Integrative multi-omics analyses reveal that exogenous indole-3-lactic acid enhances growth by modulating various metabolic pathways in Lemna aequinoctialis culture

Abstract

Lemna aequinoctialis is an aquatic plant with high potential for feed, food, and pharmaceutical resources due to its rapid propagation and rich metabolite profile. In this study, we investigated the effect of indole-3-lactic acid (ILA) on the growth and metabolomic, lipidomic, and transcriptomic profiles of L. aequinoctialis using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, and next-generation sequencing-based assays. ILA (100 µM) significantly promoted the growth of the L. aequinoctialis culture and altered the metabolomic, lipidomic, and transcriptomic profiles. It also increased the cellular production of asparagine, fumaric acid, malic acid and tryptophan among metabolites, and diacylglycerols, digalactosyldiacylglycerols, monogalactosyldiacylglycerols and triacylglycerols among lipids. Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses showed that 100 µM ILA treatment affected the ‘Glycolysis or Gluconeogenesis’, ‘Glycerophospholipid metabolism’, ‘Pyruvate metabolism’, ‘Alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism’, and ‘Glutathione metabolism’ pathways in L. aequinoctialis . Moreover, ILA altered the levels of bioactive metabolites and lipids in L. aequinoctialis . These findings suggest that ILA can be used to enhance the growth and production of useful metabolites and lipids in L. aequinoctialis as feed, food, and pharmaceutical resources.