Abstract
Microalgae have presented themselves as a strong candidate to replace diminishing oil reserves as a source of lipids for biofuels. Here we describe successful modifications of terrestrial plant lipid content which increase overall lipid production or shift the balance of lipid production towards lipid varieties more useful for biofuel production. Our discussion ranges from the biosynthetic pathways and rate limiting steps of triacylglycerol formation to enzymes required for the formation of triacylglycerol containing exotic lipids. Secondarily, we discuss techniques for genetic engineering and modification of various microalgae which can be combined with insights gained from research in higher plants to aid in the creation of production strains of microalgae.
Highlights
In the past decade, the price of crude oil has ranged from 20 dollars a barrel to nearly 170 dollars a barrel
Regardless of the final storage type, de novo fatty acid biosynthesis in plants occurs exclusively in the stroma of plastids, whereas, with the exception of plastidial desaturation and a few complex lipid biosyntheses, most modifications of fatty acyl residues and TAG synthesis from acyl chains are localized in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) [6]
Co-expression of Cuphea hookeriana FatB1 thioesterase and KAS Brassica napus 30-40% increase in short chain fatty acid content over FatB1 expression only
Summary
The price of crude oil has ranged from 20 dollars a barrel to nearly 170 dollars a barrel. Co-expression of a lauratespecific coconut LPAAT into rapeseed containing the Umbellularia californica thioesterase resulted in further increases in laurate levels, up to 67% of the total fatty acid content [77] Another lesson learned from the study of laurate-producing transgenic plants was the importance of enzymes for lauryl-CoA b-oxidation, malate dehydrogenase, and isocitrate lyase, all of which participate in the glyoxylate cycle for fatty acid carbon reutilization. Seed oil containing 40% of caprylate (8:0) and 37% caprate (10:0) in total fatty acids from a mutant Cuphea viscosissimal had a coking index (a measure of engine carbon deposition) comparable to that of No 2 diesel used by on road vehicles in the US, albeit with the problem of poor low-temperature viscosity [80,81] Another interesting study involves the 1,2-diacyl-3-acetyl-sn-glycerols (ac-TAG) from the seeds of Euonymus alatus (Burning Bush). Further fundamental studies in algae metabolism hold the possibility of making the algae cell a multi-use feedstock and creating a true “green gold”
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