Sustainable Production of Bio-Based Geraniol: Heterologous Expression of Early Terpenoid Pathway Enzymes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Sustainable Production of Bio-Based Geraniol: Heterologous Expression of Early Terpenoid Pathway Enzymes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
byFederico Perozeni, Edoardo Ceschi, Giovanni Luzzini, Davide Slaghenaufi, Matteo Pivato, Stefano Cazzaniga, Thomas Baier, Alexander Einhaus, Sebastian Overmans, Kyle J. Lauersen, Maurizio Ugliano, Matteo Ballottari
SSB Lab member Sebastian Overmans assisted with the difficult GC detection of Geraniol in dodecane samples for this manuscript. The manuscript was largely managed and conducted by group of Matteo Ballotari.
Abstract
Geraniol is a monoterpene alcohol with a rose-like aroma, used in food and cosmetics and for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and insect-repellent properties. Geraniol is commonly chemically synthesized from petroleum-based sources in a highly energy-demanding process with a large carbon footprint. Alternatively, geraniol can be derived from plant-based essential oils but with relatively low yields and limitations from seasonal cultivation. Here, a sustainable geraniol biosynthesis alternative was established in the photosynthetic green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Three enzymes─geraniol synthase from Catharanthus roseus (CrGES), geranyl diphosphate synthase from Lithospermum erythrorhizon (LeGPPS), and a modified 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase from Salvia pomifera(SpDXS)─were strategically redesigned for high expression from the algal nuclear genome. Various enzyme combinations and subcellular localizations were tested, resulting after 48 h in up to 1 mg geraniol/L (corresponding to 1.8 mg/g of dry weight) secreted into the culture medium. This work demonstrates a promising route for sustainable, CO2-based production of geraniol in microalgae and provides a foundation for further optimization.