Deciphering the mechanism of microalgal metabolite-protein interaction for polyhydroxyalkanoates production

The use of microalgal resources for bioplastic production has been hindered by resource flow limitations and large-scale production's economic viability. To address this limitation, this review intends to provide cost-effective methods for large-scale cultivation and surge in the accumulation of precursors for bioplastic production. The review shows how the engineering of metabolite-protein interaction favors optimization of growth conditions, nutrient availability, and harvesting techniques that increase the yield of bioplastic precursors from microalgae. The review shows that an in-depth understanding of metabolite-protein interaction for the biosynthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) can provide an important insight into the production of strains that will increase the bioplastic potential of microalgae. This research highlights the potential for optimizing metabolic pathways in microalgae to enhance the production of precursors linked to PHA, thus providing strategies that improve the efficiency and yield of these precursors from microalgae. The study also shows environmental stressors trigger post-translational modifications that enhance PHA production in microalgae. This post-translational change influences PHA synthesis by regulating metabolite-protein interaction that involves the activation of key enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway. Thus, indicating the benefit of manipulating these stressors to surge PHA accumulation in microalgae, thereby offering a sustainable solution for bioplastic production.