathways of GABA constitute the GABA shunt, which is tied to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. GABA transaminase (GABA-T) and succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) are two essential enzymes for the GABA degradation pathway. While there are abundant studies on GABA shunt in higher plants at the physiological and genetic levels, research on its role in microalgae remains limited. This study aimed at exploring the function of GABA-T and SSADH genes in Isochrysis zhanjiangensis, an important diet microalga, under different stresses. We cloned two GABA-T genes, IzGABA-T1 and IzGABA-T2, and one SSADH gene IzSSADH from Isochrysis zhanjiangensis and conducted heterologous expression experiments. The results showed that the overexpression of IzGABA-T1 or IzGABA-T2 enhanced the survival rates of yeast transformants under heat or NaCl stress, while the overexpression of IzSSADH improved yeast tolerance to NaCl stress but had no obvious effect on heat stress. Additionally, the results of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) showed that IzGABA-T1 transcription increased in the HT (salinity 25, 35°C) and LS (salinity 15, 25°C) groups. At 24 h, the IzGABA-T2 transcriptions increased in the HT, LS, and HS (salinity 35, 25°C) groups, but their transcription levels decreased in all groups at 48 h. IzSSADH transcription increased in the LS group. These results suggest that IzGABA-T1, IzGABA-T2, and IzSSADH are associated with temperature and salinity stresses and possess a certain preference for different stresses.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (No. LY22C190001), the Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo Government (No. 2021J114), the Ningbo Science and Technology Research Projects, China (No. 2019B10006), the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education Scientific Research Project (No. Y202249030), the Earmarked Fund for CARS-49, and was partly sponsored by K. C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University.
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Tian, J., Zhang, L., Lu, X. et al. Analysis and Characterization of the GABA Transaminase and Succinate Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase Genes in the Microalga Isochrysis zhanjiangensis in Response to Abiotic Stresses. J. Ocean Univ. China 23, 775–785 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-024-5743-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-024-5743-5