Rerouting the photorespiration pathway in plants for increasing bioproduct yield
Inventors
Yuan, Shuhua (Joshua) • Ort, Donald • Chappell, Joseph • Zhu, Xinguang • Ma, Hong • Kim, Yong Kyoung
Assignees
University of Kentucky • University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign • Texas A&M University
Publication Number
US-10106826-B2
Publication Date
2018-10-23
Expiration Date
2034-02-28
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods of producing biological products or increasing production of such products through expression in a plant of a bacterial or plant glycolate catabolic cycle gene, such as glycolate dehydrogenease (GDH), glycolate oxidase (GO), or malate synthase (MS) in combination with a plant gene, such as farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPS), squalene synthase (SQS), or PLAS. Also provided are plants, plants parts and compositions produced through methods of the present invention. The invention leads to two to five fold increase of end product yield.
Core Innovation
The invention provides methods for producing biological products or increasing their yield in plants through the expression of bacterial glycolate catabolic cycle genes, such as glycolate dehydrogenase (GDH), glycolate oxidase (GO), or malate synthase (MS), in combination with plant genes like farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPS), squalene synthase (SQS), or PLAS. The method may be applied to both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants and allows for the production and increased accumulation of compounds such as terpenes, biofuels, therapeutics, and bioplastics.
The problem addressed by the invention is the substantial metabolic cost of photorespiration in plants, where up to 25% of carbon fixed during photosynthesis is lost. Prior attempts to modify photorespiration have focused only on growth improvements, with limited and irreproducible success, and have not been directed toward the production of valuable bioproducts.
By rerouting the photorespiration pathway—specifically channeling products like glycolate into biosynthesis pathways for targeted compounds—this invention enables carbon that would otherwise be lost to photorespiration to be utilized for increased production of commercially valuable products, including squalene and other terpenoids. The invention describes plant genetic engineering strategies to incorporate both bacterial and plant genes in the target pathways, including use of regulatory elements and transit peptides for proper gene expression and chloroplast targeting.
Claims Coverage
There are two independent claims which define the principal inventive features of the patent.
Expression of glycolate catabolic cycle genes with terpenoid pathway genes in Nicotiana
A method for producing a terpene in a Nicotiana plant by expressing in the plant: - A bacterial glycolate oxidase (GO) or glycolate dehydrogenase (GDH) gene, - A bacterial malate synthase (MS) gene of the glycolate catabolic cycle, - A plant farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPS) gene, and - A plant squalene synthase (SQS) gene, wherein each of these genes includes a chloroplast transit peptide coding sequence.
Production of Nicotiana plant containing specified genes with chloroplast targeting
A Nicotiana plant produced by the method described above, comprising in its parts: - Bacterial glycolate oxidase or glycolate dehydrogenase, - Bacterial malate synthase gene of the glycolate catabolic cycle, - Plant farnesyl diphosphate synthase, and - Squalene synthase gene, where each gene includes a chloroplast transit peptide coding sequence.
The inventive features cover the genetic engineering of Nicotiana plants to express a defined set of bacterial and plant genes involved in glycolate catabolism and terpene biosynthesis, all targeted to the chloroplast, thereby enabling increased terpene production.
Stated Advantages
The invention enables a two- to five-fold increase in yield of targeted end products, such as terpenes, compared to previous methods.
It provides a solution to dramatically decrease bioproduct production costs for plants, aiding economic viability for biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.
The invention offers a method to increase photosynthetic efficiency and biomass production in C3 plants.
The approach allows for enhanced production of various valuable bioproducts, such as terpenes, PHA, PHB, PLA, and lipids.
Documented Applications
Production of terpenes, including squalene, leutin, astaxanthin, and other terpenoids in plants.
Production of biofuels and biofuel intermediates in plants.
Production of therapeutic compounds, such as nutraceutical and terpenoid-derived compounds.
Production of bioplastics, including PHA, PHB, and PLA in plants.
Production of carbon-containing products through engineered plant metabolic pathways.
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