# Transcriptomic Insights into Metabolic Reprogramming and Exopolysaccharide Synthesis in Porphyridium purpureum Under Gradual Nitrogen Deprivation

## TL;DR

This study explores how the red microalga Porphyridium purpureum responds to nitrogen deprivation, linking it to the production of exopolysaccharides and changes in metabolic pathways.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the metabolic reprogramming and enzyme regulation in P. purpureum under nitrogen stress, particularly focusing on exopolysaccharide synthesis.

## Key findings

- EPS release in P. purpureum coincides with reduced nitrate uptake, indicating a shift in carbon allocation.
- Transcriptomic analysis reveals upregulation of CAZyme families GT4, GT8, and GT77 under nitrogen stress.
- Nitrogen deprivation triggers phase-dependent metabolic changes, including stress-responsive and carbohydrate-related pathways.

## Abstract

Porphyridium species are known red microalgae for producing valuable bioactive compounds such as sulfated exopolysaccharides (EPS) with diverse industrial biomedical applications due to their functional and rheological properties. Recent studies have investigated how abiotic stresses, particularly nitrogen deprivation, affect Porphyridium’s metabolic regulation and EPS production through transcriptomic analysis. Still, the mechanisms governing EPS biosynthesis and the involvement of carbohydrate-activated enzymes (CAZymes) remain poorly understood. This study investigated the progressive effects of nitrate consumption on the unicellular red alga, P. purpureum, by integrating physiological, biochemical, and transcriptomic analyses through RNA-Seq, further validated by RT-qPCR. P. purpureum displayed a gradual, phase-dependent metabolic response to progressive nitrogen stress. EPS release coincided with the decline in nitrate uptake, linking nitrogen availability to carbon redirection towards polysaccharide secretion. Transcriptomic data revealed global metabolic downregulation with targeted upregulation of stress-responsive, carbohydrate catabolic, and nucleotide–sugar synthesis pathways, including the upregulation of CAZyme families GT4, GT8, and GT77. Our results give insights into the coordinated nitrogen and carbon metabolic regulation underlying polysaccharide biosynthesis, while opening future perspectives on enzyme compartmentalization and regulatory flux distribution under nitrogen stress in P. purpureum.