Creating a spatially defined, multidimensional, protein interactome of the eukaryotic algal CO2 concentrating mechanism

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Photosynthesis harnesses energy from the sun to fix carbon dioxide (CO2) into sugars and the protein building blocks of life. To enhance photosynthesis some plants and nearly all algae have evolved mechanisms to increase the accumulation of CO2 from their surrounding environment, this process in known as a CO2 concentrating mechanism (CCM). It is predicted that the transfer of a CCM to crop plants, such as rice and wheat that have failed to evolve CCMs, could increase yields by up to 60%. A promising CCM donor candidate is a green alga called Chlamydomonas, which has a highly efficient CCM. For the successful implementation of an algal CCM into crop plants it is essential that all the components are known, where they are found in the cell and how they function together. This project aims to rapidly identify all the proteins that make up the Chlamydomonas CCM and to determine how they interact with each other to form a functional unit that enhances CO2 uptake. To achieve this, we will determine where the different protein components of the CCM are located in the algal cell, we will then identify what proteins they are interacting with and how these interactions change when the CCM is switched on and off. This will allow us to understand the network of the CCM and how it is regulated. Finally, using mutants that lack individual proteins of the CCM, we will determine the functional importance of each protein component. The localisation, interaction and protein function data will be combined to create a detailed 3D map of the CCM that can be easily explored through an open-access, online interactive viewing platform. It is anticipated that these data will facilitate the transfer of a CCM into crop plants to increase photosynthesis and yields.