IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v14y2023i1d10.1038_s41467-023-43524-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Engineering artificial photosynthesis based on rhodopsin for CO2 fixation

Author

Listed:
  • Weiming Tu

    (University of Oxford)

  • Jiabao Xu

    (University of Oxford)

  • Ian P. Thompson

    (University of Oxford)

  • Wei E. Huang

    (University of Oxford)

Abstract

Microbial rhodopsin, a significant contributor to sustaining life through light harvesting, holds untapped potential for carbon fixation. Here, we construct an artificial photosynthesis system which combines the proton-pumping ability of rhodopsin with an extracellular electron uptake mechanism, establishing a pathway to drive photoelectrosynthetic CO2 fixation by Ralstonia eutropha (also known as Cupriavidus necator) H16, a facultatively chemolithoautotrophic soil bacterium. R. eutropha is engineered to heterologously express an extracellular electron transfer pathway of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and Gloeobacter rhodopsin (GR). Employing GR and the outer-membrane conduit MtrCAB from S. oneidensis, extracellular electrons and GR-driven proton motive force are integrated into R. eutropha’s native electron transport chain (ETC). Inspired by natural photosynthesis, the photoelectrochemical system splits water to supply electrons to R. eutropha via the Mtr outer-membrane route. The light-activated proton pump - GR, supported by canthaxanthin as an antenna, powers ATP synthesis and reverses the ETC to regenerate NADH/NADPH, facilitating R. eutropha’s biomass synthesis from CO2. Overexpression of a carbonic anhydrase further enhances CO2 fixation. This artificial photosynthesis system has the potential to advance the development of efficient photosynthesis, redefining our understanding of the ecological role of microbial rhodopsins in nature.

Suggested Citation

  • Weiming Tu & Jiabao Xu & Ian P. Thompson & Wei E. Huang, 2023. "Engineering artificial photosynthesis based on rhodopsin for CO2 fixation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-43524-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43524-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-43524-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-023-43524-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alina Pushkarev & Keiichi Inoue & Shirley Larom & José Flores-Uribe & Manish Singh & Masae Konno & Sahoko Tomida & Shota Ito & Ryoko Nakamura & Satoshi P. Tsunoda & Alon Philosof & Itai Sharon & Natal, 2018. "A distinct abundant group of microbial rhodopsins discovered using functional metagenomics," Nature, Nature, vol. 558(7711), pages 595-599, June.
    2. Michael S. Guzman & Karthikeyan Rengasamy & Michael M. Binkley & Clive Jones & Tahina Onina Ranaivoarisoa & Rajesh Singh & David A. Fike & J. Mark Meacham & Arpita Bose, 2019. "Phototrophic extracellular electron uptake is linked to carbon dioxide fixation in the bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Ariel Chazan & Ishita Das & Takayoshi Fujiwara & Shunya Murakoshi & Andrey Rozenberg & Ana Molina-Márquez & Fumiya K. Sano & Tatsuki Tanaka & Patricia Gómez-Villegas & Shirley Larom & Alina Pushkarev , 2023. "Phototrophy by antenna-containing rhodopsin pumps in aquatic environments," Nature, Nature, vol. 615(7952), pages 535-540, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pan, Qin & Tian, Xiaochun & Li, Junpeng & Wu, Xuee & Zhao, Feng, 2021. "Interfacial electron transfer for carbon dioxide valorization in hybrid inorganic-microbial systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    2. Shin-Gyu Cho & Ji-Hyun Kim & Ji-eun Lee & In-Jung Choi & Myungchul Song & Kimleng Chuon & Jin-gon Shim & Kun-Wook Kang & Kwang-Hwan Jung, 2024. "Heliorhodopsin-mediated light-modulation of ABC transporter," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Na Chen & Na Du & Ruichen Shen & Tianpei He & Jing Xi & Jie Tan & Guangkai Bian & Yanbing Yang & Tiangang Liu & Weihong Tan & Lilei Yu & Quan Yuan, 2023. "Redox signaling-driven modulation of microbial biosynthesis and biocatalysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Chen, Han & Huang, Yu & Sha, Chong & Moradian, Jamile Mohammadi & Yong, Yang-Chun & Fang, Zhen, 2023. "Enzymatic carbon dioxide to formate: Mechanisms, challenges and opportunities," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    5. Guoping Ren & Jie Ye & Qichang Hu & Dong Zhang & Yong Yuan & Shungui Zhou, 2024. "Growth of electroautotrophic microorganisms using hydrovoltaic energy through natural water evaporation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-43524-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.