MALDI-TOF MS Classification of Formosan Thraustochytrids and Their Use in Shrimp Farming

利用 MALDI-TOF 質譜技術對臺灣破囊壺藻類群進行分類及其於蝦類養殖之應用

Setya Widi Ayuning Permanasari (賽蒂雅), Hsiu-Chin Lin (林秀瑾), Jia-Ying Lin (林佳穎), Mao-Xuan Hong (洪茂軒), Hsin-Yang Chang (張欣暘), Wen-Di He (何汶娣), Li-Hua Lo (羅麗華), Yu-Liang Yang (楊玉良), Tse-Min Lee (李澤民), Chih-Chuang Liaw (廖志中)*

J. Agric. Food Chem. 2026, 74, 10747–10758 (CHEMISTRY, APPLIED 8/77, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c08939)

Thraustochytrids are marine protists of increasing interest because of their capacity to sustainably produce high-value bioactive compounds, including ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and carotenoids such as astaxanthin. This study integrated the interdisciplinary expertise within our department, encompassing microalgal cultivation, evolutionary genetics, proteomics, metabolomics, and natural products research. Prof. Tse-Min Lee was responsible for the cultivation techniques of microalgae and thraustochytrids, Prof. Hsiu-Ching Lin conducted evolutionary and molecular phylogenetic analyses, Prof. Hsin-Yang Chang performed proteomic analyses, and Prof. Chih-Chuang Liaw led metabolomic analyses, natural product applications, and the establishment of the MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry platform. The selected elite strains were further evaluated for their effectiveness in white shrimp aquaculture.

Through this interdisciplinary collaboration, we established an integrated research pipeline for indigenous Taiwanese thraustochytrids, spanning from taxonomic identification and functional screening to aquaculture applications. Collectively, this study establishes a comprehensive "taxonomy–functional screening–aquaculture application" framework for indigenous Taiwanese thraustochytrids, providing a foundation for the sustainable exploitation of marine microbial resources and the advancement of functional nutrition strategies in aquaculture.

破囊壺藻（Thraustochytrids）為近年備受關注的海洋原生生物，具有永續生產高價值生物活性物質的潛力，尤其是 ω-3 多元不飽和脂肪酸（polyunsaturated fatty acids, PUFAs），如二十二碳六烯酸（docosahexaenoic acid, DHA），以及蝦紅素（astaxanthin）等類胡蘿蔔素。本研究整合國立中山大學海洋生物科技暨資源學系跨領域研究能量，由李澤民老師負責微藻與破囊壺藻培養技術及養殖應用評估、林秀瑾老師進行基因演化與分子系統分類分析、張欣暘老師負責蛋白質體與 MALDI-TOF 質譜技術平台建立，以及廖志中老師進行代謝體分析與天然物應用開發，共同推動臺灣本土破囊壺藻之分類鑑定、功能性成分分析及水產養殖應用開發。

本研究建立了由臺灣紅樹林生態系分離之 33 株本土破囊壺藻的 MALDI-TOF MS Biotyper 資料庫，並與 18S rRNA 基因序列系統發育分析進行比較。結果顯示，Biotyper 分類方法具有較佳的分類解析能力；進一步結合主成分分析（principal component analysis, PCA）及生化特徵之 K-means 分群分析，可有效進行功能性菌株分類。

利用高效液相層析（HPLC）定量分析各菌株之 DHA 與蝦紅素產量後，篩選出兩株具應用潛力之菌株進行凡納濱對蝦（Litopenaeus vannamei）養殖試驗，包括高 DHA 產量之 Schizochytrium sp. W1.2 與高蝦紅素產量之 Aurantiochytrium sp. YA7.1。結果顯示，W1.2 可提升蝦苗期之存活率與生長表現，而 YA7.1 則可改善飼料轉換效率並增加成蝦大型個體比例。

本研究結果顯示，結合基因演化、生化特徵、蛋白質體指紋及代謝體分析的跨領域整合策略，有助於高效率篩選具特定功能之破囊壺藻菌株，並建立兼具分類鑑定與功能預測能力之評估平台。同時，本研究亦證實破囊壺藻在微生物分類鑑定、天然物開發及功能性營養應用上的多元價值，為臺灣本土海洋微生物資源之高值化利用及永續蝦類養殖發展提供新的應用方向與科學依據。