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Fujiwara T, Hirooka S, Yamashita S, Yagisawa F, Miyagishima SY. Development of a rapamycin-inducible protein-knockdown system in the unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 196:77-94. [PMID: 38833589 PMCID: PMC11376382 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
An inducible protein-knockdown system is highly effective for investigating the functions of proteins and mechanisms essential for the survival and growth of organisms. However, this technique is not available in photosynthetic eukaryotes. The unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae possesses a very simple cellular and genomic architecture and is genetically tractable but lacks RNA interference machinery. In this study, we developed a protein-knockdown system in this alga. The constitutive system utilizes the destabilizing activity of the FK506-binding protein 12 (FKBP12)-rapamycin-binding (FRB) domain of human target of rapamycin kinase or its derivatives to knock down target proteins. In the inducible system, rapamycin treatment induces the heterodimerization of the human FRB domain fused to the target proteins with the human FKBP fused to S-phase kinase-associated protein 1 or Cullin 1, subunits of the SCF E3 ubiquitin ligase. This results in the rapid degradation of the target proteins through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. With this system, we successfully degraded endogenous essential proteins such as the chloroplast division protein dynamin-related protein 5B and E2 transcription factor, a regulator of the G1/S transition, within 2 to 3 h after rapamycin administration, enabling the assessment of resulting phenotypes. This rapamycin-inducible protein-knockdown system contributes to the functional analysis of genes whose disruption leads to lethality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Fujiwara
- Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
- Department of Genetics, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Hirooka
- Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Shota Yamashita
- Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Fumi Yagisawa
- Research Facility Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Shin-Ya Miyagishima
- Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
- Department of Genetics, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
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Seger M, Mammadova F, Villegas-Valencia M, Bastos de Freitas B, Chang C, Isachsen I, Hemstreet H, Abualsaud F, Boring M, Lammers PJ, Lauersen KJ. Engineered ketocarotenoid biosynthesis in the polyextremophilic red microalga Cyanidioschyzon merolae 10D. Metab Eng Commun 2023; 17:e00226. [PMID: 37449053 PMCID: PMC10336515 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2023.e00226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The polyextremophilic Cyanidiophyceae are eukaryotic red microalgae with promising biotechnological properties arising from their low pH and elevated temperature requirements which can minimize culture contamination at scale. Cyanidioschyzon merolae 10D is a cell wall deficient species with a fully sequenced genome that is amenable to nuclear transgene integration by targeted homologous recombination. C. merolae maintains a minimal carotenoid profile and here, we sought to determine its capacity for ketocarotenoid accumulation mediated by heterologous expression of a green algal β-carotene ketolase (BKT) and hydroxylase (CHYB). To achieve this, a synthetic transgene expression cassette system was built to integrate and express Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Cr) sourced enzymes by fusing native C. merolae transcription, translation and chloroplast targeting signals to codon-optimized coding sequences. Chloramphenicol resistance was used to select for the integration of synthetic linear DNAs into a neutral site within the host genome. CrBKT expression caused accumulation of canthaxanthin and adonirubin as major carotenoids while co-expression of CrBKT with CrCHYB generated astaxanthin as the major carotenoid in C. merolae. Unlike green algae and plants, ketocarotenoid accumulation in C. merolae did not reduce total carotenoid contents, but chlorophyll a reduction was observed. Light intensity affected global ratios of all pigments but not individual pigment compositions and phycocyanin contents were not markedly different between parental strain and transformants. Continuous illumination was found to encourage biomass accumulation and all strains could be cultivated in simulated summer conditions from two different extreme desert environments. Our findings present the first example of carotenoid metabolic engineering in a red eukaryotic microalga and open the possibility for use of C. merolae 10D for simultaneous production of phycocyanin and ketocarotenoid pigments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Seger
- Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University, 7418 Innovation Way South, Mesa, AZ, 85212, United States
| | - Fakhriyya Mammadova
- Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University, 7418 Innovation Way South, Mesa, AZ, 85212, United States
| | - Melany Villegas-Valencia
- Bioengineering Program, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Bárbara Bastos de Freitas
- Bioengineering Program, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Clarissa Chang
- Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University, 7418 Innovation Way South, Mesa, AZ, 85212, United States
| | - Iona Isachsen
- Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University, 7418 Innovation Way South, Mesa, AZ, 85212, United States
| | - Haley Hemstreet
- Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University, 7418 Innovation Way South, Mesa, AZ, 85212, United States
| | - Fatimah Abualsaud
- Bioengineering Program, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Malia Boring
- Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University, 7418 Innovation Way South, Mesa, AZ, 85212, United States
| | - Peter J. Lammers
- Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University, 7418 Innovation Way South, Mesa, AZ, 85212, United States
| | - Kyle J. Lauersen
- Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University, 7418 Innovation Way South, Mesa, AZ, 85212, United States
- Bioengineering Program, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Krupnik T, Zienkiewicz M, Wasilewska-Dębowska W, Drożak A, Kania K. How Light Modulates the Growth of Cyanidioschyzon merolae Cells by Changing the Function of Phycobilisomes. Cells 2023; 12:1480. [PMID: 37296601 PMCID: PMC10252272 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111480] [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: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine how light intensity and quality affect the photosynthetic apparatus of Cyanidioschyzon merolae cells by modulating the structure and function of phycobilisomes. Cells were grown in equal amounts of white, blue, red, and yellow light of low (LL) and high (HL) intensity. Biochemical characterization, fluorescence emission, and oxygen exchange were used to investigate selected cellular physiological parameters. It was found that the allophycocyanin content was sensitive only to light intensity, whereas the phycocynin content was also sensitive to light quality. Furthermore, the concentration of the PSI core protein was not affected by the intensity or quality of the growth light, but the concentration of the PSII core D1 protein was. Finally, the amount of ATP and ADP was lower in HL than LL. In our opinion, both light intensity and quality are main factors that play an important regulatory role in acclimatization/adaptation of C. merolae to environmental changes, and this is achieved by balancing the amounts of thylakoid membrane and phycobilisome proteins, the energy level, and the photosynthetic and respiratory activity. This understanding contributes to the development of a mix of cultivation techniques and genetic changes for a future large-scale synthesis of desirable biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Krupnik
- Department of Molecular Plant Physiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02096 Warsaw, Poland
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Villegas-Valencia M, González-Portela RE, de Freitas BB, Al Jahdali A, Romero-Villegas GI, Malibari R, Kapoore RV, Fuentes-Grünewald C, Lauersen KJ. Cultivation of the polyextremophile Cyanidioschyzon merolae 10D during summer conditions on the coast of the Red Sea and its adaptation to hypersaline sea water. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1157151. [PMID: 37152750 PMCID: PMC10158843 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1157151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The west coast of the Arabian Peninsula borders the Red Sea, a water body which maintains high average temperatures and increased salinity compared to other seas or oceans. This geography has many resources which could be used to support algal biotechnology efforts in bio-resource circularity. However, summer conditions in this region may exceed the temperature tolerance of most currently cultivated microalgae. The Cyanidiophyceae are a class of polyextremophilic red algae that natively inhabit acidic hot springs. C. merolae 10D has recently emerged as an interesting model organism capable of high-cell density cultivation on pure CO2 with optimal growth at elevated temperatures and acidic pH. C. merolae biomass has an interesting macromolecular composition, is protein rich, and contains valuable bio-products like heat-stable phycocyanin, carotenoids, β-glucan, and starch. Here, photobioreactors were used to model C. merolae 10D growth performance in simulated environmental conditions of the mid-Red Sea coast across four seasons, it was then grown at various scales outdoors in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia during the Summer of 2022. We show that C. merolae 10D is amenable to cultivation with industrial-grade nutrient and CO2 inputs outdoors in this location and that its biomass is relatively constant in biochemical composition across culture conditions. We also show the adaptation of C. merolae 10D to high salinity levels of those found in Red Sea waters and conducted further modeled cultivations in nutrient enriched local sea water. It was determined that salt-water adapted C. merolae 10D could be cultivated with reduced nutrient inputs in local conditions. The results presented here indicate this may be a promising alternative species for algal bioprocesses in outdoor conditions in extreme coastal desert summer environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melany Villegas-Valencia
- Bioengineering Program, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ricardo E. González-Portela
- Development of Algal Biotechnology in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (DAB-KSA) Project, Beacon Development, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bárbara Bastos de Freitas
- Bioengineering Program, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz Al Jahdali
- Development of Algal Biotechnology in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (DAB-KSA) Project, Beacon Development, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Gabriel I. Romero-Villegas
- Development of Algal Biotechnology in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (DAB-KSA) Project, Beacon Development, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Raghdah Malibari
- Development of Algal Biotechnology in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (DAB-KSA) Project, Beacon Development, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rahul Vijay Kapoore
- Development of Algal Biotechnology in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (DAB-KSA) Project, Beacon Development, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Claudio Fuentes-Grünewald
- Development of Algal Biotechnology in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (DAB-KSA) Project, Beacon Development, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- *Correspondence: Claudio Fuentes-Grünewald,
| | - Kyle J. Lauersen
- Bioengineering Program, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Kyle J. Lauersen,
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Life cycle and functional genomics of the unicellular red alga Galdieria for elucidating algal and plant evolution and industrial use. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2210665119. [PMID: 36194630 PMCID: PMC9565259 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2210665119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual reproduction has not been observed in unicellular red algae and Glaucophyceae, early branching groups in Archaeplastida, in which red algae and Viridiplantae independently evolved multicellular sexual life cycles. The finding of sexual reproduction in the unicellular red alga Galdieria provides information on the missing link of life cycle evolution in Archaeplastida. In addition, the metabolic plasticity, the polyextremophilic features, a relatively small genome, transcriptome data for the diploid and haploid, and the genetic modification tools developed here provide a useful platform for understanding the evolution of Archaeplastida, photosynthesis, metabolism, and environmental adaptation. For biotechnological use of the information and tools of Galdieria, the newly found cell wall–less haploid makes cell disruption less energy/cost intensive than the cell-walled diploid. Sexual reproduction is widespread in eukaryotes; however, only asexual reproduction has been observed in unicellular red algae, including Galdieria, which branched early in Archaeplastida. Galdieria possesses a small genome; it is polyextremophile, grows either photoautotrophically, mixotrophically, or heterotrophically, and is being developed as an industrial source of vitamins and pigments because of its high biomass productivity. Here, we show that Galdieria exhibits a sexual life cycle, alternating between cell-walled diploid and cell wall–less haploid, and that both phases can proliferate asexually. The haploid can move over surfaces and undergo self-diploidization or generate heterozygous diploids through mating. Further, we prepared the whole genome and a comparative transcriptome dataset between the diploid and haploid and developed genetic tools for the stable gene expression, gene disruption, and selectable marker recycling system using the cell wall–less haploid. The BELL/KNOX and MADS-box transcription factors, which function in haploid-to-diploid transition and development in plants, are specifically expressed in the haploid and diploid, respectively, and are involved in the haploid-to-diploid transition in Galdieria, providing information on the missing link of the sexual life cycle evolution in Archaeplastida. Four actin genes are differently involved in motility of the haploid and cytokinesis in the diploid, both of which are myosin independent and likely reflect ancestral roles of actin. We have also generated photosynthesis-deficient mutants, such as blue-colored cells, which were depleted in chlorophyll and carotenoids, for industrial pigment production. These features of Galdieria facilitate the understanding of the evolution of algae and plants and the industrial use of microalgae.
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