, respectively. Mechanistically, C6-HSL activated systemic defense responses by upregulating antioxidant enzymes and non-enzymatic antioxidants while rebalancing endogenous hormone levels. Integrated multi-omics revealed that C6-HSL enhanced central carbon and nitrogen metabolism and coupled phosphate uptake with inositol phosphate metabolism, achieving total nitrogen and total phosphorus removal efficiencies of 96% and 97%, respectively. Concurrently, upregulated metal ion transporters and detoxification systems facilitated heavy metal removal. These metabolic adaptations were supported by enhanced tricarboxylic acid cycle activity and oxidative phosphorylation, which increased cellular energy supply. The process yielded high-quality biomass enriched in functional amino acids, including glutamate and proline, and essential fatty acids, including linoleic and linolenic acids. Overall, C6-HSL enabled microalgae to tolerate toxic PGL and transformed hazardous waste into valuable biomass, highlighting the potential of quorum-sensing-mediated regulation for sustainable remediation and resource recovery.
Yu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.