Enhanced genetic tools for engineering multigene traits into green algae.
Transgenic microalgae have the potential to impact many diverse biotechnological industries including energy, human and animal nutrition, pharmaceuticals, health and beauty, and specialty chemicals. However, major obstacles to sophisticated genetic and metabolic engineering in algae have been the lack of well-characterized transformation vectors to direct engineered gene products to specific subcellular locations, and the inability to robustly express multiple nuclear-encoded transgenes within a single cell. Here we validate a set of genetic tools that enable protein targeting to distinct subcellular locations, and present two complementary methods for multigene engineering in the eukaryotic green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The tools described here will enable advanced metabolic and genetic engineering to promote microalgae biotechnology and product commercialization.
California Center for Algae Biotechnology and Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America.
Beth A
BA
Rasala
California Center for Algae Biotechnology and Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America.
Syh-Shiuan
SS
Chao
California Center for Algae Biotechnology and Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America.
Matthew
M
Pier
California Center for Algae Biotechnology and Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America.
Daniel J
DJ
Barrera
California Center for Algae Biotechnology and Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America.
Stephen P
SP
Mayfield
D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D016825:Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / Q000235:genetics*; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D024861:Genetic Enhancement; D019076:Transgenes