Parachlorella kessleri + Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mutualistic Co-culture

Community ID CommunityMech:000295

Ecological State ENGINEERED

Environment co-culture bioreactor for microalgal lipid production
ENVO:00002123

Two-member engineered co-culture of the green microalga Parachlorella kessleri and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, established to enhance microalgal lipid productivity. The partners form a mutualistic relationship based on reciprocal oxygen/carbon dioxide gas exchange. Under co-culture, biomass and lipid production increased 4-fold relative to microalgal monoculture. Yeast sustained microalgal growth during the transition to phototrophy after glucose depletion and promoted lipid accumulation through nutrient competition, while microalgae are inferred to provide metabolic support to the yeast via exopolysaccharide (EPS)-derived molecules. Nanomechanical analyses (AFM, FluidFM) showed increased EPS production and stronger, longer microalga-yeast cell-cell interactions in co-culture.

Taxonomy

Taxon	Ontology ID	Functional Roles	Abundance
Parachlorella kessleri	NCBITaxon:3074	PRIMARY_PRODUCER CROSS_FEEDER	N/A
PMID:42217804 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO) "This study examines the physiological and biophysical responses of Parachlorella kessleri when co-cultured with Saccharomyces cerevisiae to enhance lipid productivity"
Saccharomyces cerevisiae	NCBITaxon:4932	CROSS_FEEDER	N/A
PMID:42217804 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO) "This study examines the physiological and biophysical responses of Parachlorella kessleri when co-cultured with Saccharomyces cerevisiae to enhance lipid productivity"

Ecological Interactions

Taxon

Cross-feeding

Mutualism

Syntrophy

Competition

Commensalism

Niche partitioning

Colonization facilitation

Strain competition

Predation

Reciprocal oxygen/carbon dioxide gas exchange

MUTUALISM

Source Taxon: Parachlorella kessleri

Target Taxon: Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Metabolites: oxygen (CHEBI:15379), carbon dioxide (CHEBI:16526)

Evidence

PMID:42217804 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)

"Microalgae and yeasts can establish a mutualistic relationship based on reciprocal oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange, offering a strategy to overcome productivity limits caused by the slow growth of microalgae."

Yeast support of microalgal growth and lipid accumulation

MUTUALISM

Source Taxon: Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Target Taxon: Parachlorella kessleri

Evidence

PMID:42217804 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)

"Yeast sustained microalgal growth during the transition to phototrophy after glucose depletion (day 6) and promoted lipid accumulation through nutrient competition."

EPS-mediated metabolic support of yeast by microalgae

CROSS_FEEDING

Source Taxon: Parachlorella kessleri

Target Taxon: Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Evidence

PMID:42217804 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)

"yeast viability remained above 68%, indicating possible metabolic support from microalgae via exopolysaccharides (EPS) - derived molecules"

Growth Media

BBM + NO3 medium

Preparation notes: Microalga-yeast co-culture; yeast supplied with glucose as initial carbon source, which was depleted by day 6, after which the microalga transitioned to phototrophy; culture experienced ~8 days of nutrient limitation. Microalgal monoculture reference grown in the same BBM + NO3 medium.

Evidence

PMID:42217804

"biomass and lipid production increased 4-fold compared to microalgal monoculture grown in BBM + NO3 medium"

PMID:42217804

"Yeast sustained microalgal growth during the transition to phototrophy after glucose depletion (day 6)"