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Goodchild-Michelman IM, Church GM, Schubert MG, Tang TC. Light and carbon: Synthetic biology toward new cyanobacteria-based living biomaterials. Mater Today Bio 2023; 19:100583. [PMID: 36846306 PMCID: PMC9945787 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are ideal candidates to use in developing carbon neutral and carbon negative technologies; they are efficient photosynthesizers and amenable to genetic manipulation. Over the past two decades, researchers have demonstrated that cyanobacteria can make sustainable, useful biomaterials, many of which are engineered living materials. However, we are only beginning to see such technologies applied at an industrial scale. In this review, we explore the ways in which synthetic biology tools enable the development of cyanobacteria-based biomaterials. First we give an overview of the ecological and biogeochemical importance of cyanobacteria and the work that has been done using cyanobacteria to create biomaterials so far. This is followed by a discussion of commonly used cyanobacteria strains and synthetic biology tools that exist to engineer cyanobacteria. Then, three case studies-bioconcrete, biocomposites, and biophotovoltaics-are explored as potential applications of synthetic biology in cyanobacteria-based materials. Finally, challenges and future directions of cyanobacterial biomaterials are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella M. Goodchild-Michelman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - George M. Church
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Max G. Schubert
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tzu-Chieh Tang
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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Kobayashi S, Atsumi S, Ikebukuro K, Sode K, Asano R. Light-induced production of isobutanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol by metabolically engineered cyanobacteria. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:7. [PMID: 34991586 PMCID: PMC8740407 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-021-01732-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cyanobacteria are engineered via heterologous biosynthetic pathways to produce value-added chemicals via photosynthesis. Various chemicals have been successfully produced in engineered cyanobacteria. Chemical inducer-dependent promoters are used to induce the expression of target biosynthetic pathway genes. A chemical inducer is not ideal for large-scale reactions owing to its high cost; therefore, it is important to develop scaling-up methods to avoid their use. In this study, we designed a green light-inducible alcohol production system using the CcaS/CcaR green light gene expression system in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (PCC 6803). Results To establish the green light-inducible production of isobutanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol (3MB) in PCC 6803, keto-acid decarboxylase (kdc) and alcohol dehydrogenase (adh) were expressed under the control of the CcaS/CcaR system. Increases in the transcription level were induced by irradiation with red and green light without severe effects on host cell growth. We found that the production of isobutanol and 3MB from carbon dioxide (CO2) was induced under red and green light illumination and was substantially repressed under red light illumination alone. Finally, production titers of isobutanol and 3MB reached 238 mg L−1 and 75 mg L−1, respectively, in 5 days under red and green light illumination, and these values are comparable to those reported in previous studies using chemical inducers. Conclusion A green light-induced alcohol production system was successfully integrated into cyanobacteria to produce value-added chemicals without using expensive chemical inducers. The green light-regulated production of isobutanol and 3MB from CO2 is eco-friendly and cost-effective. This study demonstrates that light regulation is a potential tool for producing chemicals and increases the feasibility of cyanobacterial bioprocesses. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12934-021-01732-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunichi Kobayashi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan
| | - Shota Atsumi
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Kazunori Ikebukuro
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan
| | - Koji Sode
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Ryutaro Asano
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan.
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Jin H, Wang Y, Zhao P, Wang L, Zhang S, Meng D, Yang Q, Cheong LZ, Bi Y, Fu Y. Potential of Producing Flavonoids Using Cyanobacteria As a Sustainable Chassis. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:12385-12401. [PMID: 34649432 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c04632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Numerous plant secondary metabolites have remarkable impacts on both food supplements and pharmaceuticals for human health improvement. However, higher plants can only generate small amounts of these chemicals with specific temporal and spatial arrangements, which are unable to satisfy the expanding market demands. Cyanobacteria can directly utilize CO2, light energy, and inorganic nutrients to synthesize versatile plant-specific photosynthetic intermediates and organic compounds in large-scale photobioreactors with outstanding economic merit. Thus, they have been rapidly developed as a "green" chassis for the synthesis of bioproducts. Flavonoids, chemical compounds based on aromatic amino acids, are considered to be indispensable components in a variety of nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications. In contrast to heterotrophic metabolic engineering pioneers, such as yeast and Escherichia coli, information about the biosynthesis flavonoids and their derivatives is less comprehensive than that of their photosynthetic counterparts. Here, we review both benefits and challenges to promote cyanobacterial cell factories for flavonoid biosynthesis. With increasing concerns about global environmental issues and food security, we are confident that energy self-supporting cyanobacteria will attract increasing attention for the generation of different kinds of bioproducts. We hope that the work presented here will serve as an index and encourage more scientists to join in the relevant research area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haojie Jin
- College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Yan Wang
- Center of Basic Medical Research, Institute of Medical Innovation and Research, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Pengquan Zhao
- College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Litao Wang
- College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Su Zhang
- College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Dong Meng
- College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Qing Yang
- College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Ling-Zhi Cheong
- Zhejiang-Malaysia Joint Research Laboratory for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Yonghong Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Fresh Water Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
| | - Yujie Fu
- College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
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Ariyanti D, Ikebukuro K, Sode K. Artificial complementary chromatic acclimation gene expression system in Escherichia coli. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:128. [PMID: 34225717 PMCID: PMC8256508 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-021-01621-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of multiple gene expression systems, especially those based on the physical signals, such as multiple color light irradiations, is challenging. Complementary chromatic acclimation (CCA), a photoreversible process that facilitates the control of cellular expression using light of different wavelengths in cyanobacteria, is one example. In this study, an artificial CCA systems, inspired by type III CCA light-regulated gene expression, was designed by employing a single photosensor system, the CcaS/CcaR green light gene expression system derived from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, combined with G-box (the regulator recognized by activated CcaR), the cognate cpcG2 promoter, and the constitutively transcribed promoter, the PtrcΔLacO promoter. RESULTS One G-box was inserted upstream of the cpcG2 promoter and a reporter gene, the rfp gene (green light-induced gene expression), and the other G-box was inserted between the PtrcΔLacO promoter and a reporter gene, the bfp gene (red light-induced gene expression). The Escherichia coli transformants with plasmid-encoded genes were evaluated at the transcriptional and translational levels under red or green light illumination. Under green light illumination, the transcription and translation of the rfp gene were observed, whereas the expression of the bfp gene was repressed. Under red light illumination, the transcription and translation of the bfp gene were observed, whereas the expression of the rfp gene was repressed. During the red and green light exposure cycles at every 6 h, BFP expression increased under red light exposure while RFP expression was repressed, and RFP expression increased under green light exposure while BFP expression was repressed. CONCLUSION An artificial CCA system was developed to realize a multiple gene expression system, which was regulated by two colors, red and green lights, using a single photosensor system, the CcaS/CcaR system derived from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, in E. coli. The artificial CCA system functioned repeatedly during red and green light exposure cycles. These results demonstrate the potential application of this CCA gene expression system for the production of multiple metabolites in a variety of microorganisms, such as cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dwi Ariyanti
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Sumbawa University of Technology, Olat Maras, Moyo Hulu, Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara, 84371, Indonesia
| | - Kazunori Ikebukuro
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan.
| | - Koji Sode
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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Shono C, Ariyanti D, Abe K, Sakai Y, Sakamoto I, Tsukakoshi K, Sode K, Ikebukuro K. A Green Light-Regulated T7 RNA Polymerase Gene Expression System for Cyanobacteria. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2021; 23:31-38. [PMID: 32979137 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-020-09997-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we developed a green light-regulated T7 RNA polymerase expression system (T7 RNAP system), to provide a novel and versatile high-expression system for cyanobacteria without using any chemical inducer, realizing high expression levels comparable with previously reported for recombinant gene expression in cyanobacteria. The T7 RNAP system was constructed and introduced into Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. T7 RNAP was inserted downstream of the cpcG2 promoter, which is recognized and activated by the CcaS/CcaR two-component green-light-sensing system, to compose a vector plasmid, pKT-CS01, to achieve the induction of T7 RNAP expression only under green light illumination, with repression under red light illumination. The reporter gene, superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP), was inserted downstream of the T7 promoter. Transcriptional analyses revealed that T7 RNAP was induced under green light but repressed under red light. Expression of the sfGFP protein derived from pKT-CS01 was observed under green light illumination and was approximately 10-fold higher than that in the control transformant, which expressed sfGFP directly under the cpcG2 promoter, which is directly regulated by CcaS/CcaR, under green light illumination. Comparison with the strong promoter expression systems Pcpc560 and PtrcΔlacO revealed that the expression of sfGFP by the T7 RNAP system was comparable with the levels obtained with strong promoters. These results demonstrated that the green light-regulated T7 RNAP gene expression system will be a versatile tool for future technological platform to regulate gene expression in cyanobacterial bioprocesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chika Shono
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Dwi Ariyanti
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Sumbawa University of Technology, Olat Maras, Moyo Hulu, Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara, 84371, Indonesia
| | - Koichi Abe
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuta Sakai
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ippei Sakamoto
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kaori Tsukakoshi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji Sode
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan.
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Kazunori Ikebukuro
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan.
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Jodlbauer J, Rohr T, Spadiut O, Mihovilovic MD, Rudroff F. Biocatalysis in Green and Blue: Cyanobacteria. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 39:875-889. [PMID: 33468423 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Recently, several studies have proven the potential of cyanobacteria as whole-cell biocatalysts for biotransformation. Compared to heterotrophic hosts, cyanobacteria show unique advantages thanks to their photoautotrophic metabolism. Their ability to use light as energy and CO2 as carbon source promises a truly sustainable production platform. Their photoautotrophic metabolism offers an encouraging source of reducing power, which makes them attractive for redox-based biotechnological purposes. To exploit the full potential of these whole-cell biocatalysts, cyanobacterial cells must be considered in their entirety. With this emphasis, this review summarizes the latest developments in cyanobacteria research with a strong focus on the benefits associated with their unique metabolism. Remaining bottlenecks and recent strategies to overcome them are evaluated for their potential in future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Jodlbauer
- Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/OC-163, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Rohr
- Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/OC-163, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Oliver Spadiut
- Institute of Chemical Engineering, research area Biochemical Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorfer Strasse 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marko D Mihovilovic
- Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/OC-163, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Rudroff
- Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/OC-163, 1060 Vienna, Austria.
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