Photosynthetic directed endosymbiosis to investigate the role of bioenergetics in chloroplast function and evolution.

Cyanobacterial photosynthesis (to produce ATP and NADPH) might have played a pivotal role in the endosymbiotic evolution to chloroplast. However, rather than meeting the ATP requirements of the host cell, the modern-day land plant chloroplasts are suggested to utilize photosynthesized ATP predominantly for carbon assimilation. This is further highlighted by the fact that the plastidic ADP/ATP carrier translocases from land plants preferentially import ATP.

Introducing carbon assimilation in yeasts using photosynthetic directed endosymbiosis.

Conversion of heterotrophic organisms into partially or completely autotrophic organisms is primarily accomplished by extensive metabolic engineering and laboratory evolution efforts that channel CO into central carbon metabolism. Here, we develop a directed endosymbiosis approach to introduce carbon assimilation in budding yeasts. Particularly, we engineer carbon assimilating and sugar-secreting photosynthetic cyanobacterial endosymbionts within the yeast cells, which results in the generation of yeast/cyanobacteria chimeras that propagate under photosynthetic conditions in the presence of CO and in the absence of feedstock carbon sources like glucose or glycerol.

Discovery and biosynthesis of macrophasetins from the plant pathogen fungus .

3-Decalinoyltetramic acids (DTAs) are a class of natural products with chemical diversity and potent bioactivities. In fungal species there is a general biosynthetic route to synthesize this type of compounds, which usually features a polyketide synthase-nonribosomal peptide synthetase (PKS-NRPS) and a lipocalin-like Diels-Alderase (LLDAse). Using a synthetic biology approach, combining the bioinformatics analysis prediction and heterologous expression, we mined a PKS-NRPS and LLDAse encoding gene cluster from the plant pathogenic fungus and characterized the cluster to be responsible for the biosynthesis of novel DTAs, macrophasetins.

Transcriptome analysis of malate-induced sp. FJU-512 reveals a novel pathway for biosynthesis of docosahexaenoic acid with enhanced expression of genes responsible for acetyl-CoA and NADPH accumulation.

is one of the few oleaginous microalgae that produce docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich lipids. In this study, global changes in gene expression levels of sp. FJU-512 cultured with malate in a 15 l-bioreactor was analyzed using comparative transcriptomics.

Engineering artificial photosynthetic life-forms through endosymbiosis.

The evolutionary origin of the photosynthetic eukaryotes drastically altered the evolution of complex lifeforms and impacted global ecology. The endosymbiotic theory suggests that photosynthetic eukaryotes evolved due to endosymbiosis between non-photosynthetic eukaryotic host cells and photosynthetic cyanobacterial or algal endosymbionts. The photosynthetic endosymbionts, propagating within the cytoplasm of the host cells, evolved, and eventually transformed into chloroplasts.

Heterologous expression of a natural product biosynthetic gene cluster from Cordyceps militaris.

Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi widely used in old Chinese medicine, and many investigations have focus on uncovering their biological activities. Until now, only a few compounds have been identified from Cordyceps, mainly due to their poor yield. So as to make full use of Cordyceps, we used the strategy of genome mining and heterologous expression to discover natural products (NPs) from Cordyceps militaris.

Genome mining and biosynthesis of the Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitor beauveriolide I and III in Cordyceps militaris.

Ascomycete fungi Cordyceps are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, and numerous investigations have been carried out to uncover their biological activities. However, primary researches on the physiological effects of Cordyceps were committed using crude extracts. At present, there are only a few compounds which were comprehensively characterized from Cordyceps, partial owing to the low production.

Isolation and characterization of a new cytotoxic polyketide-amino acid hybrid from ATCC 42464.

Fungi are a rich source of novel anticancer compounds. Bioassay-guided isolation has led to the isolation of four polyketide-amino acid hybrid compounds with -fused decalin system from the fungus ATCC 42464 (= ATCC 42464): myceliothermophins A, B, E and F (-). The structure of the new compound (myceliothermophin F, compound ) was clearly determined by a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis and high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectroscopy (HRESIMS).