PI: Yangmin Gong, PhD

Members:

Degang Ning, Professor

Hong Gao, Associate professor

Xiantao Fang, Technican

Junkai Zhu, Postdoc.

Contact us:

YG: yangmingong@ihb.ac.cn

Telephone: 086-027-68780527

General Introduction:

The research in the Group of Algal Genetics and Biotechnology focuses on molecular mechanisms regulating lipid metabolism, trafficking and storage, and governing peroxisome biogenesis and peroxisomal protein transport in eukaryotic microalgae. We are carrying out our research in three major directions: 1) identifing key genes controlling lipid metabolism and storage in microalgae by integrating genetics, cell biology, biochemistry and multi-omics; 2) understanding how peroxisomal matrix proteins are transported into peroxisomes and the functions of peroxisomes in diatoms in response to unfavorable environmental conditions; 3) producing high-vale bioactive compounds (such as natural pigments, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and terpenes) in cyanobacteria and microalgae by using the methods of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering. The main objectives are to discover new genetic engineering targets for enhancing carbon fixation and lipid synthesis in microalgae and plants, and to generate algal chassis for carbon-neutral biomanufacturing of high-values bioproducts using sustainable and renewable resources.

Selected publications:

1. Hu X, Liu X, Wang Y, Liu K, Gao H, Zhu G, Wang S, Fang X, Sun H, Zhou F, Ji S, Zhou C, Zhang Y, Xu X*. Coordination of N2-fixing cell specialization and patterning in filamentous cyanobacteria by a uniquely structured σ factor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026, 123(27):e2610149123. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2610149123

2. Zhu J, Chen W, Li S, Allen A, Xu X, Wang X, Jiang H, Gong Y*. Iterative pathway engineering of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to enhance the biosynthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid using the Cre recombinase-mediated marker recycling. New Phytologist, 2026, 249(5):2481-2495

3. You L, Polońska A, Jasieniecka-Gazarkiewicz K, Richard F, Jouhet J, Maréchal E, Banaś A, Hu H, Pan Y, Hao X, Jin H, Allen AE, Amato A, Gong Y.* Two plastidial lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferases differentially mediate the biosynthesis of membrane lipids and triacylglycerols in Phaeodactylum tricornutum. New Phytologist, 2024, 241(4):1543-1558

4. Hao X, Chen W, Amato A, Jouhet J, Maréchal E, Moog D, Hu H, Jin H, You L, Huang F, Moosburner M, Allen AE, Gong Y.* Multiplexed CRISPR/Cas9 editing of the long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase family in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum reveals that mitochondrial ptACSL3 is involved in the synthesis of storage lipids. New Phytologist, 2022, 233(4):1797-1812

5. You L, Jouhet J, Maréchal E, Amato A, Hao X, Zhang D, Banaś A, Gong Y.* Acyl-CoA:lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase from the unicellular diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PtLPCAT1) is involved in triacylglycerol and galactoglycerolipid synthesis and enhances eicosapentaenoic acid accumulation in recombinant oleaginous yeast. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2023, 21(2):238-240

6. Zhu J, Li S, Chen W, Xu X, Wang X, Wang X, Han J, Jouhet J, Amato A, Maréchal E, Hu H, Allen AE, Gong Y*, Jiang H. Delta-5 elongase knockout reduces docosahexaenoic acid and lipid synthesis and increases heat sensitivity in a diatom. Plant Physiology, 2024,196(2):1356-1373

7. Chen Z, Luo L, Chen R, Hu H, Pan Y, Jiang H, Wan X, Jin H, Gong Y.* Acetylome profiling reveals extensive lysine acetylation of the fatty acid metabolism pathway in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 2018, 17:399-412, doi:10.1074/mcp.RA117.000339

8. Wang Y, Liu X, Gao H, Zhang HM, Guo AY, Xu J, Xu X*. Early Stage Adaptation of a Mesophilic Green Alga to Antarctica: Systematic Increases in Abundance of Enzymes and LEA Proteins. Mol Biol Evol. 2020, 37(3):849-863. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msz273

9. Jiang X, Gao H, Dong Y, Tang J, Ji S, Xu X*. AnaToc75 (Alr2269) mediates calcium uptake across the outer membrane in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. J Bacteriol. 2025, 207(10):e0029125. doi: 10.1128/jb.00291-25

10. Zhang Y, Wu D, Wang Y, Xu X*. Two types of C-terminal regions of RNA-binding proteins play distinct roles in stress tolerance of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2022, 369(1):fnac021. doi: 10.1093/femsle/fnac021