Procedures for transformation and their applications in Cyanidioschyzon merolae

Abstract

The red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae exhibits an extremely simple cytological genomic architecture. This feature offers advantages in cytological and biochemical studies. Methods for nuclear gene targeting have been developed during the last decade. Currently, gene knockout, knock-in, and a stable expression of transgene are feasible in C. merolae. In addition, to examine the function of genes that are essential for cell viability, heat-shock inducible gene expression and nitrogen source-dependent inducible/repressible gene expression systems have also been developed. The combination of emerging genetic tools and the simple features of C. merolae facilitate various "omics" analyses across several disciplines.