The function and organisation of the pyrenoid

Context

At the centre of the eukaryotic algal CO₂ concentrating mechanism (CCM) is an enigmatic organelle called the pyrenoid, where the cell releases CO₂ in the proximity of the enzyme Rubisco. The engineering of a pyrenoid based CCM in crops has the potential for yield increases up to 60 per cent. 

The research

Our research focuses on advancing our knowledge of pyrenoid structure and function across diverse algae to enable pyrenoid engineering in plants.

To date we have shown that the pyrenoid is a liquid-liquid phase separated organelle that can rapidly dissolve and recondense during cell division and changes in CO₂ concentration. Central to these liquid-like properties, and a key component for current plant engineering efforts, is a disordered repeat protein called EPYC1 that links Rubisco together to form the pyrenoid.

To enable assembly of a fully functional pyrenoid in plants additional structural and catalytic proteins are required; we are currently characterizing a range of recently identified pyrenoid proteins across diverse algae using cell physiology, biochemical and structural biology approaches.