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Mutagenesis and phenotypic selection as a strategy toward domestication of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strains for improved performance in photobioreactors

TitoloMutagenesis and phenotypic selection as a strategy toward domestication of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strains for improved performance in photobioreactors
Tipo di pubblicazioneArticolo su Rivista peer-reviewed
Anno di Pubblicazione2011
AutoriBonente, G., Formighieri C., Mantelli M., Catalanotti C., Giuliano Giovanni, Morosinotto T., and Bassi R.
RivistaPhotosynthesis Research
Volume108
Paginazione107-120
ISSN01668595
Parole chiaveAlgae, article, Biological, Chlamydomonas, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, DNA, fluorescence, gene expression regulation, gene inactivation, Gene Knockout Techniques, gene vector, Genetic, genetic screening, Genetic Testing, genetic transformation, Genetic Vectors, genetics, Genome, Insertional, Kinetics, metabolism, methodology, microbiology, Mutagenesis, mutation, oxidation reduction reaction, Oxidation-Reduction, Phenotype, photobioreactor, Photobioreactors, Photosystem II, Photosystem II Protein Complex, pigment, Pigments, Plant, plant DNA, plant genome, Polymerase Chain Reaction, reproducibility, Reproducibility of Results, Transformation
Abstract

Microalgae have a valuable potential for biofuels production. As a matter of fact, algae can produce different molecules with high energy content, including molecular hydrogen (H 2) by the activity of a chloroplastic hydrogenase fueled by reducing power derived from water and light energy. The efficiency of this reaction, however, is limited and depends from an intricate relationships between oxygenic photosynthesis and mitochondrial respiration. The way toward obtaining algal strains with high productivity in photobioreactors requires engineering of their metabolism at multiple levels in a process comparable to domestication of crops that were derived from their wild ancestors through accumulation of genetic traits providing improved productivity under conditions of intensive cultivation as well as improved nutritional/industrial properties. This holds true for the production of any biofuels from algae: there is the need to isolate multiple traits to be combined and produce organisms with increased performances. Among the different limitations in H 2 productivity, we identified three with a major relevance, namely: (i) the light distribution through the mass culture; (ii) the strong sensitivity of the hydrogenase to even very low oxygen concentrations; and (iii) the presence of alternative pathways, such as the cyclic electron transport, competing for reducing equivalents with hydrogenase and H 2 production. In order to identify potentially favorable mutations, we generated a collection of random mutants in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii which were selected through phenotype analysis for: (i) a reduced photosynthetic antenna size, and thus a lower culture optical density; (ii) an altered photosystem II activity as a tool to manipulate the oxygen concentration within the culture; and (iii) State 1-State 2 transition mutants, for a reduced cyclic electron flow and maximized electrons flow toward the hydrogenase. Such a broad approach has been possible thanks to the high throughput application of absorption/fluorescence optical spectroscopy methods. Strong and weak points of this approach are discussed. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

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URLhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-80054907931&doi=10.1007%2fs11120-011-9660-2&partnerID=40&md5=6e218fa272fcf3f4564b23a74ed80214
DOI10.1007/s11120-011-9660-2
Citation KeyBonente2011107