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Bennett RK, Steinberg LM, Chen W, Papoutsakis ET. Engineering the bioconversion of methane and methanol to fuels and chemicals in native and synthetic methylotrophs. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2017; 50:81-93. [PMID: 29216497 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2017.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Methylotrophy describes the ability of organisms to utilize reduced one-carbon compounds, notably methane and methanol, as growth and energy sources. Abundant natural gas supplies, composed primarily of methane, have prompted interest in using these compounds, which are more reduced than sugars, as substrates to improve product titers and yields of bioprocesses. Engineering native methylotophs or developing synthetic methylotrophs are emerging fields to convert methane and methanol into fuels and chemicals under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. This review discusses recent progress made toward engineering native methanotrophs for aerobic and anaerobic methane utilization and synthetic methylotrophs for methanol utilization. Finally, strategies to overcome the limitations involved with synthetic methanol utilization, notably methanol dehydrogenase kinetics and ribulose 5-phosphate regeneration, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Kyle Bennett
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St., Newark, DE 19716, USA; The Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory, University of Delaware, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE 19711, USA
| | - Lisa M Steinberg
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St., Newark, DE 19716, USA; The Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory, University of Delaware, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE 19711, USA
| | - Wilfred Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St., Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Eleftherios T Papoutsakis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St., Newark, DE 19716, USA; The Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory, University of Delaware, 15 Innovation Way, Newark, DE 19711, USA.
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