1
|
Schann K, Bakker J, Boinot M, Kuschel P, He H, Nattermann M, Paczia N, Erb T, Bar‐Even A, Wenk S. Design, construction and optimization of formaldehyde growth biosensors with broad application in biotechnology. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14527. [PMID: 39031508 PMCID: PMC11259041 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Formaldehyde is a key metabolite in natural and synthetic one-carbon metabolism. To facilitate the engineering of formaldehyde-producing enzymes, the development of sensitive, user-friendly, and cost-effective detection methods is required. In this study, we engineered Escherichia coli to serve as a cellular biosensor capable of detecting a broad range of formaldehyde concentrations. Using both natural and promiscuous formaldehyde assimilation enzymes, we designed three distinct E. coli growth biosensor strains that depend on formaldehyde for cell growth. These strains were engineered to be auxotrophic for one or several essential metabolites that could be produced through formaldehyde assimilation. The respective assimilating enzyme was expressed from the genome to compensate the auxotrophy in the presence of formaldehyde. We first predicted the formaldehyde dependency of the biosensors by flux balance analysis and then analysed it experimentally. Subsequent to strain engineering, we enhanced the formaldehyde sensitivity of two biosensors either through adaptive laboratory evolution or modifications at metabolic branch points. The final set of biosensors demonstrated the ability to detect formaldehyde concentrations ranging approximately from 30 μM to 13 mM. We demonstrated the application of the biosensors by assaying the in vivo activity of different methanol dehydrogenases in the most sensitive strain. The fully genomic nature of the biosensors allows them to be deployed as "plug-and-play" devices for high-throughput screenings of extensive enzyme libraries. The formaldehyde growth biosensors developed in this study hold significant promise for advancing the field of enzyme engineering, thereby supporting the establishment of a sustainable one-carbon bioeconomy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karin Schann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
| | - Jenny Bakker
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
| | - Maximilian Boinot
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
| | - Pauline Kuschel
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
| | - Hai He
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyMarburgGermany
| | | | - Nicole Paczia
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyMarburgGermany
| | - Tobias Erb
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyMarburgGermany
| | - Arren Bar‐Even
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
| | - Sebastian Wenk
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Orsi E, Schada von Borzyskowski L, Noack S, Nikel PI, Lindner SN. Automated in vivo enzyme engineering accelerates biocatalyst optimization. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3447. [PMID: 38658554 PMCID: PMC11043082 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46574-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Achieving cost-competitive bio-based processes requires development of stable and selective biocatalysts. Their realization through in vitro enzyme characterization and engineering is mostly low throughput and labor-intensive. Therefore, strategies for increasing throughput while diminishing manual labor are gaining momentum, such as in vivo screening and evolution campaigns. Computational tools like machine learning further support enzyme engineering efforts by widening the explorable design space. Here, we propose an integrated solution to enzyme engineering challenges whereby ML-guided, automated workflows (including library generation, implementation of hypermutation systems, adapted laboratory evolution, and in vivo growth-coupled selection) could be realized to accelerate pipelines towards superior biocatalysts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Orsi
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Stephan Noack
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Pablo I Nikel
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Steffen N Lindner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
- Department of Biochemistry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang Z, Dai Y, Azi F, Wang Z, Xu W, Wang D, Dong M, Xia X. Engineering Escherichia coli for cost-effective production of medium-chain fatty acids from soy whey using an optimized galactose-based autoinduction system. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 393:130145. [PMID: 38042430 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.130145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are essential chemical feedstocks. Microbial production of MCFAs offers an attractive alternative to conventional methods, but the costly media and external inducers limit its practical application. To address this issue and make MCFA production more cost-effective, an E.coli platform was developed using soy whey as a medium and galactose as an autoinducer. We first designed an efficient, stringent, homogeneous, and robust galactose-based autoinduction system for the expression of pathway enzymes by rationally engineering the promoter of the galactose-proton symporter (GalP). Subsequently, the intracellular acetyl-CoA availability and NADH regeneration were enhanced to improve the reversal of the β-oxidation cycle. The resulting strain yielded 8.20 g/L and 16.42 g/L MCFA in pH-controlled batch fermentation and fed-batch fermentation with glucose added using soy whey as medium, respectively. This study provided a cost-effective and promising platform for MCFA production, as well as future strain development for other value-added chemicals production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Wang
- Institute of Agro-Product Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yiqiang Dai
- Institute of Agro-Product Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Fidelis Azi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Shantou 515063, China
| | - Zhongjiang Wang
- College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Weimin Xu
- Institute of Agro-Product Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Daoying Wang
- Institute of Agro-Product Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Mingsheng Dong
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiudong Xia
- Institute of Agro-Product Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210014, China; School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhong W, Li H, Wang Y. Design and Construction of Artificial Biological Systems for One-Carbon Utilization. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2023; 5:0021. [PMID: 37915992 PMCID: PMC10616972 DOI: 10.34133/bdr.0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The third-generation (3G) biorefinery aims to use microbial cell factories or enzymatic systems to synthesize value-added chemicals from one-carbon (C1) sources, such as CO2, formate, and methanol, fueled by renewable energies like light and electricity. This promising technology represents an important step toward sustainable development, which can help address some of the most pressing environmental challenges faced by modern society. However, to establish processes competitive with the petroleum industry, it is crucial to determine the most viable pathways for C1 utilization and productivity and yield of the target products. In this review, we discuss the progresses that have been made in constructing artificial biological systems for 3G biorefineries in the last 10 years. Specifically, we highlight the representative works on the engineering of artificial autotrophic microorganisms, tandem enzymatic systems, and chemo-bio hybrid systems for C1 utilization. We also prospect the revolutionary impact of these developments on biotechnology. By harnessing the power of 3G biorefinery, scientists are establishing a new frontier that could potentially revolutionize our approach to industrial production and pave the way for a more sustainable future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhong
- Westlake Center of Synthetic Biology and Integrated Bioengineering, School of Engineering,
Westlake University, Hangzhou 310000, PR China
| | - Hailong Li
- Westlake Center of Synthetic Biology and Integrated Bioengineering, School of Engineering,
Westlake University, Hangzhou 310000, PR China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, PR China
| | - Yajie Wang
- Westlake Center of Synthetic Biology and Integrated Bioengineering, School of Engineering,
Westlake University, Hangzhou 310000, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Collas F, Dronsella BB, Kubis A, Schann K, Binder S, Arto N, Claassens NJ, Kensy F, Orsi E. Engineering the biological conversion of formate into crotonate in Cupriavidus necator. Metab Eng 2023; 79:49-65. [PMID: 37414134 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
To advance the sustainability of the biobased economy, our society needs to develop novel bioprocesses based on truly renewable resources. The C1-molecule formate is increasingly proposed as carbon and energy source for microbial fermentations, as it can be efficiently generated electrochemically from CO2 and renewable energy. Yet, its biotechnological conversion into value-added compounds has been limited to a handful of examples. In this work, we engineered the natural formatotrophic bacterium C. necator as cell factory to enable biological conversion of formate into crotonate, a platform short-chain unsaturated carboxylic acid of biotechnological relevance. First, we developed a small-scale (150-mL working volume) cultivation setup for growing C. necator in minimal medium using formate as only carbon and energy source. By using a fed-batch strategy with automatic feeding of formic acid, we could increase final biomass concentrations 15-fold compared to batch cultivations in flasks. Then, we engineered a heterologous crotonate pathway in the bacterium via a modular approach, where each pathway section was assessed using multiple candidates. The best performing modules included a malonyl-CoA bypass for increasing the thermodynamic drive towards the intermediate acetoacetyl-CoA and subsequent conversion to crotonyl-CoA through partial reverse β-oxidation. This pathway architecture was then tested for formate-based biosynthesis in our fed-batch setup, resulting in a two-fold higher titer, three-fold higher productivity, and five-fold higher yield compared to the strain not harboring the bypass. Eventually, we reached a maximum product titer of 148.0 ± 6.8 mg/L. Altogether, this work consists in a proof-of-principle integrating bioprocess and metabolic engineering approaches for the biological upgrading of formate into a value-added platform chemical.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Beau B Dronsella
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | | | - Karin Schann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | | | | | - Nico J Claassens
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Enrico Orsi
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Krüsemann JL, Rainaldi V, Cotton CA, Claassens NJ, Lindner SN. The cofactor challenge in synthetic methylotrophy: bioengineering and industrial applications. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 82:102953. [PMID: 37320962 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.102953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Methanol is a promising feedstock for industrial bioproduction: it can be produced renewably and has high solubility and limited microbial toxicity. One of the key challenges for its bio-industrial application is the first enzymatic oxidation step to formaldehyde. This reaction is catalysed by methanol dehydrogenases (MDH) that can use NAD+, O2 or pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) as an electron acceptor. While NAD-dependent MDH are simple to express and have the highest energetic efficiency, they exhibit mediocre kinetics and poor thermodynamics at ambient temperatures. O2-dependent methanol oxidases require high oxygen concentrations, do not conserve energy and thus produce excessive heat as well as toxic H2O2. PQQ-dependent MDH provide a good compromise between energy efficiency and good kinetics that support fast growth rates without any drawbacks for process engineering. Therefore, we argue that this enzyme class represents a promising solution for industry and outline engineering strategies for the implementation of these complex systems in heterologous hosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan L Krüsemann
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Biochemistry, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 10, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Vittorio Rainaldi
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Nico J Claassens
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Steffen N Lindner
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Biochemistry, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Nielsen JR, Weusthuis RA, Huang WE. Growth-coupled enzyme engineering through manipulation of redox cofactor regeneration. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 63:108102. [PMID: 36681133 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Enzymes need to be efficient, robust, and highly specific for their effective use in commercial bioproduction. These properties can be introduced using various enzyme engineering techniques, with random mutagenesis and directed evolution (DE) often being chosen when there is a lack of structural information -or mechanistic understanding- of the enzyme. The screening or selection step of DE is the limiting part of this process, since it must ideally be (ultra)-high throughput, specifically target the catalytic activity of the enzyme and have an accurately quantifiable metric for said activity. Growth-coupling selection strategies involve coupling a desired enzyme activity to cellular metabolism and therefore growth, where growth (rate) becomes the output metric. Redox cofactors (NAD+/NADH and NADP+/NADPH) have recently been identified as promising target molecules for growth coupling, owing to their essentiality for cellular metabolism and ubiquitous nature. Redox cofactor oxidation or reduction can be disrupted through metabolic engineering and the use of specific culturing conditions, rendering the cell inviable unless a 'rescue' reaction complements the imposed metabolic deficiency. Using this principle, enzyme variants displaying improved cofactor oxidation or reduction rates can be selected for through an increased growth rate of the cell. In recent years, several E. coli strains have been developed that are deficient in the oxidation or reduction of NAD+/NADH and NADP+/NADPH pairs, and of non-canonical redox cofactor pairs NMN+/NMNH and NCD+/NCDH, which provides researchers with a versatile toolbox of enzyme engineering platforms. A range of redox cofactor dependent enzymes have since been engineered using a variety of these strains, demonstrating the power of using this growth-coupling technique for enzyme engineering. This review aims to summarize the metabolic engineering involved in creating strains auxotrophic for the reduced or oxidized state of redox cofactors, and the resulting successes in using them for enzyme engineering. Perspectives on the unique features and potential future applications of this technique are also presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jochem R Nielsen
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, United Kingdom.
| | - Ruud A Weusthuis
- Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen 6700AA, the Netherlands.
| | - Wei E Huang
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bruinsma L, Wenk S, Claassens NJ, Martins Dos Santos VAP. Paving the way for synthetic C1 - Metabolism in Pseudomonas putida through the reductive glycine pathway. Metab Eng 2023; 76:215-224. [PMID: 36804222 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
One-carbon (C1) compounds such as methanol, formate, and CO2 are alternative, sustainable microbial feedstocks for the biobased production of chemicals and fuels. In this study, we engineered the carbon metabolism of the industrially important bacterium Pseudomonas putida to modularly assimilate these three substrates through the reductive glycine pathway. First, we demonstrated the functionality of the C1-assimilation module by coupling the growth of auxotrophic strains to formate assimilation. Next, we extended the module in the auxotrophic strains from formate to methanol-dependent growth using both NAD and PQQ-dependent methanol dehydrogenases. Finally, we demonstrated, for the first time, engineered CO2-dependent formation of part of the biomass through CO2 reduction to formate by the native formate dehydrogenase, which required short-term evolution to rebalance the cellular NADH/NAD + ratio. This research paves the way to further engineer P. putida towards full growth on formate, methanol, and CO2 as sole feedstocks, thereby substantially expanding its potential as a sustainable and versatile cell factory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lyon Bruinsma
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, 6708, WE, the Netherlands
| | - Sebastian Wenk
- Systems and Synthetic Metabolism Group, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Nico J Claassens
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, 6708, WE, the Netherlands.
| | - Vitor A P Martins Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, 6708, WE, the Netherlands; LifeGlimmer GmbH, Berlin, 12163, Germany; Bioprocess Engineering, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, 6708, WE, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
King E, Maxel S, Zhang Y, Kenney KC, Cui Y, Luu E, Siegel JB, Weiss GA, Luo R, Li H. Orthogonal glycolytic pathway enables directed evolution of noncanonical cofactor oxidase. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7282. [PMID: 36435948 PMCID: PMC9701214 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35021-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Noncanonical cofactor biomimetics (NCBs) such as nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN+) provide enhanced scalability for biomanufacturing. However, engineering enzymes to accept NCBs is difficult. Here, we establish a growth selection platform to evolve enzymes to utilize NMN+-based reducing power. This is based on an orthogonal, NMN+-dependent glycolytic pathway in Escherichia coli which can be coupled to any reciprocal enzyme to recycle the ensuing reduced NMN+. With a throughput of >106 variants per iteration, the growth selection discovers a Lactobacillus pentosus NADH oxidase variant with ~10-fold increase in NMNH catalytic efficiency and enhanced activity for other NCBs. Molecular modeling and experimental validation suggest that instead of directly contacting NCBs, the mutations optimize the enzyme's global conformational dynamics to resemble the WT with the native cofactor bound. Restoring the enzyme's access to catalytically competent conformation states via deep navigation of protein sequence space with high-throughput evolution provides a universal route to engineer NCB-dependent enzymes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edward King
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Sarah Maxel
- Department Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Yulai Zhang
- Department Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Karissa C Kenney
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Youtian Cui
- Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Emma Luu
- Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Justin B Siegel
- Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Medicine University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Gregory A Weiss
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Ray Luo
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Han Li
- Department Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Lu J, Wang Y, Xu M, Fei Q, Gu Y, Luo Y, Wu H. Efficient biosynthesis of 3-hydroxypropionic acid from ethanol in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 363:127907. [PMID: 36087655 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Engineering microbial cell factories to convert CO2-based feedstock into chemicals and fuels provide a feasible carbon-neutral route for the third-generation biorefineries. Ethanol became one of the major products of syngas fermentation by engineered acetogens. The key building block chemical 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) can be synthesized from ethanol by the malonyl-CoA pathway with CO2 fixation. In this study, the effect of two ethanol consumption pathways on 3-HP synthesis were studied as well as the effect of TCA cycle, gluconeogenesis pathway, and transhydrogenase. And the 3-HP synthesis pathway was also optimized. The engineered strain synthesized 1.66 g/L of 3-HP with a yield of 0.24 g/g. Furthermore, the titer and the yield of 3-HP increased to 13.17 g/L and 0.57 g/g in the whole-cell biocatalysis system. This study indicated that ethanol as feedstock had the potential to synthesize 3-HP, which provided an alternative route for future biorefinery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juefeng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yuying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Mingcheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Qiang Fei
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yang Gu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, The State Key Laboratory of Plant Carbon-Nitrogen Assimilation, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanchan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Hui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China; Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Engineering of China National Light Industry Council, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Zhang L, King E, Black WB, Heckmann CM, Wolder A, Cui Y, Nicklen F, Siegel JB, Luo R, Paul CE, Li H. Directed evolution of phosphite dehydrogenase to cycle noncanonical redox cofactors via universal growth selection platform. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5021. [PMID: 36028482 PMCID: PMC9418148 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32727-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Noncanonical redox cofactors are attractive low-cost alternatives to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) (NAD(P)+) in biotransformation. However, engineering enzymes to utilize them is challenging. Here, we present a high-throughput directed evolution platform which couples cell growth to the in vivo cycling of a noncanonical cofactor, nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN+). We achieve this by engineering the life-essential glutathione reductase in Escherichia coli to exclusively rely on the reduced NMN+ (NMNH). Using this system, we develop a phosphite dehydrogenase (PTDH) to cycle NMN+ with ~147-fold improved catalytic efficiency, which translates to an industrially viable total turnover number of ~45,000 in cell-free biotransformation without requiring high cofactor concentrations. Moreover, the PTDH variants also exhibit improved activity with another structurally deviant noncanonical cofactor, 1-benzylnicotinamide (BNA+), showcasing their broad applications. Structural modeling prediction reveals a general design principle where the mutations and the smaller, noncanonical cofactors together mimic the steric interactions of the larger, natural cofactors NAD(P)+.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linyue Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Edward King
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - William B Black
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Christian M Heckmann
- Biocatalysis, Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Allison Wolder
- Biocatalysis, Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Youtian Cui
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Francis Nicklen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Justin B Siegel
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, 2700 Stockton Boulevard, Suite 2102, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, 451 Health Sciences Drive, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Ray Luo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Caroline E Paul
- Biocatalysis, Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Han Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Liu L, Ma X, Bilal M, Wei L, Tang S, Luo H, Zhao Y, Wang Z, Duan X. Toxicity and inhibition mechanism of gallic acid on physiology and fermentation performance of Escherichia coli. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2022; 9:76. [PMID: 38647760 PMCID: PMC10992115 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-022-00564-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Gallic acid is a natural phenolic acid that has a stress inhibition effect on Escherichia coli. This study by integrates fermentation characteristics and transcriptional analyses to elucidate the physiological mechanism of E. coli 3110 response to gallic acid. Compared with the control (without stress), the cell growth was severely retarded, and irregular cell morphology appeared in the case of high levels of gallic acid stress. The glucose consumption of E. coli was reduced successively with the increase of gallic acid content in the fermentation medium. After 20 h of gallic acid stress, cofactor levels (ATP, NAD+ and NADH) of E. coli 3110 were similarly decreased, indicating a more potent inhibitory effect of gallic acid on E. coli. The transcriptional analysis revealed that gallic acid altered the gene expression profiles related to five notable differentially regulated pathways. The genes related to the two-component system were up-regulated, while the genes associated with ABC-transporter, energy metabolism, carbon metabolism, and fatty acid biosynthesis were down-regulated. This is the first report to comprehensively assess the toxicity of gallic acid on E. coli. This study has implications for the efficient production of phenolic compounds by E. coli and provides new ideas for the study of microbial tolerance to environmental stress and the identification of associated tolerance targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lina Liu
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, 223003, China.
| | - Xiaolong Ma
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, 223003, China
| | - Muhammad Bilal
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, 223003, China
| | - Linlin Wei
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, 223003, China
| | - Shijie Tang
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, 223003, China
| | - Hongzhen Luo
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, 223003, China
| | - Yuping Zhao
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, 223003, China
| | - Zhaoyu Wang
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, 223003, China
| | - Xuguo Duan
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, Jiangsu, China
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Chen Y, Yang Z, Zhou X, Jin M, Dai Z, Ming D, Zhang Z, Zhu L, Jiang L. Sequence, structure, and function of the Dps DNA-binding protein from Deinococcus wulumuqiensis R12. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:132. [PMID: 35780107 PMCID: PMC9250271 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01857-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Deinococcus wulumuqiensis R12, which was isolated from arid irradiated soil in Xinjiang province of China, belongs to a genus that is well-known for its extreme resistance to ionizing radiation and oxidative stress. The DNA-binding protein Dps has been studied for its great contribution to oxidative resistance. To explore the role of Dps in D. wulumuqiensis R12, the Dps sequence and homology-modeled structure were analyzed. In addition, the dps gene was knocked out and proteomics was used to verify the functions of Dps in D. wulumuqiensis R12. Docking data and DNA binding experiments in vitro showed that the R12 Dps protein has a better DNA binding ability than the Dps1 protein from D. radiodurans R1. When the dps gene was deleted in D. wulumuqiensis R12, its resistance to H2O2 and UV rays was greatly reduced, and the cell envelope was destroyed by H2O2 treatment. Additionally, the qRT-PCR and proteomics data suggested that when the dps gene was deleted, the catalase gene was significantly down-regulated. The proteomics data indicated that the metabolism, transport and oxidation–reduction processes of D. wulumuqiensis R12 were down-regulated after the deletion of the dps gene. Overall, the data conformed that Dps protein plays an important role in D. wulumuqiensis R12.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yao Chen
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China.,College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Zhihan Yang
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Xue Zhou
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Mengmeng Jin
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Zijie Dai
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Dengming Ming
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Zhidong Zhang
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China. .,Institute of Applied Microbiology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Special Environmental Microbiology, Ürümqi, 830091, Xinjiang, China.
| | - Liying Zhu
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China.
| | - Ling Jiang
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Engineering synthetic auxotrophs for growth-coupled directed protein evolution. Trends Biotechnol 2022; 40:773-776. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
15
|
Maxel S, Saleh S, King E, Aspacio D, Zhang L, Luo R, Li H. Growth-Based, High-Throughput Selection for NADH Preference in an Oxygen-Dependent Biocatalyst. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:2359-2370. [PMID: 34469126 PMCID: PMC10362907 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cyclohexanone monooxygenases (CHMO) consume molecular oxygen and NADPH to catalyze the valuable oxidation of cyclic ketones. However, CHMO usage is restricted by poor stability and stringent specificity for NADPH. Efforts to engineer CHMO have been limited by the sensitivity of the enzyme to perturbations in conformational dynamics and long-range interactions that cannot be predicted. We demonstrate an aerobic, high-throughput growth selection platform in Escherichia coli for oxygenase evolution based on NADH redox balance. We applied this NADH-dependent selection to alter the cofactor specificity of CHMO to accept NADH, a less expensive cofactor than NADPH. We first identified the variant CHMO DTNP (S208D-K326T-K349N-L143P) with a ∼1200-fold relative cofactor specificity switch from NADPH to NADH compared to the wild type through semirational design. Molecular modeling suggests CHMO DTNP activity is driven by cooperative fine-tuning of cofactor contacts. Additional evolution of CHMO DTNP through random mutagenesis yielded the variant CHMO DTNPY with a ∼2900-fold relative specificity switch compared to the wild type afforded by an additional distal mutation, H163Y. These results highlight the difficulty in engineering functionally innovative variants from static models and rational designs, and the need for high throughput selection methods. Our introduced tools for oxygenase engineering accelerate the advancements of characteristics essential for industrial feasibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Maxel
- Departments of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Samer Saleh
- Departments of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Edward King
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Derek Aspacio
- Departments of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Linyue Zhang
- Departments of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Ray Luo
- Departments of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Han Li
- Departments of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Production of Aldehydes by Biocatalysis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094949. [PMID: 34066641 PMCID: PMC8124467 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The production of aldehydes, highly reactive and toxic chemicals, brings specific challenges to biocatalytic processes. Absence of natural accumulation of aldehydes in microorganisms has led to a combination of in vitro and in vivo strategies for both, bulk and fine production. Advances in genetic and metabolic engineering and implementation of computational techniques led to the production of various enzymes with special requirements. Cofactor synthesis, post-translational modifications and structure engineering are applied to prepare active enzymes for one-step or cascade reactions. This review presents the highlights in biocatalytical production of aldehydes with the potential to shape future industrial applications.
Collapse
|
17
|
Kutscha R, Pflügl S. Microbial Upgrading of Acetate into Value-Added Products-Examining Microbial Diversity, Bioenergetic Constraints and Metabolic Engineering Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228777. [PMID: 33233586 PMCID: PMC7699770 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecological concerns have recently led to the increasing trend to upgrade carbon contained in waste streams into valuable chemicals. One of these components is acetate. Its microbial upgrading is possible in various species, with Escherichia coli being the best-studied. Several chemicals derived from acetate have already been successfully produced in E. coli on a laboratory scale, including acetone, itaconic acid, mevalonate, and tyrosine. As acetate is a carbon source with a low energy content compared to glucose or glycerol, energy- and redox-balancing plays an important role in acetate-based growth and production. In addition to the energetic challenges, acetate has an inhibitory effect on microorganisms, reducing growth rates, and limiting product concentrations. Moreover, extensive metabolic engineering is necessary to obtain a broad range of acetate-based products. In this review, we illustrate some of the necessary energetic considerations to establish robust production processes by presenting calculations of maximum theoretical product and carbon yields. Moreover, different strategies to deal with energetic and metabolic challenges are presented. Finally, we summarize ways to alleviate acetate toxicity and give an overview of process engineering measures that enable sustainable acetate-based production of value-added chemicals.
Collapse
|