Chimeras and Endosymbiosis: Unveiling Evolutionary Mechanisms
All cells that have a nucleus also house a variety of organelles — such as mitochondria and chloroplasts — which perform specific functions and contain their own DNA,” said University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chemistry professor Angad Mehta, who led the all-Illinois research team. “Researchers had long theorized that complex life forms got their start when one of these types of cells fused with another in a process called endosymbiosis.” bioengineer
Engineering Chimeras for Enhanced Metabolic Functions In a previous study
Mehta’s team demonstrated that lab-generated cyanobacteria-yeast chimeras, or endosymbionts, can supply photosynthetically generated ATP to yeast but do not provide sugars. In the new study, the team advanced their research by engineering cyanobacteria to break down sugars and secrete glucose. They then combined these engineered cyanobacteria with yeast cells, creating chimeras capable of growing in the presence of CO2 by utilizing the sugar and energy produced by the bacteria.
Breakthrough Study Published in Nature Communications The study findings
published in the journal Nature Communications, reveal the potential of these chimeric life forms to bioengineer new metabolic pathways. The research focuses on using these chimeras to produce valuable compounds, such as limonene—a simple hydrocarbon found in citrus fruits—under photosynthetic conditions.
Future Prospects: From Terpenoids to High-Value Compounds
Limonene is a relatively simple but important molecule with a large market,” said Mehta, who is also affiliated with the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. “This proof-of-concept study shows that we can engineer pathways in our hybrids to photosynthetically produce limonene, which belongs to a class of molecules called terpenoids, and which are precursors to many high-value compounds such as fuels, anticancer, and antimalarial drugs.”
Goals and Aspirations: Scaling Up for Market Viability
Mehta emphasized that the team’s goals include determining whether their method can produce more complex compounds like fuels and pharmaceuticals and scaling up the process to make it marketable. “I think it would be incredible to get to the point where we could ensure that every bit of carbon in a high-value compound comes from CO2,” Mehta said. “This could be one way to recycle CO2 waste in the future.”
Advancing Biotechnology and Evolutionary Understanding
In addition to their biotechnological goals, the team aims to answer fundamental evolutionary questions through their research. “This will happen whether we intend it or not,” Mehta said. “We are always keeping an eye on how our work can answer some of the mysteries behind how life evolved. In my view, the best way to engineer endosymbiotic systems will be by recreating the evolution process in the lab. Finding answers to some of biology’s biggest questions will come naturally.”
Collaborators and Support
Illinois researchers Yang-le Gao, Jason Cournoyer, Bidhan De, Catherine Wallace, Alexander Ulanov, and Michael La Frano also contributed to this study. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.