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Chlamydomonas: Hydrogenase and Hydrogen Production

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Chlamydomonas: Biotechnology and Biomedicine

Part of the book series: Microbiology Monographs ((MICROMONO,volume 31))

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Abstract

An important aspect of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii’s metabolism is its ability to produce molecular hydrogen (H2) from protons and electrons. Hydrogen production is catalysed by two [FeFe]-hydrogenases, HYDA1 and HYDA2, although HYDA1 is the main isoform, accounting for ∼75% of the H2 produced. Hydrogen production can be light dependent, with the hydrogenase receiving electrons from the photosynthetic electron transport chain via the ferredoxin PETF, or light independent, where H2 is produced via fermentation in the dark. Hydrogen production was first reported in microalgae in the early 1940s; however, due to HYDA gene expression being induced by anaerobiosis and the extreme oxygen sensitivity of the enzyme, this process only occurred transiently at low levels when the algae were subjected to anaerobic or hypoxic conditions. It was thus considered nothing more than a biological curiosity until the early 2000s, when a method temporally separating oxygenic photosynthesis and H2 production was developed, which allowed sustained H2 production in the light over the course of a few days. Light-driven H2 production has the highest theoretical photon conversion efficiency and is thus of considerable biotechnological interest. However, the calculated theoretical efficiencies are still not achievable in practice, despite the implementation of a wide range of engineering strategies. For an improved H2 production, a better understanding of the underlying biology is needed. C. reinhardtii is the ideal organism in which to study H2 production, due to the many molecular tools available and the simplicity and long history of study of its hydrogenase.

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  1. Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Plant Biochemistry, Workgroup Photobiotechnology, Ruhr-University of Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany

    Anne Sawyer, Julian Esselborn, Martin Winkler & Thomas Happe

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    Michael Hippler

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Sawyer, A., Esselborn, J., Winkler, M., Happe, T. (2017). Chlamydomonas: Hydrogenase and Hydrogen Production. In: Hippler, M. (eds) Chlamydomonas: Biotechnology and Biomedicine. Microbiology Monographs, vol 31. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66360-9_2

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