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

Results: ILA 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. Conclusions: These findings suggest that ILA can be used to enhance the growth and production of useful metabolites and lipids in large-scale cultivation of L. aequinoctialis as feed, food, and pharmaceutical resources.