Skip to main content
Kent Academic Repository

Expression and membrane-targeting of an active plant cytochrome P450 in the chloroplast of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Gangl, Doris, Zedler, Julie A Z, W?odarczyk, Artur, Jensen, Poul Erik, Purton, Saul, Robinson, Colin (2014) Expression and membrane-targeting of an active plant cytochrome P450 in the chloroplast of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Phytochemistry, 110 . pp. 22-28. ISSN 1873-3700. (doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2014.12.006) (KAR id:55363)

Abstract

The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has potential as a cell factory for the production of recombinant proteins and other compounds, but mainstream adoption has been hindered by a scarcity of genetic tools and a need to identify products that can be generated in a cost-effective manner. A promising strategy is to use algal chloroplasts as a site for synthesis of high value bioactive compounds such as diterpenoids since these are derived from metabolic building blocks that occur naturally within the organelle. However, synthesis of these complex plant metabolites requires the introduction of membrane-associated enzymes including cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s). Here, we show that a gene (CYP79A1) encoding a model P450 can be introduced into the C. reinhardtii chloroplast genome using a simple transformation system. The gene is stably expressed and the P450 is efficiently targeted into chloroplast membranes by means of its endogenous N-terminal anchor domain, where it is active and accounts for 0.4% of total cell protein. These results provide proof of concept for the introduction of diterpenoid synthesis pathways into the chloroplast of C. reinhardtii.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2014.12.006
Subjects: Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Biosciences
Depositing User: Colin Robinson
Date Deposited: 10 May 2016 13:02 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Dec 2022 21:33 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/55363 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.