A comparison of lipid storage in Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Tetraselmis suecica using laser scanning confocal microscopy

Microalgae contain lipid bodies (LBs) composed of triacylglycerols, which can be converted to biodiesel. Here we demonstrate a method to study the accumulation patterns of LBs in different microalgae strains and culture conditions utilizing laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) with BODIPY 505/515 (4,4-difluoro-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene) staining, in parallel with Nile Red (9-diethylamino-5H-benzo-a-phenoxazine-5-one) fluorescence analysis of intracellular lipids in microplates. Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Tetraselmis suecica were selected as model organisms and monitored throughout the growth phases in standard and nitrogen-deficient growth conditions. Utilizing image quantification techniques, the number and morphology of LBs suggest that P. tricornutum accumulates lipids by merging with existing LBs, while T. suecica synthesizes new LBs. We observed that T. suecica accumulates a higher number of LBs and total volume of lipids per cell, while P. tricornutum accumulates only 1–2 LBs with a larger volume per LB. LSCM analysis complements Nile Red (NR) methods because LSCM provides three-dimensional images of lipid accumulation at a cellular level, while NR analysis can quickly monitor the total levels of intracellular lipids for phenotypic screening. Using NR analysis, we have observed that the optimal harvest date for P. tricornutum and T. suecica in standard cultivation conditions is 24 and 42 days, respectively. Comparison with nitrogen-deficient growth conditions is utilized as a model to confirm that LSCM and NR analysis can be used to study lipid storage and productivity for diverse growth conditions and various strains of microalgae.