Investigating the Potential Involvement of Poorly Characterized Chlamydomonas Genes in Photosynthesis

Abstract

Photosynthesis is central to the continuation of life on Earth, as it uses abundant solar energy to generate the vast majority of the food that is consumed. However, inefficiencies found in the photosynthetic pathways of major crops contribute to growing concerns of food shortages amidst an ever-increasing population. Enhancing our understanding of photosynthesis may help us in identifying crucial components of the pathway which in turn may be vital to improving photosynthetic efficiency in crops. In order to contribute to this understanding, here we used gene rescue to validate the involvement of novel genes that our lab recently identified as likely having roles in photosynthesis. We successfully rescued 10 poorly characterized genes, demonstrating that they are required for normal photosynthesis, and determined the localization of 2 proteins. Our results provide a framework for the further investigation of these genes and the functions of their respective proteins, providing novel avenues for additional inquiries into the specific photosynthetic pathways they may be involved in.