CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Knockout of the Lycopene ε-Cyclase for Efficient Astaxanthin Production in the Green Microalga .

Carotenoids are valuable pigments naturally occurring in all photosynthetic plants and microalgae as well as in selected fungi, bacteria, and archaea. Green microalgae developed a complex carotenoid profile suitable for efficient light harvesting and light protection and harbor great capacity for carotenoid production through the substantial power of the endogenous 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway. Previous works established successful genome editing and induced significant changes in the cellular carotenoid content in .

Metabolic Engineering for Efficient Ketocarotenoid Accumulation in the Green Microalga .

Astaxanthin is a valuable ketocarotenoid with various pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Green microalgae harbor natural capacities for pigment accumulation due to their 2--methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway. Recently, a redesigned ß-carotene ketolase (BKT) was found to enable ketocarotenoid accumulation in the model microalga , and transformants exhibited reduced photoinhibition under high-light.