Studies on the anaerobic metabolic switching control mechanisms for algal biomass development

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K05844
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 38030:Applied biochemistry-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Metropolitan University (2022); Osaka Prefecture University (2020-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Ohta Daisaku 大阪公立大学, 大学院農学研究科, 教授 (10305659)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 三芳 秀人 京都大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (20190829)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 脂質代謝 / 微細藻類 / 電子伝達経路 / キノン類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Exploitation of microalgal biomass is expected to play a key role in the transition to a sustainable social system independent of the heavy consumption of fossil resources. The current study was based on our findings that low-molecular-weight organic compounds containing quinone structure exhibited strong activities (300%) to boost the wax ester (WE) biosynthesis in Euglena; our objective was to elucidate the regulatory points of WE biosynthesis by characterizing the mechanisms of action of these compounds. We studied the possible involvement of these quinones in the electron transfer activities in mitochondria and chloroplast and demonstrated that these quinones in fact affected the electron transfer activities and WE production. Taken together with the fact that WE production is induced by anoxia, it is supposed that there should be a system sensing intracellular environment (such as ATP concentration) involved in the between lipid and sugar metabolism.

Free Research Field

応用分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では，低分子化合物の利用によって，微細藻類の脂質代謝機能改変が可能であることを示した。これらの化合物の代謝制御への直接利用のみではなく，化合物の機能解明は「低酸素防御応答としての代謝スイッチングの学術的理解」，および「藻類バイオマス開発のための新戦略創出」に結びつくと期待される。