Expression of bacterial phosphite dehydrogenase confers phosphite availability in a unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae

• Published in: Journal of general and applied microbiology Vol. 69; no. 5; pp. 287 - 291
• Main Authors: Kobayashi, Ikki, Imamura, Sousuke, Hirota, Ryuichi, Kuroda, Akio, Tanaka, Kan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Applied Microbiology, Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Research Foundation 01-01-2023; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Algae; Aquatic microorganisms; Contamination; Cyanidioschyzon merolae; Dehydrogenase; Microalgae; Microalgal cultivation; Microorganisms; NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases - genetics; Phosphite; Phosphite dehydrogenase; Phosphites - metabolism; Phosphorus; Phosphorus metabolism; Rhodophyta - genetics; Strains (organisms); Cyanidioschyzon merolae; Microalgae; Phosphorus metabolism; Phosphite dehydrogenase; Microalgal cultivation; Phosphite
• ISSN: 0022-1260; 1349-8037
• DOI: 10.2323/jgam.2023.08.002

Microalgae are promising cell factories for producing value-added products. Large-scale microalgal cultivation suffers from invasion by contaminating microorganisms. Since most contaminating organisms cannot utilize phosphite as a unique phosphorus source, phosphite-utilizing ability may provide a growth advantage against contaminating organisms and solve this problem. Studies showed that microorganisms, typically unable to metabolize phosphite, can utilize phosphite by expressing exogenous phosphite dehydrogenase. Here, we constructed Cyanidioschyzon merolae strains introduced with the phosphite dehydrogenase gene, ptxD, from Ralstonia sp. 4506. The ptxD-introduced strains grew in a phosphite-dependent manner, with the phosphite-related growth rate almost matching that with phosphate as sole phosphorus source.