Objective To overcome the limitations such as high costs and restricted substrate utilization of mono-culture fermentation, bacterium-alga co-culture based on resource complementarity offers a promising new avenue for ectoine production. This study investigated the co-culture conditions of Dunaliella pseudosalina ZBY-1 and Halomonas campaniensis XH26 and the variations in ectoine yield, aiming to elucidate the metabolic regulation mechanism of ectoine biosynthesis in the co-culture system. Methods Strains XH26 and ZBY-1 were co-cultured at different inoculation ratios (1/0, 1/5, 1/10, 1/15, and 1/20) to screen the ratio yielding the highest ectoine production. Targeted metabolomics analysis was performed on the co-culture group [H group (H)], the bacterial control group [XH26 group (X)], and the algal control group [ZBY-1 group (D)] to identify significant differential metabolites. Results The highest ectoine yield was achieved at a bacterium-to-alga ratio of 1:15, while the pigment content of the algal strain was lower than that of the control group. Metabolomics analysis identified 15 (H vs. D), 16 (H vs. X), and 16 (X vs. D) significant differential metabolites, including L-alanine, L-asparagine, L-aspartic acid, L-phenylalanine, malic acid, and pyruvic acid. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed that alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, and arginine biosynthesis were the significantly altered metabolic pathways. Conclusion The co-culture system exhibited an asymmetric pattern characterized by bacterial proliferation and algal inhibition. The co-culture system significantly activated the central carbon metabolic network of the bacteria. Notably, aspartic acid and glutamic acid were significantly accumulated in cells, serving as the direct carbon skeleton and amino donor, respectively, to directly promote the efficient synthesis of ectoine.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |