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Zhu X, Du C, Gao B, He B. Artificial cellulosic leaf with adjustable enzymatic CO 2 sequestration capability. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4898. [PMID: 38851785 PMCID: PMC11162438 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49320-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Developing artificial leaves to address the environmental burden of CO2 is pivotal for advancing our Net Zero Future. In this study, we introduce EcoLeaf, an artificial leaf that closely mimics the characteristics of natural leaves. It harnesses visible light as its sole energy source and orchestrates the controlled expansion and contraction of stomata and the exchange of petiole materials to govern the rate of CO2 sequestration from the atmosphere. Furthermore, EcoLeaf has a cellulose composition and mechanical strength similar to those of natural leaves, allowing it to seamlessly integrate into the ecosystem during use and participate in natural degradation and nutrient cycling processes at the end of its life. We propose that the carbon sequestration pathway within EcoLeaf is adaptable and can serve as a versatile biomimetic platform for diverse biogenic carbon sequestration pathways in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Zhu
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, China.
- Institute of Biomass & Functional Materials, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, China.
| | - Chenxi Du
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, China
- Institute of Biomass & Functional Materials, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Bo Gao
- School of Chemical Engineering, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Bin He
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, China.
- Key Laboratory of Paper Based Functional Materials, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an, 710021, China.
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2
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Joshi J, Hanson AD. A pilot oral history of plant synthetic biology. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:36-47. [PMID: 38163646 PMCID: PMC11060686 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The whole field of synthetic biology (SynBio) is only about 20 years old, and plant SynBio is younger still. Nevertheless, within that short time, SynBio in general has drawn more scientific, philosophical, government, and private-sector interest than anything in biology since the recombinant DNA revolution. Plant SynBio, in particular, is now drawing more and more interest in relation to plants' potential to help solve planetary problems such as carbon capture and storage and replacing fossil fuels and feedstocks. As plant SynBio is so young and so fast-developing, we felt it was too soon to try to analyze its history. Instead, we set out to capture the essence of plant SynBio's origins and early development through interviews with 8 of the field's founders, representing 5 countries and 3 continents. We then distilled these founders' personal recollections and reflections into this review, centering the narrative on timelines for pivotal events, articles, funding programs, and quoting from interviews. We have archived the interview recordings and documented timeline entries. This work provides a resource for future historical scholarship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaya Joshi
- Department of Wood Science, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Andrew D Hanson
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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3
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Fan G, Corbin N, Chung M, Gill TM, Moore EB, Karbelkar AA, Furst AL. Highly Efficient Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction via DNA-Directed Catalyst Immobilization. JACS AU 2024; 4:1413-1421. [PMID: 38665653 PMCID: PMC11040669 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) is a promising route to up-convert this industrial byproduct. However, to perform this reaction with a small-molecule catalyst, the catalyst must be proximal to an electrode surface. Efforts to immobilize molecular catalysts on electrodes have been stymied by the need to optimize the immobilization chemistries on a case-by-case basis. Taking inspiration from nature, we applied DNA as a molecular-scale "Velcro" to investigate the tethering of three porphyrin-based catalysts to electrodes. This tethering strategy improved both the stability of the catalysts and their Faradaic efficiencies (FEs). DNA-catalyst conjugates were immobilized on screen-printed carbon and carbon paper electrodes via DNA hybridization with nearly 100% efficiency. Following immobilization, a higher catalyst stability at relevant potentials is observed. Additionally, lower overpotentials are required for the generation of carbon monoxide (CO). Finally, high FE for CO generation was observed with the DNA-immobilized catalysts as compared to the unmodified small-molecule systems, as high as 79.1% FE for CO at -0.95 V vs SHE using a DNA-tethered catalyst. This work demonstrates the potential of DNA "Velcro" as a powerful strategy for catalyst immobilization. Here, we demonstrated improved catalytic characteristics of molecular catalysts for CO2 valorization, but this strategy is anticipated to be generalizable to any reaction that proceeds in aqueous solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Fan
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Nathan Corbin
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Minju Chung
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Thomas M. Gill
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Evan B. Moore
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Amruta A. Karbelkar
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ariel L. Furst
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Center
for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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4
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Oliveira-Filho ER, Voiniciuc C, Hanson AD. Adapting enzymes to improve their functionality in plants: why and how. Biochem Soc Trans 2023; 51:1957-1966. [PMID: 37787016 PMCID: PMC10657173 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology creates new metabolic processes and improves existing ones using engineered or natural enzymes. These enzymes are often sourced from cells that differ from those in the target plant organ with respect to, e.g. redox potential, effector levels, or proteostasis machinery. Non-native enzymes may thus need to be adapted to work well in their new plant context ('plantized') even if their specificity and kinetics in vitro are adequate. Hence there are two distinct ways in which an enzyme destined for use in plants can require improvement: In catalytic properties such as substrate and product specificity, kcat, and KM; and in general compatibility with the milieu of cells that express the enzyme. Continuous directed evolution systems can deliver both types of improvement and are so far the most broadly effective way to deliver the second type. Accordingly, in this review we provide a short account of continuous evolution methods, emphasizing the yeast OrthoRep system because of its suitability for plant applications. We then cover the down-to-earth and increasingly urgent issues of which enzymes and enzyme properties can - or cannot - be improved in theory, and which in practice are the best to target for crop improvement, i.e. those that are realistically improvable and important enough to warrant deploying continuous directed evolution. We take horticultural crops as examples because of the opportunities they present and to sharpen the focus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cătălin Voiniciuc
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, U.S.A
| | - Andrew D. Hanson
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, U.S.A
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5
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Agustinus B, Gillam EMJ. Solar-powered P450 catalysis: Engineering electron transfer pathways from photosynthesis to P450s. J Inorg Biochem 2023; 245:112242. [PMID: 37187017 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2023.112242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
With the increasing focus on green chemistry, biocatalysis is becoming more widely used in the pharmaceutical and other chemical industries for sustainable production of high value and structurally complex chemicals. Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are attractive biocatalysts for industrial application due to their ability to transform a huge range of substrates in a stereo- and regiospecific manner. However, despite their appeal, the industrial application of P450s is limited by their dependence on costly reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and one or more auxiliary redox partner proteins. Coupling P450s to the photosynthetic machinery of a plant allows photosynthetically-generated electrons to be used to drive catalysis, overcoming this cofactor dependency. Thus, photosynthetic organisms could serve as photobioreactors with the capability to produce value-added chemicals using only light, water, CO2 and an appropriate chemical as substrate for the reaction/s of choice, yielding new opportunities for producing commodity and high-value chemicals in a carbon-negative and sustainable manner. This review will discuss recent progress in using photosynthesis for light-driven P450 biocatalysis and explore the potential for further development of such systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernadius Agustinus
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Elizabeth M J Gillam
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
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Hankamer B, Pregelj L, O'Kane S, Hussey K, Hine D. Delivering impactful solutions for the bioeconomy. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 28:583-596. [PMID: 36941134 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
We are increasingly challenged to operate within our planetary boundaries, while delivering on United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2030 targets, and net-zero emissions by 2050. Failure to solve these challenges risks economic, social, political, climate, food, water, and fuel security. Therefore, new, scalable, and adoptable circular economy solutions are urgently required. The ability of plants to use light, capture CO2, and drive complex biochemistry is pivotal to delivering these solutions. However, harnessing this capability efficiently also requires robust accompanying economic, financial, market, and strategic analytics. A framework for this is presented here in the Commercialization Tourbillon. It supports the delivery of emerging plant biotechnologies and bio-inspired light-driven industry solutions within the critical 2030-2050 timeframe, to achieve validated economic, social, and environmental benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Hankamer
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Lisette Pregelj
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Shane O'Kane
- Treble Cone Advisory Brisbane Qld, Suite 75, 12 Welsby Street, New Farm, QLD 4005, Australia
| | - Karen Hussey
- Centre for Policy Futures, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Damian Hine
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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7
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León-Vaz A, León R, Vigara J, Funk C. Exploring Nordic microalgae as a potential novel source of antioxidant and bioactive compounds. N Biotechnol 2023; 73:1-8. [PMID: 36513346 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2022.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Nordic microalgae are a group of photosynthetic organisms acclimated to growth at low temperature and in varying light conditions; the subarctic climate offers bright days with moderate temperatures during summer and cold and dark winter months. The robustness to these natural stress conditions makes the species interesting for large-scale cultivation in harsh environments and for the production of high-value compounds. The aim of this study was to explore the ability of nineteen species of Nordic microalgae to produce different bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids or polyphenols. The results showed that some of these strains are able to produce high amounts of carotenoids (over 12 mg·g-1 dry weight) and phenolic compounds (over 20 mg GAE·g-1 dry weight). Based on these profiles, six species were selected for cultivation under high light and cold stress (500 μmol·m-2·s-1 and 10 ˚C). The strains Chlorococcum sp. (MC1) and Scenedesmus sp. (B2-2) exhibited similar values of biomass productivity under standard or stress conditions, but produced higher concentrations of carotenoids (an increase of 40% and 25%, respectively), phenolic compounds (an increase of 40% and 30%, respectively), and showed higher antioxidant capacity (an increase of 15% and 20%, respectively) during stress. The results highlight the ability of these Nordic microalgae as outstanding producers of bioactive compounds, justifying their cultivation at large scale in Nordic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio León-Vaz
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Laboratory of Biochemistry. Faculty of Experimental Sciences and REMSMA. University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain.
| | - Rosa León
- Laboratory of Biochemistry. Faculty of Experimental Sciences and REMSMA. University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain.
| | - Javier Vigara
- Laboratory of Biochemistry. Faculty of Experimental Sciences and REMSMA. University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain.
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Mellor SB, Behrendorff JBYH, Ipsen JØ, Crocoll C, Laursen T, Gillam EMJ, Pribil M. Exploiting photosynthesis-driven P450 activity to produce indican in tobacco chloroplasts. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 13:1049177. [PMID: 36743583 PMCID: PMC9890960 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1049177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic organelles offer attractive features for engineering small molecule bioproduction by their ability to convert solar energy into chemical energy required for metabolism. The possibility to couple biochemical production directly to photosynthetic assimilation as a source of energy and substrates has intrigued metabolic engineers. Specifically, the chemical diversity found in plants often relies on cytochrome P450-mediated hydroxylations that depend on reductant supply for catalysis and which often lead to metabolic bottlenecks for heterologous production of complex molecules. By directing P450 enzymes to plant chloroplasts one can elegantly deal with such redox prerequisites. In this study, we explore the capacity of the plant photosynthetic machinery to drive P450-dependent formation of the indigo precursor indoxyl-β-D-glucoside (indican) by targeting an engineered indican biosynthetic pathway to tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) chloroplasts. We show that both native and engineered variants belonging to the human CYP2 family are catalytically active in chloroplasts when driven by photosynthetic reducing power and optimize construct designs to improve productivity. However, while increasing supply of tryptophan leads to an increase in indole accumulation, it does not improve indican productivity, suggesting that P450 activity limits overall productivity. Co-expression of different redox partners also does not improve productivity, indicating that supply of reducing power is not a bottleneck. Finally, in vitro kinetic measurements showed that the different redox partners were efficiently reduced by photosystem I but plant ferredoxin provided the highest light-dependent P450 activity. This study demonstrates the inherent ability of photosynthesis to support P450-dependent metabolic pathways. Plants and photosynthetic microbes are therefore uniquely suited for engineering P450-dependent metabolic pathways regardless of enzyme origin. Our findings have implications for metabolic engineering in photosynthetic hosts for production of high-value chemicals or drug metabolites for pharmacological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silas B. Mellor
- Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - James B. Y. H. Behrendorff
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Johan Ø. Ipsen
- Section for Forest, Nature and Biomass, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Christoph Crocoll
- DynaMo Center, Section for Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Tomas Laursen
- Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Elizabeth M. J. Gillam
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Mathias Pribil
- Section for Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
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Chen J, Dai L, Mataya D, Cobb K, Chen P, Ruan R. Enhanced sustainable integration of CO 2 utilization and wastewater treatment using microalgae in circular economy concept. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 366:128188. [PMID: 36309175 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Microalgae have been shown to have a promising potential for CO2 utilization and wastewater treatment which still faces the challenges of high resource and energy requirements. The implementation of the circular economy concept is able to address the issues that limit the application of microalgae-based technologies. In this review, a comprehensive discussion on microalgae-based CO2 utilization and wastewater treatment was provided, and the integration of this technology with the circular economy concept, for long-term economic and environmental benefits, was described. Furthermore, technological challenges and feasible strategies towards the improvement of microalgae cultivation were discussed. Finally, necessary regulations and effective policies favoring the implementation of microalgae cultivation into the circular economy were proposed. These are discussed to support sustainable development of microalgae-based bioremediation and bioproduction. This work provides new insights into the implementation of the circular economy concept into microalgae-based CO2 utilization and wastewater treatment to enhance sustainable production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhui Chen
- Center for Biorefining and Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Leilei Dai
- Center for Biorefining and Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Dmitri Mataya
- Center for Biorefining and Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Kirk Cobb
- Center for Biorefining and Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Paul Chen
- Center for Biorefining and Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Roger Ruan
- Center for Biorefining and Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
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Using synthetic biology to improve photosynthesis for sustainable food production. J Biotechnol 2022; 359:1-14. [PMID: 36126804 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2022.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Photosynthesis is responsible for the primary productivity and maintenance of life on Earth, boosting biological activity and contributing to the maintenance of the environment. In the past, traditional crop improvement was considered sufficient to meet food demands, but the growing demand for food coupled with climate change has modified this scenario over the past decades. However, advances in this area have not focused on photosynthesis per se but rather on fixed carbon partitioning. In short, other approaches must be used to meet an increasing agricultural demand. Thus, several paths may be followed, from modifications in leaf shape and canopy architecture, improving metabolic pathways related to CO2 fixation, the inclusion of metabolic mechanisms from other species, and improvements in energy uptake by plants. Given the recognized importance of photosynthesis, as the basis of the primary productivity on Earth, we here present an overview of the latest advances in attempts to improve plant photosynthetic performance. We focused on points considered key to the enhancement of photosynthesis, including leaf shape development, RuBisCO reengineering, Calvin-Benson cycle optimization, light use efficiency, the introduction of the C4 cycle in C3 plants and the inclusion of other CO2 concentrating mechanisms (CCMs). We further provide compelling evidence that there is still room for further improvements. Finally, we conclude this review by presenting future perspectives and possible new directions on this subject.
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Buhrman K, Aravena-Calvo J, Ross Zaulich C, Hinz K, Laursen T. Anthocyanic Vacuolar Inclusions: From Biosynthesis to Storage and Possible Applications. Front Chem 2022; 10:913324. [PMID: 35836677 PMCID: PMC9273883 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.913324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of plants to accumulate specific metabolites in concentrations beyond their solubility in both aqueous and lipid environments remains a key question in plant biology. Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) are mixtures of natural compounds in specific molar ratios, which interact through hydrogen bonding. This results in a viscous liquid that can solubilize high amounts of natural products while maintaining a negligible vapor pressure to prevent release of volatile compounds. While all the components are presents in plant cells, identifying experimental evidence for the occurrence of NADES phases remains a challenging quest. Accumulation of anthocyanin flavonoids in highly concentrated inclusions have been speculated to involve NADES as an inert solvent. The inherent pigment properties of anthocyanins provide an ideal system for studying the formation of NADES in a cellular environment. In this mini-review we discuss the biosynthesis of modified anthocyanins that facilitate their organization in condensates, their transport and storage as a specific type of phase separated inclusions in the vacuole, and the presence of NADES constituents as a natural solution for storing high amounts of flavonoids and other natural products. Finally, we highlight how the knowledge gathered from studying the discussed processes could be used for specific applications within synthetic biology to utilize NADES derived compartments for the production of valuable compounds where the production is challenged by poor solubility, toxic intermediates or unstable and volatile products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kees Buhrman
- Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Dynamic Metabolons Group, Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department for Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Javiera Aravena-Calvo
- Dynamic Metabolons Group, Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department for Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Clara Ross Zaulich
- Dynamic Metabolons Group, Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department for Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kasper Hinz
- Dynamic Metabolons Group, Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department for Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tomas Laursen
- Dynamic Metabolons Group, Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department for Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- *Correspondence: Tomas Laursen,
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