Transgenic cells with increased plastoquinone levels and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9528119-B2
Application number	US-201414307180-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2014
Priority date	Jun 17, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed herein are transgenic cells expressing a heterologous nucleic acid encoding a prephenate dehydrogenase (PDH) protein, a heterologous nucleic acid encoding a homogentisate solanesyl transferase (HST) protein, a heterologous nucleic acid encoding a deoxyxylulose phosphate synthase (DXS) protein, or a combination of two or more thereof. In particular examples, the disclosed transgenic cells have increased plastoquinone levels. Also disclosed are methods of increasing cell growth rates or production of biomass by cultivating transgenic cells expressing a heterologous nucleic acid encoding a PDH protein, a heterologous nucleic acid encoding an HST protein, a heterologous nucleic acid encoding a DXS protein, or a combination of two or more thereof under conditions sufficient to produce cell growth or biomass.

First claim

We claim:

1. A transgenic photosynthetic cell comprising heterologous nucleic acids encoding:
(i) a prephenate dehydrogenase (PDH) protein; and
(ii) a homogentisate solanesyl transferase (HST) protein.

2. The transgenic cell of claim 1 , wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encoding the PDH protein comprises a nucleic acid sequence having at least 90% identity to SEQ ID NO: 1.

3. The transgenic cell of claim 1 , wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encoding the PDH protein encodes a PDH protein comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO: 2.

4. The transgenic cell of claim 1 , wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encoding the HST protein comprises a nucleic acid sequence having at least 90% identity to SEQ ID NO: 3.

5. The transgenic cell of claim 1 , wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encoding the HST protein encodes an HST protein comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO: 4.

6. The transgenic cell of claim 1 , wherein the heterologous nucleic acid is expressed under the control of a constitutive promoter.

7. The transgenic cell of claim 1 , wherein the heterologous nucleic acid is in an expression vector.

8. The transgenic cell of claim 7 , wherein the expression vector comprises a plasmid.

9. The transgenic cell of claim 1 , wherein the transgenic cell is a transgenic plant cell or a transgenic alga cell.

10. The transgenic cell of claim 9 , wherein the alga cell is a Chlamydomonas alga cell.

11. The transgenic cell of claim 1 , wherein the transgenic cell has increased amounts of plastoquinone as compared to a control cell.

12. A method of producing a photosynthetic cell comprising an increased amount of plastoquinone compared to a control cell, comprising expressing in the cell heterologous nucleic acids encoding:
(i) a prephenate dehydrogenase (PDH) protein; and
(ii) a homogentisate solanesyl transferase (HST) protein.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encoding the PDH protein comprises a nucleic acid at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO: 1.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encoding the PDH protein encodes a PDH protein comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO: 2.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encoding the HST protein comprises a nucleic acid at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO: 3.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encoding the HST protein encodes an HST protein comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO: 4.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cell is a plant cell or an alga cell.

18. The transgenic cell of claim 17 , wherein the alga cell is a Chlamydomonas alga cell.

19. A method of increasing production of biomass, comprising cultivating the transgenic cell of claim 1 under conditions sufficient to produce biomass, wherein the cultivated transgenic cell produces increased biomass as compared to a control.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the conditions sufficient to produce biomass comprise a light-dark cycle.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the light-dark cycle comprises:
at least one period of light of about 8-12 hours and at least one period of dark of about 12-16 hours; or
at least one period of light of about 30 minutes to 3 hours and at least one period of dark of about 30 minutes to 3 hours.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the culture comprising the transgenic cell is grown in a bioreactor or a raceway.

Assignees

• Los Alamos Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Sayre Richard T
• Subramanian Sowmya
• Cahoon Edgar

Classifications

• C12N15/8261 Primary

  with agronomic (input) traits, e.g. crop yield · CPC title

• C12N15/8269

  Photosynthesis · CPC title

• C12Y202/01007

  1-Deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (2.2.1.7) · CPC title

• Y02A40/146

  Genetically Modified [GMO] plants, e.g. transgenic plants · CPC title

• C12Y103/01012

  Prephenate dehydrogenase (1.3.1.12) · CPC title