Algal lipid bodies: stress induction, purification, and biochemical characterization in wild-type and starchless Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

ABSTRACT: When the unicellular green soil alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is deprived of nitrogen after entering stationary phase in liquid culture, the cells produce abundant cytoplasmic lipid bodies (LBs), as well as abundant starch, via a pathway that accompanies a regulated autophagy program. After 48 h of N starvation in the presence of acetate, the wild-type LB content has increased 15-fold. When starch biosynthesis is blocked in the sta6 mutant, the LB content increases 30-fold, demonstrating that genetic manipulation can enhance LB production. The use of cell wall-less strains permitted development of a rapid "popped-cell" microscopic assay to quantitate the LB content per cell and permitted gentle cell breakage and LB isolation. The highly purified LBs contain 90% triacylglycerol (TAG) and 1

SUBMITTER: Wang ZT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2794211 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature