Synthetic Algal Promoters as a Tool for Increasing Nuclear Gene Expression in Green Algae
The data demonstrates the utility of synthetic promoters to drive gene expression in green algae, and lays the groundwork for the development of a suite of SAPs capable of driving the robust and complex gene expression that will be required for algae to reach their potential as an industrial platform for photosynthetic bio-manufacturing.
These promoters could be used to drive the expression of high-value protein products in algae such as nutriceticals and therapeutic proteins. Synthetic promoters could also be used to express metabolic enzymes for the engineering of algal strains for increased growth or production of biofuels or other chemical products
Researchers from UC San Diego generated synthetic algal promoters (SAPs) as a tool for increasing nuclear gene expression and as a model for understanding promoter elements and structure in green algae. This invention provides synthetic promoters capable of promoting and/or initiating transcription of a polynucleotide in an algal cell, and methods of designing, producing and using such promoters More specifically, promoters were generated to mimic native cis-motif elements, structure, and overall nucleotide composition of top expressing genes from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a green microalga. Twenty five SAPs were used to drive expression of a fluorescent report in transgenic algae. A majority of the promoters were functional in vivo and seven were identified to drive expression of the fluorescent reporter better than the current best endogenous promoter in C. reinhardtii, the chimeric hsp70/rbs2 promoter. Further analysis of the best synthetic algal promoter, sapl 1, revealed a new DNA motif essential for promoter function that is widespread and highly conserved in C. reinhardtii.
State Of Development To date, synthetic promoters have been shown to drive the expression of multiple genes of interest in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii including the fluorescent reporter mCherry, the industrial enzyme xylanase, and the therapeutic protein Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GCSF). Intellectual Property Info This technology has a published patent and is available for licensing into commercial products Related Materials Tech ID/UC Case 29577/2016-186-0 Related Cases 2016-186-0
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