Two algae proteins team up to make more pigment
Ma R, Li X, Meng X, Zhang Z, Chen Y
Crispr
The lycopene in your tomatoes and the beta-carotene in your carrots come from the same biological pathway this algae now produces more efficiently, which could mean cheaper natural colorings and supplements down the line.
Researchers found that a tiny green algae makes more colorful, healthy pigments called carotenoids when two of its internal proteins physically link up and work as a team. One protein, called ORANGE, acts like a helper that boosts the activity of another protein, PSY, which builds the pigments. By turning up the helper protein's activity using a gene-editing tool, the team got the algae to pack in even more of these valuable pigments, the same kind that give tomatoes their red and carrots their orange.
Key Findings
CsORANGE and CsPSY proteins physically bind together, confirmed via yeast two-hybrid and BiFC assays
Co-expressing both proteins in engineered E. coli significantly increased lycopene accumulation versus PSY alone
CRISPR activation of endogenous CsORANGE boosted carotenoid accumulation in engineered algae transformants
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists boosted pigment production in a fast-growing algae by getting two proteins to work together, a trick that could make it cheaper to produce natural food colorings and health supplements like beta-carotene and lycopene.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Enhancing carotenoid production in Chlorella sorokiniana through the protein-protein interaction between ORANGE and PSY.
The green microalga Chlorella sorokiniana FZU60, capable of achieving ultra-high biomass concentrations under heterotrophic conditions, is a promising chassis for carotenoid production. Enhancing i...
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