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Song H, Peng H, Fang Z, Zhang B, Zhu Z, Xiao Z, Liu G, Hu Y. Koliella bifissiva sp. nov (Chlorellaceae, Chlorophyta) and Analysis of Its Organelle Genomes. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:2604. [PMID: 39339579 PMCID: PMC11434904 DOI: 10.3390/plants13182604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 09/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
Chlorellacean members are common in aquatic or subaerial habitats, and many of them have significant economic value. Taxonomic reports and organelle genome data for the Nannochloris clade, an important subgroup within this family, are limited, hindering the understanding and exploitation of this clade. In this study, a fusiform-celled strain, FACHB-3607, was isolated from a pond in China. Through examination of morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of rbcL, 18S rDNA, and ITS, it was identified as a new species within the Nannochloris clade, named Koliella bifissiva sp. nov. In addition, this study provided a first insight into the organellar genomes of the genus Koliella. The K. bifissiva chloroplast had a 99.8 kb genome, and the mitochondrion had a 40.8 kb genome, which are moderate sizes within the Nannochloris clade. Phylogenomic analysis showed that K. bifissiva is most closely related to Nannochloris sp. "desiccata", followed by Marvania. In contrast, Picochlorum was the most distantly related species. The organelle genomes of the Nannochloris clade display dynamic evolution, reflected in variations in genome size, gene content and order, and selection pressure. This research enhances our knowledge of species diversity and evolutionary history in the Nannochloris clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyin Song
- Institute for Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Hai Peng
- Institute for Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Zhiwei Fang
- Institute for Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Baolong Zhang
- Institute for Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Zhaolu Zhu
- Institute for Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Zilan Xiao
- Institute for Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Guoxiang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yuxin Hu
- Changjiang Basin Ecology and Environment Monitoring and Scientific Research Center, Changjiang Basin Ecology and Environment Administration, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Wuhan 430010, China
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Kumar V, Barwal A, Sharma N, Mir DS, Kumar P, Kumar V. Therapeutic proteins: developments, progress, challenges, and future perspectives. 3 Biotech 2024; 14:112. [PMID: 38510462 PMCID: PMC10948735 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-024-03958-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Proteins are considered magic molecules due to their enormous applications in the health sector. Over the past few decades, therapeutic proteins have emerged as a promising treatment option for various diseases, particularly cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and others. The formulation of protein-based therapies is a major area of research, however, a few factors still hinder the large-scale production of these therapeutic products, such as stability, heterogenicity, immunogenicity, high cost of production, etc. This review provides comprehensive information on various sources and production of therapeutic proteins. The review also summarizes the challenges currently faced by scientists while developing protein-based therapeutics, along with possible solutions. It can be concluded that these proteins can be used in combination with small molecular drugs to give synergistic benefits in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vimal Kumar
- University Institute of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab 140413 India
| | - Arti Barwal
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Panjab University, South Campus, Sector-25, Chandigarh, 160014 India
| | - Nitin Sharma
- Department of Biotechnology, Chandigarh Group of Colleges, Mohali, Punjab 140307 India
| | - Danish Shafi Mir
- University Institute of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab 140413 India
| | - Pradeep Kumar
- Faculty of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan, 173229 India
| | - Vikas Kumar
- University Institute of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab 140413 India
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Tufan-Cetin O, Cetin H. Use of micro and macroalgae extracts for the control of vector mosquitoes. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16187. [PMID: 37842039 PMCID: PMC10569164 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes are one of the most dangerous vectors of human diseases such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus. Controlling these vectors is a challenging responsibility for public health authorities worldwide. In recent years, the use of products derived from living organisms has emerged as a promising approach for mosquito control. Among these living organisms, algae are of great interest due to their larvicidal properties. Some algal species provide nutritious food for larvae, while others produce allelochemicals that are toxic to mosquito larvae. In this article, we reviewed the existing literature on the larvicidal potential of extracts of micro- and macroalgae, transgenic microalgae, and nanoparticles of algae on mosquitoes and their underlying mechanisms. The results of many publications show that the toxic effects of micro- and macroalgae on mosquitoes vary according to the type of extraction, solvents, mosquito species, exposure time, larval stage, and algal components. A few studies suggest that the components of algae that have toxic effects on mosquitoes show through synergistic interaction between components, inhibition of feeding, damage to gut membrane cells, and inhibition of digestive and detoxification enzymes. In conclusion, algae extracts, transgenic microalgae, and nanoparticles of algae have shown significant larvicidal activity against mosquitoes, making them potential candidates for the development of new mosquito control products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozge Tufan-Cetin
- Department of Environmental Protection Technology, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
| | - Huseyin Cetin
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye
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Pervaiz R, Khan MA, Raza FA, Ahmad S, Zafar AU, Ahmed N, Akram M. Expression of a mosquito larvicidal gene in chloroplast and nuclear compartments of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. J Biotechnol 2022; 360:182-191. [PMID: 36368638 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2022.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
As a part of the search for environment-friendly biocontrol of mosquito-borne diseases, mosquito larvicidal potential of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. jegathesan (Btj) Cry toxins is explored for toxins with increased toxicity. Safe delivery of the Cry toxins to mosquito larvae in aquatic habitats is a major concern. This is because in water bodies Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protein formulations degrade by sunlight, can sink down and get adsorbed by the silt. So, because of its short persistence the toxin requires repeated applications at the given site. Therefore, an upcoming approach is incorporating the Bt toxins in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (C. reinhardtii) because it is a food of mosquito larvae in water and its molecular toolkit is well investigated for foreign gene expression. The present work aimed to compare the feasibility of C. reinhardtii chloroplast and nuclear compartments for stable expression of Cry11Ba toxin as this is the most toxic Btj protein to date, lethal to different mosquito species. With chloroplast expression of cry11Ba gene we were able to generate marker-free C. reinhardtii strain stably expressing Cry11Ba protein and demonstrating mortality against Aedes aegypti larvae. Moreover, for nuclear expression linking the cry11Ba gene to zeocin via foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) 2A peptide resulted in the selection of transformants with increased cry11Ba mRNA expression levels by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. Obtained results lay a foundation for the C. reinhardtii chloroplast expression system to be used for genetic engineering with Bt toxins which possess enhanced toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabbia Pervaiz
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, 87-West Canal Road, Thokar Niaz Baig Sector-1, Lahore 53700, Pakistan.
| | - Mohsin Ahmad Khan
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, 87-West Canal Road, Thokar Niaz Baig Sector-1, Lahore 53700, Pakistan
| | - Faiz Ahmed Raza
- Health Research Institute, National Institute of Health (HRI-NIH), Research Centre, King Edward Medical University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Sohail Ahmad
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, 87-West Canal Road, Thokar Niaz Baig Sector-1, Lahore 53700, Pakistan
| | - Ahmad Usman Zafar
- Qarshi University, 8-Km Thokar Niaz Baig, Canal Bank Road, Opposite Izmir Town, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Nadeem Ahmed
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, 87-West Canal Road, Thokar Niaz Baig Sector-1, Lahore 53700, Pakistan
| | - Maham Akram
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, 87-West Canal Road, Thokar Niaz Baig Sector-1, Lahore 53700, Pakistan
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Sanders CK, Hanschen ER, Biondi TC, Hovde BT, Kunde YA, Eng WL, Kwon T, Dale T. Phylogenetic analyses and reclassification of the oleaginous marine species Nannochloris sp. "desiccata" (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta), formerly Chlorella desiccata, supported by a high-quality genome assembly. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2022; 58:436-448. [PMID: 35262191 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microalgae are diverse, with many gaps remaining in phylogenetic and physiological understanding. Thus, studying new microalgae species increases our broader comprehension of biological diversity, and evaluation of new candidates as algal production platforms can lead to improved productivity under a variety of cultivation conditions. Chlorella is a genus of fast-growing species often isolated from freshwater habitats and cultivated as a source of nutritional supplements. However, the use of freshwater increases competition with other freshwater needs. We identified Chlorella desiccata to be worthy of further investigation as a potential algae production strain, due to its isolation from a marine environment and its promising growth and biochemical composition properties. Long-read genomic sequencing was conducted for C. desiccata UTEX 2526, resulting in a high-quality, near chromosome level, diploid genome with an assembly length of 21.55 Mbp in only 18 contigs. We also report complete circular mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes. Phylogenomic and phylogenetic analyses using nuclear, chloroplast, 18S rRNA, and actin sequences revealed that this species clades within strains currently identified as Nannochloris (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta), leading to its reclassification as Nannochloris sp. "desiccata" UTEX 2526. The mode of cell division for this species is autosporulation, differing from the type species N. bacillaris. As has occurred across multiple microalgae genera, there are repeated examples of Nannochloris species reclassification in the literature. This high-quality genome assembly and phylogenetic analysis of the potential algal production strain Nannochloris sp. "desiccata" UTEX 2526 provides an important reference and useful tool for further studying this region of the phylogenetic tree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire K Sanders
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA
| | - Erik R Hanschen
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA
| | - Thomas C Biondi
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA
| | - Blake T Hovde
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA
| | - Yuliya A Kunde
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA
| | - Wyatt L Eng
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA
| | - Taehyung Kwon
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA
| | - Taraka Dale
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA
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Borovsky D, Rougé P, Shatters RG. The Ribosome Is the Ultimate Receptor for Trypsin Modulating Oostatic Factor (TMOF). Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12040577. [PMID: 35454167 PMCID: PMC9028786 DOI: 10.3390/biom12040577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Aedes aegypti Trypsin Modulating Oostatic Factor (AeaTMOF). a mosquito decapeptide that controls trypsin biosynthesis in female and larval mosquitoes. enters the gut epithelial cells of female mosquitoes using ABC-tmfA receptor/importer. To study the ultimate targeted receptor after AeaTMOF enters the cell, AeaTMOF was incubated in vitro with either Escherichia coli or Spodoptera frugiperda protein-expressing extracts containing 70S and 80S ribosomes, respectively. The effect of AeaTMOF on luciferase biosynthesis in vitro using 70S ribosomes was compared with that of oncocin112 (1–13), a ribosome-binding antibacterial peptide. The IC50 of 1 μM and 2 μM, respectively, for both peptides was determined. Incubation with a protein-expressing system and S. frugiperda 80S ribosomes determined an IC50 of 1.8 μM for Aedes aegypti larval late trypsin biosynthesis. Incubation of purified E. coli ribosome with increasing concentration of AeaTMOF shows that the binding of AeaTMOF to the bacterial ribosome exhibits a high affinity (KD = 23 ± 3.4 nM, Bmax = 0.553 ± 0.023 pmol/μg ribosome and Kassoc = 4.3 × 107 M−1). Molecular modeling and docking experiments show that AeaTMOF binds bacterial and Drosophila ribosome (50S and 60S, respectively) at the entrance of the ribosome exit tunnel, blocking the tRNA entrance and preventing protein biosynthesis. Recombinant E. coli cells that express only ABC-tmfA importer are inhibited by AeaTMOF but not by oncocin112 (1–13). These results suggest that the ribosome is the ultimate targeted receptor of AeaTMOF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dov Borovsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Pierre Rougé
- UMR 152 Pharma-Dev, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université Toulouse 3, CEDEX 09, F-31062 Toulouse, France;
| | - Robert G. Shatters
- USDA ARS, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research Unit, 2001 Rock Road, Fort Pierce, FL 34945, USA;
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Borovsky D, Nauwelaers S, Shatters R. Biochemical and Molecular Characterization of Pichia pastoris Cells Expressing Multiple TMOF Genes ( tmfA) for Mosquito Larval Control. Front Physiol 2020; 11:527. [PMID: 32528316 PMCID: PMC7265970 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypsin modulating oostatic factor (TMOF), a decapeptide hormone synthesized by female mosquito ovaries, ganglia and the central nervous system of Aedes aegypti, terminates trypsin biosynthesis in larvae, and blood-fed female mosquitoes. Earlier, TMOF was cloned and expressed as a single copy in Chlorella dessicata and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells as a potential larvicide. Here we report the use of a methylotrophic yeast cells, Pichia pastoris, that efficiently express multi copies of heterologous proteins, that are readily ingested by mosquito larvae. P. pastoris was engineered using pPICZB (Invitrogen, CA, United States), and 2 genes: gfp-tmfA and tmfA inserted between KpnI and XbaI in the multiple cloning site. The plasmid carries a strong AOXI promoter and P. pastoris KM71 and KM71H cells were transformed by homologous recombination. The synthesis of GFP-TMOF was followed using UV and clones were analyzed using southern and Northern blot analyses. Cloning tmfA into KM71H and selection on high Zeocin concentration (2.0 mg/mL) identified a clone that carried 10 copies of tmfA. A comparison between a single and high copy (10 genes) insertions using Northern blot analyses showed that a tmfA transcript was highly expressed even after 120 h. SDS-PAGE analysis of KM71 cells transformed with gfp-tmfA identified a protein band that ran at the expected Mr of 31 kDa. Enzyme Linked Immunoadsorbant Assay (ELISA) analysis of the recombinant cells showed that 1.65 × 108 and 8.27 × 107 cells produce 229 and 114 μM of TMOF, respectively, and caused 100% larval mortality when fed to groups of 5 larvae in 25 mL water. These results indicate that the recombinant P. pastoris cells could be used in the future in the marsh to control mosquito populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dov Borovsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | | | - Robert Shatters
- USDA ARS, Subtropical Horticultural Laboratory, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
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Towards a new avenue for producing therapeutic proteins: Microalgae as a tempting green biofactory. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 40:107499. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.107499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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9
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Souza RS, Virginio F, Riback TIS, Suesdek L, Barufi JB, Genta FA. Microorganism-Based Larval Diets Affect Mosquito Development, Size and Nutritional Reserves in the Yellow Fever Mosquito Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). Front Physiol 2019; 10:152. [PMID: 31024326 PMCID: PMC6465640 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mosquito larvae feed on organic detritus from the environment, particularly microorganisms comprising bacteria, protozoa, and algae as well as crustaceans, plant debris, and insect exuviae. Little attention has been paid to nutritional studies in Aedes aegypti larvae. Objectives We investigated the effects of yeast, bacteria and microalgae diets on larval development, pupation time, adult size, emergence, survivorship, lifespan, and wing morphology. Materials and Methods Microorganisms (or Tetramin® as control) were offered as the only source of food to recently hatched first instar larvae and their development was followed until the adult stage. Protein, carbohydrate, glycogen, and lipid were analyzed in single larvae to correlate energetic reserve accumulation by larva with the developmental rates and nutritional content observed. FITC-labeled microorganisms were offered to fourth instar larvae, and its ingestion was recorded by fluorescence microscopy and quantitation. Results and Discussion Immature stages developed in all diets, however, larvae fed with bacteria and microalgae showed a severe delay in development rates, pupation time, adult emergence and low survivorship. Adult males emerged earlier as expected and had longer survival than females. Diets with better nutritional quality resulted in adults with bigger wings. Asaia sp. and Escherichia coli resulted in better nutrition and developmental parameters and seemed to be the best bacterial candidates to future studies using symbiont-based control. The diet quality was measured and presented different protein and carbohydrate amounts. Bacteria had the lowest protein and carbohydrate rates, yeasts had the highest carbohydrate amount and microalgae showed the highest protein content. Larvae fed with microalgae seem not to be able to process and store these diets properly. Larvae were shown to be able to process yeast cells and store their energetic components efficiently. Conclusion Together, our results point that Ae. aegypti larvae show high plasticity to feed, being able to develop under different microorganism-based diets. The important role of Ae. aegypti in the spread of infectious diseases requires further biological studies in order to understand the vector physiology and thus to manage the larval natural breeding sites aiming a better mosquito control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Santos Souza
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Flavia Virginio
- Laboratório Especial de Coleções Zoológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Lincoln Suesdek
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Bonomi Barufi
- Laboratório de Ficologia, Departamento de Botânica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Fernando Ariel Genta
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Fernando Ariel Genta, ;
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Kang S, Odom OW, Malone CL, Thangamani S, Herrin DL. Expression of a Synthetic Gene for the Major Cytotoxin (Cyt1Aa) of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis in the Chloroplast of Wild-Type Chlamydomonas. BIOLOGY 2018; 7:biology7020029. [PMID: 29738473 PMCID: PMC6022862 DOI: 10.3390/biology7020029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlamydomonas) strains that are toxic to mosquito larvae because they express chloroplast transgenes that are based on the mosquitocidal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) could be very useful in mosquito control. Chlamydomonas has several advantages for this approach, including genetic controls not generally available with industrial algae. The Bti toxin is produced by sporulating bacteria and has been used for mosquito control for >30 years without creating highly resistant mosquito populations. The suite of toxins is four main proteins: three Cry proteins and the cytotoxic Cyt1Aa (27 kDa). Cyt1Aa is not very toxic to mosquitoes by itself, but it prevents the development of resistance. The production of Cyt1Aa in other microbes, however, has been challenging due to its affinity for certain membrane phospholipids. Here we report on the production of recombinant Cyt1Aa (rCyt1A) in the chloroplast of photosynthetic Chlamydomonas at levels of at least 0.3% total protein. Live cell bioassays demonstrated toxicity of the rCyt1Aa Chlamydomonas to larvae of Aedes aegypti. We also expressed the chloroplast cyt1Aa gene in a wild-type Chlamydomonas strain (21 gr) that can grow on nitrate. These results have implications for developing a Chlamydomonas strain that will be toxic to mosquito larvae but will not induce strongly resistant populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Obed W Odom
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Candice L Malone
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Saravanan Thangamani
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - David L Herrin
- Pond Life Technologies LLC, Cedar Park, TX 78613, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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11
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Borovsky D, Nauewelaers S, Powell CA, Shatters RG. Cloning, genetic engineering and characterization of TMOF expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to control larval mosquitoes. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 106:134-146. [PMID: 28109905 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Trypsin modulating oostatic factor, a decapaptide isolated from the ovaries of A. aegypti, is the physiological factor that terminates the trypsin biosynthesis after the blood meal. Earlier results obtained from feeding mosquito larvae and injecting female mosquitoes with TMOF show that trypsin biosynthesis and egg development are inhibited, indicating that TMOF traverses the gut epithelial cells and modulates trypsin biosynthesis, making it a potential larvacidal peptide hormone. Therefore, TMOF and TMOF green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein with a trypsin cleavage site, allowing TMOF release in the larval gut, were expressed in S. cerevisiae cells that were transformed using homologous recombination at ura3-52 with an engineered plasmid (pYDB2) carrying tmfA and gfp-tmfA and a strong galactose promoter (PGAL1). Southern blot analyses showed that each cell incorporated a single tmfA or gfp-tmfA. Western blot analyses of cells that were fermented up to 48h showed that the engineered S. cerevisiae cells synthesized both TMOF and GFP-TMOF and heat treatment did not affect the recombinant proteins. Engineered S. cerevisiae (3×108cells) that were fermented for 4h produced (2.1±0.2μg±S.E.M) of TMOF. Feeding the engineered cells producing TMOF and GFP-TMOF to larval mosquito caused high mortalities (66±12% and 83±8%, respectively). S. cerevisiae cells transfected with pYEX-BX carrying gfp-tmfA and (DPAR)4 or transformed by homologous recombination of pYDB2-gfp-tmfA carrying a heat shock promoter (PHP) were ineffective. Engineered heat treated yeast cells are consumed by mosquito larvae, and could be used to control mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dov Borovsky
- USDA-ARS, Horticultural Research Laboratory, Ft. Pierce, FL 34945, USA.
| | | | - Charles A Powell
- Indian River Research and Education Center University of Florida, FL 34945, USA
| | - Robert G Shatters
- USDA-ARS, Horticultural Research Laboratory, Ft. Pierce, FL 34945, USA
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12
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Kang S, Odom OW, Thangamani S, Herrin DL. Toward mosquito control with a green alga: Expression of Cry toxins of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) in the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas. JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY 2017; 29:1377-1389. [PMID: 28713202 PMCID: PMC5509220 DOI: 10.1007/s10811-016-1008-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
We are developing Chlamydomonas strains that can be used for safe and sustainable control of mosquitoes, because they produce proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) in the chloroplast. Chlamydomonas has a number of advantages for this approach, including genetic controls that are not generally available with industrial algae. The Bti toxin has been used for mosquito control for > 30 years and does not engender resistance; it contains three Cry proteins, Cry4Aa (135 kDa), Cry4Ba (128 kDa) and Cry11Aa (72 kDa), and Cyt1Aa (25 kDa). To express the Cry proteins in the chloroplast, the three genes were resynthesized and cry4Aa was truncated to the first 700 amino acids (cry4Aa700 ); also, since they can be toxic to host cells, the inducible Cyc6:Nac2-psbD expression system was used. Western blots of total protein from the chloroplast transformants showed accumulation of the intact polypeptides, and the relative expression level was Cry11Aa > Cry4Aa700 > Cry4Ba. Quantitative western blots with purified Cry11Aa as a standard showed that Cry11Aa accumulated to 0.35% of total cell protein. Live cell bioassays in dH20 demonstrated toxicity of the cry4Aa700 and cry11Aa transformants to larvae of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus. These results demonstrate that the Cry proteins that are most toxic to Aedes and Culex mosquitoes, Cry4Aa and Cry11Aa, can be successfully expressed in the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongjoon Kang
- Dept. of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Pond Life Technologies LLC, Cedar Park, TX 78613, USA
| | - Obed W. Odom
- Dept. of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Saravanan Thangamani
- Dept. of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - David L. Herrin
- Dept. of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Pond Life Technologies LLC, Cedar Park, TX 78613, USA
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