Bet hedging in a unicellular microalga

Si Tang, Yaqing Liu, Jianming Zhu, Xueyu Cheng, Lu Liu, Katrin Hammerschmidt (), Jin Zhou () and Zhonghua Cai ()
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Si Tang: Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School
Yaqing Liu: Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School
Jianming Zhu: Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School
Xueyu Cheng: Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School
Lu Liu: Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School
Katrin Hammerschmidt: Kiel University
Jin Zhou: Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School
Zhonghua Cai: Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Understanding how organisms have adapted to persist in unpredictable environments is a fundamental goal in biology. Bet hedging, an evolutionary adaptation observed from microbes to humans, facilitates reproduction and population persistence in randomly fluctuating environments. Despite its prevalence, empirical evidence in microalgae, crucial primary producers and carbon sinks, is lacking. Here, we report a bet-hedging strategy in the unicellular microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. We show that isogenic populations reversibly diversify into heterophenotypic mobile and non-mobile cells independently of environmental conditions, likely driven by stochastic gene expression. Mobile cells grow faster but are stress-sensitive, while non-mobile cells prioritise stress resistance over growth. This is due to shifts from growth-promoting activities (cell division, photosynthesis) to resilience-promoting processes (thickened cell wall, cell enlargement, aggregation, accumulation of antioxidant and energy-storing compounds). Our results provide empirical evidence for bet hedging in a microalga, indicating the potential for adaptation to current and future environmental conditions and consequently conservation of ecosystem functions.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46297-6

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