Biology subjects

Si Larbi, G.

Publications and source records attributed to Si Larbi, G..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Integrated cellular and molecular responses to uranium chemotoxicity in the metal-tolerant microalga Coelastrella sp. PCV

Understanding the toxicity of hazardous metals in microalgae is critical for environmental risk assessment and sustainable phycoremediation. Metal-tolerant organisms provide powerful models for dissecting the mechanisms that mitigate metal toxicity. Here, we investigated the cellular and molecular responses to uranium (U) chemotoxicity in the metal-tolerant microalga Coelastrella sp. PCV. We used an integrated multi-omics and high-resolution imaging approach, combined with physiological analyses, to elucidate the mechanisms underlying U tolerance in Coelastrella. Using TEM-EDX, U was localized to the cell wall, polyphosphate bodies within acidocalcisomes, and vacuoles. Three-dimensional cell reconstruction and morphometric analysis using FIB-SEM showed that U-challenged cells displayed increased vacuolization, reflecting sequestration of uranyl ions and autophagy-mediated detoxification. Transcriptome responses were rapid and extensive, characterized by repression of cell division and photosynthesis, and pronounced imbalance in protein turnover and trafficking. Uranium also disrupted the homeostasis of essential elements, with marked rewiring of gene networks governing molybdenum, manganese, phosphate, iron and calcium homeostasis, notably affecting transporters and metal-binding proteins. Coelastrella sp. PCV efficiently sequestered U in acidocalcisomes and vacuoles, while rapidly excluding U from the cell. These coordinated detoxification responses are likely mediated by calcium, iron, ABC, and MATE transporters among the strongly deregulated genes under U stress.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Functional study of Phaeodactylum tricornutum Seipin homolog highlights unique features of lipid droplets biogenesis in diatoms.

Diatoms are a major phylum of microalgae, playing crucial ecological roles. They derive from secondary endosymbiosis of a red alga by an unknown heterotrophic eukaryote, leading to a complex intracellular organization. In response to unfavorable conditions (stress), diatoms store oil in lipid droplets (LD), raising interest for applications, in particular biofuels. In spite of numerous investigations aiming to increase their oil content, LD biogenesis mechanisms in these organisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we functionally characterized the homolog of Seipin, a major actor of LD biogenesis, in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. PtSeipin shares conserved structural features with other Seipins, yet presents unique characteristics, that appear common to diatoms and more broadly Stramenopiles. We provide evidence that Stramenopiles Seipins were inherited from the host during secondary endosymbiosis. The localization of PtSeipin highlights that LD biogenesis can arise simultaneously from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plastids most external membrane. Finally, the knock-out of PtSeipin leads to a strong increase of TAG accumulation, a feature that is not observed in other organisms and is greatly enhanced following high light exposure. Our results suggest a redirection of lipid fluxes towards TAG synthesis, reduced TAG recycling or a combination of both.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Subcellular ToF-SIMS imaging of the snow algae Sanguina nivaloides by combining high mass and high lateral resolution acquisitions

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) imaging has demonstrated great potential for metabolic imaging, yet achieving sufficiently high lateral and mass resolution to reach the organelle scale remains challenging. We have developed an approach by combining ToF-SIMS imaging acquisitions at high lateral resolution (> 150 nm) and high mass resolution (9,000). The data were then merged and processed using multivariate analysis (MVA), allowing for the precise identification and annotation of 85% of the main contributors to the multivariate analysis components at high lateral resolution. Insights into the electron microscopy sample preparation are provided, especially as we reveal that at least three different osmium-containing complexes can be found depending on the specific chemical environment of organelles. In cells of the snow alga Sanguina nivaloides, living in a natural environment limited in nutrients such as phosphorus (P), we were able to map elements and molecules within their subcellular context, allowing for the molecular fingerprinting of organelles at a resolution of 100 nm, as confirmed by correlative electron microscopy. It was thus possible to highlight that S. nivaloides likely absorbed selectively some inorganic P forms provided by P-rich dust deposited on the snow surface. S. nivaloides cells could maintain phosphorylations in the stroma of the chloroplast, consistently with the preservation of photosynthetic activity. The presented method can thus overcome the current limitations of ToF-SIMS for subcellular imaging and contribute to the understanding of key questions such as P homeostasis and other cell physiological processes.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2024

DGTS overproduced in seed plants is excluded from plastid membranes and promotes endomembrane expansion

Plants and algae must adapt to environmental changes, facing various stresses that negatively impact their growth and development. One common stress is phosphate (Pi) deficiency, which is often in limiting quantity in the environment. In response to Pi deficiency, these organisms increase Pi uptake and remobilize intracellular Pi. Phospholipids are degraded to provide Pi and replaced by non-phosphorous lipids, such as glycolipids or betaine lipids. During the evolution, seed plants lost their capacity to synthesize betaine lipid. By expressing BTA1 genes, involved in the synthesis of diacylglyceryl-N,N,N-trimethyl-homoserine (DGTS), from different species, our work shows that DGTS can be produced in seed plants. In Arabidopsis, expressing BTA1 under a phosphate starvation-inducible promoter resulted in limited DGTS production without having any impact on plant growth or lipid remodeling. In transient expression systems in Nicotiana benthamiana, leaves were able to accumulate DGTS up to 20 % of their glycerolipid content at a slight expense of galactolipid and phospholipid production. At the subcellular level, we showed that DGTS is absent from plastid and seems to be enriched in endomembrane, driving an ER membrane proliferation. Finally, DGTS synthesis pathway seems to compete with PC synthesis via the Kennedy pathway but does not seem to be derived from PC diacylglycerol backbone and therefore does not interfere with the eukaryotic pathway involved in galactolipid synthesis.

plant biology↗