Uncovering the biological roles of recently discovered carbohydrate-active enzymes in green microalgae.

微藻已经在地球上的每个栖息地定居，并且在为全球海洋生物碳泵提供燃料方面至关重要。此外，微藻生物技术对于发展可持续经济至关重要。藻类是一个复杂的进化历史的结果，它塑造了它们的代谢网络，它们生物学的许多方面仍然没有得到充分的研究。溶解性多糖单加氧酶（LPMO）是参与细菌、真菌和昆虫中多糖代谢的含铜酶，并且最近才在藻类中发现（Sabbadin等人，Nat.Com. 2018年）。在这些生物体中，这些酶还没有生物学作用。在这种情况下，目前的项目将调查在莱茵衣藻中确定的三个候选LPMO的潜在作用，莱茵衣藻是一个完善的遗传和基因组模型，用于研究藻类生物学的不同方面。初步分析表明，这三种酶在不同的生物过程中的作用，并将使用反向遗传学，细胞生物学，生物化学，分子和计算机方法的组合来测试假设。研究结果将有助于进一步了解藻类的初级代谢和环境适应等基本过程。这将有助于更好地了解藻类的生态成功，并为它们在生物技术应用中的应用提供支持。

Microalgae have colonized every habitat on Earth, and are paramount in fueling the global ocean biological carbon pump. Moreover, microalgal biotechnology is of prime importance for developing a sustainable economy. Algae result from a complex evolutionary history that shaped their metabolic networks, and many aspects of their biology remain understudied. Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are copper-containing enzymes involved in the metabolism of polysaccharides in bacteria, fungi, and insects, and have only recently been discovered in algae (Sabbadin et al. Nat. Com. 2018). No biological roles have been associated with these enzymes in these organisms yet. In this context, the current project will investigate the potential roles of three candidate LPMOs identified in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a well-established genetic and genomic model to study different aspects of algal biology. Preliminary analysis has suggested roles in different biological processes for these three enzymes, and hypotheses will be tested using a combination of reverse genetics, cell biology, biochemical, molecular, and in silico approaches. Results obtained will advance understanding on fundamental processes such as algal primary metabolism and environmental adaptation. It will help to better understand the ecological success of algae, and provide support for their uses in biotechnological applications.