Tracking the sterol biosynthesis pathway of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Inhibition of Cycloartenol Synthase (CAS) Function in Tobacco BY-2 Cell Suspensions: A Proteomic Analysis

The effect of an inhibitor of cycloartenol synthase (CAS, EC 5.4.99.8) on the proteome of tobacco BY-2 cells has been examined. CAS catalyzes the first committed step in phytosterol synthesis in plants. BY-2 cells were treated with RO 48-8071, a potent inhibitor of oxidosqualene cyclization. Proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis and spots, that clearly looked differentially accumulated after visual inspection, were cut, in-gel trypsin digested, and peptides were analyzed by nano-HPLC-MS/MS. Distinct peptides were compared to sequences in the data banks and attributed to corresponding proteins and genes. Inhibition of CAS induced proteins that appear to mitigate the negative effects of the chemical exposure. However, as all enzymes that are directly involved in phytosterol biosynthesis are low-abundant proteins, significant changes in their levels could not be observed. Differences could be seen with enzymes involved in primary metabolism (glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway etc.), in proteins of the chaperonin family, and those, like actin, that participate in formation and strengthening of the cytoskeleton and have some impact on cell growth and division.

Low-Molecular-Weight Metabolites from Diatoms: Structures, Biological Roles and Biosynthesis

Diatoms are abundant and important biological components of the marine environment that biosynthesize diverse natural products. These microalgae are rich in various lipids, carotenoids, sterols and isoprenoids, some of them containing toxins and other metabolites. Several groups of diatom natural products have attracted great interest due to their potential practical application as energy sources (biofuel), valuable food constituents, and prospective materials for nanotechnology. In addition, hydrocarbons, which are used in climate reconstruction, polyamines which participate in biomineralization, new apoptotic agents against tumor cells, attractants and deterrents that regulate the biochemical communications between marine species in seawaters have also been isolated from diatoms. However, chemical studies on these microalgae are complicated by difficulties, connected with obtaining their biomass, and the influence of nutrients and contaminators in their environment as well as by seasonal and climatic factors on the biosynthesis of the corresponding natural products. Overall, the number of chemically studied diatoms is lower than that of other algae, but further studies, particularly those connected with improvements in the isolation and structure elucidation technique as well as the genomics of diatoms, promise both to increase the number of studied species with isolated biologically active natural products and to provide a clearer perception of their biosynthesis.

Cloning and characterization of farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase from the highly branched isoprenoid producing diatom Rhizosolenia setigera

The diatom Rhizosolenia setigera Brightwell produces highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) hydrocarbons that are ubiquitously present in marine environments. The hydrocarbon composition of R. setigera varies between C₂₅ and C₃₀ HBIs depending on the life cycle stage with regard to auxosporulation. To better understand how these hydrocarbons are biosynthesized, we characterized the farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) synthase (FPPS) enzyme of R. setigera. An isolated 1465-bp cDNA clone contained an open reading frame spanning 1299-bp encoding a protein with 432 amino acid residues. Expression of the RsFPPS cDNA coding region in Escherichia coli produced a protein that exhibited FPPS activity in vitro. A reduction in HBI content from diatoms treated with an FPPS inhibitor, risedronate, suggested that RsFPPS supplies precursors for HBI biosynthesis. Product analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry also revealed that RsFPPS produced small amounts of the cis-isomers of geranyl pyrophosphate and FPP, candidate precursors for the cis-isomers of HBIs previously characterized. Furthermore, RsFPPS gene expression at various life stages of R. setigera in relation to auxosporulation were also analyzed. Herein, we present data on the possible role of RsFPPS in HBI biosynthesis, and it is to our knowledge the first instance that an FPPS was cloned and characterized from a diatom.

Accumulation of squalene in a microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by genetic modification of squalene synthase and squalene epoxidase genes

Several microalgae accumulate high levels of squalene, and as such provide a potentially valuable source of this useful compound. However, the molecular mechanism of squalene biosynthesis in microalgae is still largely unknown. We obtained the sequences of two enzymes involved in squalene synthesis and metabolism, squalene synthase (CrSQS) and squalene epoxidase (CrSQE), from the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. CrSQS was functionally characterized by expression in Escherichia coli and CrSQE by complementation of a budding yeast erg1 mutant. Transient expression of CrSQS and CrSQE fused with fluorescent proteins in onion epidermal tissue suggested that both proteins were co-localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. CrSQS-overexpression increased the rate of conversion of 14C-labeled farnesylpyrophosphate into squalene but did not lead to over-accumulation of squalene. Addition of terbinafine caused the accumulation of squalene and suppression of cell survival. On the other hand, in CrSQE-knockdown lines, the expression level of CrSQE was reduced by 59-76% of that in wild-type cells, and significant levels of squalene (0.9-1.1 μg mg-1 cell dry weight) accumulated without any growth inhibition. In co-transformation lines with CrSQS-overexpression and CrSQE-knockdown, the level of squalene was not increased significantly compared with that in solitary CrSQE-knockdown lines. These results indicated that partial knockdown of CrSQE is an effective strategy to increase squalene production in C. reinhardtii cells.