Effects of Different Short-Term UV-B Radiation Intensities on Metabolic Characteristics of <i>Porphyra haitanensis</i>

• Main Authors: Shimei Fu, Song Xue, Jun Chen, Shuai Shang, Hui Xiao, Yu Zang, Xuexi Tang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-02-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: UV-B radiation; metabonomics; growth; amino acid metabolism; carbohydrate metabolism; UV-absorbing substances
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/4/2180
• ISSN: 1661-6596; 1422-0067

The effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, particularly UV-B on algae, have become an important issue as human-caused depletion of the protecting ozone layer has been reported. In this study, the effects of different short-term UV-B radiation on the growth, physiology, and metabolism of <i>Porphyra haitanensis</i> were examined. The growth of <i>P. haitanensis</i> decreased, and the bleaching phenomenon occurred in the thalli. The contents of total amino acids, soluble sugar, total protein, and mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) increased under different UV-B radiation intensities. The metabolic profiles of <i>P. haitanensis</i> differed between the control and UV-B radiation-treated groups. Most of the differential metabolites in <i>P. haitanensis</i> were significantly upregulated under UV-B exposure. Short-term enhanced UV-B irradiation significantly affected amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and phenylpropane biosynthesis. The contents of phenylalanine, tyrosine, threonine, and serine were increased, suggesting that amino acid metabolism can promote the synthesis of UV-absorbing substances (such as phenols and MAAs) by providing precursor substances. The contents of sucrose, D-glucose-6-phosphate, and beta-D-fructose-6-phosphate were increased, suggesting that carbohydrate metabolism contributes to maintain energy supply for metabolic activity in response to UV-B exposure. Meanwhile, dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) was also significantly upregulated, denoting effective activation of the antioxidant system. To some extent, these results provide metabolic insights into the adaptive response mechanism of <i>P. haitanensis</i> to short-term enhanced UV-B radiation.