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Perspective for the Use of Genetic Transformants in Order to Enhance the Synthesis of the Desired Metabolites: Engineering Chloroplasts of Microalgae for the Production of Bioactive Compounds

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Bio-Farms for Nutraceuticals

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 698))

Abstract

Eukaryotic microalgae have recently gained particular interest as bioreactors because they provide attractive alternatives to bacterial, yeast, plant and other cell-based systems currently in use. Over the last years there has been considerable progress in genetic engineering technologies for algae. Biotechnology companies start to apply these techniques to alter metabolic pathways and express valuable compounds in different cell compartments. In particular, the eukaryotic unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii appears to be a most promising cell factory since high amounts of foreign proteins have been expressed in its chloroplast compartment. For this alga the complete nuclear, plastidal and mitochondrial genome sequences have been determined and databases are available for any searching or cloning requirements. Apart from being easily transformable, stable transgenic strains and production volumes in full containment can be obtained within a relatively short time. Furthermore, C. reinhardtii is a green alga which belongs to the category of organisms generally recognized as safe (GRAS status). Thus, enhancing food with edible algae like Chlamydomonas engineered to (over)produce functional ingredients has the potential to become an important factor in food and feed technologies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Pflanzenphysiologie, Martin-Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, D-06120, Halle (Saale), Germany

    Udo Johanningmeier

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  1. Udo Johanningmeier
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  2. Dirk Fischer
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  1. Institute of Crystallography, Department of Agrofood and Department of Molecular Design, National Council of Research, Area of Research of Rome, Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy

    Maria Teresa Giardi PhD  & Giuseppina Rea PhD  & 

  2. Institute of General Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Sciences Applied to Biosystems, DISMAB, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Bruno Berra PhD

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Johanningmeier, U., Fischer, D. (2010). Perspective for the Use of Genetic Transformants in Order to Enhance the Synthesis of the Desired Metabolites: Engineering Chloroplasts of Microalgae for the Production of Bioactive Compounds. In: Giardi, M.T., Rea, G., Berra, B. (eds) Bio-Farms for Nutraceuticals. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 698. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7347-4_11

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