Photoautotrophic cultivation of a Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutant with zeaxanthin as the sole xanthophyll

Background Photosynthetic microalgae are known for their sustainable and eco-friendly potential to convert carbon dioxide into valuable products. Nevertheless, the challenge of self-shading due to high cell density has been identified as a drawback, hampering productivity in sustainable photoautotrophic mass cultivation. To address this issue, mutants with altered pigment composition have been proposed to allow a more efficient light diffusion but further study on the role of the different pigments is still needed to correctly engineer this process. Results We here investigated the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Delta zl mutant with zeaxanthin as the sole xanthophyll. The Delta zl mutant displayed altered pigment composition, characterized by lower chlorophyll content, higher chlorophyll a/b ratio, and lower chlorophyll/carotenoid ratio compared to the wild type (Wt). The Delta zl mutant also exhibited a significant decrease in the light-harvesting complex II/Photosystem II ratio (LHCII/PSII) and the absence of trimeric LHCIIs. This significantly affects the organization and stability of PSII supercomplexes. Consequently, the estimated functional antenna size of PSII in the Delta zl mutant was approximately 60% smaller compared to that of Wt, and reduced PSII activity was evident in this mutant. Notably, the Delta zl mutant showed impaired non-photochemical quenching. However, the Delta zl mutant compensated by exhibiting enhanced cyclic electron flow compared to Wt, seemingly offsetting the impaired PSII functionality. Consequently, the Delta zl mutant achieved significantly higher cell densities than Wt under high-light conditions. Conclusions Our findings highlight significant changes in pigment content and pigment-protein complexes in the Delta zl mutant compared to Wt, resulting in an advantage for high-density photoautotrophic cultivation. This advantage is attributed to the decreased chlorophyll content of the Delta zl mutant, allowing better light penetration. In addition, the accumulated zeaxanthin in the mutant could serve as an antioxidant, offering protection against reactive oxygen species generated by chlorophylls.