MODULATION OF THE ARGININE METABOLIC PATHWAY UNDER GENIC SILENCING OF THE ARGINE DESCARBOXYLASE (ADC) ENZYME

Abstract

In a recent study published by our research group, we identified that the arginine amino acid metabolism pathway may act as a regulatory mechanism for the increased production of neutral lipids in microalgae in response to nitrogen deprivation stress. However, to better understand the functional role of this metabolic pathway and its implications in cellular metabolism changes, we propose conducting a functional study of the pathway through transient post-transcriptional gene silencing of two target genes.The gene encoding the enzyme Arginine descarboxilase (ADC) will be modulated in the insertional mutant strain of the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii for the N-Acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) gene. To achieve this, gene silencing will be carried out via the degradation of DNA/RNA heteroduplex complex with the delivery of antisense DNA by gold nanoparticles. Cells subjected to silencing will be analyzed to study changes in their total proteome and neutral lipid production. This approach would enable us to identify the modulated enzymes that could be directly related to the control of arginine catabolism and lipid accumulation.The application of the transient gene silencing system based on nanoparticles and antisense oligos could also contribute to the application of new biotechnological strategies for microalgae without the need for permanent genetic alterations.