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Cai L, Li H, Deng J, Zhou R, Zeng Q. Biological interactions with Prochlorococcus: implications for the marine carbon cycle. Trends Microbiol 2024; 32:280-291. [PMID: 37722980 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
The unicellular picocyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is the most abundant photoautotroph and contributes substantially to global CO2 fixation. In the vast euphotic zones of the open ocean, Prochlorococcus converts CO2 into organic compounds and supports diverse organisms, forming an intricate network of interactions that regulate the magnitude of carbon cycling and storage in the ocean. An understanding of the biological interactions with Prochlorococcus is critical for accurately estimating the contributions of Prochlorococcus and interacting organisms to the marine carbon cycle. This review synthesizes the primary production contributed by Prochlorococcus in the global ocean. We outline recent progress on the interactions of Prochlorococcus with heterotrophic bacteria, phages, and grazers that multifacetedly determine Prochlorococcus carbon production and fate. We discuss that climate change might affect the biological interactions with Prochlorococcus and thus the marine carbon cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanlan Cai
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, China
| | - Haofu Li
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; HKUST Shenzhen-Hong Kong Collaborative Innovation Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Junwei Deng
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ruiqian Zhou
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Qinglu Zeng
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; HKUST Shenzhen-Hong Kong Collaborative Innovation Research Institute, Shenzhen, China; Center for Ocean Research in Hong Kong and Macau, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
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Recent advances in biotechnology for marine enzymes and molecules. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 69:308-315. [PMID: 34116375 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The marine environment is the most biologically and chemically diverse habitat on Earth, and provides numerous marine-derived products, including enzymes and molecules, for industrial and pharmaceutical applications. Marine biotechnology provides important biological resources from marine habitat conservation to applied science. In recent years, advances in techniques in interdisciplinary research fields, including metabolic engineering and synthetic biology have significantly improved the production of marine-derived commodities. In this review, we outline the recent progress in the use or marine enzymes and molecules in biotechnology, including newly discovered products, function optimization of enzymes, and production improvement of small molecules.
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Motwalli O, Uludag M, Mijakovic I, Alazmi M, Bajic VB, Gojobori T, Gao X, Essack M. PATH cre8: A Tool That Facilitates the Searching for Heterologous Biosynthetic Routes. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:3217-3227. [PMID: 33198455 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Developing computational tools that can facilitate the rational design of cell factories producing desired products at increased yields is challenging, as the tool needs to take into account that the preferred host organism usually has compounds that are consumed by competing reactions that reduce the yield of the desired product. On the other hand, the preferred host organisms may not have the native metabolic reactions needed to produce the compound of interest; thus, the computational tool needs to identify the metabolic reactions that will most efficiently produce the desired product. In this regard, we developed the generic tool PATHcre8 to facilitate an optimized search for heterologous biosynthetic pathway routes. PATHcre8 finds and ranks biosynthesis routes in a large number of organisms, including Cyanobacteria. The tool ranks the pathways based on feature scores that reflect reaction thermodynamics, the potentially toxic products in the pathway (compound toxicity), intermediate products in the pathway consumed by competing reactions (product consumption), and host-specific information such as enzyme copy number. A comparison with several other similar tools shows that PATHcre8 is more efficient in ranking functional pathways. To illustrate the effectiveness of PATHcre8, we further provide case studies focused on isoprene production and the biodegradation of cocaine. PATHcre8 is free for academic and nonprofit users and can be accessed at https://www.cbrc.kaust.edu.sa/pathcre8/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olaa Motwalli
- Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division, Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Electronic University (SEU), College of Computing and Informatics, Madinah 41538-53307, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Mahmut Uludag
- Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division, Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ivan Mijakovic
- Chalmers University of Technology, Division of Systems & Synthetic Biology, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Kemivägen 10, 41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Meshari Alazmi
- Department of Information and Computer Science, College of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Ha’il, P.O. Box 2440, Ha’il 81411, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Vladimir B. Bajic
- Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division, Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Takashi Gojobori
- Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division, Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Xin Gao
- Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division, Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Magbubah Essack
- Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division, Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Laurenceau R, Bliem C, Osburne MS, Becker JW, Biller SJ, Cubillos-Ruiz A, Chisholm SW. Toward a genetic system in the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus. Access Microbiol 2020; 2:acmi000107. [PMID: 33005871 PMCID: PMC7523629 DOI: 10.1099/acmi.0.000107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
As the smallest and most abundant primary producer in the oceans, the cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is of interest to diverse branches of science. For the past 30 years, research on this minimal phototroph has led to a growing understanding of biological organization across multiple scales, from the genome to the global ocean ecosystem. Progress in understanding drivers of its diversity and ecology, as well as molecular mechanisms underpinning its streamlined simplicity, has been hampered by the inability to manipulate these cells genetically. Multiple attempts have been made to develop an efficient genetic transformation method for Prochlorococcus over the years; all have been unsuccessful to date, despite some success with their close relative, Synechococcus. To avoid the pursuit of unproductive paths, we report here what has not worked in our hands, as well as our progress developing a method to screen the most efficient electroporation parameters for optimal DNA delivery into Prochlorococcus cells. We also report a novel protocol for obtaining axenic colonies and a new method for differentiating live and dead cells. The electroporation method can be used to optimize DNA delivery into any bacterium, making it a useful tool for advancing transformation systems in other genetically recalcitrant microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaël Laurenceau
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christina Bliem
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marcia S Osburne
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Present address: Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jamie W Becker
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Present address: Department of Biology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA
| | - Steven J Biller
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, USA
| | - Andres Cubillos-Ruiz
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Present address: Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Department of Biological Engineering, and Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Present address: Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Present address: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sallie W Chisholm
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Farrokh P, Sheikhpour M, Kasaeian A, Asadi H, Bavandi R. Cyanobacteria as an eco-friendly resource for biofuel production: A critical review. Biotechnol Prog 2019; 35:e2835. [PMID: 31063628 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.2835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic microorganisms which can be found in various environmental habitats. These photosynthetic bacteria are considered as promising feedstock for the production of the third- and the fourth-generation biofuels. The main subject of this review is highlighting the significant aspects of the biofuel production from cyanobacteria. The most recent investigations about the extraction or separation of the bio-oil from cyanobacteria are also adduced in the present review. Moreover, the genetic engineering of cyanobacteria for improving biofuel production and the impact of bioinformatics studies on the designing better-engineered strains are mentioned. The large-scale biofuel production is challenging, so the economic considerations to provide inexpensive biofuels are also cited. It seems that the future of biofuels is strongly dependent to the following items; understanding the metabolic pathways of the cyanobacterial species, progression in the construction of the engineered cyanobacteria, and inexpensive large-scale cultivation of them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Farrokh
- Department of cell and molecular biology, School of Biology, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran.,Institute of Biological Sciences, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran
| | - Mojgan Sheikhpour
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.,Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alibakhsh Kasaeian
- Faculty of New Science and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hassan Asadi
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roya Bavandi
- Branch-Marine Science and Technology Faculty, Islamic Azad University North Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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Motwalli O, Essack M, Salhi A, Hanks J, Mijakovic I, Bajic VB. BioPS: System for screening and assessment of biofuel-production potential of cyanobacteria. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202002. [PMID: 30096176 PMCID: PMC6086437 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cyanobacteria are one of the target groups of organisms explored for production of free fatty acids (FFAs) as biofuel precursors. Experimental evaluation of cyanobacterial potential for FFA production is costly and time consuming. Thus, computational approaches for comparing and ranking cyanobacterial strains for their potential to produce biofuel based on the characteristics of their predicted proteomes can be of great importance. Results To enable such comparison and ranking, and to assist biotechnology developers and researchers in selecting strains more likely to be successfully engineered for the FFA production, we developed the Biofuel Producer Screen (BioPS) platform (http://www.cbrc.kaust.edu.sa/biops). BioPS relies on the estimation of the predicted proteome makeup of cyanobacterial strains to produce and secrete FFAs, based on the analysis of well-studied cyanobacterial strains with known FFA production profiles. The system links results back to various external repositories such as KEGG, UniProt and GOLD, making it easier for users to explore additional related information. Conclusion To our knowledge, BioPS is the first tool that screens and evaluates cyanobacterial strains for their potential to produce and secrete FFAs based on strain’s predicted proteome characteristics, and rank strains based on that assessment. We believe that the availability of such a platform (comprising both a prediction tool and a repository of pre-evaluated stains) would be of interest to biofuel researchers. The BioPS system will be updated annually with information obtained from newly sequenced cyanobacterial genomes as they become available, as well as with new genes that impact FFA production or secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olaa Motwalli
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Electronic University (SEU), College of Computing and Informatics, Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Magbubah Essack
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Adil Salhi
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - John Hanks
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ivan Mijakovic
- Chalmers University of Technology, Division of Systems & Synthetic Biology, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Vladimir B. Bajic
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- * E-mail:
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Building a bio-based industry in the Middle East through harnessing the potential of the Red Sea biodiversity. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 101:4837-4851. [PMID: 28528426 PMCID: PMC5486811 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-017-8310-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2017] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The incentive for developing microbial cell factories for production of fuels and chemicals comes from the ability of microbes to deliver these valuable compounds at a reduced cost and with a smaller environmental impact compared to the analogous chemical synthesis. Another crucial advantage of microbes is their great biological diversity, which offers a much larger "catalog" of molecules than the one obtainable by chemical synthesis. Adaptation to different environments is one of the important drives behind microbial diversity. We argue that the Red Sea, which is a rather unique marine niche, represents a remarkable source of biodiversity that can be geared towards economical and sustainable bioproduction processes in the local area and can be competitive in the international bio-based economy. Recent bioprospecting studies, conducted by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, have established important leads on the Red Sea biological potential, with newly isolated strains of Bacilli and Cyanobacteria. We argue that these two groups of local organisms are currently most promising in terms of developing cell factories, due to their ability to operate in saline conditions, thus reducing the cost of desalination and sterilization. The ability of Cyanobacteria to perform photosynthesis can be fully exploited in this particular environment with one of the highest levels of irradiation on the planet. We highlight the importance of new experimental and in silico methodologies needed to overcome the hurdles of developing efficient cell factories from the Red Sea isolates.
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