Trophic conversion of an obligate photoautotrophic organism through metabolic engineering.
Most microalgae are obligate photoautotrophs and their growth is strictly dependent on the generation of photosynthetically derived energy. We show that the microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum can be genetically engineered to thrive on exogenous glucose in the absence of light through the introduction of a gene encoding a glucose transporter (glut1 or hup1). This demonstrates that a fundamental change in the metabolism of an organism can be accomplished through the introduction of a single gene. This also represents progress toward the use of fermentation technology for large-scale commercial exploitation of algae by reducing limitations associated with light-dependent growth.
Zaslavskaia
L A
LA
Martek Biosciences Corp., 6480 Dobbin Road, Columbia, MD 21045, USA.
Lippmeier
J C
JC
Shih
C
C
Ehrhardt
D
D
Grossman
A R
AR
Apt
K E
KE
D001692:Biological Transport; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003624:Darkness; D017377:Diatoms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1; D006019:Glycolysis; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D027981:Symporters; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C495677:SLC2A1 protein, human; D027981:Symporters; C089820:monosaccharide-hydrogen cotransporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D005947:Glucose