Comparative analysis of genes involved in biosynthesis of fatty acids in green algae

Many green algae have the ability to produce substantial amounts of triacylglycerols (TAG) as a storage lipid under photo-oxidative stress or other adverse environmental conditions. Fatty acids, the building blocks for TAGs and all other cellular lipids, are synthesized in the chloroplast using a single set of enzymes, of which acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACCase) is key in regulating fatty acid synthesis rates. Green algae can be used as an alternative and renewable source of lipid-rich biomass feedstock for biofuels that has been explored over the past few decades, a scalable, commercially viable system has yet to emerge. Many genes encoding enzymes of glycerolipid biosynthesis and fatty acid desaturation have been identified by genetic and biochemical means. In addition the availability of Arabidopsis genome sequence has facilitated the annotation of many uncharacterized gene products which are likely to have activities in lipid biosynthesis. The eukaryotic green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a model organism to study biosynthesis and physiological functions of nonphosphorous lipids as well as phospholipids. The objective of this project is to compare the genes involved in biosynthesis of fatty acids in green algae such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Chlorella and other green algae. Genes encoding proteins involved in biosynthesis were predicted on the basis of similarity to proteins with confirmed functions and were organized so as to reconstruct the major pathways of glycerolipid synthesis in Chlamydomonas. My project involves the analysis that compares and contrasts the majority of genes predicted to encode enzymes involved in anabolic reactions of membrane lipid biosynthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and other green algae.