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Rickaby REM, Eason Hubbard MR. Upper ocean oxygenation, evolution of RuBisCO and the Phanerozoic succession of phytoplankton. Free Radic Biol Med 2019; 140:295-304. [PMID: 31075497 PMCID: PMC6856715 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Evidence is compiled to demonstrate a redox scale within Earth's photosynthesisers that correlates the specificity of their RuBisCO with organismal metabolic tolerance to anoxia, and ecological selection by dissolved O2/CO2 and nutrients. The Form 1B RuBisCO found in the chlorophyte green algae, has a poor selectivity between the two dissolved substrates, O2 and CO2, at the active site. This enzyme appears adapted to lower O2/CO2 ratios, or more "anoxic" conditions and therefore requires additional energetic or nutrient investment in a carbon concentrating mechanism (CCM) to boost the intracellular CO2/O2 ratio and maintain competitive carboxylation rates under increasingly high O2/CO2 conditions in the environment. By contrast the coccolithophores and diatoms evolved containing the more selective Rhodophyte Form 1D RuBisCO, better adapted to a higher O2/CO2 ratio, or more oxic conditions. This Form 1D RuBisCO requires lesser energetic or nutrient investment in a CCM to attain high carboxylation rates under environmentally high O2/CO2 ratios. Such a physiological relationship may underpin the succession of phytoplankton in the Phanerozoic oceans: the coccolithophores and diatoms took over the oceanic realm from the incumbent cyanobacteria and green algae when the upper ocean became persistently oxygenated, alkaline and more oligotrophic. The facultatively anaerobic green algae, able to tolerate the anoxic conditions of the water column and a periodically inundated soil, were better poised to adapt to the fluctuating anoxia associated with periods of submergence and emergence and transition onto the land. The induction of a CCM may exert a natural limit to the improvement of RuBisCO efficiency over Earth history. Rubisco specificity appears to adapt on the timescale of ∼100 Myrs. So persistent elevation of CO2/O2 ratios in the intracellular environment around the enzyme, may induce a relaxation in RuBisCO selectivity for CO2 relative to O2. The most efficient RuBisCO for net carboxylation is likely to be found in CCM-lacking algae that have been exposed to hyperoxic conditions for at least 100 Myrs, such as intertidal brown seaweeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalind E M Rickaby
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK.
| | - M R Eason Hubbard
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
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Das S, Maiti SK. PSII as an in vivo molecular catalyst for the production of energy rich hydroquinones - A new approach in renewable energy. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY 2018; 180:134-139. [PMID: 29413696 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2018.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
One of the pertinent issues in the field of energy science today is the quest for an abundant source of hydrogen or hydrogen equivalents. In this study, phenyl-p-benzoquinone (pPBQ) has been used to generate a molecular store of hydrogen equivalents (phenyl-p-hydroquinone; pPBQH2) from thein vivo splitting of water by photosystem II of the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus BDU 70542. Using this technique, 10.8 μmol of pPBQH2 per mg chlorophyll a can be extracted per minute, an efficiency that is orders of magnitude higher when compared to the techniques present in the current literature. Moreover, the photo-reduction process was stable when tested over longer periods of time. Addition of phenyl-p-benzoquinone on an intermittent basis resulted in the precipitation of phenyl-p-hydroquinone, obviating the need for costly downstream processing units for product recovery. Phenyl-p-hydroquinone so obtained is a molecular store of free energy preserved through the light driven photolysis of water and can be used as a cheap and a renewable source of hydrogen equivalents by employing transition metal catalysts or fuel cells with the concomitant regeneration of phenyl-p-benzoquinone. The cyclic nature of this technique makes it an ideal candidate to be utilized in mankind's transition from fossil fuels to solar fuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Das
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India
| | - Soumen K Maiti
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India.
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Rewiring of Cyanobacterial Metabolism for Hydrogen Production: Synthetic Biology Approaches and Challenges. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1080:171-213. [PMID: 30091096 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-0854-3_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2022]
Abstract
With the demand for renewable energy growing, hydrogen (H2) is becoming an attractive energy carrier. Developing H2 production technologies with near-net zero carbon emissions is a major challenge for the "H2 economy." Certain cyanobacteria inherently possess enzymes, nitrogenases, and bidirectional hydrogenases that are capable of H2 evolution using sunlight, making them ideal cell factories for photocatalytic conversion of water to H2. With the advances in synthetic biology, cyanobacteria are currently being developed as a "plug and play" chassis to produce H2. This chapter describes the metabolic pathways involved and the theoretical limits to cyanobacterial H2 production and summarizes the metabolic engineering technologies pursued.
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Dinitrogenase-Driven Photobiological Hydrogen Production Combats Oxidative Stress in Cyanothece sp. Strain ATCC 51142. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016; 82:7227-7235. [PMID: 27742679 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02098-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Photobiologically synthesized hydrogen (H2) gas is carbon neutral to produce and clean to combust, making it an ideal biofuel. Cyanothece sp. strain ATCC 51142 is a cyanobacterium capable of performing simultaneous oxygenic photosynthesis and H2 production, a highly perplexing phenomenon because H2 evolving enzymes are O2 sensitive. We employed a system-level in vivo chemoproteomic profiling approach to explore the cellular dynamics of protein thiol redox and how thiol redox mediates the function of the dinitrogenase NifHDK, an enzyme complex capable of aerobic hydrogenase activity. We found that NifHDK responds to intracellular redox conditions and may act as an emergency electron valve to prevent harmful reactive oxygen species formation in concert with other cell strategies for maintaining redox homeostasis. These results provide new insight into cellular redox dynamics useful for advancing photolytic bioenergy technology and reveal a new understanding for the biological function of NifHDK. IMPORTANCE Here, we demonstrate that high levels of hydrogen synthesis can be induced as a protection mechanism against oxidative stress via the dinitrogenase enzyme complex in Cyanothece sp. strain ATCC 51142. This is a previously unknown feature of cyanobacterial dinitrogenase, and we anticipate that it may represent a strategy to exploit cyanobacteria for efficient and scalable hydrogen production. We utilized a chemoproteomic approach to capture the in situ dynamics of reductant partitioning within the cell, revealing proteins and reactive thiols that may be involved in redox sensing and signaling. Additionally, this method is widely applicable across biological systems to achieve a greater understanding of how cells navigate their environment and how redox chemistry can be utilized to alter metabolism and achieve homeostasis.
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Melnicki MR, Leverenz RL, Sutter M, López-Igual R, Wilson A, Pawlowski EG, Perreau F, Kirilovsky D, Kerfeld CA. Structure, Diversity, and Evolution of a New Family of Soluble Carotenoid-Binding Proteins in Cyanobacteria. MOLECULAR PLANT 2016; 9:1379-1394. [PMID: 27392608 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2016.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Revised: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Using a phylogenomic approach, we have identified and subclassified a new family of carotenoid-binding proteins. These proteins have sequence homology to the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the Orange Carotenoid Protein (OCP), and are referred to as Helical Carotenoid Proteins (HCPs). These proteins comprise at least nine distinct clades and are found in diverse organisms, frequently as multiple paralogs representing the distinct clades. These seem to be out-paralogs maintained from ancient duplications associated with subfunctionalization. All of the HCPs share conservation of the residues for carotenoid binding, and we confirm that carotenoid binding is a fundamental property of HCPs. We solved two crystal structures of the Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 HCP1 protein, each binding a different carotenoid, suggesting that the proteins flexibly bind a range of carotenoids. Based on a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis, we propose that one of the HCP subtypes is likely the evolutionary ancestor of the NTD of the OCP, which arose following a domain fusion event. However, we predict that the majority of HCPs have functions distinct from the NTD of the OCP. Our results demonstrate that the HCPs are a new family of functionally diverse carotenoid-binding proteins found among ecophysiologically diverse cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Melnicki
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ryan L Leverenz
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Markus Sutter
- Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Rocío López-Igual
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Biologie et Technologies de Saclay (iBiTec-S), 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Adjélé Wilson
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Biologie et Technologies de Saclay (iBiTec-S), 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Emily G Pawlowski
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - François Perreau
- INRA, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, UMR 1318, ERL CNRS 3559, Saclay Plant Sciences, RD10, 78026 Versailles, France
| | - Diana Kirilovsky
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Biologie et Technologies de Saclay (iBiTec-S), 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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Unlocking the Constraints of Cyanobacterial Productivity: Acclimations Enabling Ultrafast Growth. mBio 2016; 7:mBio.00949-16. [PMID: 27460798 PMCID: PMC4981716 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00949-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Harnessing the metabolic potential of photosynthetic microbes for next-generation biotechnology objectives requires detailed scientific understanding of the physiological constraints and regulatory controls affecting carbon partitioning between biomass, metabolite storage pools, and bioproduct synthesis. We dissected the cellular mechanisms underlying the remarkable physiological robustness of the euryhaline unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002 (Synechococcus 7002) and identify key mechanisms that allow cyanobacteria to achieve unprecedented photoautotrophic productivities (~2.5-h doubling time). Ultrafast growth of Synechococcus 7002 was supported by high rates of photosynthetic electron transfer and linked to significantly elevated transcription of precursor biosynthesis and protein translation machinery. Notably, no growth or photosynthesis inhibition signatures were observed under any of the tested experimental conditions. Finally, the ultrafast growth in Synechococcus 7002 was also linked to a 300% expansion of average cell volume. We hypothesize that this cellular adaptation is required at high irradiances to support higher cell division rates and reduce deleterious effects, corresponding to high light, through increased carbon and reductant sequestration. Efficient coupling between photosynthesis and productivity is central to the development of biotechnology based on solar energy. Therefore, understanding the factors constraining maximum rates of carbon processing is necessary to identify regulatory mechanisms and devise strategies to overcome productivity constraints. Here, we interrogate the molecular mechanisms that operate at a systems level to allow cyanobacteria to achieve ultrafast growth. This was done by considering growth and photosynthetic kinetics with global transcription patterns. We have delineated putative biological principles that allow unicellular cyanobacteria to achieve ultrahigh growth rates through photophysiological acclimation and effective management of cellular resource under different growth regimes.
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Oey M, Sawyer AL, Ross IL, Hankamer B. Challenges and opportunities for hydrogen production from microalgae. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2016; 14:1487-99. [PMID: 26801871 PMCID: PMC5066674 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The global population is predicted to increase from ~7.3 billion to over 9 billion people by 2050. Together with rising economic growth, this is forecast to result in a 50% increase in fuel demand, which will have to be met while reducing carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions by 50-80% to maintain social, political, energy and climate security. This tension between rising fuel demand and the requirement for rapid global decarbonization highlights the need to fast-track the coordinated development and deployment of efficient cost-effective renewable technologies for the production of CO2 neutral energy. Currently, only 20% of global energy is provided as electricity, while 80% is provided as fuel. Hydrogen (H2 ) is the most advanced CO2 -free fuel and provides a 'common' energy currency as it can be produced via a range of renewable technologies, including photovoltaic (PV), wind, wave and biological systems such as microalgae, to power the next generation of H2 fuel cells. Microalgae production systems for carbon-based fuel (oil and ethanol) are now at the demonstration scale. This review focuses on evaluating the potential of microalgal technologies for the commercial production of solar-driven H2 from water. It summarizes key global technology drivers, the potential and theoretical limits of microalgal H2 production systems, emerging strategies to engineer next-generation systems and how these fit into an evolving H2 economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Oey
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, Australia
| | | | - Ian Lawrence Ross
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, Australia
| | - Ben Hankamer
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, Australia
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Mazard S, Penesyan A, Ostrowski M, Paulsen IT, Egan S. Tiny Microbes with a Big Impact: The Role of Cyanobacteria and Their Metabolites in Shaping Our Future. Mar Drugs 2016; 14:E97. [PMID: 27196915 PMCID: PMC4882571 DOI: 10.3390/md14050097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are among the first microorganisms to have inhabited the Earth. Throughout the last few billion years, they have played a major role in shaping the Earth as the planet we live in, and they continue to play a significant role in our everyday lives. Besides being an essential source of atmospheric oxygen, marine cyanobacteria are prolific secondary metabolite producers, often despite the exceptionally small genomes. Secondary metabolites produced by these organisms are diverse and complex; these include compounds, such as pigments and fluorescent dyes, as well as biologically-active compounds with a particular interest for the pharmaceutical industry. Cyanobacteria are currently regarded as an important source of nutrients and biofuels and form an integral part of novel innovative energy-efficient designs. Being autotrophic organisms, cyanobacteria are well suited for large-scale biotechnological applications due to the low requirements for organic nutrients. Recent advances in molecular biology techniques have considerably enhanced the potential for industries to optimize the production of cyanobacteria secondary metabolites with desired functions. This manuscript reviews the environmental role of marine cyanobacteria with a particular focus on their secondary metabolites and discusses current and future developments in both the production of desired cyanobacterial metabolites and their potential uses in future innovative projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Mazard
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Anahit Penesyan
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Martin Ostrowski
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Ian T Paulsen
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Suhelen Egan
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia.
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Bernstein HC, Charania MA, McClure RS, Sadler NC, Melnicki MR, Hill EA, Markillie LM, Nicora CD, Wright AT, Romine MF, Beliaev AS. Multi-Omic Dynamics Associate Oxygenic Photosynthesis with Nitrogenase-Mediated H2 Production in Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16004. [PMID: 26525576 PMCID: PMC4630603 DOI: 10.1038/srep16004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, the proposed mechanisms of nitrogenase-driven photosynthetic H2 production by the diazotrophic unicellular cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 have assumed that reductant and ATP requirements are derived solely from glycogen oxidation and cyclic-electron flow around photosystem I. Through genome-scale transcript and protein profiling, this study presents and tests a new hypothesis on the metabolic relationship between oxygenic photosynthesis and nitrogenase-mediated H2 production in Cyanothece 51142. Our results show that net-positive rates of oxygenic photosynthesis and increased expression of photosystem II reaction centers correspond and are synchronized with nitrogenase expression and H2 production. These findings provide a new and more complete view on the metabolic processes contributing to the energy budget of photosynthetic H2 production and highlight the role of concurrent photocatalytic H2O oxidation as a participating process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans C Bernstein
- Chemical and Biological Signature Science, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352.,Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA, 99352
| | - Moiz A Charania
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA, 99352
| | - Ryan S McClure
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA, 99352
| | - Natalie C Sadler
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA, 99352
| | - Matthew R Melnicki
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA, 99352
| | - Eric A Hill
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA, 99352
| | - Lye Meng Markillie
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA, 99352
| | - Carrie D Nicora
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA, 99352
| | - Aaron T Wright
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA, 99352
| | - Margaret F Romine
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA, 99352
| | - Alexander S Beliaev
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA, 99352
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Liu Y, Fredrickson JK, Sadler NC, Nandhikonda P, Smith RD, Wright AT. Advancing understanding of microbial bioenergy conversion processes by activity-based protein profiling. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2015; 8:156. [PMID: 26413155 PMCID: PMC4582708 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-015-0343-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The development of renewable biofuels is a global priority, but success will require novel technologies that greatly improve our understanding of microbial systems biology. An approach with great promise in enabling functional characterization of microbes is activity-based protein profiling (ABPP), which employs chemical probes to directly measure enzyme function in discrete enzyme classes in vivo and/or in vitro, thereby facilitating the rapid discovery of new biocatalysts and enabling much improved biofuel production platforms. We review general design strategies in ABPP, and highlight recent advances that are or could be pivotal to biofuels processes including applications of ABPP to cellulosic bioethanol, biodiesel, and phototrophic production of hydrocarbons. We also examine the key challenges and opportunities of ABPP in renewable biofuels research. The integration of ABPP with molecular and systems biology approaches will shed new insight on the catalytic and regulatory mechanisms of functional enzymes and their synergistic effects in the field of biofuels production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Liu
- />Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - James K. Fredrickson
- />Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd, MSIN J4-02, Box 999, Richland, WA 99352 USA
| | - Natalie C. Sadler
- />Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd, MSIN J4-02, Box 999, Richland, WA 99352 USA
| | - Premchendar Nandhikonda
- />Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd, MSIN J4-02, Box 999, Richland, WA 99352 USA
| | - Richard D. Smith
- />Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd, MSIN J4-02, Box 999, Richland, WA 99352 USA
| | - Aaron T. Wright
- />Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd, MSIN J4-02, Box 999, Richland, WA 99352 USA
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Biohydrogen production: strategies to improve process efficiency through microbial routes. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:8266-93. [PMID: 25874756 PMCID: PMC4425080 DOI: 10.3390/ijms16048266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 229] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The current fossil fuel-based generation of energy has led to large-scale industrial development. However, the reliance on fossil fuels leads to the significant depletion of natural resources of buried combustible geologic deposits and to negative effects on the global climate with emissions of greenhouse gases. Accordingly, enormous efforts are directed to transition from fossil fuels to nonpolluting and renewable energy sources. One potential alternative is biohydrogen (H2), a clean energy carrier with high-energy yields; upon the combustion of H2, H2O is the only major by-product. In recent decades, the attractive and renewable characteristics of H2 led us to develop a variety of biological routes for the production of H2. Based on the mode of H2 generation, the biological routes for H2 production are categorized into four groups: photobiological fermentation, anaerobic fermentation, enzymatic and microbial electrolysis, and a combination of these processes. Thus, this review primarily focuses on the evaluation of the biological routes for the production of H2. In particular, we assess the efficiency and feasibility of these bioprocesses with respect to the factors that affect operations, and we delineate the limitations. Additionally, alternative options such as bioaugmentation, multiple process integration, and microbial electrolysis to improve process efficiency are discussed to address industrial-level applications.
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Sekar N, Ramasamy RP. Recent advances in photosynthetic energy conversion. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY C-PHOTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2014.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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13
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Mueller TJ, Berla BM, Pakrasi HB, Maranas CD. Rapid construction of metabolic models for a family of Cyanobacteria using a multiple source annotation workflow. BMC SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2013; 7:142. [PMID: 24369854 PMCID: PMC3880981 DOI: 10.1186/1752-0509-7-142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Background Cyanobacteria are photoautotrophic prokaryotes that exhibit robust growth under diverse environmental conditions with minimal nutritional requirements. They can use solar energy to convert CO2 and other reduced carbon sources into biofuels and chemical products. The genus Cyanothece includes unicellular nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria that have been shown to offer high levels of hydrogen production and nitrogen fixation. The reconstruction of quality genome-scale metabolic models for organisms with limited annotation resources remains a challenging task. Results Here we reconstruct and subsequently analyze and compare the metabolism of five Cyanothece strains, namely Cyanothece sp. PCC 7424, 7425, 7822, 8801 and 8802, as the genome-scale metabolic reconstructions iCyc792, iCyn731, iCyj826, iCyp752, and iCyh755 respectively. We compare these phylogenetically related Cyanothece strains to assess their bio-production potential. A systematic workflow is introduced for integrating and prioritizing annotation information from the Universal Protein Resource (Uniprot), NCBI Protein Clusters, and the Rapid Annotations using Subsystems Technology (RAST) method. The genome-scale metabolic models include fully traced photosynthesis reactions and respiratory chains, as well as balanced reactions and GPR associations. Metabolic differences between the organisms are highlighted such as the non-fermentative pathway for alcohol production found in only Cyanothece 7424, 8801, and 8802. Conclusions Our development workflow provides a path for constructing models using information from curated models of related organisms and reviewed gene annotations. This effort lays the foundation for the expedient construction of curated metabolic models for organisms that, while not being the target of comprehensive research, have a sequenced genome and are related to an organism with a curated metabolic model. Organism-specific models, such as the five presented in this paper, can be used to identify optimal genetic manipulations for targeted metabolite overproduction as well as to investigate the biology of diverse organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Costas D Maranas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
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14
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Photobiological hydrogen production: Bioenergetics and challenges for its practical application. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY C-PHOTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2013.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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15
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Melnicki MR, Pinchuk GE, Hill EA, Kucek LA, Stolyar SM, Fredrickson JK, Konopka AE, Beliaev AS. Feedback-controlled LED photobioreactor for photophysiological studies of cyanobacteria. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2013; 134:127-133. [PMID: 23500569 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.01.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2012] [Revised: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
A custom photobioreactor was designed to enable automatic light adjustments using computerized feedback control. The system consisted of a 7.5-L cylindrical vessel and an aluminum enclosure housing quantum sensors and light-emitting diode arrays, which provide 630 or 680 nm light to preferentially excite the major cyanobacterial pigments, phycocyanin and/or chlorophyll a, respectively. Custom-developed software rapidly measures light transmission and subsequently adjusts the irradiance to maintain a defined light profile to compensate for culture dynamics, biomass accumulation, and pigment adaptations during physiological transitions, thus ensuring appropriate illumination across batch and continuous growth modes. In addition to chemostat cultivation, the photobioreactor may also operate as a turbidostat, continuously adjusting the media dilution to achieve maximal growth at a fixed culture density. The cultivation system doubles as an analytical device, using real-time monitoring to avoid sampling bias (e.g., in-situ light-saturation response), determine conditions for optimal growth, and observe perturbation responses at high time-resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Melnicki
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA
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Fu N, Su D, Cort JR, Chen B, Xiong Y, Qian WJ, Konopka AE, Bigelow DJ, Squier TC. Synthesis and Application of an Environmentally Insensitive Cy3-Based Arsenical Fluorescent Probe To Identify Adaptive Microbial Responses Involving Proximal Dithiol Oxidation. J Am Chem Soc 2013; 135:3567-75. [DOI: 10.1021/ja3117284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Na Fu
- Biological Sciences Division, Fundamental
Sciences
Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Dian Su
- Biological Sciences Division, Fundamental
Sciences
Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - John R. Cort
- Biological Sciences Division, Fundamental
Sciences
Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Baowei Chen
- Biological Sciences Division, Fundamental
Sciences
Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Yijia Xiong
- Biological Sciences Division, Fundamental
Sciences
Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Wei-Jun Qian
- Biological Sciences Division, Fundamental
Sciences
Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Allan E. Konopka
- Biological Sciences Division, Fundamental
Sciences
Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Diana J. Bigelow
- Biological Sciences Division, Fundamental
Sciences
Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Thomas C. Squier
- Biological Sciences Division, Fundamental
Sciences
Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
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