Enhancing carbohydrate repartitioning into lipid and carotenoid by disruption of microalgae starch debranching enzyme

Abstract

Kato et al. describe the isolation of a mutant Chlamydomonas sp. KOR1 that accumulates lipid even during diurnal cycles and has extensive mutations in the ISA1 gene encoding a starch debranching enzyme (DBE). They further demonstrate that disruption of DBE can improve biofuel production under light/dark conditions, through accelerated carbohydrate repartitioning into lipid and carotenoid.