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Tools and Techniques for Chloroplast Transformation of Chlamydomonas

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Book cover Transgenic Microalgae as Green Cell Factories

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((volume 616))

Abstract

The chloroplast organelle of plant and algal cells contains its own genetic system with a genome of a hundred or so genes. Stable transformation of the chloroplast was first achieved in 1988, using the newly developed biolistic method of DNA delivery to introduce cloned DNA into the genome of the green unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Since that time there have been significant developments in chloroplast genetic engineering using this versatile organism, and it is probable that the next few years will see increasing interest in commercial applications whereby high-value therapeutic proteins and other recombinant products are synthesized in the Chlamydomonas chloroplast. In this chapter I review the basic methodology of chloroplast transformation, the current techniques and applications, and the future possibilities for using the Chlamydomonas chloroplast as a green organelle factory.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Algal Research Group, Department of Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    Saul Purton

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  1. Saul Purton
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Química y Ciencia de Materiales, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain

    Rosa León Ph.D.

  2. Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain

    Aurora Galván Ph.D.  & Emilio Fernández Ph.D.  & 

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© 2007 Landes Bioscience and Springer Science+Business Media

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Purton, S. (2007). Tools and Techniques for Chloroplast Transformation of Chlamydomonas . In: León, R., Galván, A., Fernández, E. (eds) Transgenic Microalgae as Green Cell Factories. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 616. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-75532-8_4

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