Abstract
Nanoparticle application in microalgae for enhanced lipid production is an ongoing work that leads towards the contribution in biodiesel production. During this decade, metal nanoparticles are constantly being reported to have numerous applications in diverse fields, because of their unique optical, electrical, and magnetic properties. They can interact with the biomolecules of cells and thereby alters cellular metabolisms, which in turn reflects their ability to regulate some primary or secondary metabolic pathways. Nanoparticles derived from metals like Fe, Cu, and Se are taking part in redox processes and their presence in many enzymes may modulate algal metabolisms. Besides by upregulating or downregulating the expression of several genes, nanoparticle exposure can alter gene expressions in many organisms. In microalgae such as Chlorella vulgaris, C. pyrenoidosa, Scenedesmus obliquus, S. rubescens, Trachydiscus minutus, Parachlorella kessleri, and Tetraselmis suecica; metal nanoparticle exposure in different environmental conditions have impacts on various physiological or molecular changes, thereby increasing the growth rate, biomass and lipid production. The present mini-review gives an insight into the various advantages and a future outlook on the application of nanoparticles in microalgae for biofuel production. Also, it can be proposed that nanoparticles could be useful in blocking or deactivating the AGPase enzyme (involved in the glucose to starch conversion pathway), binding to its active site, thereby increasing lipid production in microalgae that could be utilized for enhanced biodiesel production.
Highlights
Nanotechnology is currently the most flourishing sector in recent times due to its various applications and prospects
Since the synthesis of NP is becoming progressively straightforward, shortly large-scale production of NPs will be feasible at minimum cost and application of these engineered NPs for enhanced biodiesel production will be possible at a commercial scale (Chintagunta et al, 2021)
Though different genetic engineering strategies applied in Chlorella sp. for biodiesel improvement such as regulon engineering, optimizing light harvesting efficiency, enhancing carbon capture, manipulating precursor building pathways, blocking starch synthesis, modulating fatty acid synthesis, blocking lipolysis, stimulating TAG synthesis, overexpression of acetyltransferases, manipulation of Calvin cycle are in progress but the impact on human health and environmental risks are the major concerns with transgenic microalgae if exposed to natural ecosystems (Sharma et al, 2018) as they are the primary producers in aquatic ecosystems and may cause catastrophe in the ecosystem
Summary
Nanotechnology is currently the most flourishing sector in recent times due to its various applications and prospects. The enzyme AGPase (ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase) taking part in the starch biosynthesis process (Zabawinski et al, 2001), acts as a bottleneck in lipid production in microalgae Blocking this starch synthesis pathway by inactivating AGPase enzyme (Li et al, 2010; Sharma et al, 2018) that catalyzes the conversion of glucose-1–phosphate to ADP-glucose; the precursor of starch biosynthesis, through the application of engineered NP could be an effective way to enhance lipid production in microalgae to a greater extent. This approach could be promising towards the enhancement of biodiesel production. In this present mini-review, the advantages of the application of engineered NPs in microalgae for enhanced lipid production and its future outlook has been discussed along with a proposed hypothesis on enhanced lipid production through blocking AGPase enzyme in microalgae
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