转基因衣藻lba及对照藻产氢培养条件的优化

通过对莱茵衣藻849及其转基因衣藻lba进行光照强度、细胞浓度和培养基中硫酸盐含量三因素三水平的正交实验,确定了两个藻种的最佳产氢条件,同时对转基因藻和849产氢培养条件下的光合放氧速率和pH进行了检测。实验结果表明,在25 ℃下,莱茵衣藻849和转基因衣藻lba的最佳产氢条件都为光照强度 60μmol/(m²·s),细胞浓度为叶绿素含量12.5μg/ml,培养基中硫酸盐含量0μmol/L。莱茵衣藻849和转基因衣藻lba的最高氢气产量分别达到了349μl/mg chlorophyll 和634μl/mg chlorophyll。在产氢条件下,转基因藻lba的净光合放氧速率比849低。结果为利用豆血红蛋白特性通过基因工程手段提高莱茵衣藻产氢量提供基础实验数据。     

转基因莱茵衣藻hemHc-lbac和根瘤菌共培养提高产氢培养条件的优化

转基因莱茵衣藻hemHc-lbac(transgenic Chlamydomonas reinhardtii hemHc-lbac)以不同比例与日本慢生大豆根瘤菌(Bradyrhizobium japonicum)混合,在不同光照条件下进行产氢培养,以确定产氢的最优条件和探索产氢提高的机理。结果表明藻菌共培养的最优产氢条件为25℃、光照30μE·m–2·s–1、生长至饱和期的菌和藻体积比为1:80,产氢量达到最大,约为278μmol·mg–1Chl,是对照组80μmol·mg–1Chl的3.5倍。藻菌共培养提高产氢量的主要原因是体系中氧气浓度的降低而使氢化酶活性提高、以及衣藻生物量的增加。该研究为利用藻菌共培养及转基因的方法提高微藻光合生物制氢效率提供了重要实验基础。     

衣藻生物制氢的研究进展

综述了利用衣藻生产氢气作为再生能源的研究进展。分别介绍了衣藻产氢的代谢机理、培养条件、衣藻氢化酶的特性以及利用分子生物学手段、生物信息学手段和生物工程技术提高衣藻生物制氢效率的方法,包括氢化酶的氧耐受性的改造、外源氢化酶基因的表达、影响衣藻产氢的关键基因的筛选、利用缺硫培养基和固定化培养方法提高氢气产量等。最后,还对利用衣藻生物制氢的可行性和经济性进行了分析,对其发展方向提出自己的看法。     

来源于Pyrococcus furiosus的耐高温α-淀粉酶基因在衣藻叶绿体中的表达

来源于Pyrococcusfuriosus的耐高温α-淀粉酶是一种重要的酒精工业用酶,在植物中表达耐高温α-淀粉酶可以大大降低用植物秸秆生产酒精的成本。选择衣藻叶绿体基因组同源片段clpP-trnL-petB-chlL-rpl23-rpl2和壮观霉素抗性基因,构建了来源于Pyrococcusfuriosus的耐高温α-淀粉酶基因的衣藻叶绿体表达载体p64A。通过基因枪将其导入衣藻叶绿体中,经壮观霉素抗性(100mg/L)筛选,获得了9个抗性衣藻转化子。转化子经过抗性继代筛选后,经PCR、Southernblot检测分析及暗培养,证实耐高温α-淀粉酶基因已整合到衣藻叶绿体基因组中并得到表达。酶活性检测表明,转基因衣藻表达产物具有耐高温α-淀粉酶活性,每克鲜重衣藻最高达77.5u。实验结果证明在植物叶绿体中表达工业酶制剂是可行的。     

衣藻叶绿体表达系统的研究

真核藻类作为一种新型的蛋白表达系统,因其培养方法简单,成本低廉并且能大规模繁殖,最近几年成为人们关注的焦点.作为一种模式生物,单细胞的真核生物莱茵衣藻已经成为人们研究的重点.外源蛋白不仅能在衣藻核中进行表达而且也能在叶绿体中表达,但衣藻叶绿体的表达系统较之核表达有巨大的优越性.在到目前为止,已经有许多的药用蛋白在莱茵衣藻的叶绿体中成功表达的报道,证明了莱茵衣藻叶绿体作为生物反应器的能力.将对衣藻叶绿体的表达做详细的描述.     

外源基因在莱茵衣藻叶绿体中的表达

把莱茵衣藻(Chlamydomonas reinhardtii)叶绿体作为生物反应器来表达外源基因具有广阔的应用前景。人们利用莱茵衣藻叶绿体表达体系已成功表达多种重组蛋白,其中包括人类药用蛋白。综述了莱茵衣藻叶绿体转化的方法、影响外源基因表达的主要因素以及外源基因在莱茵衣藻叶绿体表达研究进展。     

来源于Pyrococcus furiosus的耐高温α-淀粉酶基因在衣藻叶绿体中的表达

来源于Pyrococcus furiosus的耐高温α-淀粉酶是一种重要的酒精工业用酶,在植物中表达耐高温α-淀粉酶可以大大降低用植物秸秆生产酒精的成本。选择衣藻叶绿体基因组同源片段clpP-trnL-petB-chlL-rpl23-rpl2和壮观霉素抗性基因,构建了来源于Pyrococcus furiosus的耐高温α-淀粉酶基因的衣藻叶绿体表达载体P64a。通过基因枪将其导入衣藻叶绿体中,经壮观霉素抗性(100mg/L)筛选,获得了9 个抗性衣藻转化子。转化子经过抗性继代筛选后,经PCR、Southern blot 检测分析及暗培养,证实耐高温α-淀粉酶基因已整合到衣藻叶绿体基因组中并得到表达。酶活性检测表明,转基因衣藻表达产物具有耐高温α-淀粉酶活性,每克鲜重衣藻最高达77.5u。 实验结果证明在植物叶绿体中表达工业酶制剂是可行的。     

衣藻叶绿体表达重组蛋白及表达优化策略

近年来,转基因技术已日趋成熟,医学、工业上的应用也越来越广泛。以重组蛋白为基础的药物治疗是目前医药生产领域发展最快的一项技术。它们的高特异性和低副作用使得治疗效率十分突出。但是重组蛋白表达的复杂性也给生产带来了一定限制。为了促进重组蛋白的应用,人们对适宜其表达的系统和能促进其表达的策略进行了探索。研究发现,衣藻叶绿体作为重组蛋白的生物反应器,能实现重组蛋白快速、高效、低成本生产。同时,衣藻能在人工培养基和人为控制的条件下生长,降低了受污染的风险,与传统的生产系统比较具有不可比拟的优越性。因此,衣藻叶绿体作为医药重组蛋白生物反应器在未来的生物技术领域将发挥巨大作用。     

丙肝病毒融合抗原基因NS3-C定点整合入衣藻叶绿体基因组的研究

用ＰＣＲ 方法从丙型肝炎病毒（ＨＣＶ） ｃＤＮＡ 文库中克隆了两段ＤＮＡ 片段,即ＨＣＶ 基因组非结构ＮＳ３区抗原基因（约０．７ ｋｂ）和核心抗原Ｃ区抗原基因（约０．６ ｋｂ）的ｃＤＮＡ 片段。在两段ｃＤＮＡ 间加入连接肽Ｓｅｒ－ Ｐｒｏ－ Ｇｌｙ－ Ｓｅｒ 的密码子序列,构建成融合抗原基因ＮＳ３－ Ｃ。将该融合基因与衣藻叶绿体基因ａｔｐＡ 的启动子和ｒｂｃＬ 基因的３′末端连接,得到丙肝病毒融合抗原基因ＮＳ３－ Ｃ表达盒,再将该表达盒与选择标记基因ａａｄＡ 表达盒和衣藻叶绿体基因组同源片段连接,构建成衣藻叶绿体转化载体ｐＳＳ６。基因枪法转化衣藻叶绿体,经壮观霉素筛选获得转化再生的单藻落,对转基因衣藻的ＰＣＲ 和Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ 杂交分析表明,融合抗原基因ＮＳ３－ Ｃ已整合到衣藻叶绿体基因组中。     

谷氨酸废液培养莱茵衣藻的产氢研究

通过在一般培养基中添加尿素、谷氨酸、葡萄糖等有机物,考察了菜茵衣藻混合营养培养的产氢效果。结果表明,含尿素混合营养培养菜茵衣藻产氢是含铵氮的培养基培养的6倍,无硫含尿素的混合营养培养具有最佳的产氢效果,是有硫含铵氮的培养基的10倍。谷氨酸及葡萄糖的添加对其生长和产氢也有促进作用,对菜茵衣藻生长和产氢促进作用的尿素的最佳添加量为0．25g/L,谷氨酸的最佳添加量为0．7g/L,葡萄糖的添加量为0．2g/L。     

Localization and function of SulP,a nuclear-encoded chloroplast sulfate permease in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</Emphasis>

Recent work [H.-C. Chen et al. (2003) Planta 218:98-106] reported on the genomic, proteomic, phylogenetic and evolutionary aspects of a putative nuclear gene ( SulP) encoding a chloroplast sulfate permease in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In this article, evidence is provided for the envelope localization of the SulP protein and its function in the uptake and assimilation of sulfate by the chloroplast. Localization of the SulP protein in the chloroplast envelope was concluded upon isolation of C. reinhardtii chloroplasts, followed by fractionation into envelope and thylakoid membranes and Western blotting of these fractions with specific polyclonal antibodies raised against the recombinant SulP protein. The function of the SulP protein was probed in antisense transformants of C. reinhardtii having lower expression levels of the SulP gene. Results showed that cellular sulfate uptake capacity was lowered as a consequence of attenuated SulP gene expression in the cell, directly affecting rates of de novo protein biosynthesis in the chloroplast. The antisense transformants exhibited phenotypes of sulfate-deprived cells, displaying slow rates of light-saturated oxygen evolution, low levels of Rubisco in the chloroplast and low steady-state levels of the photosystem-II D1 reaction-center protein. The role of the chloroplast sulfate transport in the uptake and assimilation of sulfate in C. reinhardtii is discussed along with its impact on the repair of photosystem-II from a frequently occurring photo-oxidative damage and potential use for the elucidation of the H(2)-evolution-related metabolism in this green alga.     

Improved photobiological H2 production in engineered green algal cells

Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms use solar energy to split water (H2O) into protons (H+), electrons (e-), and oxygen. A select group of photosynthetic microorganisms, including the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, has evolved the additional ability to redirect the derived H+ and e- to drive hydrogen (H2) production via the chloroplast hydrogenases HydA1 and A2 (H2 ase). This process occurs under anaerobic conditions and provides a biological basis for solar-driven H2 production. However, its relatively poor yield is a major limitation for the economic viability of this process. To improve H2 production in Chlamydomonas, we have developed a new approach to increase H+ and e- supply to the hydrogenases. In a first step, mutants blocked in the state 1 transition were selected. These mutants are inhibited in cyclic e- transfer around photosystem I, eliminating possible competition for e- with H2ase. Selected strains were further screened for increased H2 production rates, leading to the isolation of Stm6. This strain has a modified respiratory metabolism, providing it with two additional important properties as follows: large starch reserves (i.e. enhanced substrate availability), and a low dissolved O2 concentration (40% of the wild type (WT)), resulting in reduced inhibition of H2ase activation. The H2 production rates of Stm6 were 5-13 times that of the control WT strain over a range of conditions (light intensity, culture time, +/- uncoupler). Typically, approximately 540 ml of H2 liter(-1) culture (up to 98% pure) were produced over a 10-14-day period at a maximal rate of 4 ml h(-1) (efficiency = approximately 5 times the WT). Stm6 therefore represents an important step toward the development of future solar-powered H2 production systems.     

Solar energy conversion by green microalgae: a photosystem for hydrogen peroxide production

A photosystem for solar energy conversion, comprised of a culture of green microalgae supplemented with methyl viologen, is proposed. The capture of solar energy is based on the Mehler reaction. The reduction of methyl viologen by the photosynthetic apparatus and its subsequent reoxidation by oxygen produces hydrogen peroxide. This is a rich-energy compound that can be used as a nonpollutant and efficient fuel. Four different species of green microalgae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (21gr) C. reinhardtii (CW15), Chlorella fusca, and Monoraphidium braunii, were tested as a possible biocatalyst. Each species presented a different efficiency level in the transformation of energy. Azide was an efficient inhibitor of the hydrogen peroxide scavenging system while maintaining photosynthetic activity of the microalgae, and thus significantly increasing the production of the photosystem. The strain C. reinhardtii (21gr), among the species studied, was the most efficient with an initial production rate of 185 micromol H(2)O(2)/h x mg Chl and reaching a maximum of 42.5 micromol H(2)O(2)/mg Chl when assayed in the presence of azide inhibitor.     

The microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a platform for the production of human protein therapeutics

Microalgae are a diverse group of eukaryotic photosynthetic microorganisms. While microalgae play a crucial role in global carbon fixation and oxygen evolution, these organisms have recently gained much attention for their potential role in biotechnological and industrial applications, such as the production of biofuels. We investigated the potential of the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to be a platform for the production of human therapeutic proteins. C. reinhardtii is a unicellular freshwater green alga that has served as a popular model alga for physiological, molecular, biochemical and genetic studies. As such, the molecular toolkit for this microorganism is highly developed, including well-established methods for genetic transformation and recombinant gene expression. We transformed the chloroplast genome of C. reinhardtii with seven unrelated genes encoding for current or potential human therapeutic proteins and found that four of these genes supported protein accumulation to levels that are sufficient for commercial production. Furthermore, the algal-produced proteins were bioactive. Thus, the microalga C. reinhardtii has the potential to be a robust platform for human therapeutic protein production.     

Functional integration of the HUP1 hexose symporter gene into the genome of C. reinhardtii: Impacts on biological H(2) production

Phototrophic organisms use photosynthesis to convert solar energy into chemical energy. In nature, the chemical energy is stored in a diverse range of biopolymers. These sunlight-derived, energy-rich biopolymers can be converted into environmentally clean and CO(2) neutral fuels. A select group of photosynthetic microorganisms have developed the ability to extract and divert protons and electrons derived from water to chloroplast hydrogenase(s) to produce molecular H(2) fuel. Here, we describe the development and characterization of C. reinhardtii strains, derived from the high H(2) production mutant Stm6, into which the HUP1 (hexose uptake protein) hexose symporter from Chlorella kessleri was introduced. The isolated cell lines can use externally supplied glucose for heterotrophic growth in the dark. More importantly, external glucose supply (1mM) was shown to increase the H(2) production capacity in strain Stm6Glc4 to approximately 150% of that of the high-H(2) producing strain, Stm6. This establishes the foundations for a new fuel production process in which H(2)O and glucose can simultaneously be used for H(2) production. It also opens new perspectives on future strategies for improving bio-H(2) production efficiency under natural day/night regimes and for using sugar waste material for energy production in green algae as photosynthetic catalysts.     

Recombination and heterologous expression of allophycocyanin gene in the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Heterogeneous expression of multiple genes in the nucleus of transgenic plants requires the introduction of an individual gene and the subsequent backcross to reconstitute multi-subunit proteins or metabolic pathways. In order to accomplish the expression of multiple genes in a single transformation event, we inserted both large and small subunits of allophycocyanin gene （apcA and apcB） into Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast expression vector, resulting in papc-S. The constructed vector was then introduced into the chloroplast of C. reinhardtii by micro-particle bombardment. Polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot analysis revealed that the two genes had integrated into the chloroplast genome. Western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that the two genes from the prokaryotic cyanobacteria could be correctly expressed in the chloroplasts of C. reinhardtii. The expressed foreign protein in transformants accounted for about 2%-3% of total soluble proteins. These findings pave the way to the reconstitution of multi-subunit proteins or metabolic pathways in transgenic C. reinhardtii chloroplasts in a single transformation event.