HO1-N Grown on C 16 -C 20n -Alkanes

Bacterial wax synthesis

Biological wax esters offer a sustainable, renewable and biodegradable alternative to many fossil fuel derived chemicals including plastics and paraffins. Many species of bacteria accumulate waxes with similar structure and properties to highly desirable animal and plant waxes such as Spermaceti and Jojoba oils, the use of which is limited by resource requirements, high cost and ethical concerns. While bacterial fermentations overcome these issues, a commercially viable bacterial wax production process would require high yields and renewable, affordable feedstock to make it economically competitive and environmentally beneficial. This review describes recent progress in wax ester generation in both wild type and genetically engineered bacteria, with a focus on comparing substrates and quantifying obtained waxes. The full breadth of wax accumulating species is discussed, with emphasis on species generating high yields and utilising renewable substrates. Key areas of the field that have, thus far, received limited attention are highlighted, such as waste stream valorisation, mixed microbial cultures and efficient wax extraction, as, until effectively addressed, these will slow progress in creating commercially viable wax production methods.

Rewiring the wax ester production pathway of Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1

Wax esters are industrially relevant high-value molecules. For sustainable production of wax esters, bacterial cell factories are suggested to replace the chemical processes exploiting expensive starting materials. However, it is well recognized that new sophisticated solutions employing synthetic biology toolbox are required to improve and tune the cellular production platform to meet the product requirements. For example, saturated wax esters with alkanol chain lengths C12 or C14 that are convenient for industrial uses are rare among bacteria. Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1, a natural producer of wax esters, is a convenient model organism for studying the potentiality and modifiability of wax esters in a natural host by means of synthetic biology. In order to establish a controllable production platform exploiting well-characterized biocomponents, and to modify the wax ester synthesis pathway of A. baylyi ADP1 in terms product quality, a fatty acid reductase complex LuxCDE with an inducible arabinose promoter was employed to replace the natural fatty acyl-CoA reductase acr1 in ADP1. The engineered strain was able to produce wax esters by the introduced synthetic pathway. Moreover, the fatty alkanol chain length profile of wax esters was found to shift toward shorter and more saturated carbon chains, C16:0 accounting for most of the alkanols. The study demonstrates the potentiality of recircuiting a biosynthesis pathway in a natural producer, enabling a regulated production of a customized bioproduct. Furthermore, the LuxCDE complex can be potentially used as a well-characterized biopart in a variety of synthetic biology applications involving the production of long-chain hydrocarbons.

Real-time monitoring of intracellular wax ester metabolism

BACKGROUND

Wax esters are industrially relevant molecules exploited in several applications of oleochemistry and food industry. At the moment, the production processes mostly rely on chemical synthesis from rather expensive starting materials, and therefore solutions are sought from biotechnology. Bacterial wax esters are attractive alternatives, and especially the wax ester metabolism of Acinetobacter sp. has been extensively studied. However, the lack of suitable tools for rapid and simple monitoring of wax ester metabolism in vivo has partly restricted the screening and analyses of potential hosts and optimal conditions.

RESULTS

Based on sensitive and specific detection of intracellular long-chain aldehydes, specific intermediates of wax ester synthesis, bacterial luciferase (LuxAB) was exploited in studying the wax ester metabolism in Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1. Luminescence was detected in the cultivation of the strain producing wax esters, and the changes in signal levels could be linked to corresponding cell growth and wax ester synthesis phases.

CONCLUSIONS

The monitoring system showed correlation between wax ester synthesis pattern and luminescent signal. The system shows potential for real-time screening purposes and studies on bacterial wax esters, revealing new aspects to dynamics and role of wax ester metabolism in bacteria.

Bacterial metabolism of long-chain n-alkanes

Degradation of alkanes is a widespread phenomenon in nature, and numerous microorganisms, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, capable of utilizing these substrates as a carbon and energy source have been isolated and characterized. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the understanding of bacterial metabolism of long-chain n-alkanes. Bacterial strategies for accessing these highly hydrophobic substrates are presented, along with systems for their enzymatic degradation and conversion into products of potential industrial value. We further summarize the current knowledge on the regulation of bacterial long-chain n-alkane metabolism and survey progress in understanding bacterial pathways for utilization of n-alkanes under anaerobic conditions.

Key enzymes for biosynthesis of neutral lipid storage compounds in prokaryotes: properties, function and occurrence of wax ester synthases/acyl-CoA: diacylglycerol acyltransferases

Triacylglycerols (TAGs) and wax esters (WEs) are beside polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) important storage lipids in some groups of prokaryotes. Accumulation of these lipids occurs in cells when they are cultivated under conditions of unbalanced growth in the presence of high concentrations of a suitable carbon source, which can be used for fatty acid and storage lipid biosyntheses. The key enzymes, which mediate both WE and TAG formations from long-chain acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) as acyl donor and long-chain fatty alcohols or diacylglycerols as respective acyl acceptors in bacteria, are WE synthases/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferases (WS/DGATs). The WS/DGATs identified so far represent rather unspecific enzymes with broad spectra of possible substrates; this makes them interesting for many biotechnological applications. This review traces the molecular structure and biochemical properties including the probable regions responsible for acyltransferase properties, enzymatic activity and substrate specifities. The phylogenetic relationships based on amino acid sequence similarities of this unique class of enzymes were revealed. Furthermore, recent advances in understanding the physiological functions of WS/DGATs in their natural hosts including pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis were discussed.

Neutral lipid biosynthesis in engineered Escherichia coli: jojoba oil-like wax esters and fatty acid butyl esters

Wax esters are esters of long-chain fatty acids and long-chain fatty alcohols which are of considerable commercial importance and are produced on a scale of 3 million tons per year. The oil from the jojoba plant (Simmondsia chinensis) is the main biological source of wax esters. Although it has a multitude of potential applications, the use of jojoba oil is restricted, due to its high price. In this study, we describe the establishment of heterologous wax ester biosynthesis in a recombinant Escherichia coli strain by coexpression of a fatty alcohol-producing bifunctional acyl-coenzyme A reductase from the jojoba plant and a bacterial wax ester synthase from Acinetobacter baylyi strain ADP1, catalyzing the esterification of fatty alcohols and coenzyme A thioesters of fatty acids. In the presence of oleate, jojoba oil-like wax esters such as palmityl oleate, palmityl palmitoleate, and oleyl oleate were produced, amounting to up to ca. 1% of the cellular dry weight. In addition to wax esters, fatty acid butyl esters were unexpectedly observed in the presence of oleate. The latter could be attributed to solvent residues of 1-butanol present in the medium component, Bacto tryptone. Neutral lipids produced in recombinant E. coli were accumulated as intracytoplasmic inclusions, demonstrating that the formation and structural integrity of bacterial lipid bodies do not require specific structural proteins. This is the first report on substantial biosynthesis and accumulation of neutral lipids in E. coli, which might open new perspectives for the biotechnological production of cheap jojoba oil equivalents from inexpensive resources employing recombinant microorganisms.

Wax ester production from n-alkanes by Acinetobacter sp. strain M-1: ultrastructure of cellular inclusions and role of acyl coenzyme A reductase

Acinetobacter sp. strain M-1 accumulated a large amount of wax esters from an n-alkane under nitrogen-limiting conditions. Under the optimized conditions with n-hexadecane as the substrate, the amount of hexadecyl hexadecanoate in the cells reached 0.17 g/g of cells (dry weight). Electron microscopic analysis revealed that multilayered disk-shaped intracellular inclusions were formed concomitant with wax ester formation. The contribution of acyl-CoA reductase to wax ester synthesis was evaluated by gene disruption analysis.

Long-chain aldehyde dehydrogenase that participates in n-alkane utilization and wax ester synthesis in Acinetobacter sp. strain M-1

A long-chain aldehyde dehydrogenase, Ald1, was found in a soluble fraction of Acinetobacter sp. strain M-1 cells grown on n-hexadecane as a sole carbon source. The gene (ald1) was cloned from the chromosomal DNA of the bacterium. The open reading frame of ald1 was 1,512 bp long, corresponding to a protein of 503 amino acid residues (molecular mass, 55,496 Da), and the deduced amino acid sequence showed high similarity to those of various aldehyde dehydrogenases. The ald1 gene was stably expressed in Escherichia coli, and the gene product (recombinant Ald1 [rAld1]) was purified to apparent homogeneity by gel electrophoresis. rAld1 showed enzyme activity toward n-alkanals (C(4) to C(14)), with a preference for longer carbon chains within the tested range; the highest activity was obtained with tetradecanal. The ald1 gene was disrupted by homologous recombination on the Acinetobacter genome. Although the ald1 disruptant (ald1Delta) strain still had the ability to grow on n-hexadecane to some extent, its aldehyde dehydrogenase activity toward n-tetradecanal was reduced to half the level of the wild-type strain. Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, the accumulation of intracellular wax esters in the ald1Delta strain became much lower than that in the wild-type strain. These and other results imply that a soluble long-chain aldehyde dehydrogenase indeed plays important roles both in growth on n-alkane and in wax ester formation in Acinetobacter sp. strain M-1.

Purification of a jojoba embryo wax synthase, cloning of its cDNA, and production of high levels of wax in seeds of transgenic arabidopsis

Wax synthase (WS, fatty acyl-coenzyme A [coA]: fatty alcohol acyltransferase) catalyzes the final step in the synthesis of linear esters (waxes) that accumulate in seeds of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis). We have characterized and partially purified this enzyme from developing jojoba embryos. A protein whose presence correlated with WS activity during chromatographic fractionation was identified and a cDNA encoding that protein was cloned. Seed-specific expression of the cDNA in transgenic Arabidopsis conferred high levels of WS activity on developing embryos from those plants. The WS sequence has significant homology with several Arabidopsis open reading frames of unknown function. Wax production in jojoba requires, in addition to WS, a fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) and an efficient fatty acid elongase system that forms the substrates preferred by the FAR. We have expressed the jojoba WS cDNA in Arabidopsis in combination with cDNAs encoding the jojoba FAR and a beta-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (a component of fatty acid elongase) from Lunaria annua. (13)C-Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of pooled whole seeds from transgenic plants indicated that as many as 49% of the oil molecules in the seeds were waxes. Gas chromatography analysis of transmethylated oil from individual seeds suggested that wax levels may represent up to 70% (by weight) of the oil present in those seeds.

Isolation of mutants of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus deficient in wax ester synthesis and complementation of one mutation with a gene encoding a fatty acyl coenzyme A reductase

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD413 accumulates wax esters and triacylglycerol under conditions of mineral nutrient limitation. Nitrosoguanidine-induced mutants of strain BD413 were isolated that failed to accumulate wax esters under nitrogen-limited growth conditions. One of the mutants, Wow15 (without wax), accumulated wax when grown in the presence of cis-11-hexadecenal and hexadecanol but not hexadecane or hexadecanoic acid. This suggested that the mutation may have inactivated a gene encoding either an acyl-acyl carrier protein or acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) reductase. The Wow15 mutant was complemented with a cosmid genomic library prepared from wild-type A. calcoaceticus BD413. The complementary region was localized to a single gene (acr1) encoding a protein of 32,468 Da that is 44% identical over a region of 264 amino acids to a product of unknown function encoded by an open reading frame associated with mycolic acid synthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra. Extracts of Escherichia coli cells expressing the acr1 gene catalyzed the reduction of acyl-CoA to the corresponding fatty aldehyde, indicating that the gene encodes a novel fatty acyl-CoA reductase.

Extracellular particles of polymeric material formed in n-hexadecane fermentation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

In n-hexadecane fermentation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the production of rhamnolipids (biosurfactants) caused by nitrogen source limitation was observed during the stationary phase. The rhamnolipids caused severe foaming in the process, particularly at higher pH (ca. > 6.8). To reduce the foaming, several runs were made at a lower pH, i.e. 6.5 +/- 0.1. Some, however, behaved anomalously different. The rhamnolipid synthesis was very low. Instead, a large quantity of waxy particles with sizes up to 3-5 mm were formed. The waxy material was practically insoluble in all of the organic solvents tested, suggesting the cross-linked polymeric structure. A white, brittle solid was obtained after the material was thoroughly washed (with 0.05 M sodium bicarbonate, distilled water, and hexane) and vacuum-dried. Characterization of the washed material was made by Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and wet chemical analyses. It was found to contain less than 2.5% (w/w) proteins and less than 9% carbohydrates, of which only one sugar component was observed and tentatively identified as glucose by the TLC analysis. The material was, therefore, predominantly hydrocarbon-based, with oxidized functional groups such as esters, alcohols, and carboxylic acids being identified by FTIR. The lipase-catalyzed esterification of fatty acids and alcohols, within the oil droplets or at the oil/water interface of low local water activity, is postulated to play an important role in the waxy particle formation.

A high-performance liquid chromatography-based radiometric assay for acyl-CoA:alcohol transacylase from jojoba

Acyl-CoA:alcohol transacylase catalyzes the final step in the biosynthesis of storage liquid wax esters from acyl-CoA fatty acids and fatty alcohols in a limited number of microbes, algae, and Simmondsia chinensis Link (jojoba). An improved and automated method of enzyme assay for this catalyst from cotyledons of jojoba is described. The assay method uses reversed-phase C18 high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to separate the labeled C30:1 liquid wax product, [14C]-dodecanyl-octadecenoate, from the unreacted substrate, [14C]octadecenoyl-CoA (oleyl-CoA), and other components produced from enzymes present in the crude homogenate of jojoba cotyledons, including [14C]-octadecenoic acid (oleic acid) and [14C]octadecenol (oleyol). Methods are also described for microscale chemical synthesis in one vessel of 14C-radiolabeled substrates and products for the transacylase. These labeled reagents are required to confirm the HPLC separations of reaction products. The radioactive components are quantitated using an on-line flow-through scintillation detector enabling sensitive and precise analysis of the reaction products.

Growth of Acinetobacter sp. strain HO1-N on n-hexadecanol: physiological and ultrastructural characteristics

The growth of Acinetobacter sp. strain HO1-N on hexadecanol results in the formation of intracytoplasmic membranes and intracellular rectangular inclusions containing one of the end products of hexadecanol metabolism, hexadecyl palmitate. The intracellular inclusions were purified and characterized as "wax ester inclusions" consisting of 85.6% hexadecyl palmitate, 4.8% hexadecanol, and 9.6% phospholipid, with a phospholipid-to-protein ratio of 0.42 mumol of lipid phosphate per mg of inclusion protein. The cellular lipids consisted of 69.8% hexadecyl palmitate, 22.8% phospholipid, 1.9% triglyceride, 4.7% mono- and diglyceride, 0.1% free fatty acid, and 0.8% hexadecanol, as compared with 98% hexadecyl palmitate and 1.9% triglyceride, which comprised the extracellular lipids. Cell-associated hexadecanol represented 0.05% of the exogenously supplied hexadecanol, with hexadecyl palmitate accounting for 14.7% of the total cellular dry weight. Acinetobacter sp. strain HO1-N possesses a mechanism for the intracellular packaging of hexadecyl palmitate in wax ester inclusions, which differ in structure and chemical composition from "hydrocarbon inclusions" isolated from hexadecane-grown cells.