Research

Publications
Title: Metabolic flexibility during a trophic transition reveals the phenotypic plasticity of greater duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza 7498)
First author: Sun, Zuoliang; Zhao, Xuyao; Li, Gaojie; Yang, Jingjing; Chen, Yan; Xia, Manli; Hwang, Inhwan; Hou, Hongwei
Journal: NEW PHYTOLOGIST
Years: 2023
Volume / issue: /
DOI: 10.1111/nph.18844
Abstract: center dot The greater duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza 7498) exhibits trophic diversity (photoautotrophic, heterotrophic, photoheterotrophic, and mixotrophic growth) depending on the availability of exogenous organic carbon sources and light. center dot Here, we show that the ability to transition between various trophic growth conditions is an advantageous trait, providing great phenotypic plasticity and metabolic flexibility in S. polyrhiza 7498. center dot By comparing S. polyrhiza 7498 growth characteristics, metabolic acclimation, and cellular ultrastructure across these trophic modes, we show that mixotrophy decreases photosynthetic performance and relieves the CO2 limitation of photosynthesis by enhancing the CO2 supply through the active respiration pathway. Proteomic and metabolomic analyses corroborated that S. polyrhiza 7498 increases its intracellular CO2 and decreases reactive oxygen species under mixotrophic and heterotrophic conditions, which substantially suppressed the wasteful photorespiration and oxidative-damage pathways. As a consequence, mixotrophy resulted in a higher biomass yield than the sum of photoautotrophy and heterotrophy. center dot Our work provides a basis for using trophic transitions in S. polyrhiza 7498 for the enhanced accumulation of value-added products.