A technical breakthrough close at hand: feasible approaches toward establishing a gene-targeting genetic transformation system in seaweeds

Cultivar Development of Kelps for Commercial Cultivation—Past Lessons and Future Prospects

“…These processes are regulated by environmental conditions. Several species can produce sporophytes through parthenogenesis, where sporophytes are produced directly from non-fertilized female gametes (Nakahara and Nakamura, 1973;Fang, 1984;Wu and Lin, 1987;Lewis et al, 1993;Ar Gall et al, 1996;Liptack and Druehl, 2000;Druehl et al, 2005;Oppliger et al, 2007;2014;Westermeier et al, 2007;Shan et al, 2013;Müller et al, 2019). Parthenogenic sporophytes can either be haploid or diploid.…”

“…Heritable genetic modification through transgenesis, insertion of gene constructs into random locations in the genome, is possible for a number of algae, including S. japonica and U. pinnatifida (Qin et al, 2012;Gan and Maggs, 2017). There are, however, still needs for optimization of, e.g., promoters, codon usage, and systems for selecting transformed cells (Lin and Qin, 2014;Mikami, 2014). Initial attempts of targeted gene editing have only been reported from a few microalgae so far (Mikami, 2014;Gan and Maggs, 2017).…”

“…There are, however, still needs for optimization of, e.g., promoters, codon usage, and systems for selecting transformed cells (Lin and Qin, 2014;Mikami, 2014). Initial attempts of targeted gene editing have only been reported from a few microalgae so far (Mikami, 2014;Gan and Maggs, 2017). As our understanding of functional genomics in kelp species develops, gene editing has the potential to facilitate introduction of specific traits that are controlled by one or a few genes.…”

Polyamines in morphogenesis and development: a promising research area in seaweeds

“…The functional genomics tools that are developed now for such studies in these seaweeds include RNA-seq data, EST-based expression microarrays, whole-genome tiling arrays, sRNAs sequences, a genetic map, bioinformatics, and proteomic tools (Kumar et al, 2014 ). Furthermore, a Japanese group (Mikami, 2013 , 2014 ) has made excellent progress in establishing genetic transformation systems in the red algae Porphyra and Bangiophycae sp., which can serve as an excellent tool to transfer the gene expression constructs encoding proteins/enzymes involved in biosynthesis of different PAs. Development of mutants either by transposon, T-DNA (insertional mutagenesis) or by using sense and antisense transgenic approaches may facilitate the identification of knockouts with genes of interest and/ or gene regulations using PCR-based techniques that need to be develop in the near future to manipulate PA metabolism.…”

Random mutagenesis and precise gene editing technologies: applications in algal crop improvement and functional genomics

“…Khawaja et al (2016) provided an overview of the various types of reporter genes and selectable markers used for algal gene manipulation while Day & Goldschmidt-Clermont (2011) focussed on selectable markers applied to chloroplast transformation and discussed marker excision with the use of direct-repeat-mediated excision via homologous recombination (HR) and Cre site-specific recombinases. To date, there have been several reviews on the advances of genetic manipulation in macroalgae Lin & Qin, 2014;Mikami, 2014) and microalgae (Jinkerson & Jonikas, 2015;Doron et al, 2016;Scaife & Smith, 2016).…”