Differential Expression of Carotenogenic Genes, Associated Changes on Astaxanthin Production and Photosynthesis Features Induced by JA in H. pluvialis

Haematococcus pluvialis is an organism that under certain conditions can produce astaxanthin, an economically important carotenoid. In this study, the transcriptional expression patterns of eight carotenogenic genes of H. pluvialis in response to jasmonic acid (JA) were evaluated using real-time PCR. Astaxanthin accumulation action and photosynthesis flourescence were monitored at the same time. The results showed all eight genes exhibited higher transcriptional expression significantly under JA treatments. JA25 (25 mg/L) induction had greater effect (>10-fold up-regulation) on the transcriptional expression of pds, crtR-B and lyc than on ipi-1, ipi-2, psy, bkt2, and crtO. JA50 (50 mg/L) treatment had greater impact on the transcriptional expression of ipi-1, ipi-2, psy, crtR-B and crtO than on pds, lyc and bkt2. Astaxanthin biosynthesis in the presence of JA appeared to be up-regulated mainly by psy, pds, crtR-B, lyc, bkt2 and crtO at the transcriptional level and ipi-1, ipi-2 at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Under JA induction, the photosynthetic efficiency [Y (II)] and the maximum quantum efficiency of PS II (Fv/Fm) decreased significantly, but the non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence (NPQ) increased drastically with the accumulation of astaxanthin.