The authors would like to thank Prof. Paul Hooykaas for kindly providing the pCAMBIA1302 vector and Agrobacterium tumefaciens AGL1 from the Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, the Netherlands. The authors would also like to thank Eva Colic for her help in growing the fluorescent transformants. This work was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Mitacs Accelerate program.

All media and solutions must be autoclaved prior to use unless otherwise stated. All centrifuge tubes, pipette tips, etc., should be sterile or autoclaved before use. For easy reference, the media recipes used in this protocol are listed in Table 1.
1. Preparation of A. tumefaciens electrocompetent cells
<ol>
	<li>Inoculate Agrobacterium (AGL-1) into a 25 mL sterile shaker flask of LB media (supplemented with rifampicin, 20 mg/L-1) from a frozen glycerol stock and grow overnight at 28-30 &#176;C and 150 rpm. 
	&#8203;NOTE: The Agrobacterium strain AGL-1 is (see Table of Materials) resistant to rifampicin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and streptomycin and can be obtained from several suppliers.</li>
	<li>The following day, dilute the culture 1,00,000-fold by adding 0.5 &#181;L of the overnight culture to 50 mL autoclaved ultra-pure water and spread 10 &#181;L of this diluted culture on an LB plate, and then incubate at 28-30 &#176;C for 1-3 days.</li>
	<li>Pick a colony and start a 20 mL overnight culture in LB with rifampicin at 28-30 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>The next day, inoculate 500 mL LB media (no antibiotic) in a shaker flask with 9 mL of the overnight culture and grow at 28-30 &#176;C until the OD600 reaches 0.5.</li>
	<li>Divide the culture evenly into ten 50 mL centrifuge tubes and chill on ice for 30 min. Pre-cool the centrifuge to 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the tubes at 4 &#176;C and 4000 x g for 15 min. Subsequently, remove as much supernatant as possible using a pipette and resuspend the pellet in each tube in 50 mL of ice-cold water.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the cells at 4 &#176;C and 4000 x g for 15 min. Remove the supernatant and resuspend the pellet in 25 mL of ice-cold water in each tube.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the cells at 4 &#176;C and 4000 x g for 15 min. Remove the supernatant and resuspend the pellet in 1 mL of ice-cold 10% (w/v) glycerol in each tube.</li>
	<li>Combine all tubes into one 50 mL tube and centrifuge the cells at 4 &#176;C and 4000 x g for 15 min. Remove the supernatant and resuspend the pellet in 400 &#181;L ice-cold 10% (w/v) glycerol. The cell concentration should be about 1-3 x 1010 cells/mL.</li>
	<li>Distribute the cells as 50 &#181;L aliquots in sterile prechilled microtubes. Freeze in liquid nitrogen and store in a -80 &#176;C freezer.</li>
</ol>
2. Electroporation of A. tumefaciens
<ol>
	<li>Add 50 &#181;L of AGL-1 A. tumefaciens electrocompetent cells into a prechilled 0.1 mm cuvette and add 2 &#181;L of pCAMBIA1302 or similar plasmid (conc 15 ng/&#181;L) (see Table of Materials).</li>
	<li>Electroporate at 2400 V using an electroporator (200 &#937;, capacitance extender 250 &#181;FD, capacitance 25 &#181;FD, exponential decay, see Table of Materials). The time constant should be &#62;4.5 ms for successful electroporation with exponential decay.</li>
	<li>Immediately add 1 mL of LB media to the cuvette and gently pipette up and down to mix. Transfer the 1 mL of resuspended cells into a 1.5 mL microtube and incubate it at 28-30 &#176;C for at least 1 h to recover.</li>
	<li>Plate the cells on LB agar containing the appropriate antibiotic (i.e., 50 mg/L of kanamycin for pCAMBIA1302 for prokaryotic selection).</li>
	<li>Incubate at 28-30 &#176;C for 2-3 days.</li>
	<li>Select one colony, grow overnight in LB with the appropriate selection (50 mg/L of kanamycin for pCAMBIA1302), and cryopreserve the plasmid-containing strain using 50% glycerol at -80 &#176;C for future use.</li>
</ol>
3. AMT of C. vulgaris
NOTE: Prepare C. vulgaris (UTEX 395, see Table of Materials) and A. tumefaciens cultures in parallel for co-cultivation. C. vulgaris cultures should be started 3 days before preparing A. tumefaciens cultures. Protocol was modified based on that published by Kumar et al.7.
<ol>
	<li>Prepare C. vulgaris culture
	<ol>
		<li>C. vulgaris is traditionally stored on slants or maintained in log-phase cultures in illuminated conditions. From a log phase culture at OD600 = 1.0, spread 0.5 mL onto a Tris-Acetate-Phosphate (TAP, see Table 1) agar plates (1.2% w/v agar A) and grow for 5 days at 25 &#176;C with illumination (50 &#181;E/m2s). This will yield approximately 5 x 106 cells.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Prepare A. tumefaciens culture
	<ol>
		<li>Grow A. tumefaciens AGL-1 pCAMBIA1302 strain in a shaker flask by inoculating 10 mL of LB media supplemented with 15 mM glucose, 20 mg/L&#160;rifampicin, and 50 mg/L kanamycin (see Table of Materials) using the glycerol stock. Incubate at 28-30 &#176;C and 250 rpm overnight.</li>
		<li>Inoculate 1 mL of overnight culture into 50 mL of LB with 15 mM glucose, 20 mg/L&#160;rifampicin, and 50 mg/L kanamycin and incubate at 28-30 &#176;C and 250 rpm until the OD600 reaches 1.0.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Cocultivate C. vulgaris and A. tumefaciens
	<ol>
		<li>To prepare the A. tumefaciens culture for co-cultivation, transfer the grown culture to a 50 mL tube and centrifuge at 4000 x g for 30 min at room temperature. Remove the supernatant using a pipette and wash the cells twice with the induction medium. 
		NOTE: The induction media used is TAP media adjusted to pH 5.5 and supplemented with F/2 medium trace metals and vitamins with 200 &#181;M acetosyringone (AS, see Table of Materials). Resuspend the cells in induction media such that OD600 = 0.5.</li>
		<li>To prepare the C. vulgaris culture for co-cultivation, add 25 mL of induction media to the C. vulgaris plate containing ~ 5 x 106 cells. Transfer to a 50 mL tube. Centrifuge the cells at 4000 x g for 15 min at room temperature and discard the supernatant.</li>
		<li>Mix the algal cell pellet with 200 &#181;L of the bacterial suspension (OD600: 0.5) and incubate them in a rotary shaker at 21-25 &#176;C at 150 rpm for 1 h.</li>
		<li>Spread the mixed culture (200 &#181;L) onto induction media plates supplemented with 15 mM glucose and incubate at 21-25 &#176;C in the dark for 3 days.</li>
		<li>After 3 days, use 10 mL of TAP media supplemented with 400 mg/L cefotaxime or 20 mg/L of tetracycline (see Table of Materials) to collect the microalgae and incubate in the dark at 21-25 &#176;C for 2 days to eliminate A. tumefaciens from the culture.</li>
		<li>Plate 500 &#181;L of the culture onto selective media, e.g., TAP media supplemented with 20-70 mg/L of Hygromycin B (when using pCAMBIA1302) and 400 mg/L-1 cefotaxime or 20 mg/L of tetracycline. Incubate 21-25 &#176;C in the dark for 2 days before placing them in an illuminated chamber. 
		NOTE: Resistant colonies will appear 5-7 days after light exposure.</li>
		<li>Pick single colonies from the transformation plate and re-streak them on TAP agar plates supplemented with 400 mg/L of cefotaxime or 20 mg/L of tetracycline and 20-70 mg/L of Hygromycin B.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
4. Colony PCR (cPCR) to confirm gene integration in C. vulgaris transformants
<ol>
	<li>Extract genomic DNA from a C. vulgaris transformant after subculturing at least twice from a single colony using a plant genomic DNA extraction kit (see Table of Materials). Using this as a template for PCR, design primers for the mgfp5 region of the T-DNA (mgfp5-Fwd: 5&#39; CCCATCTCATAAATAACGTC 3&#39;, and M13-Rev: 5&#39; CAGGAAACAGCTATGAC 3&#39;).
	<ol>
		<li>Using a Q5 high-fidelity DNA polymerase master mix kit (see Table of Materials), perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to validate transgene integration. 
		NOTE: The following conditions were used for the present study: 98 &#176;C for 3 min; 35 cycles (98 &#176;C for 10 s, 57 &#176;C for 30 s, 72 &#176;C for 1 min); 72 &#176;C for 5min. Use pCAMBIA1302 as a positive control and wild-type C. vulgaris genomic DNA as a negative control.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>To confirm that there is no pCAMBIA1302 present in the sample due to residual contamination by A. tumefaciens, use colony PCR. Add a small amount of transformant cells to 10 &#181;L of sterile water and boil at 98 &#176;C for 15 min. Use this as a template for PCR.
	<ol>
		<li>Design primers for a region outside of the T-DNA on pCAMBIA1302 (B1-Fwd: 5&#39;AGTAAAGGAGAAGAACTTTTC 3&#39; and B1-Rev: 5&#39;CCTGATGCGGTATTTTCTC 3&#39;). 
		NOTE: The following conditions were used for the present study: 94 &#176;C for 3 min; 30 cycles (94 &#176;C for 30 s, 48 &#176;C for 30 s, 68 &#176;C for 5 min); 68 &#176;C for 7 min. Use a boiled colony of A. tumefaciens AGL-1 (pCAMBIA1302) as a positive control and a boiled colony of wild-type C. vulgaris as a negative control.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>To confirm that there is no A. tumerfaciens contamination present in the sample, use colony PCR. Add a small amount of transformant cells to 10 &#181;L of sterile water and boil at 98 &#176;C for 15 min. Use this as a template for PCR.
	<ol>
		<li>Design primers for the virE2 gene contained on the AGL-1 virulence plasmid (virE2-Fwd: 5&#39; AGGGAGCCCTACCCG 3&#39; and virE2-Rev: 5&#39; GAACCAGCCTGGAGTTCG 3&#39;). 
		NOTE: The following conditions were used for the present study: 94 &#176;C for 3 min; 30 cycles (94 &#176;C for 30 s, 53 &#176;C for 30 s, 68 &#176;C for 3 min); 68 &#176;C for 7 min. Use a boiled colony of A. tumefaciens AGL-1 (pCAMBIA1302) as a positive control and a boiled colony of wild-type C. vulgaris as a negative control.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Run PCR samples on a DNA agarose gel along with a ladder (1 Kbp DNA ladder, see Table of Materials) to confirm the size of the resulting fragments16.</li>
</ol>
5. Measuring the fluorescence of transformants
<ol>
	<li>Inoculate each transformant from a log-phase maintenance culture or TAP agar slant into 50 mL of TAP supplemented with 200 mg/L-1 cefotaxime and 25 mg/L-1 Hygromycin B such that the starting OD600 = 0.1. Inoculate one culture with wild-type C. vulgaris and only 200 mg/L-1 cefotaxime as the negative control. Incubate at 25 &#176;C at 150 rpm with 150 &#181;mol/m2s of photosynthetically active light (see Table of Materials).</li>
	<li>Every 24 h, take a 300 &#181;L of sample and measure the absorbance and fluorescence (excitation 488 nm, emission 526 nm) in a 96-well plate reader or UV/Vis spectrometer and fluorometer (see Table of Materials). Use a black plate with a transparent bottom for simultaneous measurements.</li>
</ol>
6. Crude protein extraction, protein purification, and SDS-PAGE electrophoresis
<ol>
	<li>Inoculate transformant (#50) from a log-phase maintenance culture into 300 mL of TAP supplemented with 200 mg/L-1 cefotaxime and 25 mg/L-1 Hygromycin B to reach the OD680 = 0.1. Inoculate one culture with wild-type C. vulgaris and only 200 mg/L-1 cefotaxime as the negative control. Incubate at 25 &#176;C at 150 rpm with 150 &#181;mol/m2s of photosynthetically active light.</li>
	<li>Extract the crude protein sample from the transformant (#50) and wild-type strains using 5 mL lysis buffer (see Table 1), followed by sonication for 4 min.</li>
	<li>Purify crude protein sample with a Ni-NTA resin through 5 mL polypropylene columns (see Table of Materials).</li>
	<li>Lyophilize the 15 mL purified protein samples and resuspend them in 1 mL lysis buffer for SDS-PAGE analysis17.</li>
</ol>

Stable Gene Integration in Chlorella vulgaris Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens

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No conflicts of interest were declared.

The efficiency of transformation is associated with several different parameters. The choice of A. tumefaciens strains used for AMT is crucial. AGL-1 is one of the most invasive strains discovered and, for this reason, has been routinely used in plant AMT. Supplementing the induction media with glucose (15-20 mM) is also important for AMT efficiency. Considering C. vulgaris can grow in both phototrophic and heterotrophic conditions, glucose or other carbon sources are often omitted from microalgae media...

Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a gram-negative soil-borne bacterium, possesses a unique interkingdom gene transfer ability, earning it the title &#34;natural genetic engineer&#34;1. This bacterium can transfer DNA (T-DNA) from a tumor-inducing plasmid (Ti-Plasmid) into host cells through a Type IV secretion system, resulting in the integration and expression of the T-DNA within the host genome1,2,3,4. In the natural setting, this process leads to tumor formation in plants, commonly known as crown gall disease. However, Agrobacterium can also transfer T-DNA into various other organisms, including yeast, fungi, algae, sea urchin embryos, and even human cells under laboratory conditions5,6,7,8.
Exploiting this natural system, Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (AMT) enables the random integration of gene(s) of interest into a host cell&#39;s nuclear genome by modifying the T-DNA region of the Ti-plasmid. For this purpose, a widely used AMT plant expression vector is pCAMBIA13029. Researchers can employ simple cloning workflows in E. coli before transferring the desired vector into A. tumefaciens for subsequent transfer to the host of interest.
Green microalgae are eukaryotes that share many similarities with land plants but are highly recalcitrant to genetic modification. However, genetic transformation plays a crucial role in both fundamental and biotechnological research of microalgae. In several microalgae species, particularly Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, genetic transformation via AMT has successfully introduced transgenes such as human interleukin-2 (hIL-2), the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 receptor-binding domain (SARS-CoV-2 RBD), and two antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)10,11,12,13. Among these, Chlorella vulgaris, a less fastidious and fast-growing green algae species, holds significant potential for the sustainable production of carbohydrates, proteins, nutraceuticals, pigments, and other high-value compounds14. However, the lack of reliable tools for creating transgenic strains of C. vulgaris hampers its commercial progress. Since there have been only a limited number of published works utilizing AMT in C. vulgaris15, and given the considerable differences between plant and microalgae cultivation, optimizing the AMT protocol becomes essential.
In this study, researchers inserted green fluorescent protein (mGFP5) downstream of the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus (CamV) 35S promoter and added a histidine tag to use it as a reporter gene for protein expression. Transformants were selected using Hygromycin B, and after subculturing for over twenty generations, the transformation remained stable. The pCAMBIA1302 plasmid employed in this work can be readily adapted to contain any gene of interest. Furthermore, the method and materials presented can be adjusted for other green algae species with an active CamV35S promoter, as this promoter is used for Hygromycin selection.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>1 Kb Plus DNA ladder</td>
			<td>FroggaBio</td>
			<td>DM015</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Acetosyringone</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>D26665G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Agrobacterium tumefaciens</td>
			<td>Gold Biotechnologies</td>
			<td>Strain: AGL-1; Gift from Prof. Paul Hooykaas</td>
			<td>Genotype: C58 RecA (RifR/CarbR) pTiBo542DT-DNA</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Biotin</td>
			<td>Enzo Life Sciences</td>
			<td>89151-400</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CaCl2&#183;2H2O</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>BDH9224-1KG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cefotaxime</td>
			<td>AK Scientific</td>
			<td>J90010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chlorella vulgaris</td>
			<td>University of Texas at Austin Culture Collection of Algae</td>
			<td>Strain: UTEX 395</td>
			<td>Wildtype strain</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CoCl2&#183;6H2O</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>C8661-25G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CuSO4&#183;5H2O</td>
			<td>EMD Millipore</td>
			<td>CX2185-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>FeCl3&#183;6H2O</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>BDH9234-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gene Pulser Xcell Electroporator</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1652662</td>
			<td>Main unit equipped with PC module.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GeneJET Plant Genome Purification Kit</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>K0791</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glacial acetic acid</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>CABDH3093-2.2P</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glycerol</td>
			<td>BioBasic</td>
			<td>GB0232</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HEPES Buffer</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>H-3375</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hygromycin B</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>AAJ6068103</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>K2HPO4</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>BDH9266-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Kanamycin</td>
			<td>Gold Biotechnologies</td>
			<td>K-250-25</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>KH2PO4</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>BDH9268-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MgSO4&#183;7H2O</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>97062-134</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MnCl2&#183;4H2O</td>
			<td>JT Baker</td>
			<td>BAKR2540-01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Na2CO3</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>BDH7971-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Na2EDTA&#183;2H2O</td>
			<td>JT Baker</td>
			<td>8993-01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Na2MoO4&#183;2H2O</td>
			<td>JT Baker</td>
			<td>BAKR3764-01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaCl</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>BDH7257-7</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaH2PO4 H2O</td>
			<td>Millipore Sigma</td>
			<td>CA80058-650</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaNO3&#160;</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>BDH4574-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NEBExpress Ni Resin</td>
			<td>NewEngland BioLabs</td>
			<td>NEB #S1427</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NH4Cl</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>BDH9208-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pCAMBIA1302</td>
			<td>Leiden University</td>
			<td>Gift from Prof. Paul Hooykaas</td>
			<td>pBR322, KanR, pVS1, T-DNA(CaMV 35S/HygR/CaMV polyA, CaMV 35S promoter/mgpf5-6xhis/NOS terminator)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polypropylene Columns (5 mL)</td>
			<td>QIAGEN</td>
			<td>34964</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Precision Plus Protein Unstained Protein Standards, Strep-tagged recombinant, 1 mL</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1610363</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rifampicin</td>
			<td>Millipore Sigma</td>
			<td>R3501-1G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SunBlaster LED Strip Light 48 Inch&#160;</td>
			<td>SunBlaster</td>
			<td>210000000906</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Synergy 4 Microplate UV/Vis spectrometer&#160;</td>
			<td>BioTEK</td>
			<td>S4MLFPTA</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tetracycline</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific Chemicals</td>
			<td>CAAAJ61714-14</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TGX Stain-Free FastCast Acrylamide Kit, 12%</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1610185</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Thiamine</td>
			<td>TCI America</td>
			<td>T0181-100G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris Base</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP152-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tryptone</td>
			<td>BioBasic</td>
			<td>TG217(G211)</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)</td>
			<td>Enzo Life Sciences</td>
			<td>89151-436</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Yeast Extract</td>
			<td>BioBasic</td>
			<td>G0961</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ZnSO4&#183;7H2O</td>
			<td>JT Baker</td>
			<td>4382-01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic engineering of green microalgae, chlorella vulgaris

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (AMT) serves as a widely employed tool for manipulating plant genomes. However, A. tumefaciens exhibit the capacity for gene transfer to a diverse array of species. Numerous microalgae species lack well-established methods for reliably integrating genes of interest into their nuclear genome. To harness the potential benefits of microalgal biotechnology, simple and efficient genome manipulation tools are crucial. Herein, an optimized AMT protocol is presented for the industrial microalgae species Chlorella vulgaris, utilizing the reporter green fluorescent protein (mGFP5) and the antibiotic resistance marker for Hygromycin B. Mutants are selected through plating on Tris-Acetate-Phosphate (TAP) media containing Hygromycin B and cefotaxime. Expression of mGFP5 is quantified via fluorescence after over ten generations of subculturing, indicating the stable transformation of the T-DNA cassette. This protocol allows for the reliable generation of multiple transgenic C. vulgaris colonies in under two weeks, employing the commercially available pCAMBIA1302 plant expression vector.

To show successful transformation using the method above, C. vulgaris was cocultured with either AGL-1 containing the pCAMBIA1302 plasmid or without the plasmid (wild-type and plated on TAP agar supplemented with Hygromycin B and cefotaxime (Figure 1A). The leftmost plate shows the transformed colonies capable of growth on Hygromycin B/cefotaxime plates, and the middle plate shows that wild-type AGL-1 cannot grow on the Hygromycin B/cefotaxime plates. The rightmost plate shows that ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Optimized Transformation Protocol for Chlorella vulgaris Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens at JoVE.com

Author Spotlight: Optimized Transformation Protocol for Chlorella vulgaris Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens 

This protocol outlines the utilization of Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (AMT) for integrating gene(s) of interest into the nuclear genome of the green microalgae Chlorella vulgaris, leading to the production of stable transformants.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Genetic Engineering of Green Microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (AMT) serves as a widely employed tool for manipulating plant genomes. However, A. tumefaciens exhibit ...

The scope of the research focused on the development and optimization of a protocol for the transformation of chlorella vulgaris. We aimed to create a stable transgenic strains of chlorella vulgaris using agrobacterium tumefaciens and a specific plasmid, pCAMBIA1302, that allowed them to insert gene of interest and the potential for bio technological applications. Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, microscopy and imaging, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, bioinformatics, computational modeling, remote sensing and satellite imaging, nanotechnology, bioprocessing, and downstream processing.This study introduces an optimized agrobacterium tumefaciens media transformation protocol for the microalgae chlorella vulgaris using a specific plasmid and marker. It lays groundwork for enhancing microalgae by technology, overcoming previous limitations in reliable transformation tools for C.vulgaris.

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JoVE Journal

Bioengineering

2.4K Views.  University of Waterloo. The scope of the research focused on the development and optimization of a protocol for the transformation of chlorella vulgaris. We aimed to create a stable transgenic strains of chlorella vulgaris using agrobacterium tumefaciens and a specific plasmid, pCAMBIA1302, that allowed them to insert gene of interest and the potential for bio technological applications. Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, microscopy and imaging, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, bioinformatics, computational model...

Video: Author Spotlight: Optimized Transformation Protocol for Chlorella vulgaris Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens 

Procedure for Lung Engineering

Lung tissue, including lung cancer and chronic lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cumulatively account for some 280,000 deaths annually; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is currently the fourth leading cause of death in the United States1. Contributing to this mortality is the fact that lungs do not generally repair or regenerate beyond the microscopic, cellular level. Therefore, lung tissue that is damaged by degeneration or infection, or lung tissue that is surgically resected is not functionally replaced in vivo. To explore whether lung tissue can be generated in vitro, we treated lungs from adult rats using a procedure that removes cellular components to produce an acellular lung extracellular matrix scaffold. This scaffold retains the hierarchical branching structures of airways and vasculature, as well as a largely intact basement membrane, which comprises collagen IV, laminin, and fibronectin. The scaffold is mounted in a bioreactor designed to mimic critical aspects of lung physiology, such as negative pressure ventilation and pulsatile vascular perfusion. By culturing pulmonary epithelium and vascular endothelium within the bioreactor-mounted scaffold, we are able to generate lung tissue that is phenotypically comparable to native lung tissue and that is able to participate in gas exchange for short time intervals (45-120 minutes). These results are encouraging, and suggest that repopulation of lung matrix is a viable strategy for lung regeneration. This possibility presents an opportunity not only to work toward increasing the supply of lung tissue for transplantation, but also to study respiratory cell and molecular biology in vitro for longer time periods and in a more accurate microenvironment than has previously been possible.

We have developed a decellularized lung extracellular matrix and novel biomimetic bioreactor that can be used to generate functional lung tissue. By seeding cells into the matrix and culturing in the bioreactor, we generate tissue that demonstrates effective gas exchange when transplanted in vivo for short periods of time.

Lung tissue, including lung cancer and chronic lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cumulatively account for some 280,000 deaths ...

Capillary Force Lithography for Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide1. Cardiac tissue engineering holds much promise to deliver groundbreaking medical discoveries with the aims of developing functional tissues for cardiac regeneration as well as in vitro screening assays. However, the ability to create high-fidelity models of heart tissue has proven difficult. The heart&#8217;s extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex structure consisting of both biochemical and biomechanical signals ranging from the micro- to the nanometer scale2. Local mechanical loading conditions and cell-ECM interactions have recently been recognized as vital components in cardiac tissue engineering3-5.
A large portion of the cardiac ECM is composed of aligned collagen fibers with nano-scale diameters that significantly influences tissue architecture and electromechanical coupling2. Unfortunately, few methods have been able to mimic the organization of ECM fibers down to the nanometer scale. Recent advancements in nanofabrication techniques, however, have enabled the design and fabrication of scalable scaffolds that mimic the in vivo structural and substrate stiffness cues of the ECM in the heart6-9.
Here we present the development of two reproducible, cost-effective, and scalable nanopatterning processes for the functional alignment of cardiac cells using the biocompatible polymer poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)8 and a polyurethane (PU) based polymer. These anisotropically nanofabricated substrata (ANFS) mimic the underlying ECM of well-organized, aligned tissues and can be used to investigate the role of nanotopography on cell morphology and function10-14.
Using a nanopatterned (NP) silicon master as a template, a polyurethane acrylate (PUA) mold is fabricated. This PUA mold is then used to pattern the PU or PLGA hydrogel via UV-assisted or solvent-mediated capillary force lithography (CFL), respectively15,16. Briefly, PU or PLGA pre-polymer is drop dispensed onto a glass coverslip and the PUA mold is placed on top. For UV-assisted CFL, the PU is then exposed to UV radiation (&#955; = 250-400 nm) for curing. For solvent-mediated CFL, the PLGA is embossed using heat (120 &#176;C) and pressure (100 kPa). After curing, the PUA mold is peeled off, leaving behind an ANFS for cell culture. Primary cells, such as neonatal rat ventricular myocytes, as well as human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, can be maintained on the ANFS2.

In this protocol, we demonstrate the fabrication of biomimetic cardiac cell culture substrata made from two distinct polymeric materials using capillary force lithography. The described methods provide a scalable, cost-effective technique to engineer the structure and function of macroscopic cardiac tissues for in vitro and in vivo applications.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide1. Cardiac tissue engineering holds much promise to deliver groundbreaking medical ...

Evaluation of Polymeric Gene Delivery Nanoparticles by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis and High-throughput Flow Cytometry

Non-viral gene delivery using polymeric nanoparticles has emerged as an attractive approach for gene therapy to treat genetic diseases1 and as a technology for regenerative medicine2. Unlike viruses, which have significant safety issues, polymeric nanoparticles can be designed to be non-toxic, non-immunogenic, non-mutagenic, easier to synthesize, chemically versatile, capable of carrying larger nucleic acid cargo and biodegradable and/or environmentally responsive. Cationic polymers self-assemble with negatively charged DNA via electrostatic interaction to form complexes on the order of 100 nm that are commonly termed polymeric nanoparticles. Examples of biomaterials used to form nanoscale polycationic gene delivery nanoparticles include polylysine, polyphosphoesters, poly(amidoamines)s and polyethylenimine (PEI), which is a non-degradable off-the-shelf cationic polymer commonly used for nucleic acid delivery1,3 . Poly(beta-amino ester)s (PBAEs) are a newer class of cationic polymers4 that are hydrolytically degradable5,6 and have been shown to be effective at gene delivery to hard-to-transfect cell types such as human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs)7, mouse mammary epithelial cells8, human brain cancer cells9 and macrovascular (human umbilical vein, HUVECs) endothelial cells10.
A new protocol to characterize polymeric nanoparticles utilizing nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) is described. In this approach, both the particle size distribution and the distribution of the number of plasmids per particle are obtained11. In addition, a high-throughput 96-well plate transfection assay for rapid screening of the transfection efficacy of polymeric nanoparticles is presented. In this protocol, poly(beta-amino ester)s (PBAEs) are used as model polymers and human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs) are used as model human cells. This protocol can be easily adapted to evaluate any polymeric nanoparticle and any cell type of interest in a multi-well plate format.

A protocol for nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and high-throughput flow cytometry to evaluate polymeric gene delivery nanoparticles is described. NTA is utilized to characterize the nanoparticle particle size distribution and the plasmid per particle distribution. High-throughput flow cytometry enables quantitative transfection efficacy evaluation for a library of gene delivery biomaterials.

Non-viral gene delivery using polymeric nanoparticles has emerged as an attractive approach for gene therapy to treat genetic diseases1 and as a ...

Procedure for the Development of Multi-depth Circular Cross-sectional Endothelialized Microchannels-on-a-chip

Efforts have been focused on developing in vitro assays for the study of microvessels because in vivo animal studies are more time-consuming, expensive, and observation and quantification are very challenging. However, conventional in vitro microvessel assays have limitations when representing in vivo microvessels with respect to three-dimensional (3D) geometry and providing continuous fluid flow. Using a combination of photolithographic reflowable photoresist technique, soft lithography, and microfluidics, we have developed a multi-depth circular cross-sectional endothelialized microchannels-on-a-chip, which mimics the 3D geometry of in vivo microvessels and runs under controlled continuous perfusion flow. A positive reflowable photoresist was used to fabricate a master mold with a semicircular cross-sectional microchannel network. By the alignment and bonding of the two polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels replicated from the master mold, a cylindrical microchannel network was created. The diameters of the microchannels can be well controlled. In addition, primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) seeded inside the chip showed that the cells lined the inner surface of the microchannels under controlled perfusion lasting for a time period between 4 days to 2 weeks.

A microchannels-on-a-chip platform was developed by the combination of photolithographic reflowable photoresist technique, soft lithography, and microfluidics. The endothelialized microchannels platform mimics the three-dimensional (3D) geometry of in vivo microvessels, runs under controlled continuous perfusion flow, allows for high-quality and real-time imaging&#160;and can be applied for microvascular research.

Efforts have been focused on developing in vitro assays for the study of microvessels because in vivo animal studies are more time-consuming, expensive, ...

Production, Characterization and Potential Uses of a 3D Tissue-engineered Human Esophageal Mucosal Model

The incidence of both esophageal adenocarcinoma and its precursor, Barrett&#8217;s Metaplasia, are rising rapidly in the western world. Furthermore esophageal adenocarcinoma generally has a poor prognosis, with little improvement in survival rates in recent years. These are difficult conditions to study and there has been a lack of suitable experimental platforms to investigate disorders of the esophageal mucosa.
A model of the human esophageal mucosa has been developed in the MacNeil laboratory which, unlike conventional 2D cell culture systems, recapitulates the cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions present in vivo and produces a mature, stratified epithelium similar to that of the normal human esophagus. Briefly, the model utilizes non-transformed normal primary human esophageal fibroblasts and epithelial cells grown within a porcine-derived acellular esophageal scaffold. Immunohistochemical characterization of this model by CK4, CK14, Ki67 and involucrin staining demonstrates appropriate recapitulation of the histology of the normal human esophageal mucosa.
This model provides a robust, biologically relevant experimental model of the human esophageal mucosa. It can easily be manipulated to investigate a number of research questions including the effectiveness of pharmacological agents and the impact of exposure to environmental factors such as alcohol, toxins, high temperature or gastro-esophageal refluxate components. The model also facilitates extended culture periods not achievable with conventional 2D cell culture, enabling, inter alia, the study of the impact of repeated exposure of a mature epithelium to the agent of interest for up to 20 days. Furthermore, a variety of cell lines, such as those derived from esophageal tumors or Barrett&#8217;s Metaplasia, can be incorporated into the model to investigate processes such as tumor invasion and drug responsiveness in a more biologically relevant environment.

This manuscript describes the production, characterization and potential uses of a tissue engineered 3D esophageal construct prepared from normal primary human esophageal fibroblast and squamous epithelial cells seeded within a de-cellularized porcine scaffold. The results demonstrate the formation of a mature stratified epithelium similar to the normal human esophagus.

The incidence of both esophageal adenocarcinoma and its precursor, Barrett&#8217;s Metaplasia, are rising rapidly in the western world. Furthermore ...

Tissue Engineering by Intrinsic Vascularization in an In Vivo Tissue Engineering Chamber

In reconstructive surgery, there is a clinical need for an alternative to the current methods of autologous reconstruction which are complex, costly and trade one defect for another. Tissue engineering holds the promise to address this increasing demand. However, most tissue engineering strategies fail to generate stable and functional tissue substitutes because of poor vascularization. This paper focuses on an in vivo tissue engineering chamber model of intrinsic vascularization where a perfused artery and a vein either as an arteriovenous loop or a flow-through pedicle configuration is directed inside a protected hollow chamber. In this chamber-based system angiogenic sprouting occurs from the arteriovenous vessels and this system attracts ischemic and inflammatory driven endogenous cell migration which gradually fills the chamber space with fibro-vascular tissue. Exogenous cell/matrix implantation at the time of chamber construction enhances cell survival and determines specificity of the engineered tissues which develop. Our studies have shown that this chamber model can successfully generate different tissues such as fat, cardiac muscle, liver and others. However, modifications and refinements are required to ensure target tissue formation is consistent and reproducible. This article describes a standardized protocol for the fabrication of two different vascularized tissue engineering chamber models in vivo.

Tissue Engineering by Intrinsic Vascularization in an In Vivo Tissue Engineering Chamber

This is a guideline for constructing in vivo vascularized tissue using a microsurgical arteriovenous loop or a flow-through pedicle configuration inside a tissue engineering chamber. The vascularized tissues generated can be employed for organ regeneration and replacement of tissue defects, as well as for drug testing and disease modeling.

In reconstructive surgery, there is a clinical need for an alternative to the current methods of autologous reconstruction which are complex, costly and ...

The Arteriovenous (AV) Loop in a Small Animal Model to Study Angiogenesis and Vascularized Tissue Engineering

A functional blood vessel network is a prerequisite for the survival and growth of almost all tissues and organs in the human body. Moreover, in pathological situations such as cancer, vascularization plays a leading role in disease progression. Consequently, there is a strong need for a standardized and well-characterized in vivo model in order to elucidate the mechanisms of neovascularization and develop different vascularization approaches for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
We describe a microsurgical approach for a small animal model for induction of a vascular axis consisting of a vein and artery that are anastomosed to an arteriovenous (AV) loop. The AV loop is transferred to an enclosed implantation chamber to create an isolated microenvironment in vivo, which is connected to the living organism only by means of the vascular axis. Using 3D imaging (MRI, micro-CT) and immunohistology, the growing vasculature can be visualized over time. By implanting different cells, growth factors and matrices, their function in blood vessel network formation can be analyzed without any disturbing influences from the surroundings in a well controllable environment. 
In addition to angiogenesis and antiangiogenesis studies, the AV loop model is also perfectly suited for engineering vascularized tissues. After a certain prevascularization time, the generated tissues can be transplanted into the defect site and microsurgically connected to the local vessels, thereby ensuring immediate blood supply and integration of the engineered tissue. By varying the matrices, cells, growth factors and chamber architecture, it is possible to generate various tissues, which can then be tailored to the individual patient's needs.

The Arteriovenous AV Loop in a Small Animal Model to Study Angiogenesis and Vascularized Tissue Engineering

We describe a microsurgical approach for the generation of an arteriovenous (AV) loop as a model for analyzing vascularization in vivo in an isolated and well-characterized environment. This model is not only useful for the investigation of angiogenesis, but is also optimally suited for engineering axially vascularized and transplantable tissues.

A functional blood vessel network is a prerequisite for the survival and growth of almost all tissues and organs in the human body. Moreover, in ...

Screening and Identification of Small Peptides Targeting Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor2 using a Phage Display Peptide Library

The human Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) family comprises four members, namely, FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, and FGFR4, that are involved in various biological activities including cell proliferation, survival, migration and differentiation. Several aberrations in the FGFR signaling pathway, owing to mutations or gene amplification events, have been identified in various types of cancers. Hence, recent research has focused on developing strategies involving therapeutic targeting of FGFRs. Current FGFR inhibitors at various stages of pre-clinical and clinical development include either small molecule inhibitors of tyrosine kinases or monoclonal antibodies, with only a few peptide- based inhibitors in the pipeline. Here, we provide a protocol using phage display technology to screen small peptides as antagonists of FGFR2. Briefly, a library of phage-displayed peptides was incubated in a plate coated with FGFR2. Subsequently, unbound phage was washed off by TBST (TBS + 0.1% [v/v] Tween-20), and bound phage was eluted with 0.2 M glycine-HCl buffer (pH 2.2). The eluted phage was further amplified and used as input for the next round of biopanning. Following three rounds of biopanning, the peptide sequences of individual phage clones were identified by DNA sequencing. Finally, the screened peptides were synthesized and analyzed for affinity and biological activity.

Herein, we present a detailed protocol for screening small peptides that bind to FGFR2 using a phage display peptide library. We further analyze the affinity of the selected peptides toward FGFR2 in vitro and its ability to suppress cell proliferation.

The human Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) family comprises four members, namely, FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, and FGFR4, that are involved in various ...

Rapid Characterization of Genetic Parts with Cell-Free Systems

Characterizing and cataloging genetic parts are critical to the design of useful genetic circuits. Having well-characterized parts allows for the fine-tuning of genetic circuits, such that their function results in predictable outcomes. With the growth of synthetic biology as a field, there has been an explosion of genetic circuits that have been implemented in microbes to execute functions pertaining to sensing, metabolic alteration, and cellular computing. Here, we show a rapid and cost-effective method for characterizing genetic parts. Our method utilizes cell-free lysate, prepared in-house as a medium to evaluate parts via the expression of a reporter protein. Template DNA is prepared by PCR amplification using inexpensive primers to add variant parts to the reporter gene, and the template is added to the reaction as linear DNA without cloning. Parts that can be added in this way include promoters, operators, ribosome binding sites, insulators, and terminators. This approach, combined with the incorporation of an acoustic liquid handler and 384-well plates, allows the user to carry out high-throughput evaluations of genetic parts in a single day. By comparison, cell-based screening approaches require time-consuming cloning and have longer testing times due to overnight culture and culture density normalization steps. Further, working in cell-free lysate allows the user to exact tighter control over the expression conditions through the addition of exogenous components and DNA at precise concentrations. Results obtained from cell-free screening can be used directly in applications of cell-free systems or, in some cases, as a way to predict function in whole cells.

Well-characterized genetic parts are necessary for the design of novel genetic circuits. Here we describe a cost-effective, high-throughput method for rapidly characterizing genetic parts. Our method reduces cost and time by combining cell-free lysates, linear DNA to avoid cloning, and acoustic liquid handling to increase throughput and reduce reaction volumes.

Characterizing and cataloging genetic parts are critical to the design of useful genetic circuits. Having well-characterized parts allows for the ...

High-Efficiency Production of Transgenic Soybean Hairy Roots

Soybean Hairy Root Transformation for the Analysis of Gene Function

Soybean (Glycine max) is a valuable crop in agriculture that has thousands of industrial uses. Soybean roots are the primary site of interaction with soil-borne microbes that form symbiosis to fix nitrogen and pathogens, which makes research involving soybean root genetics of prime importance to improve its agricultural production. The genetic transformation of soybean hairy roots (HRs) is mediated by the Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain NCPPB2659 (K599) and is an efficient tool for studying gene function in soybean roots, taking only 2 months from start to finish. Here, we provide a detailed protocol that outlines the method for overexpressing and silencing a gene of interest in soybean HRs. This methodology includes soybean seed sterilization, infection of cotyledons with K599, and the selection and harvesting of genetically transformed HRs for RNA isolation and, if warranted, metabolite analyses. The throughput of the approach is sufficient to simultaneously study several genes or networks and could determine the optimal engineering strategies prior to committing to long-term stable transformation approaches.

Author Spotlight: Soybean Hairy Root Transformation for the Analysis of Gene Function  

Here, we present a protocol for the high-efficiency production of transgenic soybean hairy roots.

Soybean (Glycine max) is a valuable crop in agriculture that has thousands of industrial uses. Soybean roots are the primary site of interaction with ...