Efficient phototrophic production of a high-value sesquiterpenoid from the eukaryotic microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Metabolic Engineering, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymben.2016 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting galley proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. olaf.kruse@uni-bielefeld.de
AbstractThe heterologous expression of terpene synthases in microbial hosts has opened numerous possibilities for bioproduction of desirable metabolites. Photosynthetic microbial hosts present a sustainable alternative to traditional fermentative systems, using freely available (sun)light and carbon dioxide as inputs for bio-production. Here, we report the expression of a patchoulol synthase from Pogostemon cablin Benth in the model green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The sesquiterpenoid patchoulol was produced from the alga and was used as a marker of sesquiterpenoid production capacity. A novel strategy for gene loading was employed and patchoulol was produced up to 922 ± 242 µg g -1 CDW in six days. We additionally investigated the effect of carbon source on sesquiterpenoid productivity from C. reinhardtii in scale-up batch cultivations. It was determined that up to 1.03 mg L -1 sesquiterpenoid products could be produced in completely photoautotrophic conditions and that the alga exhibited altered sesquiterpenoid production metabolism related to carbon source.