Transformation of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardii with yeast DNA

Molecular approaches to enhance astaxanthin biosynthesis; future outlook: engineering of transcription factors in Haematococcus pluvialis

Microalgae are the preferred species for producing astaxanthin because they pose a low toxicity risk than chemical synthesis. Astaxanthin has multiple health benefits and is being used in: medicines, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and functional foods. Haematococcus pluvialis is a model microalga for astaxanthin biosynthesis; however, its natural astaxanthin content is low. Therefore, it is necessary to develop methods to improve the biosynthesis of astaxanthin to meet industrial demands, making its commercialization cost-effective. Several strategies related to cultivation conditions are employed to enhance the biosynthesis of astaxanthin in H. pluvialis. However, the mechanism of its regulation by transcription factors is unknown. For the first time, this study critically reviewed the studies on identifying transcription factors, progress in H. pluvialis genetic transformation, and use of phytohormones that increase the gene expression related to astaxanthin biosynthesis. In addition, we propose future approaches, including (i) Cloning and characterization of transcription factors, (ii) Transcriptional engineering through overexpression of positive regulators or downregulation/silencing of negative regulators, (iii) Gene editing for enrichment or deletion of transcription factors binding sites, (iv) Hormonal modulation of transcription factors. This review provides considerable knowledge about the molecular regulation of astaxanthin biosynthesis and the existing research gap. Besides, it provides the basis for transcription factors mediated metabolic engineering of astaxanthin biosynthesis in H. pluvialis.

Microalgal Biomass as Feedstock for Bacterial Production of PHA: Advances and Future Prospects

The search for biodegradable plastics has become the focus in combating the global plastic pollution crisis. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are renewable substitutes to petroleum-based plastics with the ability to completely mineralize in soil, compost, and marine environments. The preferred choice of PHA synthesis is from bacteria or archaea. However, microbial production of PHAs faces a major drawback due to high production costs attributed to the high price of organic substrates as compared to synthetic plastics. As such, microalgal biomass presents a low-cost solution as feedstock for PHA synthesis. Photoautotrophic microalgae are ubiquitous in our ecosystem and thrive from utilizing easily accessible light, carbon dioxide and inorganic nutrients. Biomass production from microalgae offers advantages that include high yields, effective carbon dioxide capture, efficient treatment of effluents and the usage of infertile land. Nevertheless, the success of large-scale PHA synthesis using microalgal biomass faces constraints that encompass the entire flow of the microalgal biomass production, i.e., from molecular aspects of the microalgae to cultivation conditions to harvesting and drying microalgal biomass along with the conversion of the biomass into PHA. This review discusses approaches such as optimization of growth conditions, improvement of the microalgal biomass manufacturing technologies as well as the genetic engineering of both microalgae and PHA-producing bacteria with the purpose of refining PHA production from microalgal biomass.

Multi-omics approaches and genetic engineering of metabolism for improved biorefinery and wastewater treatment in microalgae

Microalgae, a group of photosynthetic microorganisms rich in diverse and novel bioactive metabolites, have been explored for the production of biofuels, high value-added compounds as food and feeds, and pharmaceutical chemicals as agents with therapeutic benefits. This article reviews the development of omics resources and genetic engineering techniques including gene transformation methodologies, mutagenesis, and genome-editing tools in microalgae biorefinery and wastewater treatment. The introduction of these enlisted techniques has simplified the understanding of complex metabolic pathways undergoing microalgal cells. The multiomics approach of the integrated omics datasets, big data analysis, and machine learning for the discovery of objective traits and genes responsible for metabolic pathways was reviewed. Recent advances and limitations of multiomics analysis and genetic bioengineering technology to facilitate the improvement of microalgae as the dual role of wastewater treatment and biorefinery feedstock production are discussed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Nuclear transformation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: A review

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a model organism with three sequenced genomes capable of genetic transformation. C. reinhardtii has the advantages of being low cost, non-toxic, and having a post-translational modification system that ensures the recombinant proteins have the same activity as natural proteins, thus making it a great platform for application in molecular biology and other fields. In this review, we summarize the existing methods for nuclear transformation of C. reinhardtii, genes for selection, examples of foreign protein expression, and factors affecting transformation efficiency, to provide insights into effective strategies for the nuclear transformation of C. reinhardtii.

Bioengineering of Microalgae: Recent Advances, Perspectives, and Regulatory Challenges for Industrial Application

Microalgae, due to their complex metabolic capacity, are being continuously explored for nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and other industrially important bioactives. However, suboptimal yield and productivity of the bioactive of interest in local and robust wild-type strains are of perennial concerns for their industrial applications. To overcome such limitations, strain improvement through genetic engineering could play a decisive role. Though the advanced tools for genetic engineering have emerged at a greater pace, they still remain underused for microalgae as compared to other microorganisms. Pertaining to this, we reviewed the progress made so far in the development of molecular tools and techniques, and their deployment for microalgae strain improvement through genetic engineering. The recent availability of genome sequences and other omics datasets form diverse microalgae species have remarkable potential to guide strategic momentum in microalgae strain improvement program. This review focuses on the recent and significant improvements in the omics resources, mutant libraries, and high throughput screening methodologies helpful to augment research in the model and non-model microalgae. Authors have also summarized the case studies on genetically engineered microalgae and highlight the opportunities and challenges that are emerging from the current progress in the application of genome-editing to facilitate microalgal strain improvement. Toward the end, the regulatory and biosafety issues in the use of genetically engineered microalgae in commercial applications are described.

Genetic engineering of microalgae for enhanced biorefinery capabilities

Microalgae-based bioproducts are in limelight because of their promising future, novel characteristics, the current situation of population needs, and rising prices of rapidly depleting energy resources. Algae-based products are considered as clean sustainable energy and food resources. At present, they are not commercialized due to their high production cost and low yield. In recent years, novel genome editing tools like RNAi, ZNFs, TALENs, and CRISPR/Cas9 are used to enhance the quality and quantity of the desired products. Genetic and metabolic engineering are frequently applied because of their rapid and precise results than random mutagenesis. Omic approaches help enhance biorefinery capabilities and are now in the developing stage for algae. The future is very bright for transgenic algae with increased biomass yield, carbon dioxide uptake rate, accumulating high-value compounds, reduction in cultivation, and production costs, thus reaching the goal in the global algal market and capital flow. However, microalgae are primary producers and any harmful exposure to the wild strains can affect the entire ecosystem. Therefore, strict regulation and monitoring are required to assess the potential risks before introducing genetically modified microalgae into the natural ecosystem.

Challenges and opportunity of recent genome editing and multi-omics in cyanobacteria and microalgae for biorefinery

Microalgae and cyanobacteria are easy to culture, with higher growth rates and photosynthetic efficiencies compared to terrestrial plants, and thus generating higher productivity. The concept of microalgal biorefinery is to assimilate carbon dioxide and convert it to chemical energy/value-added products, such as vitamins, carotenoids, fatty acids, proteins and nucleic acids, to be applied in bioenergy, health foods, aquaculture feed, pharmaceutical and medical fields. Therefore, microalgae are annotated as the third generation feedstock in bioenergy and biorefinery. In past decades, many studies thrived to improve the carbon sequestration efficiency as well as enhance value-added compounds from different algae, especially via genetic engineering, synthetic biology, metabolic design and regulation. From the traditional Agrobacterium-mediated transformation DNA to novel CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) technology applied in microalgae and cyanobacteria, this review has highlighted the genome editing technology for biorefinery that is a highly environmental friendly trend to sustainable and renewable development.

Recent developments in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering in microalgae towards biofuel production

In the wake of the uprising global energy crisis, microalgae have emerged as an alternate feedstock for biofuel production. In addition, microalgae bear immense potential as bio-cell factories in terms of producing key chemicals, recombinant proteins, enzymes, lipid, hydrogen and alcohol. Abstraction of such high-value products (algal biorefinery approach) facilitates to make microalgae-based renewable energy an economically viable option. Synthetic biology is an emerging field that harmoniously blends science and engineering to help design and construct novel biological systems, with an aim to achieve rationally formulated objectives. However, resources and tools used for such nuclear manipulation, construction of synthetic gene network and genome-scale reconstruction of microalgae are limited. Herein, we present recent developments in the upcoming field of microalgae employed as a model system for synthetic biology applications and highlight the importance of genome-scale reconstruction models and kinetic models, to maximize the metabolic output by understanding the intricacies of algal growth. This review also examines the role played by microalgae as biorefineries, microalgal culture conditions and various operating parameters that need to be optimized to yield biofuel that can be economically competitive with fossil fuels.

Genetic tools and techniques for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The development of tools has always been a major driving force for the advancement of science. Optical microscopes were the first instruments that allowed discovery and descriptive studies of the subcellular features of microorganisms. Although optical and electron microscopes remained at the forefront of microbiological research tools since their inventions, the advent of molecular genetics brought about questions which had to be addressed with new "genetic tools". The unicellular green microalgal genus Chlamydomonas, especially the most prominent species C. reinhardtii, has become a frequently used model organism for many diverse fields of research and molecular genetic analyses of C. reinhardtii, as well as the available genetic tools and techniques, have become increasingly sophisticated throughout the last decades. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the molecular key features of C. reinhardtii and summarize the progress related to the development of tools and techniques for genetic engineering of this organism, from pioneering DNA transformation experiments to state-of-the-art techniques for targeted nuclear genome editing and high-throughput screening approaches.

Establishment of an abalone digestive gland cell line secreting various glycosidases in protein-free culture

A cell line designated as ADG was established from an abalone digestive gland using ERDF medium supplemented with 8% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 8% abalone hemolymph, and high concentrations of NaCl, KCl, MgCl(2), MgSO(4), and CaCl(2). ADG cells proliferated better in protein-free medium than in FBS-supplemented medium. Among 9 kinds of media examined, ERDF medium was shown to be optimal for cell growth. ADG cells secreted 13 different kinds of glycosidases in protein-free medium: α-L-fucosidase, β-L-fucosidase, α-D-galactosidase, β-D-galactosidase, N-acetyl-α-D-galactosaminidase, N-acetyl-β-D-galactosaminidase, α-D-glucosidase, β-D-glucosidase, N-acetyl-α-D-glucosaminidase, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, α-D-mannosidase, β-D-mannosidase, β-D-xylosidase, and 1-3 xylanase. When ADG cells were cultured in Grace's insect cell medium, the activity of some secreted glycosidases increased 25-fold to 65-fold per cell as compared with control cells cultured in ERDF medium. ADG - abalone digestive gland; ERDF - enriched RDF; FBS - fetal bovine serum; L-15 - Leibovitz's L-15 media; DME - Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium; F-12 - nutrient mixture (Ham); LDF - L-15; DME: F-12 = 10 : 7 : 3; MEM - minimum essential medium; RPMI - RPMI medium 1640; 199 - media 199; GIC - Grace's insect cell medium; pNP -p -nitrophenol.

Purification and characterization of alpha-D-galactosidase produced by ADG cell line established from abalon digestive gland

ADG cell line was established from an abalonedigestive gland and previously characterized. ADGcells have the potential to grow in protein-freeculture and secrete l3 types of glycosidases. Inthis article, we determined the origin of ADG cell line,using electron microscopy, and purified a glycosidasesecreted by these cells. The electron microscopicanalysis showed that ADG cell line contains severalnuclei, which suggests that they may be derived fromprotist cells. Moreover, alpha-D-galactosidasethat hydrolyzes p-nitorophenyl galactopyranosidewas purified 130-fold from the spent culture medium ofADG cells. The molecular weight of the enzyme,determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamidegel electrophoresis and gel filtration analysis, wasshown to be 43 and 42 kDa, respectively, and itappeared to consist of a single polypeptide chain. The purified enzyme preparation was practically freefrom other glycosidases secreted from the cells. Catalytic activity was optimal at pH 5.5 and at atemperature of 37 degrees C. The enzyme was also the most stable at pH 5.5.

Biofuels from algae: challenges and potential

Algae biofuels may provide a viable alternative to fossil fuels; however, this technology must overcome a number of hurdles before it can compete in the fuel market and be broadly deployed. These challenges include strain identification and improvement, both in terms of oil productivity and crop protection, nutrient and resource allocation and use, and the production of co-products to improve the economics of the entire system. Although there is much excitement about the potential of algae biofuels, much work is still required in the field. In this article, we attempt to elucidate the major challenges to economic algal biofuels at scale, and improve the focus of the scientific community to address these challenges and move algal biofuels from promise to reality.

Chloroplast DNA recombination in interspecific hybrids of Chlamydomonas: Linkage between a nonmendelian locus for streptomycin resistance and restriction fragments coding for 16S rRNA

Differences in the distribution of Ava I and BstEII restriction sites in the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) of Chlamydomonas eugametos and C. moewusii have been used to detect extensive cpDNA recombination in the hybrid progeny of these interfertile algae. In the present study, the inheritance of these restriction-site differences was tested for recombination with nonmendelian genetic markers for resistance to streptomycin and erythromycin in interspecific crosses and in hybrid backcrosses to C. moewusii. Most of the restriction-pattern markers appear linked to the antibiotic-resistance markers, thus supporting the chloroplast localization of the resistance markers. The streptomycin marker, in particular, shows perfect coordinate inheritance with an Ava I band containing one cpDNA fragment and a BstEII band containing two comigrating cpDNA fragments. Molecular hybridization experiments using DNA from the Ava I band as a probe show sequence homology between this DNA, the two comigrating BstEII fragments, and cpDNA fragments from C. reinhardtii containing the genes for 16S rRNA. The results show the feasibility of using C. eugametos-C. moewusii hybrids to identify cpDNA sequences that either contain or are closely linked to nonmendelian genetic markers.

Plant transformation technology. Developments and applications

Plant transformation has its roots in the research on Agrobacterium that was being undertaken in the early 1980s. The last two decades have seen significant developments in plant transformation technology, such that a large number of transgenic crop plants have now been released for commercial production. Advances in the technology have been due to development of a range of Agrobacterium-mediated and direct DNA delivery techniques, along with appropriate tissue culture techniques for regenerating whole plants from plant cells or tissues in a large number of species. In addition, parallel developments in molecular biology have greatly extended the range of investigations to which plant transformation technology can be applied. Research in plant transformation is concentrating now not so much on the introduction of DNA into plant cells, but rather more on the problems associated with stable integration and reliable expression of the DNA once it has been integrated.

The bacterial phleomycin resistance gene ble as a dominant selectable marker in Chlamydomonas

A chimeric gene composed of the coding sequence of the ble gene from Streptoalloteichus hindustanus fused to the 5' and 3' untranslated regions of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii nuclear gene RBCS2 has been constructed. Introduction of this chimeric gene into the nuclear genome of C. reinhardtii by co-transformation with the ARG7 marker yields Arg+ transformants of which approximately 80% possess the ble gene. Of these co-transformants, approximately 3% display a phleomycin-resistant (PmR) phenotype. Western blot analysis using antibodies against the ble gene product confirms the presence of the protein in the PmR transformants and genetic analysis demonstrates the co-segregation of the ble gene with the phenotype in progeny arising from the mating of a PmR transformant to wild-type strains. Direct selection of PmR transformants was achieved by allowing an 18-h period for recovery and growth of transformed cells prior to selection. This work represents the first demonstration of stable expression and inheritance of a foreign gene in the nuclear genome of C. reinhardtii and provides a useful dominant marker for nuclear transformation.

Expression of the Volvox gene encoding nitrate reductase: mutation-dependent activation of cryptic splice sites and intron-enhanced gene expression from a cDNA

Use of the nitrate reductase encoding gene (nitA) as selection marker has facilitated the successful nuclear transformation of Volvox carteri. The Volvox nitA gene contains 10 introns. A stable nitA mutation in the Volvox recipient strain 153-81 resides in a G-to-A transition of the first nucleotide in the 5' splice site of nitA intron 2. This mutation resulted in at least three non-functional splice variants, namely: (1) intron 2 was not spliced at all; (2) a cryptic 5' splice site 60 nt upstream or (3) a cryptic 5' splice site 16 nt downstream of the mutation were activated and used for splicing. When we used nitA cDNA (pVcNR13) for transformation of V. carteri 153-81, a low efficiency of about 5 x 10(-5) transformants per reproductive cell was observed. Re-integration of either intron 1 (pVcNR15) or introns 9 and 10 (pVcNR16) in the transforming cDNA increased transformation rates to 5 x 10(-4). In parallel, pVcNR15-transformed Volvox exhibited growth rates that were 100-fold increased over the pVcNR13-transformed alga. This intron-enhancement of nitA gene expression appears to be associated with post-transcriptional processing and 'channelling' of the message. These data suggest an important role of splicing for gene expression in V. carteri.

Expression of a foreign gene in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Genomic transformation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii exposed to glass-bead abrasion was accomplished with a chimeric neomycin phosphotransferaseII (NPTII)-encoding gene (nos::npt) flanked by the nopaline synthase promoter and polyadenylation sequences obtained from the Ti plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. These sequences were in a plasmid (pGA482) which also contained gene nit1 encoding nitrate reductase of C. reinhardtii. Transformants were selected by their ability to grow on medium containing nitrate, and 52% of these was also resistant to kanamycin. Evidence for nos::npt expression includes: (1) hybridization with probes specific for npt, (2) demonstration of NPTII activity after electrophoresis of extracts, and (3) chromatographic identification of the reaction product of NPTII, kanamycin phosphate. The highly biased codon usage in Chlamydomonas does not preclude expression.

Introduction of exogenous DNA into Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by electroporation

The fate of exogenous DNA introduced into Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by electroporation was analyzed. With single and double electrical pulses, plasmids as large as 14 kb were introduced into cells with and without intact cell walls. Within hours after introduction, exogenous plasmid DNA was associated with nuclei isolated from cells; several weeks after introduction, exogenous DNA was stably integrated into the Chlamydomonas genome. These studies establish electroporation as a method for introducing DNA, and potentially other molecules, into C. reinhardtii.

Introduction of exogenous DNA into Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by electroporation

The fate of exogenous DNA introduced into Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by electroporation was analyzed. With single and double electrical pulses, plasmids as large as 14 kb were introduced into cells with and without intact cell walls. Within hours after introduction, exogenous plasmid DNA was associated with nuclei isolated from cells; several weeks after introduction, exogenous DNA was stably integrated into the Chlamydomonas genome. These studies establish electroporation as a method for introducing DNA, and potentially other molecules, into C. reinhardtii.

Deletion analysis of the ARG4 promoter of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: a poly(dAdT) stretch involved in gene transcription

Transcription of the ARG4 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is regulated by general control of amino acid biosynthesis but not by a specific regulatory mechanism. Three deletion mutants (delta I, delta II, delta III) successively removing DNA sequences upstream from the coding sequence have been phenotypically analyzed after insertion into a single copy plasmid. As expected, delta I, which lacks the sequences upstream to -155, including the two putative upstream activation sequences (UAS), was unable to derepress argininosuccinate lyase biosynthesis under conditions of amino acid starvation. In delta II (deleted up to -126) the enzyme activity was very low and cells harbouring this allele were arginine dependent. These drastic phenotypic changes can be attributed to the loss of 12 out of 14 dA residues from positions -124 to -137. This poly (dAdT) sequence most likely serves as an upstream promoter element for constitutive expression of ARG4. The delta III deletion removes all 5' sequences including the putative TATA box. This inactive allele has been successfully used for selecting yeast promoters of unknown origin.

Stable nuclear transformation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by using a C. reinhardtii gene as the selectable marker

We have developed a stable nuclear transformation system for the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Transformation was accomplished by introducing the cloned C. reinhardtii oxygen-evolving enhancer protein 1 (OEE1) gene into C. reinhardtii cells by bombardment with DNA-coated tungsten particles. The recipient strain was an OEE1-deficient, nonphotosynthetic, acetate-requiring mutant, which recovered photosynthetic competence after transformation, and was therefore able to grow in the absence of acetate. Analysis of several transformants indicates that transformation has proceeded via second-site integration of the cloned gene, leaving the endogenous mutant gene intact. In genetic crosses of transformants with wild type, both mutant and wild-type phenotypes were recovered, showing that the photosynthetic competence of transformants was due not to reversion of the original locus but rather to expression of the introduced gene. We suggest that the success of the present system is largely due to using a homologous C. reinhardtii gene, leading to stable maintenance and expression of the gene. Transformation with heterologous genes may be problematic because of poor expression due to an unusual codon bias in C. reinhardtii.

Stable nuclear transformation of Chlamydomonas using the Chlamydomonas gene for nitrate reductase

We have developed a nuclear transformation system for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, using micro-projectile bombardment to introduce the gene encoding nitrate reductase into a nit1 mutant strain which lacks nitrate reductase activity. By using either supercoiled or linear plasmid DNA, transformants were recovered consistently at a low efficiency, on the order of 15 transformants per microgram of plasmid DNA. In all cases the transforming DNA was integrated into the nuclear genome, usually in multiple copies. Most of the introduced copies were genetically linked to each other, and they were unlinked to the original nit1 locus. The transforming DNA and nit+ phenotype were stable through mitosis and meiosis, even in the absence of selection. nit1 transcripts of various sizes were expressed at levels equal to or greater than those in wild-type nit+ strains. In most transformants, nitrate reductase enzyme activity was expressed at approximately wild-type levels. In all transformants, nit1 mRNA and nitrate reductase enzyme activity were repressed in cells grown on ammonium medium, showing that expression of the integrated nit1 genes was regulated normally. When a second plasmid with a nonselectable gene was bombarded into the cells along with the nit1 gene, transformants carrying DNA from both plasmids were recovered. In some cases, expression of the unselected gene could be detected. With the advent of nuclear transformation in Chlamydomonas, it becomes the first photosynthetic organism in which both the nuclear and chloroplast compartments can be transformed.

Structure and expression of the gene encoding the periplasmic arylsulfatase of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii produces a periplasmic arylsulfatase in response to sulfur deprivation. We have isolated and sequenced arylsulfatase cDNAs from a lambda gt11 expression library. The amino acid sequence of the protein, as deduced from the nucleotide sequence, has features characteristic of secreted proteins, including a signal sequence and putative glycosylation sites. The gene has a broad codon usage with seven codons, all having A residues in the third position, not previously observed in C. reinhardtii genes. Arylsulfatase transcription is tightly regulated by sulfur availability. The approximately 2.7 kb arylsulfatase transcript is very susceptible to degradation, disappearing in less than an hour after sulfur starved cells are administered either sulfate or alpha-amanitin. The accumulation of the arylsulfatase transcript is also suppressed by the addition of cycloheximide. Transcription initiation from the arylsulfatase gene occurs approximately 100 bp upstream of the initiation codon, in a region that is 5' to a 43 bp imperfect inverted repeat. Preceding the transcription start site are sequences similar to those present in promoter regions of other genes from C. reinhardtii.

Cloning and sequencing of a cDNA encoding the small subunit precursor of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase from Chlamydomonas moewusii. Evolution of RUBISCO SS polypeptide

We have isolated and characterized a full-length cDNA clone encoding the precursor of the small subunit (pSU) of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RUBISCO) from the green alga, Chlamydomonas moewusii. Comparison with the C. reinhardtii rbcS1 gene sequence reveals that both small subunit (SS) coding regions are 75% homologous and that their predicted mature polypeptide chains are each composed of 140 amino acids. In contrast, their transit peptides appear to be divergent. We also show that transcription of the C. moewusii rbcS gene(s) which generates a 1,230 and a 930 base mRNA species are light-stimulated/or accumulated during the light period of the cell cycle. Finally, the SS polypeptide sequences of fifteen different photosynthetic organisms are compared; this analysis reveals at least five well-conserved polypeptide domains.

Use of a phage vector for rapid synthesis and cloning of single-stranded cDNA

We have developed a technique for synthesis of single stranded complementary DNA (ss cDNA) using specifically designed phage ssDNA as vector primer. This vector (pPBS27) was constructed by introducing a poly(dT) tail adjacent to the XbaI site of pTZ18R, which can exist either as a plasmid in Escherichia coli or as a ssDNA phage. The pPBS27 phage vector is linearized with XbaI using a restriction-site-directed fragment and used to anneal a mixture of poly(A) + RNA for cDNA synthesis by reverse transcriptase. The RNA is then hydrolysed with NaOH and a poly(dG) tail added to the 3' end of the vector-cDNA with terminal transferase. The linear hybrid ssDNA is then closed by annealing with a 15-mer site-directed fragment oligodeoxynucleotide molecule and ligated with T4 DNA ligase. Almost 10(5) E. coli transformants per microgram of vector primer can be obtained in two days.

DNA-mediated transformation of Chlamydomonas reinhardi cells: use of aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase as a selectable marker

Using a modified vector, we developed a method for DNA-mediated transformation of Chlamydomonas reinhardi with increased efficiency. The vector contained the yeast 2 microns origin of replication as a heterologous replicon. The aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase (APH) gene linked to the simian virus 40 early promoter was used as an antibiotic selectable marker. The C. reinhardi transformants were resistant to 12 micrograms of G418 or 150 micrograms of kanamycin per ml. A quick-blot mRNA analysis demonstrated the presence of RNase-sensitive transcripts from the APH gene in the transformants, suggesting that the acquisition of antibiotic resistance was due to the expression of the APH gene. Southern blot analysis revealed the presence of free plasmid DNA in the transformant. The transforming vector was recovered by transforming recipient bacteria with the total DNA extracted from the C. reinhardi transformant.

Molecular cloning and expression of flagellar radial spoke and dynein genes of Chlamydomonas

Several flagellar dynein ATPase and radial spokehead genes have been isolated from a Chlamydomonas genomic expression library in lambda gt11. The library was probed with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies raised against purified flagellar polypeptides, and recombinant phage giving positive signals were cloned. In vitro translation of mRNAs hybrid-selected by the cloned sequences from whole cell RNA provided confirmation of identity for three of the four clones. Evidence supporting the identification of the fourth, which encodes a dynein heavy chain, was provided by antibody selection; the fusion protein produced by this clone selected heavy chain-specific antibodies from a complex polyclonal antiserum recognizing many dynein determinants. One of the radial spoke sequences isolated here is of particular interest because it encodes the wild-type allele of a locus which was defined previously by temperature-sensitive paralyzed flagella mutation pf-26ts (Huang, B., G. Piperno, Z. Ramanis, and D. J. L. Luck, 1981, J. Cell Biol., 88:80-88). The cloned sequence was used to hybrid-select mRNA from mutant pf-26ts cells, and when translated in vitro, the selected mRNA produced a mutant spokehead polypeptide with an altered electrophoretic mobility. This confirms that the pf-26ts mutation alters the primary structure of a radial spokehead polypeptide. To quantify spokehead and dynein mRNAs during flagellar regeneration, all of the cloned sequences were used as hybridization probes in RNA dot experiments. Levels increased rapidly and coordinately after deflagellation, peaked 3-10-fold above nondeflagellated controls, and then returned to control values within 2 h. This accumulation pattern was similar to that of flagellar alpha-tubulin mRNA.

Characterization of photosystem II mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardii lacking the psbA gene

We have examined 78 chloroplast mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardii lacking photosystem II activity. Most of them are unable to synthesize the 32 Kdalton protein. Analysis of 22 of these mutants reveals that they have deleted both copies of the psbA gene (which codes for the 32 Kdalton protein) in their chloroplast genome. Although these mutants are able to synthesize and to integrate the other photosystem II polypeptides in the thylakoid membranes, they are unable to assemble a stable functional photosystem II complex. The 32 Kprotein appears therefore to play an important role not only in photosystem II function, but also in stabilizing this complex.

Multidisciplinary research in photosynthesis: A case history based on the green alga Chlamydomonas

This article examines the contribution of a unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas to progress in photosynthetic research. The objective is to focus on the aspects of Chlamydomonas that have provided an advantage over other photosynthetic organisms in investigating photosynthesis. To do this we discuss several examples that demonstrate the progress from a genetic study to a multidisciplinary approach that probes higher levels of complexity within the organism. These examples include the function and molecular regulation of electron transport components between photosystem II and photosystem I, the molecular genetics of the herbicide binding protein of photosystem II, and several different studies that have derived from a search for rubisco (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) mutants in Chlamydomonas, including chloroplast ribosome function, the regulation of the large subunit of rubisco, and the interaction between photosynthetic electron transport and carbon metabolism.

The two genes for the small subunit of RuBP Carboxylase/oxygenase are closely linked in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (Rubisco) is a key enzyme in the photosynthetic fixation of CO2 by the chloroplast. The synthesis of the enzyme is an example of the cooperation between the chloroplast and the nucleocytoplasmic compartments, as it is assembled from subunits encoded in the two respective genomes. I have used a synthetic oligonucleotide probe to isolate the nuclear Rubisco small subunit genes (rbcS) directly from a genomic library of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii DNA. They constitute only a small family: there are two rbcS genes, and an additional related sequence, in the C. reinhardtii genome. All three are clustered within 11kb at a single locus, and should thus be particularly well suited for genetic manipulation. The pattern of expression of rbcS RNA is dependent on the growth conditions.

Electric field mediated stable transformation of carrot protoplasts with naked DNA

We have developed an electroporation procedure for the transformation of carrot protoplasts with Ti-plasmid DNA from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The uptake of pTiC58 into carrot protoplasts was mediated by high voltage electrical pulses at field strengths from 0.5 to 3.8 kV/cm. Protoplast regeneration, somatic embryogenesis and plantlet regeneration were unaffected by the electroporation conditions selected for DNA uptake. Uptake of plasmid pTiC58 resulted in hormone independent regeneration of carrot protoplasts. Transformed somatic embryos were detected in carrot cultures 45 days after electroporation. The transformed somatic embryos developed into teratomas which synthesized nopaline. Hybridization was obtained between a labeled T-DNA fragment from pTiC58 and DNA fragments from 4 month old teratomas regenerated from electro-transformed protoplasts. Based on the number of somatic embryos regenerated after electro-transformation, a frequency of 1.6×10(2) transformants/10(4) somatic embryos/μg pTiC58 DNA was obtained.

DNA-mediated transformation of Chlamydomonas reinhardi cells: use of aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase as a selectable marker

Using a modified vector, we developed a method for DNA-mediated transformation of Chlamydomonas reinhardi with increased efficiency. The vector contained the yeast 2 microns origin of replication as a heterologous replicon. The aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase (APH) gene linked to the simian virus 40 early promoter was used as an antibiotic selectable marker. The C. reinhardi transformants were resistant to 12 micrograms of G418 or 150 micrograms of kanamycin per ml. A quick-blot mRNA analysis demonstrated the presence of RNase-sensitive transcripts from the APH gene in the transformants, suggesting that the acquisition of antibiotic resistance was due to the expression of the APH gene. Southern blot analysis revealed the presence of free plasmid DNA in the transformant. The transforming vector was recovered by transforming recipient bacteria with the total DNA extracted from the C. reinhardi transformant.

Repeated consensus sequence and pseudopromoters in the four coordinately regulated tubulin genes of Chlamydomonas reinhardi

The 5' coding and promoter regions of the four coordinately regulated tubulin genes of Chlamydomonas reinhardi have been mapped and sequenced. DNA sequencing data shows that the predicted N-terminal amino acid sequences of Chlamydomonas alpha- and beta-tubulins closely match that of tubulins of other eucaryotes. Within the alpha 1- and alpha 2-tubulin gene set and the beta 1- and beta 2-tubulin gene set, both nucleotide sequence and intron placement are highly conserved. Transcription initiation sites have been located by primer extension analysis at 140, 141, 159, and 132 base pairs upstream of the translation initiator codon for the alpha 1-, alpha 2-, beta 1-, and beta 2-tubulin genes, respectively. Among the structures with potential regulatory significance, the most striking is a 16-base-pair consensus sequence [GCTC(G/C)AAGGC(G/T)(G/C)--(C/A)(C/A)G] which is found in multiple copies immediately upstream of the TATA box in each of the four genes. An unexpected discovery is the presence of pseudopromoter regions in two of the transcribed tubulin genes. One pseudopromoter region is located 400 base pairs upstream of the authentic alpha 2-tubulin gene promoter, whereas the other is located within the transcribed 5' noncoding region of the beta 1-tubulin gene.