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Utschig LM, Mulfort KL. Photosynthetic biohybrid systems for solar fuels catalysis. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024. [PMID: 39229971 DOI: 10.1039/d4cc00774c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Photosynthetic reaction center (RC) proteins are finely tuned molecular systems optimized for solar energy conversion. RCs effectively capture and convert sunlight with near unity quantum efficiency utilizing light-induced directional electron transfer through a series of molecular cofactors embedded within the protein core to generate a long-lived charge separated state with a useable electrochemical potential. Of current interest are new strategies that couple RC chemistry to the direct synthesis of energy-rich compounds. This Feature Article highlights recent work from our lab on RC and RC-inspired hybrid systems that capture the Sun's energy and convert it to chemical energy in the form of H2, a carbon-neutral energy source derived from water. Biohybrids made from the Photosystem I (PSI) RC are among the best photocatalytic H2-producing protein hybrids to date. Targeted self-assembly strategies that couple abiotic catalysts to PSI translate to catalyst incorporation at intrinsic PSI sites within thylakoid membranes to achieve complete solar water-splitting systems. RC-inspired biohybrids interface synthetic photosensitizers and molecular catalysts with small proteins to create photocatalytic systems and enable the spectroscopic discernment of the structural features and electron transfer processes that underpin solar-driven proton reduction. In total, these studies showcase the incredible scientific opportunities photosynthetic biohybrid research provides for harnessing the optimal qualities of both artificial and natural photosynthetic systems and developing materials that capture, convert, and store solar energy as a fuel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Utschig
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA.
| | - Karen L Mulfort
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA.
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2
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Chen QK, Xiang XH, Yan P, Liu SY. Enhancing strategies of photosynthetic hydrogen production from microalgae: Differences in hydrogen production between prokaryotic and eukaryotic algae. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 406:131029. [PMID: 38925401 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.131029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Hydrogen production through the metabolic bypass of microalgae photosynthesis is an environmentally friendly method. This review examines the genetic differences in hydrogen production between prokaryotic and eukaryotic microalgae. Additionally, the pathways for enhancing microalgae-based photosynthetic hydrogen generation are summarized. The main strategies for enhancing microalgal hydrogen production involve inhibiting the oxygen-generating process of photosynthesis and promoting the oxygen tolerance of hydrogenase. Future research is needed to explore the regulation of physiological metabolism through quorum sensing in microalgae to enhance photosynthetic hydrogen production. Moreover, effective evaluation of carbon emissions and sequestration across the entire photosynthetic hydrogen production process is crucial for determining the sustainability of microalgae-based production approaches through comprehensive lifecycle assessment. This review elucidates the prospects and challenges associated with photosynthetic hydrogen production by microalgae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Kong Chen
- Engineering Laboratory of Environmental & Hydraulic Engineering, Chongqing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, China
| | - Xiao-Han Xiang
- Engineering Laboratory of Environmental & Hydraulic Engineering, Chongqing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing 400074, China
| | - Peng Yan
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China.
| | - Shao-Yang Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Troy University, Troy, AL 36082, USA
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3
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Hippler M, Khosravitabar F. Light-Driven H 2 Production in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: Lessons from Engineering of Photosynthesis. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:2114. [PMID: 39124233 PMCID: PMC11314271 DOI: 10.3390/plants13152114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
In the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, hydrogen production is catalyzed via the [FeFe]-hydrogenases HydA1 and HydA2. The electrons required for the catalysis are transferred from ferredoxin (FDX) towards the hydrogenases. In the light, ferredoxin receives its electrons from photosystem I (PSI) so that H2 production becomes a fully light-driven process. HydA1 and HydA2 are highly O2 sensitive; consequently, the formation of H2 occurs mainly under anoxic conditions. Yet, photo-H2 production is tightly coupled to the efficiency of photosynthetic electron transport and linked to the photosynthetic control via the Cyt b6f complex, the control of electron transfer at the level of photosystem II (PSII) and the structural remodeling of photosystem I (PSI). These processes also determine the efficiency of linear (LEF) and cyclic electron flow (CEF). The latter is competitive with H2 photoproduction. Additionally, the CBB cycle competes with H2 photoproduction. Consequently, an in-depth understanding of light-driven H2 production via photosynthetic electron transfer and its competition with CO2 fixation is essential for improving photo-H2 production. At the same time, the smart design of photo-H2 production schemes and photo-H2 bioreactors are challenges for efficient up-scaling of light-driven photo-H2 production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Hippler
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143 Münster, Germany
- Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Kurashiki 710-0046, Japan
| | - Fatemeh Khosravitabar
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
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4
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Shomar H, Bokinsky G. Harnessing iron‑sulfur enzymes for synthetic biology. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2024; 1871:119718. [PMID: 38574823 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2024.119718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Reactions catalysed by iron-sulfur (Fe-S) enzymes appear in a variety of biosynthetic pathways that produce valuable natural products. Harnessing these biosynthetic pathways by expression in microbial cell factories grown on an industrial scale would yield enormous economic and environmental benefits. However, Fe-S enzymes often become bottlenecks that limits the productivity of engineered pathways. As a consequence, achieving the production metrics required for industrial application remains a distant goal for Fe-S enzyme-dependent pathways. Here, we identify and review three core challenges in harnessing Fe-S enzyme activity, which all stem from the properties of Fe-S clusters: 1) limited Fe-S cluster supply within the host cell, 2) Fe-S cluster instability, and 3) lack of specialized reducing cofactor proteins often required for Fe-S enzyme activity, such as enzyme-specific flavodoxins and ferredoxins. We highlight successful methods developed for a variety of Fe-S enzymes and electron carriers for overcoming these difficulties. We use heterologous nitrogenase expression as a grand case study demonstrating how each of these challenges can be addressed. We predict that recent breakthroughs in protein structure prediction and design will prove well-suited to addressing each of these challenges. A reliable toolkit for harnessing Fe-S enzymes in engineered metabolic pathways will accelerate the development of industry-ready Fe-S enzyme-dependent biosynthesis pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Shomar
- Institut Pasteur, université Paris Cité, Inserm U1284, Diversité moléculaire des microbes (Molecular Diversity of Microbes lab), 75015 Paris, France
| | - Gregory Bokinsky
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
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5
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Wang Y, Jin S, Liu Z, Chen G, Cheng P, Li L, Xu S, Shen W. H2 supplied via ammonia borane stimulates lateral root branching via phytomelatonin signaling. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 194:884-901. [PMID: 37944026 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
A reliable and stable hydrogen gas (H2) supply will benefit agricultural laboratory and field trials. Here, we assessed ammonia borane (AB), an efficient hydrogen storage material used in the energy industry, and determined its effect on plant physiology and the corresponding mechanism. Through hydroponics and pot experiments, we discovered that AB increases tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) lateral root (LR) branching and this function depended on the increased endogenous H2 level caused by the sustainable H2 supply. In particular, AB might trigger LR primordia initiation. Transgenic tomato and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) expressing hydrogenase1 (CrHYD1) from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii not only accumulated higher endogenous H2 and phytomelatonin levels but also displayed pronounced LR branching. These endogenous H2 responses achieved by AB or genetic manipulation were sensitive to the pharmacological removal of phytomelatonin, indicating the downstream role of phytomelatonin in endogenous H2 control of LR formation. Consistently, extra H2 supply failed to influence the LR defective phenotypes in phytomelatonin synthetic mutants. Molecular evidence showed that the phytomelatonin-regulated auxin signaling network and cell-cycle regulation were associated with the AB/H2 control of LR branching. Also, AB and melatonin had little effect on LR branching in the presence of auxin synthetic inhibitors. Collectively, our integrated approaches show that supplying H2 via AB increases LR branching via phytomelatonin signaling. This finding might open the way for applying hydrogen storage materials to horticultural production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueqiao Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Shanshan Jin
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Ziyu Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Genmei Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Pengfei Cheng
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Longna Li
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Sheng Xu
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Wenbiao Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
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Cheng P, Wang Y, Cai C, Li L, Zeng Y, Cheng X, Shen W. Molecular hydrogen positively regulates nitrate uptake and seed size by targeting nitrate reductase. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 193:2734-2749. [PMID: 37625793 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Although the sources of molecular hydrogen (H2) synthesis in plants remain to be fully elucidated, ample evidence shows that plant-based H2 can regulate development and stress responses. Here, we present genetic and molecular evidence indicating that nitrate reductase (NR) might be a target of H2 sensing that positively regulates nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and seed size in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The expression level of NR and changes of NUE under control and, in particular, low nitrogen supply were positively associated with H2 addition supplied exogenously or through genetic manipulation. The improvement in nitrate assimilation achieved by H2 was also mediated via NR dephosphorylation. H2 control of seed size was impaired by NR mutation. Further genetic evidence revealed that H2, NR, and nitric oxide can synergistically regulate nitrate assimilation in response to N starvation conditions. Collectively, our data indicate that NR might be a target for H2 sensing, ultimately positively regulating nitrate uptake and seed size. These results provide insights into H2 signaling and its functions in plant metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Cheng
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yueqiao Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Chenxu Cai
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Longna Li
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yan Zeng
- Life Science Group, Air Liquide (China) R&D Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201108, China
| | - Xu Cheng
- Life Science Group, Air Liquide (China) R&D Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201108, China
| | - Wenbiao Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
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7
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Gao F, Liu G, Chen A, Hu Y, Wang H, Pan J, Feng J, Zhang H, Wang Y, Min Y, Gao C, Xiong Y. Artificial photosynthetic cells with biotic-abiotic hybrid energy modules for customized CO 2 conversion. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6783. [PMID: 37880265 PMCID: PMC10600252 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42591-x] [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: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Programmable artificial photosynthetic cell is the ultimate goal for mimicking natural photosynthesis, offering tunable product selectivity via reductase selection toward device integration. However, this concept is limited by the capacity of regenerating the multiple cofactors that hold the key to various reductases. Here, we report the design of artificial photosynthetic cells using biotic-abiotic thylakoid-CdTe as hybrid energy modules. The rational integration of thylakoid with CdTe quantum dots substantially enhances the regeneration of bioactive NADPH, NADH and ATP cofactors without external supplements by promoting proton-coupled electron transfer. Particularly, this approach turns thylakoid highly active for NADH regeneration, providing a more versatile platform for programming artificial photosynthetic cells. Such artificial photosynthetic cells can be programmed by coupling with diverse reductases, such as formate dehydrogenase and remodeled nitrogenase for highly selective production of formate or methane, respectively. This work opens an avenue for customizing artificial photosynthetic cells toward multifarious demands for CO2 conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Gao
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovative Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Guangyu Liu
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovative Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Aobo Chen
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovative Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yangguang Hu
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovative Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Huihui Wang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovative Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jiangyuan Pan
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovative Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jinglei Feng
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovative Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hongwei Zhang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovative Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yujie Wang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovative Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yuanzeng Min
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovative Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Chao Gao
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovative Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China.
| | - Yujie Xiong
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovative Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, Anhui, China.
- Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, 350 Shushanhu Rd., 230031, Hefei, Anhui, China.
- Anhui Engineering Research Center of Carbon Neutrality, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Normal University, 241002, Wuhu, Anhui, China.
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Shao Y, Lin F, Wang Y, Cheng P, Lou W, Wang Z, Liu Z, Chen D, Guo W, Lan Y, Du L, Zhou Y, Zhou T, Shen W. Molecular Hydrogen Confers Resistance to Rice Stripe Virus. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0441722. [PMID: 36840556 PMCID: PMC10100981 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04417-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Although molecular hydrogen (H2) has potential therapeutic effects in animals, whether or how this gas functions in plant disease resistance has not yet been elucidated. Here, after rice stripe virus (RSV) infection, H2 production was pronouncedly stimulated in Zhendao 88, a resistant rice variety, compared to that in a susceptible variety (Wuyujing No.3). External H2 supply remarkably reduced the disease symptoms and RSV coat protein (CP) levels, especially in Wuyujing No.3. The above responses were abolished by the pharmacological inhibition of H2 production. The transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing a hydrogenase gene from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii also improved plant resistance. In the presence of H2, the transcription levels of salicylic acid (SA) synthetic genes were stimulated, and the activity of SA glucosyltransferases was suppressed, thus facilitating SA accumulation. Genetic evidence revealed that two SA synthetic mutants of Arabidopsis (sid2-2 and pad4) were more susceptible to RSV than the wild type (WT). The treatments with H2 failed to improve the resistance to RSV in two SA synthetic mutants. The above results indicated that H2 enhances rice resistance to RSV infection possibly through the SA-dependent pathway. This study might open a new window for applying the H2-based approach to improve plant disease resistance. IMPORTANCE Although molecular hydrogen has potential therapeutic effects in animals, whether or how this gas functions in plant disease resistance has not yet been elucidated. RSV was considered the most devastating plant virus in rice, since it could cause severe losses in field production. This disease was thus selected as a classical model to explore the interrelationship between molecular hydrogen and plant pathogen resistance. In this study, we discovered that both exogenous and endogenous H2 could enhance plant resistance against Rice stripe virus infection by regulating salicylic acid signaling. Compared with some frequently used agrochemicals, H2 is almost nontoxic. We hope that the findings presented here will serve as an opportunity for the scientific community to push hydrogen-based agriculture forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yudong Shao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Feng Lin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yueqiao Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Pengfei Cheng
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wang Lou
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhaoyun Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhiyang Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Dongyue Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ying Lan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Linlin Du
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yijun Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Tong Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Wenbiao Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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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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10
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Liu P, Ye DM, Chen M, Zhang J, Huang XH, Shen LL, Xia KK, Xu XJ, Xu YC, Guo YL, Wang YC, Huang F. Scaling-up and proteomic analysis reveals photosynthetic and metabolic insights toward prolonged H 2 photoproduction in Chlamydomonas hpm91 mutant lacking proton gradient regulation 5 (PGR5). PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2022; 154:397-411. [PMID: 35974136 PMCID: PMC9722884 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-022-00945-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Clean and sustainable H2 production is crucial to a carbon-neutral world. H2 generation by Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is an attractive approach for solar-H2 from H2O. However, it is currently not large-scalable because of lacking desirable strains with both optimal H2 productivity and sufficient knowledge of underlying molecular mechanism. We hereby carried out extensive and in-depth investigations of H2 photoproduction of hpm91 mutant lacking PGR5 (Proton Gradient Regulation 5) toward its up-scaling and fundamental mechanism issues. We show that hpm91 is at least 100-fold scalable (up to 10 L) with continuous H2 collection of 7287 ml H2/10L-HPBR in averagely 26 days under sulfur deprivation. Also, we show that hpm91 is robust and active during sustained H2 photoproduction, most likely due to decreased intracellular ROS relative to wild type. Moreover, we obtained quantitative proteomic profiles of wild type and hpm91 at four representing time points of H2 evolution, leading to 2229 and 1350 differentially expressed proteins, respectively. Compared to wild type, major proteome alterations of hpm91 include not only core subunits of photosystems and those related to anti-oxidative responses but also essential proteins in photosynthetic antenna, C/N metabolic balance, and sulfur assimilation toward both cysteine biosynthesis and sulfation of metabolites during sulfur-deprived H2 production. These results reveal not only new insights of cellular and molecular basis of enhanced H2 production in hpm91 but also provide additional candidate gene targets and modules for further genetic modifications and/or in artificial photosynthesis mimics toward basic and applied research aiming at advancing solar-H2 technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Liu
- Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - De-Min Ye
- Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Mei Chen
- Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xia-He Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Li-Li Shen
- Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ke-Ke Xia
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Xu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yong-Chao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ya-Long Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Ying-Chun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Fang Huang
- Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
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11
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Redding KE, Appel J, Boehm M, Schuhmann W, Nowaczyk MM, Yacoby I, Gutekunst K. Advances and challenges in photosynthetic hydrogen production. Trends Biotechnol 2022; 40:1313-1325. [PMID: 35581021 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The vision to replace coal with hydrogen goes back to Jules Verne in 1874. However, sustainable hydrogen production remains challenging. The most elegant approach is to utilize photosynthesis for water splitting and to subsequently save solar energy as hydrogen. Cyanobacteria and green algae are unicellular photosynthetic organisms that contain hydrogenases and thereby possess the enzymatic equipment for photosynthetic hydrogen production. These features of cyanobacteria and algae have inspired artificial and semi-artificial in vitro techniques, that connect photoexcited materials or enzymes with hydrogenases or mimics of these for hydrogen production. These in vitro methods have on their part been models for the fusion of cyanobacterial and algal hydrogenases to photosynthetic photosystem I (PSI) in vivo, which recently succeeded as proofs of principle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin E Redding
- School of Molecular Sciences and Center for Bioenergy & Photosynthesis, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jens Appel
- Molecular Plant Physiology, Bioenergetics in Photoautotrophs, University Kassel, 34132 Kassel, Germany
| | - Marko Boehm
- Molecular Plant Physiology, Bioenergetics in Photoautotrophs, University Kassel, 34132 Kassel, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Schuhmann
- Analytical Chemistry - Center for Electrochemical Sciences (CES), Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Marc M Nowaczyk
- Plant Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Iftach Yacoby
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Kirstin Gutekunst
- Molecular Plant Physiology, Bioenergetics in Photoautotrophs, University Kassel, 34132 Kassel, Germany.
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12
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Bioconversion of CO to formate by artificially designed carbon monoxide:formate oxidoreductase in hyperthermophilic archaea. Commun Biol 2022; 5:539. [PMID: 35660788 PMCID: PMC9166738 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03513-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractFerredoxin-dependent metabolic engineering of electron transfer circuits has been developed to enhance redox efficiency in the field of synthetic biology, e.g., for hydrogen production and for reduction of flavoproteins or NAD(P)+. Here, we present the bioconversion of carbon monoxide (CO) gas to formate via a synthetic CO:formate oxidoreductase (CFOR), designed as an enzyme complex for direct electron transfer between non-interacting CO dehydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase using an electron-transferring Fe-S fusion protein. The CFOR-introduced Thermococcus onnurineus mutant strains showed CO-dependent formate production in vivo and in vitro. The maximum formate production rate from purified CFOR complex and specific formate productivity from the bioreactor were 2.2 ± 0.2 μmol/mg/min and 73.1 ± 29.0 mmol/g-cells/h, respectively. The CO-dependent CO2 reduction/formate production activity of synthetic CFOR was confirmed, indicating that direct electron transfer between two unrelated dehydrogenases was feasible via mediation of the FeS-FeS fusion protein.
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13
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Tong X, Kim EJ, Lee JK. Sustainability of in vitro light-dependent NADPH generation by the thylakoid membrane of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:94. [PMID: 35643504 PMCID: PMC9148488 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01825-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND NADPH is used as a reductant in various biosynthetic reactions. Cell-free bio-systems have gained considerable attention owing to their high energy utilization and time efficiency. Efforts have been made to continuously supply reducing power to the reaction mixture in a cyclical manner. The thylakoid membrane (TM) is a promising molecular energy generator, producing NADPH under light. Thus, TM sustainability is of major relevance for its in vitro utilization. RESULTS Over 70% of TMs prepared from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 existed in a sealed vesicular structure, with the F1 complex of ATP synthase facing outward (right-side-out), producing NADPH and ATP under light. The NADPH generation activity of TM increased approximately two-fold with the addition of carbonyl cyanide-p-(trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone (FCCP) or removal of the F1 complex using EDTA. Thus, the uncoupling of proton translocation from the electron transport chain or proton leakage through the Fo complex resulted in greater NADPH generation. Biosilicified TM retained more than 80% of its NADPH generation activity after a week at 30°C in the dark. However, activity declined sharply to below 30% after two days in light. The introduction of engineered water-forming NADPH oxidase (Noxm) to keep the electron transport chain of TM working resulted in the improved sustainability of NADPH generation activity in a ratio (Noxm to TM)-dependent manner, which correlated with the decrease of singlet oxygen generation. Removal of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by catalase further highlighted the sustainable NADPH generation activity of up to 80% in two days under light. CONCLUSION Reducing power generated by light energy has to be consumed for TM sustainability. Otherwise, TM can generate singlet oxygen, causing oxidative damage. Thus, TMs should be kept in the dark when not in use. Although NADPH generation activity by TM can be extended via silica encapsulation, further removal of hydrogen peroxide results in an improvement of TM sustainability. Therefore, as long as ROS formation by TM in light is properly handled, it can be used as a promising source of reducing power for in vitro biochemical reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomeng Tong
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Mapo, Shinsu 1, Seoul, 121-742, Korea
| | - Eui-Jin Kim
- Microbial Research Department, Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Sangju-si, 37242, Korea.
| | - Jeong K Lee
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Mapo, Shinsu 1, Seoul, 121-742, Korea.
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14
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Ho TTH, Schwier C, Elman T, Fleuter V, Zinzius K, Scholz M, Yacoby I, Buchert F, Hippler M. Photosystem I light-harvesting proteins regulate photosynthetic electron transfer and hydrogen production. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 189:329-343. [PMID: 35157085 PMCID: PMC9070821 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Linear electron flow (LEF) and cyclic electron flow (CEF) compete for light-driven electrons transferred from the acceptor side of photosystem I (PSI). Under anoxic conditions, such highly reducing electrons also could be used for hydrogen (H2) production via electron transfer between ferredoxin and hydrogenase in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Partitioning between LEF and CEF is regulated through PROTON-GRADIENT REGULATION5 (PGR5). There is evidence that partitioning of electrons also could be mediated via PSI remodeling processes. This plasticity is linked to the dynamics of PSI-associated light-harvesting proteins (LHCAs) LHCA2 and LHCA9. These two unique light-harvesting proteins are distinct from all other LHCAs because they are loosely bound at the PSAL pole. Here, we investigated photosynthetic electron transfer and H2 production in single, double, and triple mutants deficient in PGR5, LHCA2, and LHCA9. Our data indicate that lhca2 and lhca9 mutants are efficient in photosynthetic electron transfer, that LHCA2 impacts the pgr5 phenotype, and that pgr5/lhca2 is a potent H2 photo-producer. In addition, pgr5/lhca2 and pgr5/lhca9 mutants displayed substantially different H2 photo-production kinetics. This indicates that the absence of LHCA2 or LHCA9 impacts H2 photo-production independently, despite both being attached at the PSAL pole, pointing to distinct regulatory capacities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Thu Hoai Ho
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Münster 48143, Germany
- Faculty of Fisheries, University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University, Hue 530000, Vietnam
| | - Chris Schwier
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Münster 48143, Germany
| | - Tamar Elman
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Vera Fleuter
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Münster 48143, Germany
| | - Karen Zinzius
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Münster 48143, Germany
| | - Martin Scholz
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Münster 48143, Germany
| | - Iftach Yacoby
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Felix Buchert
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Münster 48143, Germany
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15
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King SJ, Jerkovic A, Brown LJ, Petroll K, Willows RD. Synthetic biology for improved hydrogen production in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Microb Biotechnol 2022; 15:1946-1965. [PMID: 35338590 PMCID: PMC9249334 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen is a clean alternative to fossil fuels. It has applications for electricity generation and transportation and is used for the manufacturing of ammonia and steel. However, today, H2 is almost exclusively produced from coal and natural gas. As such, methods to produce H2 that do not use fossil fuels need to be developed and adopted. The biological manufacturing of H2 may be one promising solution as this process is clean and renewable. Hydrogen is produced biologically via enzymes called hydrogenases. There are three classes of hydrogenases namely [FeFe], [NiFe] and [Fe] hydrogenases. The [FeFe] hydrogenase HydA1 from the model unicellular algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has been studied extensively and belongs to the A1 subclass of [FeFe] hydrogenases that have the highest turnover frequencies amongst hydrogenases (21,000 ± 12,000 H2 s−1 for CaHydA from Clostridium acetobutyliticum). Yet to date, limitations in C. reinhardtii H2 production pathways have hampered commercial scale implementation, in part due to O2 sensitivity of hydrogenases and competing metabolic pathways, resulting in low H2 production efficiency. Here, we describe key processes in the biogenesis of HydA1 and H2 production pathways in C. reinhardtii. We also summarize recent advancements of algal H2 production using synthetic biology and describe valuable tools such as high‐throughput screening (HTS) assays to accelerate the process of engineering algae for commercial biological H2 production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J King
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ante Jerkovic
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Louise J Brown
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kerstin Petroll
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Robert D Willows
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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16
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Kosourov S, Böhm M, Senger M, Berggren G, Stensjö K, Mamedov F, Lindblad P, Allahverdiyeva Y. Photosynthetic hydrogen production: Novel protocols, promising engineering approaches and application of semi-synthetic hydrogenases. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2021; 173:555-567. [PMID: 33860946 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic production of molecular hydrogen (H2 ) by cyanobacteria and green algae is a potential source of renewable energy. These organisms are capable of water biophotolysis by taking advantage of photosynthetic apparatus that links water oxidation at Photosystem II and reduction of protons to H2 downstream of Photosystem I. Although the process has a theoretical potential to displace fossil fuels, photosynthetic H2 production in its current state is not yet efficient enough for industrial applications due to a number of physiological, biochemical, and engineering barriers. This article presents a short overview of the metabolic pathways and enzymes involved in H2 photoproduction in cyanobacteria and green algae and our present understanding of the mechanisms of this process. We also summarize recent advances in engineering photosynthetic cell factories capable of overcoming the major barriers to efficient and sustainable H2 production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Kosourov
- Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Maximilian Böhm
- Molecular Biomimetics, Department of Chemistry-Ångström, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Moritz Senger
- Molecular Biomimetics, Department of Chemistry-Ångström, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gustav Berggren
- Molecular Biomimetics, Department of Chemistry-Ångström, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Stensjö
- Microbial Chemistry, Department of Chemistry-Ångström, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fikret Mamedov
- Molecular Biomimetics, Department of Chemistry-Ångström, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Peter Lindblad
- Microbial Chemistry, Department of Chemistry-Ångström, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Yagut Allahverdiyeva
- Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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17
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Improved photosynthetic capacity and photosystem I oxidation via heterologous metabolism engineering in cyanobacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2021523118. [PMID: 33836593 PMCID: PMC7980454 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021523118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria have been increasingly explored as a biotechnological platform, although their economic feasibility relies in part on the capacity to maximize their photosynthetic, solar-to-biomass energy conversion efficiency. Here we show that cyanobacterial photosynthetic capacity can be increased by diverting cellular resources toward heterologous, energy-storing metabolic pathways and by reducing electron flow to photoprotective, but energy-dissipating, oxygen reduction reactions. We further show that these heterologous sinks can partially contribute to photosystem I (PSI) oxidation, suggesting an engineering strategy to improve both energy storage capacity and robustness by selective diversion of excess photosynthetic capacity to productive processes. Cyanobacteria must prevent imbalances between absorbed light energy (source) and the metabolic capacity (sink) to utilize it to protect their photosynthetic apparatus against damage. A number of photoprotective mechanisms assist in dissipating excess absorbed energy, including respiratory terminal oxidases and flavodiiron proteins, but inherently reduce photosynthetic efficiency. Recently, it has been hypothesized that some engineered metabolic pathways may improve photosynthetic performance by correcting source/sink imbalances. In the context of this subject, we explored the interconnectivity between endogenous electron valves, and the activation of one or more heterologous metabolic sinks. We coexpressed two heterologous metabolic pathways that have been previously shown to positively impact photosynthetic activity in cyanobacteria, a sucrose production pathway (consuming ATP and reductant) and a reductant-only consuming cytochrome P450. Sucrose export was associated with improved quantum yield of phtotosystem II (PSII) and enhanced electron transport chain flux, especially at lower illumination levels, while cytochrome P450 activity led to photosynthetic enhancements primarily observed under high light. Moreover, coexpression of these two heterologous sinks showed additive impacts on photosynthesis, indicating that neither sink alone was capable of utilizing the full “overcapacity” of the electron transport chain. We find that heterologous sinks may partially compensate for the loss of photosystem I (PSI) oxidizing mechanisms even under rapid illumination changes, although this compensation is incomplete. Our results provide support for the theory that heterologous metabolism can act as a photosynthetic sink and exhibit some overlapping functionality with photoprotective mechanisms, while potentially conserving energy within useful metabolic products that might otherwise be “lost.”
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18
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Milrad Y, Schweitzer S, Feldman Y, Yacoby I. Bi-directional electron transfer between H2 and NADPH mitigates light fluctuation responses in green algae. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 186:168-179. [PMID: 33793951 PMCID: PMC8154092 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The metabolism of green algae has been the focus of much research over the last century. These photosynthetic organisms can thrive under various conditions and adapt quickly to changing environments by concomitant usage of several metabolic apparatuses. The main electron coordinator in their chloroplasts, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), participates in many enzymatic activities and is also responsible for inter-organellar communication. Under anaerobic conditions, green algae also accumulate molecular hydrogen (H2), a promising alternative for fossil fuels. However, to scale-up its accumulation, a firm understanding of its integration in the photosynthetic apparatus is still required. While it is generally accepted that NADPH metabolism correlates to H2 accumulation, the mechanism of this collaboration is still vague and relies on indirect measurements. Here, we investigated this connection in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii using simultaneous measurements of both dissolved gases concentration, NADPH fluorescence and electrochromic shifts at 520-546 nm. Our results indicate that energy transfer between H2 and NADPH is bi-directional and crucial for the maintenance of redox balance under light fluctuations. At light onset, NADPH consumption initially eventuates in H2 evolution, which initiates the photosynthetic electron flow. Later on, as illumination continues the majority of NADPH is diverted to the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle. Dark onset triggers re-assimilation of H2, which produces NADPH and so, enables initiation of dark fermentative metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Milrad
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Shira Schweitzer
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Yael Feldman
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Iftach Yacoby
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Author for communication: (I.Y.)
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19
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Xiong D, Happe T, Hankamer B, Ross IL. Inducible high level expression of a variant ΔD19A,D58A-ferredoxin-hydrogenase fusion increases photohydrogen production efficiency in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. ALGAL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2021.102275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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20
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Nagarajan D, Dong CD, Chen CY, Lee DJ, Chang JS. Biohydrogen production from microalgae-Major bottlenecks and future research perspectives. Biotechnol J 2021; 16:e2000124. [PMID: 33249754 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202000124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The imprudent use of fossil fuels has resulted in high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, leading to climate change and global warming. Reduction in GHG emissions and energy insecurity imposed by the depleting fossil fuel reserves led to the search for alternative sustainable fuels. Hydrogen is a potential alternative energy carrier and is of particular interest because hydrogen combustion releases only water. Hydrogen is also an important industrial feedstock. As an alternative energy carrier, hydrogen can be used in fuel cells for power generation. Current hydrogen production mainly relies on fossil fuels and is usually energy and CO2 -emission intensive, thus the use of fossil fuel-derived hydrogen as a carbon-free fuel source is fallacious. Biohydrogen production can be achieved via microbial methods, and the use of microalgae for hydrogen production is outstanding due to the carbon mitigating effects and the utilization of solar energy as an energy source by microalgae. This review provides comprehensive information on the mechanisms of hydrogen production by microalgae and the enzymes involved. The major challenges in the commercialization of microalgae-based photobiological hydrogen production are critically analyzed and future research perspectives are discussed. Life cycle analysis and economic assessment of hydrogen production by microalgae are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillirani Nagarajan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Di Dong
- Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Nanzih District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Yen Chen
- Center for Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Duu-Jong Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jo-Shu Chang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Research Center for Smart Sustainable Circular Economy, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
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21
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Koo J, Cha Y. Investigation of the Ferredoxin's Influence on the Anaerobic and Aerobic, Enzymatic H 2 Production. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:641305. [PMID: 33718343 PMCID: PMC7952640 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.641305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ferredoxins are metalloproteins that deliver electrons to several redox partners, including [FeFe] hydrogenases that are potentially a component of biological H2 production technologies. Reduced ferredoxins can also lose electrons to molecular oxygen, which may lower the availability of electrons for cellular or synthetic reactions. Ferredoxins thus play a key role in diverse kinds of redox biochemistry, especially the enzymatic H2 production catalyzed by [FeFe] hydrogenases. We investigated how the yield of anaerobic and aerobic H2 production vary among the four different types of ferredoxins that are used to deliver electrons extracted from NADPH within the synthetic, fermentative pathway. We also assessed the electron loss due to O2 reduction by reduced ferredoxins within the pathway, for which the difference was as high as five-fold. Our findings provide valuable insights for further improving biological H2 production technologies and can also facilitate elucidation of mechanisms governing interactions between Fe–S cluster(s) and molecular oxygen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamin Koo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hongik University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yeeun Cha
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hongik University, Seoul, South Korea
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22
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Su J, Yang X, Shao Y, Chen Z, Shen W. Molecular hydrogen-induced salinity tolerance requires melatonin signalling in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2021; 44:476-490. [PMID: 33103784 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Melatonin (MT) plays positive roles in salinity stress tolerance. However, the upstream signalling components that regulate MT are poorly understood. Here, we report that endogenous MT acts downstream of molecular hydrogen (H2 ) in the salinity response in Arabidopsis. The addition of hydrogen-rich water and expression of the hydrogenase1 gene (CrHYD1) from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii increased endogenous H2 and MT levels and enhanced salinity tolerance. These results were not observed in the absence of serotonin N-acetyltransferase gene (SNAT). H2 increased the levels of SNAT transcripts in the wild-type and CrHYD1 lines, which had lower Na+ /K+ ratios and higher levels of ion transport-related gene transcripts. These changes were not observed in atsnat/CrHYD1-4 hybrids. The increased MT-dependent Na+ extrusion observed in the CrHYD1 plants resulted, at least in part, from enhanced Na+ /H+ antiport across the plasma membrane. The endogenous H2 -induced MT-dependent regulation of ion and redox homeostasis was impaired in the atsnat/CrHYD1-4 hybrids. Taken together, these results demonstrate that MT-induced salinity tolerance is induced by a H2 signalling cascade that regulates ion and redox homeostasis in response to salinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiuchang Su
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinghao Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yudong Shao
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ziping Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenbiao Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Center of Hydrogen Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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23
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Zhang Y, Cheng P, Wang Y, Li Y, Su J, Chen Z, Yu X, Shen W. Genetic elucidation of hydrogen signaling in plant osmotic tolerance and stomatal closure via hydrogen sulfide. Free Radic Biol Med 2020; 161:1-14. [PMID: 32987125 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2020.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Although ample evidence showed that exogenous hydrogen gas (H2) controls a diverse range of physiological functions in both animals and plants, the selective antioxidant mechanism, in some cases, is questioned. Importantly, most of the experiments on the function of H2 in plants were based on pharmacological approaches due to the synthesis pathway(s) in plants are still unclear. Here, we observed that the seedling growth inhibition of Arabidopsis caused by low doses of mannitol could progressively recover by recuperation, accompanied with the increased hydrogenase activity and H2 synthesis. To investigate the functions of endogenous H2, a hydrogenase gene (CrHYD1) for H2 biosynthesis from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was expressed in Arabidopsis. Transgenic plants could intensify higher H2 synthesis compared with wild type and Arabidopsis transformed with the empty vector, and exhibited enhanced osmotic tolerance in both germination and post-germination stages. In response to mannitol, transgenic plants enhanced L-Cys desulfhydrase (DES)-dependent hydrogen sulfide (H2S) synthesis in guard cells and thereafter stomatal closure. The application of des mutant further highlights H2S acting as a downstream molecule of endogenous H2 control of stomatal closure. These results thus open a new window for increasing plant tolerance to osmotic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihua Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China; Center of Hydrogen Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Pengfei Cheng
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yueqiao Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Ying Li
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Jiuchang Su
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Ziping Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xiuli Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Wenbiao Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China; Center of Hydrogen Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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24
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Reprogramming bacterial protein organelles as a nanoreactor for hydrogen production. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5448. [PMID: 33116131 PMCID: PMC7595155 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19280-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Compartmentalization is a ubiquitous building principle in cells, which permits segregation of biological elements and reactions. The carboxysome is a specialized bacterial organelle that encapsulates enzymes into a virus-like protein shell and plays essential roles in photosynthetic carbon fixation. The naturally designed architecture, semi-permeability, and catalytic improvement of carboxysomes have inspired rational design and engineering of new nanomaterials to incorporate desired enzymes into the protein shell for enhanced catalytic performance. Here, we build large, intact carboxysome shells (over 90 nm in diameter) in the industrial microorganism Escherichia coli by expressing a set of carboxysome protein-encoding genes. We develop strategies for enzyme activation, shell self-assembly, and cargo encapsulation to construct a robust nanoreactor that incorporates catalytically active [FeFe]-hydrogenases and functional partners within the empty shell for the production of hydrogen. We show that shell encapsulation and the internal microenvironment of the new catalyst facilitate hydrogen production of the encapsulated oxygen-sensitive hydrogenases. The study provides insights into the assembly and formation of carboxysomes and paves the way for engineering carboxysome shell-based nanoreactors to recruit specific enzymes for diverse catalytic reactions. The extreme oxygen sensitive character of hydrogenases is a longstanding issue for hydrogen production in bacteria. Here, the authors build carboxysome shells in E. coli and incorporate catalytically active hydrogenases and functional partners within the empty shell for the production of hydrogen.
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25
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Wu Z, Zheng R, Liu G, Liu R, Wu S, Sun C. Calcium protects bacteria against cadmium stress via reducing nitric oxide production and increasing iron acquisition. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:3541-3553. [PMID: 32939902 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is a common toxic heavy metal in the environment, and bacteria have evolved different strategies against Cd-toxicity. Here, we found that marine bacterium Bacillus sp. 98 could significantly alleviate Cd-toxicity by recruiting calcium (Ca) for reducing excessive intracellular nitric oxide (NO) and enhancing iron acquisition. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis was applied to Bacillus sp. 98 after treated with Cd supplemented with or without Ca. Compared with bacterial cells treated with Cd only, the proteomic results showed that the expression level of NO synthase was markedly down-regulated, while the expression levels of NO dioxygenase, which is responsible for converting NO to nitrate, and proteins associated with iron uptake were profoundly enhanced when Ca was supplemented. Consistently, bacterial intracellular NO amount was dramatically increased after Bacillus sp. 98 was treated with Cd, and reversed to a normal level when Ca or iron was supplemented. Notably, Ca also protected bacteria against stresses from other heavy metals including Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni and Zn, and this self-protection strategy was adopted as well in zebrafish, which encourages us to develop Ca-associated products against heavy metals toxicity in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuodong Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Rikuan Zheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.,Centre of Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Ge Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.,Centre of Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Rui Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.,Centre of Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Shimei Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Chaomin Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.,Centre of Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
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26
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Diament A, Weiner I, Shahar N, Landman S, Feldman Y, Atar S, Avitan M, Schweitzer S, Yacoby I, Tuller T. ChimeraUGEM: unsupervised gene expression modeling in any given organism. Bioinformatics 2020; 35:3365-3371. [PMID: 30715207 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btz080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Regulation of the amount of protein that is synthesized from genes has proved to be a serious challenge in terms of analysis and prediction, and in terms of engineering and optimization, due to the large diversity in expression machinery across species. RESULTS To address this challenge, we developed a methodology and a software tool (ChimeraUGEM) for predicting gene expression as well as adapting the coding sequence of a target gene to any host organism. We demonstrate these methods by predicting protein levels in seven organisms, in seven human tissues, and by increasing in vivo the expression of a synthetic gene up to 26-fold in the single-cell green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The underlying model is designed to capture sequence patterns and regulatory signals with minimal prior knowledge on the host organism and can be applied to a multitude of species and applications. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Source code (MATLAB, C) and binaries are freely available for download for non-commercial use at http://www.cs.tau.ac.il/~tamirtul/ChimeraUGEM/, and supported on macOS, Linux and Windows. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alon Diament
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Iddo Weiner
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv, Israel.,School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Noam Shahar
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shira Landman
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yael Feldman
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shimshi Atar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Meital Avitan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv, Israel.,School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shira Schweitzer
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Iftach Yacoby
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tamir Tuller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv, Israel.,The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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27
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Miller TE, Beneyton T, Schwander T, Diehl C, Girault M, McLean R, Chotel T, Claus P, Cortina NS, Baret JC, Erb TJ. Light-powered CO 2 fixation in a chloroplast mimic with natural and synthetic parts. Science 2020; 368:649-654. [PMID: 32381722 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz6802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Nature integrates complex biosynthetic and energy-converting tasks within compartments such as chloroplasts and mitochondria. Chloroplasts convert light into chemical energy, driving carbon dioxide fixation. We used microfluidics to develop a chloroplast mimic by encapsulating and operating photosynthetic membranes in cell-sized droplets. These droplets can be energized by light to power enzymes or enzyme cascades and analyzed for their catalytic properties in multiplex and real time. We demonstrate how these microdroplets can be programmed and controlled by adjusting internal compositions and by using light as an external trigger. We showcase the capability of our platform by integrating the crotonyl-coenzyme A (CoA)/ethylmalonyl-CoA/hydroxybutyryl-CoA (CETCH) cycle, a synthetic network for carbon dioxide conversion, to create an artificial photosynthetic system that interfaces the natural and the synthetic biological worlds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarryn E Miller
- Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Beneyton
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, UMR 5031, Pessac 33600, France
| | - Thomas Schwander
- Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Diehl
- Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Richard McLean
- Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Tanguy Chotel
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, UMR 5031, Pessac 33600, France
| | - Peter Claus
- Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Niña Socorro Cortina
- Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Jean-Christophe Baret
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, UMR 5031, Pessac 33600, France. .,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris 75005, France
| | - Tobias J Erb
- Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, D-35043 Marburg, Germany. .,Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
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28
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Shahar N, Landman S, Weiner I, Elman T, Dafni E, Feldman Y, Tuller T, Yacoby I. The Integration of Multiple Nuclear-Encoded Transgenes in the Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Results in Higher Transcription Levels. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 10:1784. [PMID: 32117346 PMCID: PMC7033495 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The integration of genes into the nuclear genome of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is mediated by Non-Homologous-End-Joining, thus resulting in unpredicted insertion locations. This phenomenon defines 'the position-effect', which is used to explain the variation of expression levels between different clones transformed with the same DNA fragment. Likewise, nuclear transgenes often undergo epigenetic silencing that reduces their expression; hence, nuclear transformations require high-throughput screening methods to isolate clones that express the foreign gene at a desirable level. Here, we show that the number of integration sites of heterologous genes results in higher mRNA levels. By transforming both a synthetic ferredoxin-hydrogenase fusion enzyme and a Gaussia-Luciferase reporter protein, we were able to obtain 33 positive clones that exhibit a wide range of synthetic expression. We then performed a droplet-digital polymerase-chain-reaction for these lines to measure their transgene DNA copy-number and mRNA levels. Surprisingly, most clones contain two integration sites of the synthetic gene (45.5%), whilst 33.3% contain one, 18.1% include three and 3.1% encompass four. Remarkably, we observed a positive correlation between the raw DNA copy-number values to the mRNA levels, suggesting a general effect of which transcription of transgenes is partially modulated by their number of copies in the genome. However, our data indicate that only clones harboring at least three copies of the target amplicon show a significant increment in mRNA levels of the reporter transgene. Lastly, we measured protein activity for each of the reporter genes to elucidate the effect of copy-number variation on heterologous expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noam Shahar
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shira Landman
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Iddo Weiner
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tamar Elman
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Eyal Dafni
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yael Feldman
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tamir Tuller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Iftach Yacoby
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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29
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Fulgosi H, Vojta L. Tweaking Photosynthesis: FNR-TROL Interaction as Potential Target for Crop Fortification. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:318. [PMID: 32265967 PMCID: PMC7108012 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
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30
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Ben-Zvi O, Dafni E, Feldman Y, Yacoby I. Re-routing photosynthetic energy for continuous hydrogen production in vivo. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2019; 12:266. [PMID: 31737095 PMCID: PMC6844042 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-019-1608-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hydrogen is considered a promising energy vector that can be produced from sustainable resources such as sunlight and water. In green algae, such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, photoproduction of hydrogen is catalyzed by the enzyme [FeFe]-hydrogenase (HydA). Although highly efficient, this process is transitory and thought to serve as a release valve for excess reducing power. Up to date, prolonged production of hydrogen was achieved by the deprivation of either nutrients or light, thus, hindering the full potential of photosynthetic hydrogen production. Previously we showed that the enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) can enhance HydA activity in vitro, specifically when tied together to a fusion protein. RESULTS In this work, we explored the in vivo hydrogen production phenotype of HydA-SOD fusion. We found a sustained hydrogen production, which is dependent on linear electron flow, although other pathways feed it as well. In addition, other characteristics such as slower growth and oxygen production were also observed in Hyd-SOD-expressing algae. CONCLUSIONS The Hyd-SOD fusion manages to outcompete the Calvin-Benson cycle, allowing sustained hydrogen production for up to 14 days in non-limiting conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oren Ben-Zvi
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978 Israel
| | - Eyal Dafni
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978 Israel
| | - Yael Feldman
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978 Israel
| | - Iftach Yacoby
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978 Israel
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31
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Wu B, Atkinson JT, Kahanda D, Bennett GN, Silberg JJ. Combinatorial design of chemical‐dependent protein switches for controlling intracellular electron transfer. AIChE J 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/aic.16796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bingyan Wu
- Biochemistry & Cell Biology Graduate Program Rice University Houston Texas
- Department of Biosciences Rice University Houston Texas
| | - Joshua T. Atkinson
- Department of Biosciences Rice University Houston Texas
- Systems, Synthetic, & Physical Biology Graduate Program Rice University Houston Texas
| | | | - George N. Bennett
- Department of Biosciences Rice University Houston Texas
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Rice University Houston Texas
| | - Jonathan J. Silberg
- Department of Biosciences Rice University Houston Texas
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Rice University Houston Texas
- Department of Bioengineering Rice University Houston Texas
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32
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Subramanian V, Wecker MSA, Gerritsen A, Boehm M, Xiong W, Wachter B, Dubini A, González-Ballester D, Antonio RV, Ghirardi ML. Ferredoxin5 Deletion Affects Metabolism of Algae during the Different Phases of Sulfur Deprivation. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 181:426-441. [PMID: 31350361 PMCID: PMC6776842 DOI: 10.1104/pp.19.00457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ferredoxin5 (FDX5), a minor ferredoxin protein in the alga Chlamydomonas (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii), helps maintain thylakoid membrane integrity in the dark. Sulfur (S) deprivation has been used to achieve prolonged hydrogen production in green algae. Here, we propose that FDX5 is involved in algal responses to S-deprivation as well as to the dark. Specifically, we tested the role of FDX5 in both the initial aerobic and subsequent anaerobic phases of S-deprivation. Under S-deprived conditions, absence of FDX5 causes a distinct delay in achieving anoxia by affecting photosynthetic O2 evolution, accompanied by reduced acetate uptake, lower starch accumulation, and delayed/lower fermentative metabolite production, including photohydrogen. We attribute these differences to transcriptional and/or posttranslational regulation of acetyl-CoA synthetase and ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase, and increased stability of the PSII D1 protein. Interestingly, increased levels of FDX2 and FDX1 were observed in the mutant under oxic, S-replete conditions, strengthening our previously proposed hypothesis that other ferredoxins compensate in response to a lack of FDX5. Taken together, the results of our omics and pull-down experiments confirmed biochemical and physiological results, suggesting that FDX5 may have other effects on Chlamydomonas metabolism through its interaction with multiple redox partners.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matt S A Wecker
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401
- GeneBiologics, LLC, Boulder, Colorado 80303
| | - Alida Gerritsen
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401
| | - Marko Boehm
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401
| | - Wei Xiong
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401
| | - Benton Wachter
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401
| | - Alexandra Dubini
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401
| | | | - Regina V Antonio
- University Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, 476 Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Maria L Ghirardi
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401
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33
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Grossman A, Sanz-Luque E, Yi H, Yang W. Building the GreenCut2 suite of proteins to unmask photosynthetic function and regulation. Microbiology (Reading) 2019; 165:697-718. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Grossman
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Emanuel Sanz-Luque
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Heng Yi
- Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany (CAS), Beijing, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Wenqiang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany (CAS), Beijing, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
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34
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Leister D. Genetic Engineering, Synthetic Biology and the Light Reactions of Photosynthesis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 179:778-793. [PMID: 29991483 PMCID: PMC6393809 DOI: 10.1104/pp.18.00360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Applications of synthetic biology to photosynthesis currently range from exchanging photosynthetic proteins to the utilization of photosynthesis as a source of electrons for entirely unrelated reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Leister
- Plant Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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35
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Wu TK, Chen YT, Peng CS, Lin JH, Gliniak J, Chan HF, Chang CH, Li CR, Yu JSK, Lin JN. High-Rate Hydrogen Generation by Direct Sunlight Irradiation with a Triruthenium Complex. Inorg Chem 2019; 58:1967-1975. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b02888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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36
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Atkinson JT, Campbell IJ, Thomas EE, Bonitatibus SC, Elliott SJ, Bennett GN, Silberg JJ. Metalloprotein switches that display chemical-dependent electron transfer in cells. Nat Chem Biol 2018; 15:189-195. [PMID: 30559426 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-018-0192-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Biological electron transfer is challenging to directly regulate using environmental conditions. To enable dynamic, protein-level control over energy flow in metabolic systems for synthetic biology and bioelectronics, we created ferredoxin logic gates that utilize transcriptional and post-translational inputs to control energy flow through a synthetic electron transfer pathway that is required for bacterial growth. These logic gates were created by subjecting a thermostable, plant-type ferredoxin to backbone fission and fusing the resulting fragments to a pair of proteins that self-associate, a pair of proteins whose association is stabilized by a small molecule, and to the termini of a ligand-binding domain. We show that the latter domain insertion design strategy yields an allosteric ferredoxin switch that acquires an oxygen-tolerant [2Fe-2S] cluster and can use different chemicals, including a therapeutic drug and an environmental pollutant, to control the production of a reduced metabolite in Escherichia coli and cell lysates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T Atkinson
- Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Graduate Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ian J Campbell
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology Graduate Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Emily E Thomas
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology Graduate Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Sean J Elliott
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - George N Bennett
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jonathan J Silberg
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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37
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Utschig LM, Soltau SR, Mulfort KL, Niklas J, Poluektov OG. Z-scheme solar water splitting via self-assembly of photosystem I-catalyst hybrids in thylakoid membranes. Chem Sci 2018; 9:8504-8512. [PMID: 30568774 PMCID: PMC6256728 DOI: 10.1039/c8sc02841a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Nature's solar energy converters, the Photosystem I (PSI) and Photosystem II (PSII) reaction center proteins, flawlessly manage photon capture and conversion processes in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria to drive oxygenic water-splitting and carbon fixation. Herein, we utilize the native photosynthetic Z-scheme electron transport chain to drive hydrogen production from thylakoid membranes by directional electron transport to abiotic catalysts bound at the stromal end of PSI. Pt-nanoparticles readily self-assemble with PSI in spinach and cyanobacterial membranes as evidenced by light-driven H2 production in the presence of a mediating electron shuttle protein and the sacrificial electron donor sodium ascorbate. EPR characterization confirms placement of the Pt-nanoparticles on the acceptor end of PSI. In the absence of sacrificial reductant, H2 production at PSI occurs via coupling to light-induced PSII O2 evolution as confirmed by correlation of catalytic activity to the presence or absence of the PSII inhibitor DCMU. To create a more sustainable system, first-row transition metal molecular cobaloxime and nickel diphosphine catalysts were found to perform photocatalysis when bound in situ to cyanobacterial thylakoid membranes. Thus, the self-assembly of abiotic catalysts with photosynthetic membranes demonstrates a tenable method for accomplishing solar overall water splitting to generate H2, a renewable and clean fuel. This work benchmarks a significant advance toward improving photosynthetic efficiency for solar fuel production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Utschig
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division , Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne , IL 60439 , USA .
| | - Sarah R Soltau
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division , Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne , IL 60439 , USA .
| | - Karen L Mulfort
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division , Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne , IL 60439 , USA .
| | - Jens Niklas
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division , Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne , IL 60439 , USA .
| | - Oleg G Poluektov
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division , Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne , IL 60439 , USA .
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Koo J, Swartz JR. System analysis and improved [FeFe] hydrogenase O2 tolerance suggest feasibility for photosynthetic H2 production. Metab Eng 2018; 49:21-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2018.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Nikolova D, Heilmann C, Hawat S, Gäbelein P, Hippler M. Absolute quantification of selected photosynthetic electron transfer proteins in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in the presence and absence of oxygen. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2018; 137:281-293. [PMID: 29594952 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-018-0502-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The absolute amount of plastocyanin (PC), ferredoxin-NADP+-oxidoreductase (FNR), hydrogenase (HYDA1), and ferredoxin 5 (FDX5) were quantified in aerobic and anaerobic Chlamydomonas reinhardtii whole cells using purified (recombinant) proteins as internal standards in a mass spectrometric approach. Quantified protein amounts were related to the estimated amount of PSI. The ratios of PC to FNR to HYDA1 to FDX5 in aerobic cells were determined to be 1.4:1.2:0.003:0. In anaerobic cells, the ratios changed to 1.1:1.3:0.019:0.027 (PC:FNR:HYDA1:FDX5). Employing sodium dithionite and methyl viologen as electron donors, the specific activity of hydrogenase in whole cells was calculated to be 382 ± 96.5 μmolH2 min-1 mg-1. Importantly, these data reveal an about 70-fold lower abundance of HYDA1 compared to FNR. Despite this great disproportion between both proteins, which might further enhance the competition for electrons, the alga is capable of hydrogen production under anaerobic conditions, thus pointing to an efficient channeling mechanism of electrons from FDX1 to the HYDA1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denitsa Nikolova
- Institut für Biologie und Biotechnologie der Pflanzen, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143, Münster, Germany
| | - Claudia Heilmann
- Institut für Biologie und Biotechnologie der Pflanzen, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143, Münster, Germany
| | - Susan Hawat
- Institut für Biologie und Biotechnologie der Pflanzen, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143, Münster, Germany
| | - Philipp Gäbelein
- Institut für Biologie und Biotechnologie der Pflanzen, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143, Münster, Germany
| | - Michael Hippler
- Institut für Biologie und Biotechnologie der Pflanzen, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143, Münster, Germany.
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Milrad Y, Schweitzer S, Feldman Y, Yacoby I. Green Algal Hydrogenase Activity Is Outcompeted by Carbon Fixation before Inactivation by Oxygen Takes Place. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 177:918-926. [PMID: 29784766 PMCID: PMC6053004 DOI: 10.1104/pp.18.00229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Photoproduction of hydrogen by green algae is considered a transitory release valve of excess reducing power and a potential carbon-free source of sustainable energy. It is generally accepted that the transitory production of hydrogen is governed by fast inactivation of hydrogenase by oxygen. However, our data suggest that photosynthetic electron loss to competing processes, mainly carbon fixation, stops hydrogen production, supports hydrogen uptake, and precedes the inevitable inactivation by oxygen. Here, we show that when transitioning from dark anaerobiosis to light, hydrogen production ceases within 2 min, regardless of the presence of oxygen. Simultaneous monitoring of the active hydrogenase pool size shows that it remains entirely intact up to 4 min after illumination and is inactivated only later. Thus, our data reveal a window of 4 min in which the hydrogenase pool is not being degraded by oxygen. Furthermore, we show that electron loss, prominently to carbon fixation, outcompetes hydrogen production and leads to hydrogen uptake. Indeed, supplying additional reducing power to hydrogenase at the cessation point regenerates the accumulation of hydrogen. Our results imply the fast cessation of hydrogen production is governed by electron loss rather than oxygen inactivation, which takes place minutes later.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Milrad
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Shira Schweitzer
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Yael Feldman
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Iftach Yacoby
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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Weiner I, Atar S, Schweitzer S, Eilenberg H, Feldman Y, Avitan M, Blau M, Danon A, Tuller T, Yacoby I. Enhancing heterologous expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by transcript sequence optimization. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 94:22-31. [PMID: 29383789 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Various species of microalgae have recently emerged as promising host-organisms for use in biotechnology industries due to their unique properties. These include efficient conversion of sunlight into organic compounds, the ability to grow in extreme conditions and the occurrence of numerous post-translational modification pathways. However, the inability to obtain high levels of nuclear heterologous gene expression in microalgae hinders the development of the entire field. To overcome this limitation, we analyzed different sequence optimization algorithms while studying the effect of transcript sequence features on heterologous expression in the model microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, whose genome consists of rare features such as a high GC content. Based on the analysis of genomic data, we created eight unique sequences coding for a synthetic ferredoxin-hydrogenase enzyme, used here as a reporter gene. Following in silico design, these synthetic genes were transformed into the C. reinhardtii nucleus, after which gene expression levels were measured. The empirical data, measured in vivo show a discrepancy of up to 65-fold between the different constructs. In this work we demonstrate how the combination of computational methods and our empirical results enable us to learn about the way gene expression is encoded in the C. reinhardtii transcripts. We describe the deleterious effect on overall expression of codons encoding for splicing signals. Subsequently, our analysis shows that utilization of a frequent subset of preferred codons results in elevated transcript levels, and that mRNA folding energy in the vicinity of translation initiation significantly affects gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iddo Weiner
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Shimshi Atar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Shira Schweitzer
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Haviva Eilenberg
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Yael Feldman
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Meital Avitan
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Mor Blau
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Avihai Danon
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Tamir Tuller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Iftach Yacoby
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
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Marco P, Kozuleva M, Eilenberg H, Mazor Y, Gimeson P, Kanygin A, Redding K, Weiner I, Yacoby I. Binding of ferredoxin to algal photosystem I involves a single binding site and is composed of two thermodynamically distinct events. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2018; 1859:234-243. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2017] [Revised: 01/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Rewiring of Cyanobacterial Metabolism for Hydrogen Production: Synthetic Biology Approaches and Challenges. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1080:171-213. [PMID: 30091096 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-0854-3_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2022]
Abstract
With the demand for renewable energy growing, hydrogen (H2) is becoming an attractive energy carrier. Developing H2 production technologies with near-net zero carbon emissions is a major challenge for the "H2 economy." Certain cyanobacteria inherently possess enzymes, nitrogenases, and bidirectional hydrogenases that are capable of H2 evolution using sunlight, making them ideal cell factories for photocatalytic conversion of water to H2. With the advances in synthetic biology, cyanobacteria are currently being developed as a "plug and play" chassis to produce H2. This chapter describes the metabolic pathways involved and the theoretical limits to cyanobacterial H2 production and summarizes the metabolic engineering technologies pursued.
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Wang Y, Zhuang X, Chen M, Zeng Z, Cai X, Li H, Hu Z. An endogenous microRNA (miRNA1166.1) can regulate photobio-H 2 production in eukaryotic green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2018; 11:126. [PMID: 29743954 PMCID: PMC5930490 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-018-1126-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hydrogen photoproduction from green microalgae is regarded as a promising alternative solution for energy problems. However, the simultaneous oxygen evolution from microalgae can prevent continuous hydrogen production due to the hypersensitivity of hydrogenases to oxygen. Sulfur deprivation can extend the duration of algal hydrogen production, but it is uneconomical to alternately culture algal cells in sulfur-sufficient and sulfur-deprived media. RESULTS In this study, we developed a novel way to simulate sulfur-deprivation treatment while constantly maintaining microalgal cells in sulfur-sufficient culture medium by overexpressing an endogenous microRNA (miR1166.1). Based on our previous RNA-seq analysis in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, three endogenous miRNAs responsive to sulfur deprivation (cre-miR1166.1, cre-miR1150.3, and cre-miR1158) were selected. Heat-inducible expression vectors containing the selected miRNAs were constructed and transformed into C. reinhardtii. Comparison of H2 production following heat induction in the three transgenic strains and untransformed control group identified miR1166.1 as the best candidate for H2 production regulation. Moreover, enhanced photobio-H2 production was observed with repeated induction of miR1166.1 expression. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to identify a physiological function of endogenous miR1166.1 and to show that a natural miRNA can regulate hydrogen photoproduction in the unicellular model organism C. reinhardtii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Wang
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetic, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoshan Zhuang
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetic, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 People’s Republic of China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Science, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 People’s Republic of China
| | - Meirong Chen
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetic, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 People’s Republic of China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Science, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiyong Zeng
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetic, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 People’s Republic of China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Science, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoqi Cai
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetic, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 People’s Republic of China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Science, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 People’s Republic of China
| | - Hui Li
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetic, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 People’s Republic of China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Science, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhangli Hu
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetic, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 People’s Republic of China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Science, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 People’s Republic of China
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Sawyer A, Winkler M. Evolution of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ferredoxins and their interactions with [FeFe]-hydrogenases. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2017; 134:307-316. [PMID: 28620699 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-017-0409-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Ferredoxins are soluble iron sulphur proteins which function as electron donors in a number of metabolic pathways in a broad range of organisms. In photosynthetic organisms, PETF, or ferredoxin 1 (FDX1), is the most studied ferredoxin due to its essential role in photosynthesis, where it transfers electrons from photosystem I to ferredoxin-NADP+ oxidoreductase. However, PETF can also transfer electrons to a large number of other proteins. One important PETF electron acceptor found in green microalgae is the biologically and biotechnologically important [FeFe]-hydrogenase HYDA, which catalyses the production of molecular hydrogen (H2) from protons and electrons. The interaction between PETF and HYDA is of considerable interest, as PETF is the primary electron donor to HYDA and electron supply is one of the main limiting factors for H2 production on a commercial scale. Although there is no three dimensional structure of the PETF-HYDA complex available, protein variants, nuclear magnetic resonance titration studies, molecular dynamics and modelling have provided considerable insight into the residues essential for forming and maintaining the interaction. In this review, we discuss the most recent findings with regard to ferredoxin-HYDA interactions and the evolution of the various Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ferredoxin isoforms. Finally, we provide an outlook on new PETF-based biotechnological approaches for improved H2 production efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Sawyer
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie der Pflanzen, AG Photobiotechnologie, Fakultät für Biologie und Biotechnologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany
| | - Martin Winkler
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie der Pflanzen, AG Photobiotechnologie, Fakultät für Biologie und Biotechnologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany.
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Mellor SB, Vavitsas K, Nielsen AZ, Jensen PE. Photosynthetic fuel for heterologous enzymes: the role of electron carrier proteins. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2017; 134:329-342. [PMID: 28285375 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-017-0364-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Plants, cyanobacteria, and algae generate a surplus of redox power through photosynthesis, which makes them attractive for biotechnological exploitations. While central metabolism consumes most of the energy, pathways introduced through metabolic engineering can also tap into this source of reducing power. Recent work on the metabolic engineering of photosynthetic organisms has shown that the electron carriers such as ferredoxin and flavodoxin can be used to couple heterologous enzymes to photosynthetic reducing power. Because these proteins have a plethora of interaction partners and rely on electrostatically steered complex formation, they form productive electron transfer complexes with non-native enzymes. A handful of examples demonstrate channeling of photosynthetic electrons to drive the activity of heterologous enzymes, and these focus mainly on hydrogenases and cytochrome P450s. However, competition from native pathways and inefficient electron transfer rates present major obstacles, which limit the productivity of heterologous reactions coupled to photosynthesis. We discuss specific approaches to address these bottlenecks and ensure high productivity of such enzymes in a photosynthetic context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silas Busck Mellor
- Copenhagen Plant Science Center, Center for Synthetic Biology 'bioSYNergy', Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Konstantinos Vavitsas
- Copenhagen Plant Science Center, Center for Synthetic Biology 'bioSYNergy', Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Agnieszka Zygadlo Nielsen
- Copenhagen Plant Science Center, Center for Synthetic Biology 'bioSYNergy', Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Poul Erik Jensen
- Copenhagen Plant Science Center, Center for Synthetic Biology 'bioSYNergy', Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
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Mosebach L, Heilmann C, Mutoh R, Gäbelein P, Steinbeck J, Happe T, Ikegami T, Hanke G, Kurisu G, Hippler M. Association of Ferredoxin:NADP + oxidoreductase with the photosynthetic apparatus modulates electron transfer in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2017; 134:291-306. [PMID: 28593495 PMCID: PMC5683061 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-017-0408-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Ferredoxins (FDX) and the FDX:NADP+ oxidoreductase (FNR) represent a key junction of electron transport downstream of photosystem I (PSI). Dynamic recruitment of FNR to the thylakoid membrane has been considered as a potential mechanism to define the fate of photosynthetically derived electrons. In this study, we investigated the functional importance of the association of FNR with the photosynthetic apparatus in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In vitro assays based on NADP+ photoreduction measurements as well as NMR chemical shift perturbation analyses showed that FNR preferentially interacts with FDX1 compared to FDX2. Notably, binding of FNR to a PSI supercomplex further enhanced this preference for FDX1 over FDX2, suggesting that FNR is potentially capable of channelling electrons towards distinct routes. NADP+ photoreduction assays and immunoblotting revealed that the association of FNR with the thylakoid membrane including the PSI supercomplex is impaired in the absence of Proton Gradient Regulation 5 (PGR5) and/or Proton Gradient Regulation 5-Like photosynthetic phenotype 1 (PGRL1), implying that both proteins, directly or indirectly, contribute to the recruitment of FNR to the thylakoid membrane. As assessed via in vivo absorption spectroscopy and immunoblotting, PSI was the primary target of photodamage in response to high-light stress in the absence of PGR5 and/or PGRL1. Anoxia preserved the activity of PSI, pointing to enhanced electron donation to O2 as the source of the observed PSI inactivation and degradation. These findings establish another perspective on PGR5/PGRL1 knockout-related phenotypes and potentially interconnect FNR with the regulation of photosynthetic electron transport and PSI photoprotection in C. reinhardtii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mosebach
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143, Münster, Germany
| | - Claudia Heilmann
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143, Münster, Germany
| | - Risa Mutoh
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Philipp Gäbelein
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143, Münster, Germany
| | - Janina Steinbeck
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Happe
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany
| | - Takahisa Ikegami
- Structural Epigenetics Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Guy Hanke
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Genji Kurisu
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Michael Hippler
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143, Münster, Germany.
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Scoma A, Hemschemeier A. The hydrogen metabolism of sulfur deprived Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells involves hydrogen uptake activities. ALGAL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2017.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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50
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Wilkening S, Schmitt FJ, Horch M, Zebger I, Lenz O, Friedrich T. Characterization of Frex as an NADH sensor for in vivo applications in the presence of NAD + and at various pH values. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2017; 133:305-315. [PMID: 28265794 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-017-0348-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The fluorescent biosensor Frex, recently introduced as a sensitive tool to quantify the NADH concentration in living cells, was characterized by time-integrated and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy regarding its applicability for in vivo measurements. Based on the purified sensor protein, it is shown that the NADH dependence of Frex fluorescence can be described by a Hill function with a concentration of half-maximal sensor response of K D ≈ 4 µM and a Hill coefficient of n ≈ 2. Increasing concentrations of NADH have moderate effects on the fluorescence lifetime of Frex, which changes by a factor of two from about 500 ps in the absence of NADH to 1 ns under fluorescence-saturating NADH concentrations. Therefore, the observed sevenfold rise of the fluorescence intensity is primarily ascribed to amplitude changes. Notably, the dynamic range of Frex sensitivity towards NADH highly depends on the NAD+ concentration, while the apparent K D for NADH is only slightly affected. We found that NAD+ has a strong inhibitory effect on the fluorescence response of Frex during NADH sensing, with an apparent NAD+ dissociation constant of K I ≈ 400 µM. This finding was supported by fluorescence lifetime measurements, which showed that the addition of NAD+ hardly affects the fluorescence lifetime, but rather reduces the number of Frex molecules that are able to bind NADH. Furthermore, the fluorescence responses of Frex to NADH and NAD+ depend critically on pH and temperature. Thus, for in vivo applications of Frex, temperature and pH need to be strictly controlled or considered during data acquisition and analysis. If all these constraints are properly met, Frex fluorescence intensity measurements can be employed to estimate the minimum NADH concentration present within the cell at sufficiently low NAD+ concentrations below 100 µM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svea Wilkening
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC 14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, Berlin, 10623, Germany
| | - Franz-Josef Schmitt
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC 14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, Berlin, 10623, Germany.
| | - Marius Horch
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC 14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, Berlin, 10623, Germany
| | - Ingo Zebger
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC 14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, Berlin, 10623, Germany
| | - Oliver Lenz
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC 14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, Berlin, 10623, Germany
| | - Thomas Friedrich
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC 14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, Berlin, 10623, Germany
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