Rewiring photosynthesis: A photosystem I-hydrogenase chimera that makes H2: In vivo

Andrey Kanygin, Yuval Milrad, Chandrasekhar Thummala, Kiera Reifschneider, Patricia Baker, Pini Marco, Iftach Yacoby*, Kevin E. Redding*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

61 Scopus citations

Abstract

Harnessing the power of photosynthesis to catalyze novel light-driven redox chemistry requires a way to intercept electron flow directly from the photosynthetic electron transport chain (PETC). As a proof of concept, an in vivo fusion of photosystem I (PSI) and algal hydrogenase was created by insertion of the HydA sequence into the PsaC subunit. The PSI and hydrogenase portions are co-assembled and active in vivo, effectively creating a new photosystem. Cells expressing only the PSI-hydrogenase chimera make hydrogen at high rates in a light-dependent fashion for several days. In these engineered cells, photosynthetic electron flow is directed away from CO2 fixation and towards proton reduction, demonstrating the possibility of driving novel redox chemistries using electrons from water splitting and the photosynthetic electron transport chain.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2903-2914
Number of pages12
JournalEnergy and Environmental Science
Volume13
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2020

Funding

FundersFunder number
NSF-BSF Energy for Sustainability2185/17, 2016666
National Science FoundationCBET-1706960, 1706960
Israel Science Foundation1646/16
Tel Aviv University

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