Implicating the red body of Nannochloropsis in forming the recalcitrant cell wall polymer algaenan.

Stramenopile algae contribute significantly to global primary productivity, and one class, Eustigmatophyceae, is increasingly studied for applications in high-value lipid production. Yet much about their basic biology remains unknown, including the nature of an enigmatic, pigmented globule found in vegetative cells. Here, we present an in-depth examination of this "red body," focusing on Nannochloropsis oceanica.

Biosynthesis of chlorophyll c in a dinoflagellate and heterologous production in planta.

Chlorophyll c is a key photosynthetic pigment that has been used historically to classify eukaryotic algae. Despite its importance in global photosynthetic productivity, the pathway for its biosynthesis has remained elusive. Here we define the CHLOROPHYLL C SYNTHASE (CHLCS) discovered through investigation of a dinoflagellate mutant deficient in chlorophyll c.

Tripterygium wilfordii cytochrome P450s catalyze the methyl shift and epoxidations in the biosynthesis of triptonide.

The diterpenoid triepoxides triptolide and triptonide from Tripterygium wilfordii (thunder god wine) exhibit unique bioactivities with potential uses in disease treatment and as a non-hormonal male contraceptives. Here, we show that cytochrome P450s (CYPs) from the CYP71BE subfamily catalyze an unprecedented 18(4→3) methyl shift required for biosynthesis of the abeo-abietane core structure present in diterpenoid triepoxides and in several other plant diterpenoids. In combination with two CYPs of the CYP82D subfamily, four CYPs from T.

Circular biomanufacturing through harvesting solar energy and CO.

Using synthetic biology, it is now time to expand the biosynthetic repertoire of plants and microalgae by utilizing the chloroplast to augment the production of desired high-value compounds and of oil-, carbohydrate-, or protein-enriched biomass based on direct harvesting of solar energy and the consumption of CO. Multistream product lines based on separate commercialization of the isolated high-value compounds and of the improved bulk products increase the economic potential of the light-driven production system and accelerate commercial scale up. Here we outline the scientific basis for the establishment of such green circular biomanufacturing systems and highlight recent results that make this a realistic option based on cross-disciplinary basic and applied research to advance long-term solutions.

An algal enzyme required for biosynthesis of the most abundant marine carotenoids.

Fucoxanthin and its derivatives are the main light-harvesting pigments in the photosynthetic apparatus of many chromalveolate algae and represent the most abundant carotenoids in the world's oceans, thus being major facilitators of marine primary production. A central step in fucoxanthin biosynthesis that has been elusive so far is the conversion of violaxanthin to neoxanthin. Here, we show that in chromalveolates, this reaction is catalyzed by violaxanthin de-epoxidase-like (VDL) proteins and that VDL is also involved in the formation of other light-harvesting carotenoids such as peridinin or vaucheriaxanthin.