藍藻蛋白又稱藻青素是一種非核醣體合成的聚合物，於1887年，被Borzi觀察藍綠藻菌所發現。藍藻蛋白是由藍綠藻菌體內產生的物質，但並非全部的藍綠藻都能產生藍藻蛋白。藍藻蛋白的組成為等莫耳比的精胺酸與天門冬胺酸，可藉由藍藻蛋白合成酶進行聚合反應，此聚合物的排列方式以天門冬胺酸為主要骨架，以精胺酸的α-胺基與天門冬胺酸的β-羧基連接。
本實驗使用含Synechocysis sp. PCC 6803的藍藻蛋白合成酶cphA，選殖入載體並送之大腸桿菌進行藍藻蛋白合成酶的表現，藉由培養大腸桿菌生產藍藻蛋白。由於本實驗使用pET表現系統，於培養過程中加入不同濃度的乳糖與IPTG進行藍藻蛋白生成的誘導，並改變不同溫度培養，探討藍藻蛋白合成酶之表現程度，以找出最佳培養溫度。微生物生產的藍藻蛋白，藉高效液相層析分析其胺基酸組成。
在實驗結果顯示，以0.01 mM IPTG有最佳的誘導效果。在溫度20 ℃下，藍藻蛋白合成酶有明顯表現，並有助於藍藻蛋白合成酶的生成。使用TB培養基進行微生物培養，能獲得較高產量。不可溶性藍藻蛋白的胺基酸組成為50±0.53 ％天門冬胺酸、44.23±0.35 ％精胺酸與5.77±0.39 ％賴胺酸，而可溶性藍藻蛋白的胺基酸為50.24±0.36 ％天門冬胺酸、38.27±0.31 ％精胺酸與11.49±0.22 ％賴胺酸。
綜合上述，將含有藍藻蛋白合成酶基因S. sp. PCC 6803（cphA）之E. coli BL21（DE3）CodonPlus，使用TB培養基在20 ℃、0.01 mM IPTG的培養條件下，能獲得較高藍藻蛋白之產量。

In 1887, cyanophycin is a non-ribosomal protein discovered by Borzi in cyanobacteria. Cyanophycin can be produced inside cyanobacteria. However, not all cyanobacteria are capable of producing cyanophycin. Cyanophycin is protein-like polymer which consists of equimolar amounts of aspartic acid and arginine arranged as a poly-aspartic acid backbone to which arginine residues are linked to the β-carboxyl group of each aspartate by its α-amino group.
This study reports the production of cyanophycin by recombinant Escherichia coli carrying the cphA gene from Synechocysis sp. PCC 6803. The pET expression system was employed to produce cyanophycin. Different concentrations of IPTG and lactose as well as different temperature were used to examine cyanophycin production.
The results showed that 0.01 mM IPTG performs inductive effects most efficiently. At 20 ℃, cyanophycin synthetase appears visibly on the electrophoresis gel. The use of TB medium is a better choice to produce cyanophycin by recombinant E. coli. Insoluble cyanophycin show a composition of aspartic acid, 50±0.53 %; arginine, 44.23±0.35 %; lysine, 5.77±0.39 %. Soluble cyanophycin showed a composition of aspartic acid, 50.24±0.36 %; arginine, 38.27±0.31 %; lysine, 11.49±0.22 %.
In conclusion, production of cyanophycin by recombinant Escherichia coli carrying the cphA gene from Synechocysis sp. PCC 6803 in TB medium at 20 ℃, and 0.01mM of IPTG , give higher production of cyanophycin.

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