Metabolic engineering using iterative self-cloning to improve lipid productivity in Coccomyxa

Sci Rep. 2018 Aug 6;8(1):11742. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-30254-7.

Abstract

We previously developed a self-cloning system that introduces cDNA of the uridine monophosphate synthase gene (cUMPS) of Coccomyxa sp. strain Obi as a selectable marker into uracil-auxotrophic mutants (Ura-) of the same alga. Here, we developed a Cre/loxP-based system for the removal of cUMPS flanked by directly repeated loxP sites from the Coccomyxa genome using the intracellular delivery of purified Cre recombinase to generate an Ura- strain that was used as a host for second-round transformation using cUMPS as the selection marker. Employing this marker-gene-recycling system, Coccomyxa strains devoid of foreign DNA except the 34-bp loxP sequence, which overexpressed an acyl-(acyl-carrier-protein) thioesterase gene, and a type-2 diacylglycerol acyltransferase gene, were constructed by the sequential introduction of two expression cassettes for the respective genes. One of the resulting strains showed 1.4-fold higher lipid productivity than the wild-type strain. This method will be applicable to other eukaryotic microalgae to create marker-free transgenic strains.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chlorophyta / genetics
  • Chlorophyta / metabolism*
  • DNA, Complementary / metabolism
  • Genetic Vectors / genetics
  • Integrases / genetics
  • Integrases / metabolism
  • Metabolic Engineering / methods*
  • Microalgae / genetics
  • Microalgae / metabolism*
  • Multienzyme Complexes / genetics
  • Multienzyme Complexes / metabolism
  • Orotate Phosphoribosyltransferase / genetics
  • Orotate Phosphoribosyltransferase / metabolism
  • Orotidine-5'-Phosphate Decarboxylase / genetics
  • Orotidine-5'-Phosphate Decarboxylase / metabolism
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / metabolism
  • Recombination, Genetic / genetics

Substances

  • DNA, Complementary
  • Multienzyme Complexes
  • uridine 5'-monophosphate synthase
  • Orotate Phosphoribosyltransferase
  • Cre recombinase
  • Integrases
  • Orotidine-5'-Phosphate Decarboxylase