Temperature Dependent Changes in Glycolysis in the Thermoacidophilic Red Alga Galdieria sulphuraria

Abstract

Galdieria sulphuraria is a thermoacidophilic unicellular red alga found in extreme environments, such as volcanic areas. G. sulphuraria can grow at temperatures up to 56oC, with a growth optimum between 35oC and 42oC. To understand adaptation to high temperatures, a temperature jump experiment was performed with RNA-Seq (RNA-sequencing /whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing) at warm (46oC) and cold (28oC) temperatures. The analysis here focuses on the glycolytic pathway, the backbone of cellular metabolism. From existing RNA-Seq data, the temperature dependent changes in transcript levels for genes encoding glycolytic enzymes are determined. Our analysis indicates significant changes in metabolic fluxes.