Nuclear and chloroplast genome engineering of a productive non-model alga Desmodesmus armatus: Insights into unusual and selective acquisition mechanisms for foreign DNA
Abstract
Despite the tremendous potential of algae to contribute to a future bioeconomy, there are practical and theoretical limitations to how well naturally sourced species and strains can perform in an outdoor setting. The application of biotechnology to modulate and engineer algae metabolism or to increase performance, resilience, or produce novel compounds, offers opportunities to overcome some of the major commercialization barriers. There are numerous approaches reported in the literature having variable success on genetic engineering of algae with non-model algae often presenting unique challenges to genetic engineering. We report here on successful nuclear and chloroplast genomic integration of selection marker resistance in the non-model alga Desmodesmus armatus. Nuclear transformation was accomplished using both electroporation and Agrobacterium-mediated approaches. However, in all surviving transformants, DNA integration was accompanied by excision and/or rearrangement of the gene of interest and fluorescence reporter coding sequences. Similarly, chloroplast transformation was successfully accomplished using a biolistic DNA delivery method. For these transformants, we also observed off-target mutations in the chloroplast genome, not previously observed in other, more routinely used, algae species. Finally, we present insights into potential mechanisms for these observed truncations, rearrangements, and mutations in D. armatus.
- Authors:
-
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
- Arizona State Univ., Mesa, AZ (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1764916
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1809807
- Report Number(s):
- NREL-JA-2700-77862
Journal ID: ISSN 2211-9264; MainId:30777;UUID:0b1ece19-5ecc-472c-b12b-e0250934f512;MainAdminID:19266
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Algal Research
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 53; Journal ID: ISSN 2211-9264
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Algae; Biorefinery; Genetic engineering; Transformation; Biolistics; Transcriptomics
Citation Formats
Douchi, Damien, Mosey, Megan, Astling, David P., Knoshaug, Eric P., Nag, Ambarish, McGowen, John, and Laurens, Lieve M. L. Nuclear and chloroplast genome engineering of a productive non-model alga Desmodesmus armatus: Insights into unusual and selective acquisition mechanisms for foreign DNA. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.algal.2020.102152.
Douchi, Damien, Mosey, Megan, Astling, David P., Knoshaug, Eric P., Nag, Ambarish, McGowen, John, & Laurens, Lieve M. L. Nuclear and chloroplast genome engineering of a productive non-model alga Desmodesmus armatus: Insights into unusual and selective acquisition mechanisms for foreign DNA. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2020.102152
Douchi, Damien, Mosey, Megan, Astling, David P., Knoshaug, Eric P., Nag, Ambarish, McGowen, John, and Laurens, Lieve M. L. Mon .
"Nuclear and chloroplast genome engineering of a productive non-model alga Desmodesmus armatus: Insights into unusual and selective acquisition mechanisms for foreign DNA". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2020.102152. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1764916.
@article{osti_1764916,
title = {Nuclear and chloroplast genome engineering of a productive non-model alga Desmodesmus armatus: Insights into unusual and selective acquisition mechanisms for foreign DNA},
author = {Douchi, Damien and Mosey, Megan and Astling, David P. and Knoshaug, Eric P. and Nag, Ambarish and McGowen, John and Laurens, Lieve M. L.},
abstractNote = {Despite the tremendous potential of algae to contribute to a future bioeconomy, there are practical and theoretical limitations to how well naturally sourced species and strains can perform in an outdoor setting. The application of biotechnology to modulate and engineer algae metabolism or to increase performance, resilience, or produce novel compounds, offers opportunities to overcome some of the major commercialization barriers. There are numerous approaches reported in the literature having variable success on genetic engineering of algae with non-model algae often presenting unique challenges to genetic engineering. We report here on successful nuclear and chloroplast genomic integration of selection marker resistance in the non-model alga Desmodesmus armatus. Nuclear transformation was accomplished using both electroporation and Agrobacterium-mediated approaches. However, in all surviving transformants, DNA integration was accompanied by excision and/or rearrangement of the gene of interest and fluorescence reporter coding sequences. Similarly, chloroplast transformation was successfully accomplished using a biolistic DNA delivery method. For these transformants, we also observed off-target mutations in the chloroplast genome, not previously observed in other, more routinely used, algae species. Finally, we present insights into potential mechanisms for these observed truncations, rearrangements, and mutations in D. armatus.},
doi = {10.1016/j.algal.2020.102152},
journal = {Algal Research},
number = ,
volume = 53,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2021},
month = {Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2021}
}
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