Highly time-resolved metabolic reprogramming toward differential levels of phosphate in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Understanding phosphorus metabolism in photosynthetic organisms is important as it is closely associated with enhanced crop productivity and pollution management for natural ecosystems (e.g., algal blooming). Accordingly, we exploited highly time-resolved metabolic responses to different levels of phosphate deprivation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a photosynthetic model organism. We conducted non-targeted primary metabolite profiling using gas-chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometric analysis. Primarily, we systematically identified main contributors to degree-wise responses corresponding to the levels of phosphate deprivation. Additionally, we systematically characterized the metabolite sets specific to different phosphate conditions and their interactions with culture time. Among them were various types of fatty acids that were most dynamically modulated by the phosphate availability and culture time in addition to phosphorylated compounds.