Compositions and methods for modulating biomass productivity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9765126-B2
Application number	US-201414506575-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2014
Priority date	Oct 4, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

The disclosure generally relates to methods and materials for modulating cell productivity. In particular, the present disclosure provides polynucleotides encoding transcription factor proteins that when overexpressed in microorganisms result in increased in productivity, such as increased biomass productivity. Also disclosed are methods of using the genetically engineered host strains to modulate or increase productivity of host cells such as, for example, algal or heterokont cells. Genetically engineered host cells, such as algal and heterokont cells having increased biomass productivity and bioproducts derived from such host cells are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recombinant microorganism comprising a non-native nucleic acid molecule encoding a non-LEC1-type HAP3-like polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to the polypeptide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:16, and SEQ ID NO:20, wherein expression of the non-native nucleic acid molecule in the recombinant microorganism produces increased biomass or lipid with respect to a control microorganism that does not include the non-native nucleic acid molecule encoding a non-LEC1-type HAP3-like polypeptide; further wherein the microorganism is an alga or heterokont.

2. The recombinant microorganism according to claim 1 , wherein the non-LEC1-type HAP3-like polypeptide has at least 95% sequence identity to the polypeptide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:16, and SEQ ID NO:20.

3. The recombinant microorganism according to claim 1 , wherein the non-LEC1-type HAP3-like polypeptide comprises the polypeptide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:61, and SEQ ID NO:62.

4. The recombinant microorganism according to claim 1 , wherein the non-LEC1-type HAP3-like polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4.

5. The recombinant microorganism according to claim 4 , wherein the non-LEC1-type HAP3-like polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4.

6. The recombinant host cell microorganism according to claim 1 , wherein the recombinant microorganism is a heterokont microorganism belonging to a genus selected from the group consisting of Labryinthula, Labryinthuloides, Thraustochytrium, Schizochytrium, Aplanochytrium, Aurantiochytrium, Japonochytrium, Diplophrys , and Ulkenia.

7. The recombinant microorganism according to claim 1 , wherein said recombinant microorganism is an alga belonging to a genus selected from the group consisting of Achnanthes, Amphiprora, Amphora, Ankistrodesmus, Asteromonas, Boekelovia, Bolidomonas, Borodinella, Botrydium, Botryococcus, Bracteococcus, Chaetoceros, Carteria, Chlamydomonas, Chlorococcum, Chlorogonium, Chlorella, Chroomonas, Chrysosphaera, Cricosphaera, Crypthecodinium, Cryptomonas, Cyclotella, Desmodesmus, Dunaliella, Elipsoidon, Emiliania, Eremosphaera, Ernodesmius, Euglena, Eustigmatos, Franceia, Fragilaria, Fragilaropsis, Gloeothamnion, Haematococcus, Hantzschia, Heterosigma, Hymenomonas, Isochrysis, Lepocinclis, Micractinium, Monodus, Monoraphidium, Nannochloris, Nannochloropsis, Navicula, Neochloris, Nephrochloris, Nephroselmis, Nitzschia, Ochromonas, Oedogonium, Oocystis, Ostreococcus, Parachlorella, Parietochloris, Pascheria, Pavlova, Pelagomonas, Phæodactylum, Phagus, Picochlorum, Platymonas, Pleurochrysis, Pleurococcus, Prototheca, Pseudochlorella, Pseudoneochloris, Pseudostaurastrum, Pyramimonas, Pyrobotrys, Scenedesmus, Schizochlamydella, Skeletonema, Spyrogyra, Stichococcus, Tetrachlorella, Tetraselmis, Thalassiosira, Tribonema, Vaucheria, Viridiella, Vischeria , and Volvox.

8. The recombinant microorganism according to claim 7 , wherein said alga belongs to a genus selected from the group consisting of Chlorella, Cyclotella, Eustigmatos, Monodus, Nannochloropsis, Vischeria, Phæodactylum , and Tetraselmis.

9. The recombinant microorganism according to claim 8 , wherein said alga is a Nannochloropsis cell.

10. A microbial biomass comprising the recombinant microorganism of claim 1 .

11. A method for producing a biomass or a lipid, comprising culturing the recombinant microorganism according to claim 1 , and producing the biomass or the lipid therefrom.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said recombinant microorganism is an alga.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said alga belongs to a genus selected from the group consisting of Achnanthes, Amphiprora, Amphora, Ankistrodesmus, Asteromonas, Boekelovia, Bolidomonas, Borodinella, Botrydium, Botryococcus, Bracteococcus, Chaetoceros, Carteria, Chlamydomonas, Chlorococcum, Chlorogonium, Chlorella, Chroomonas, Chrysosphaera, Cricosphaera, Crypthecodinium, Cryptomonas, Cyclotella, Desmodesmus, Dunaliella, Elipsoidon, Emiliania, Eremosphaera, Ernodesmius, Euglena, Eustigmatos, Franceia, Fragilaria, Fragilaropsis, Gloeothamnion, Haematococcus, Hantzschia, Heterosigma, Hymenomonas, Isochrysis, Lepocinclis, Micractinium, Monodus, Monoraphidium, Nannochloris, Nannochloropsis, Navicula, Neochloris, Nephrochloris, Nephroselmis, Nitzschia, Ochromonas, Oedogonium, Oocystis, Ostreococcus, Parachlorella, Parietochloris, Pascheria, Pavlova, Pelagomonas, Phæodactylum, Phagus, Picochlorum, Platymonas, Pleurochrysis, Pleurococcus, Prototheca, Pseudochlorella, Pseudoneochloris, Pseudostaurastrum, Pyramimonas, Pyrobotrys, Scenedesmus, Schizochlamydella, Skeletonema, Spyrogyra, Stichococcus, Tetrachlorella, Tetraselmis, Thalassiosira, Tribonema, Vaucheria, Viridiella, Vischeria , and Volvox.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said alga belongs to a genus selected from the group consisting of Chlorella, Cyclotella, Eustigmatos, Monodus, Nannochloropsis, Phæodactylum, Vischeria, and Tetraselmis.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said alga is a Nannochloropsis cell.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein said culturing is under photoautotrophic conditions.

Assignees

• Synthetic Genomics Inc

Inventors

• Ajjawi Imad
• Aqui Moena
• Soriaga Leah

Classifications

• C12N1/12

  Unicellular algae; Culture media therefor (as new plants A01H13/00) · CPC title

• C12N15/79

  Vectors or expression systems specially adapted for eukaryotic hosts · CPC title

• C12P21/00

  Preparation of peptides or proteins (single cell protein C12N1/00) · CPC title

• C12P19/00

  Preparation of compounds containing saccharide radicals (ketoaldonic acids C12P7/58) · CPC title

• C12P7/64

  Fats; Fatty oils; Ester-type waxes; Higher fatty acids, i.e. having at least seven carbon atoms in an unbroken chain bound to a carboxyl group; Oxidised oils or fats · CPC title