Algal Adaptation to Environmental Stresses: Lipidomics Research

Abstract

Algal lipidomics is a new field of research that is gaining increasing popularity. The use of high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) has made it possible to accurately determine the structure of each lipid molecule in a sample. Since algae are considered as a promising source of various compounds with pharmacological and biotechnological potential, including bioactive lipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, lipidomics research of this group of organisms are of particular interest. The algae lipidome has high plasticity, which is due to the influence of abiotic and biotic environmental factors, and the observed changes in lipid composition are, as a rule, adaptive reactions. This review examines current research in the field of algal lipidomics, discusses the results of studying the influence of various environmental factors, such as temperature, light intensity, nutrient concentration, epi- and endophytic infections on the algae lipidome, and seasonal and geographical plasticity of algae lipidome; questions about the adaptation mechanisms of algae at the level of individual lipid molecular species are considered, and gaps in this area of research are noted.