Cited by 7Microbial Metabolic Engineering and BioproductionAlgal biology and biofuel productionBacterial Genetics and Biotechnology

The Molecular Toolset and Techniques Required to Build Cyanobacterial Cell Factories

Opel, Franz, Axmann, Ilka M., Klähn, Stephan·2022·Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology

Abstract

Cyanobacteria are the only prokaryotes performing oxygenic photosynthesis, a solar-driven process which allows them to obtain electrons from water to reduce and finally assimilate carbon dioxide. Consequently, they are in the spotlight of biotechnology as photoautotrophic cell factories to generate a large variety of chemicals and biofuels in a sustainable way. Recent progress in synthetic biology has enlarged the molecular toolset to genetically engineer the metabolism of cyanobacteria, mainly targeting common model strains, such as Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, or Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Nevertheless, the accessibility and flexibility of engineering cyanobacteria is still somewhat limited and less predictable compared to other biotechnologically employed microorganisms.This chapter gives a broad overview of currently available methods for the genetic modification of cyanobacterial model strains as well as more recently discovered and promising species, such as Synechococcus elongatus PCC 11801. It comprises approaches based on homologous recombination, replicative broad-host-range or strain-specific plasmids, CRISPR/Cas, as well as markerless selection. Furthermore, common and newly introduced molecular tools for gene expression regulation are presented, comprising promoters, regulatory RNAs, genetic insulators like transcription terminators, ribosome binding sites, CRISPR interference, and the utilization of heterologous RNA polymerases. Additionally, potential DNA assembly strategies, like modular cloning, are described. Finally, considerations about post-translational control via protein degradation tags and heterologous proteases, as well as small proteins working as enzyme effectors are briefly discussed.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1007/10_2022_210

Cites

264 of 264 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Post-transcriptional elements such as ribosome binding sites [RBS] and translational control sequences are frequently utilised to refine gene expression.

    “In addition to transcriptional regulation, post-transcriptional elements such as ribosome binding sites [RBS] and translational control sequences are frequently utilised to refine gene expression [106].”
  • Recent advances include the development of computationally designed RBS libraries and modular expression systems, which have significantly improved the ability to control protein expression in cyanobacterial hosts.

    “Recent advances include the development of computationally designed RBS libraries and modular expression systems, which have significantly improved the ability to control protein expression in cyanobacterial hosts [100,106].”

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Opel, F., Axmann, I. M., & Klähn, S.
Affiliations
  • Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (DE)
  • Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (DE)
Corresponding author
Klähn, Stephan
Venue
Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology
Published
2022
Volume
183
Pages
65-103
ISSN
  • 0724-6145 (ISSN-L)
  • 1616-8542
OpenAlex
W4293317005
Cited by
7
References
264
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2
FWCI
1.68
Type
book chapter
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Advances in biochemical engineering, biotechnology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
  • Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
Keywords
cyanobacteria, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, homologous recombination, broad-host-range plasmids, CRISPR-Cas, gene expression regulation, promoter, regulatory RNAs, transcription terminator, ribosome binding site, CRISPR interference, DNA assembly, modular cloning, oxygenic photosynthesis, biofuels, synthetic biology
MeSH terms
Biotechnology, Photosynthesis, Synechocystis, Synechococcus

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review