Micro-algae come of age as a platform for recombinant protein production

A complete set of genetic tools is still being developed for the micro-alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Yet even with this incomplete set, this photosynthetic single-celled plant has demonstrated significant promise as a platform for recombinant protein expression. In recent years, techniques have been developed that allow for robust expression of genes from both the nuclear and plastid genome. With these advances, many research groups have examined the pliability of this and other micro-algae as biological machines capable of producing recombinant peptides and proteins. This review describes recent successes in recombinant protein production in Chlamydomonas, including production of complex mammalian therapeutic proteins and monoclonal antibodies at levels sufficient for production at economic parity with existing production platforms. These advances have also shed light on the details of algal protein production at the molecular level, and provide insight into the next steps for optimizing micro-algae as a useful platform for the production of therapeutic and industrially relevant recombinant proteins

Spotlight on post-transcriptional control in the circadian system

Staiger D, Köster T. Spotlight on post-transcriptional control in the circadian system. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. 2011;68(1):71-83.An endogenous timing mechanism, the circadian clock, causes rhythmic expression of a considerable fraction of the genome of most organisms to optimally align physiology and behavior with their environment. Circadian clocks are self-sustained oscillators primarily based on transcriptional feedback loops and post-translational modification of clock proteins. It is increasingly becoming clear that regulation at the RNA level strongly impacts the cellular circadian transcriptome and proteome as well as the oscillator mechanism itself. This review focuses on posttranscriptional events, discussing RNA-binding proteins that, by influencing the timing of pre-mRNA splicing, polyadenylation and RNA decay, shape rhythmic expression profiles. Furthermore, recent findings on the contribution of microRNAs to orchestrating circadian rhythms are summarized