Human Intrinsic Factor Expression for Bioavailable Vitamin B<sub>12</sub> Enrichment in Microalgae
2018
Lima, Serena | Webb, Conner L. | Deery, Evelyne | Robinson, Colin | Zedler, Julie A. Z.
Dietary supplements and functional foods are becoming increasingly popular complements to regular diets. A recurring ingredient is the essential cofactor vitamin B<inf>12</inf> (B<inf>12</inf>). Microalgae are making their way into the dietary supplement and functional food market but do not produce B<inf>12</inf>, and their B<inf>12</inf> content is very variable. In this study, the suitability of using the human B<inf>12</inf>-binding protein intrinsic factor (IF) to enrich bioavailable B<inf>12</inf> using microalgae was tested. The IF protein was successfully expressed from the nuclear genome of the model microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the addition of an N-terminal ARS2 signal peptide resulted in efficient IF secretion to the medium. Co-abundance of B<inf>12</inf> and the secreted IF suggests the algal produced IF protein is functional and B<inf>12</inf>-binding. Utilizing IF expression could be an efficient tool to generate B<inf>12</inf>-enriched microalgae in a controlled manner that is suitable for vegetarians and, potentially, more bioavailable for humans.
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