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Nagy V, Podmaniczki A, Vidal-Meireles A, Tengölics R, Kovács L, Rákhely G, Scoma A, Tóth SZ. Water-splitting-based, sustainable and efficient H 2 production in green algae as achieved by substrate limitation of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2018; 11:69. [PMID: 29560024 PMCID: PMC5858145 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-018-1069-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Photobiological H2 production has the potential of becoming a carbon-free renewable energy source, because upon the combustion of H2, only water is produced. The [Fe-Fe]-type hydrogenases of green algae are highly active, although extremely O2-sensitive. Sulphur deprivation is a common way to induce H2 production, which, however, relies substantially on organic substrates and imposes a severe stress effect resulting in the degradation of the photosynthetic apparatus. RESULTS We report on the establishment of an alternative H2 production method by green algae that is based on a short anaerobic induction, keeping the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle inactive by substrate limitation and preserving hydrogenase activity by applying a simple catalyst to remove the evolved O2. Cultures remain photosynthetically active for several days, with the electrons feeding the hydrogenases mostly derived from water. The amount of H2 produced is higher as compared to the sulphur-deprivation procedure and the process is photoautotrophic. CONCLUSION Our protocol demonstrates that it is possible to sustainably use algal cells as whole-cell catalysts for H2 production, which enables industrial application of algal biohydrogen production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valéria Nagy
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Anna Podmaniczki
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - André Vidal-Meireles
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Roland Tengölics
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Kovács
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gábor Rákhely
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Alberto Scoma
- Center for Geomicrobiology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Szilvia Z. Tóth
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
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Claassens NJ, Sousa DZ, dos Santos VAPM, de Vos WM, van der Oost J. Harnessing the power of microbial autotrophy. Nat Rev Microbiol 2016; 14:692-706. [DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2016.130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Nagy V, Vidal-Meireles A, Tengölics R, Rákhely G, Garab G, Kovács L, Tóth SZ. Ascorbate accumulation during sulphur deprivation and its effects on photosystem II activity and H2 production of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2016; 39:1460-72. [PMID: 26714836 DOI: 10.1111/pce.12701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
In nature, H2 production in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii serves as a safety valve during the induction of photosynthesis in anoxia, and it prevents the over-reduction of the photosynthetic electron transport chain. Sulphur deprivation of C. reinhardtii also triggers a complex metabolic response resulting in the induction of various stress-related genes, down-regulation of photosynthesis, the establishment of anaerobiosis and expression of active hydrogenase. Photosystem II (PSII) plays dual role in H2 production because it supplies electrons but the evolved O2 inhibits the hydrogenase. Here, we show that upon sulphur deprivation, the ascorbate content in C. reinhardtii increases about 50-fold, reaching the mM range; at this concentration, ascorbate inactivates the Mn-cluster of PSII, and afterwards, it can donate electrons to tyrozin Z(+) at a slow rate. This stage is followed by donor-side-induced photoinhibition, leading to the loss of charge separation activity in PSII and reaction centre degradation. The time point at which maximum ascorbate concentration is reached in the cell is critical for the establishment of anaerobiosis and initiation of H2 production. We also show that ascorbate influenced H2 evolution via altering the photosynthetic electron transport rather than hydrogenase activity and starch degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valéria Nagy
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary
| | - André Vidal-Meireles
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Roland Tengölics
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gábor Rákhely
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Győző Garab
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Kovács
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Szilvia Z Tóth
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary
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Jo BH, Cha HJ. Activation of formate hydrogen-lyase via expression of uptake [NiFe]-hydrogenase in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). Microb Cell Fact 2015; 14:151. [PMID: 26395073 PMCID: PMC4578252 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-015-0343-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Several recent studies have reported successful hydrogen (H2) production achieved via recombinant expression of uptake [NiFe]-hydrogenases from Hydrogenovibrio marinus, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, and Escherichia coli (hydrogenase-1) in E. coli BL21(DE3), a strain that lacks H2-evolving activity. However, there are some unclear points that do not support the conclusion that the recombinant hydrogenases are responsible for the in vivo H2 production. Results Unlike wild-type BL21(DE3), the recombinant BL21(DE3) strains possessed formate hydrogen-lyase (FHL) activities. Through experiments using fdhF (formate dehydrogenase-H) or hycE (hydrogenase-3) mutants, it was shown that H2 production was almost exclusively dependent on FHL. Upon expression of hydrogenase, extracellular formate concentration was changed even in the mutant strains lacking FHL, indicating that formate metabolism other than FHL was also affected. The two subunits of H. marinus uptake [NiFe]-hydrogenase could activate FHL independently of each other, implying the presence of more than two different mechanisms for FHL activation in BL21(DE3). It was also revealed that the signal peptide in the small subunit was essential for activation of FHL via the small subunit. Conclusions Herein, we demonstrated that the production of H2 was indeed induced via native FHL activated by the expression of recombinant hydrogenases. The recombinant strains with [NiFe]-hydrogenase appear to be unsuitable for practical in vivo H2 production due to their relatively low H2 yields and productivities. We suggest that an improved H2-producing cell factory could be designed by constructing a well characterized and overproduced synthetic H2 pathway and fully activating the native FHL in BL21(DE3).
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Affiliation(s)
- Byung Hoon Jo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784, Korea.
| | - Hyung Joon Cha
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784, Korea.
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Huang GF, Wu XB, Bai LP, Liu K, Jiang LJ, Long MN, Chen QX. Improved O2-tolerance in variants of a H2-evolving [NiFe]-hydrogenase from Klebsiella oxytoca HP1. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:910-8. [PMID: 25747389 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 02/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the mechanism of O2 tolerance of Klebsiella oxytoca HP1 H2-evolving hydrogenase 3 (KHyd3) by mutational analysis and three-dimensional structure modeling. Results revealed that certain surface amino acid residues of KHyd3 large subunit, in particular those at the outer entrance of the gas channel, have a visible effect on its oxygen tolerance. Additionally, solution pH, immobilization and O2 partial pressure also affect KHyd3 O2-tolerance to some extent. We propose that the extent of KHyd3 O2-tolerance is determined by a balance between the rate of O2 access to the active center through gas channels and the deoxidation rate of the oxidized active center. Based on our findings, two higher O2-tolerant KHyd3 mutations G300E and G300M were developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang-Feng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xiao-Bing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
| | - Li-Ping Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Ke Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Li-Jing Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Biogenetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Min-Nan Long
- School of Energy Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Qing-Xi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
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