Systematically programmed adaptive evolution reveals potential role of carbon and nitrogen pathways during lipid accumulation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Background The concept of adaptive evolution implies underlying genetic mutations conferring a selective advantage to an organism under particular environmental conditions. Thus, a flow cytometry-based strategy was used to study the adaptive evolution in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii wild-type strain CC124 and starchless mutant sta6-1 cells, with respect to lipid metabolism under nitrogen-(N) depleted and -replete conditions.