Development of a low lipid-accumulating mutant and its metabolic analysis in microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K15599
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 40040:Aquatic life science-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Kato Yuichi 神戸大学, 先端バイオ工学研究センター, 特命助教 (70791903)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 微細藻類 / クラミドモナス / バイオ燃料 / グリセリド / メタボローム解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Microalgae accumulate lipids (glycerolipids) under nitrogen deficient conditions by fixing atmospheric CO2. By using the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a model, this study developed low lipid-accumulating mutants via random mutagenesis, and analyzed the lipid accumulation mechanism in microalgae. In LL-1, one of the low lipid-accumulating mutants, fatty acid synthesis was induced by nitrogen deficiency as usual, while glycerolipid content did not increase and few lipid droplets were formed in the cells. Availability of low lipid-accumulating mutants in producing valuable compounds other than lipids was also examined by metabolic analysis of the LL-1.

Free Research Field

代謝工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

微細藻類における油脂蓄積誘導の分子メカニズムは十分解明されていなかった。本研究は、ランダム変異導入によって油脂低蓄積株を作製してその原因遺伝子を特定することで、油脂蓄積誘導に関わる因子を新たに特定した。特に、本研究で獲得された変異株はグリセリドの誘導蓄積が完全に失われていたことから、今後本変異株の解析をさらに進めることによって微細緑藻のグリセリド合成誘導に寄与する分子メカニズムを明らかにすることが期待できる。