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Bortolucci J, Guazzaroni ME, Schoch T, Dürre P, Reginatto V. Enhancing 1,3-Propanediol Productivity in the Non-Model Chassis Clostridium beijerinckii through Genetic Manipulation. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1855. [PMID: 37513028 PMCID: PMC10383064 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11071855] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Biotechnological processes at biorefineries are considered one of the most attractive alternatives for valorizing biomasses by converting them into bioproducts, biofuels, and bioenergy. For example, biodiesel can be obtained from oils and grease but generates glycerol as a byproduct. Glycerol recycling has been studied in several bioprocesses, with one of them being its conversion to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) by Clostridium. Clostridium beijerinckii is particularly interesting because it can produce a range of industrially relevant chemicals, including solvents and organic acids, and it is non-pathogenic. However, while Clostridium species have many potential advantages as chassis for synthetic biology applications, there are significant limitations when considering their use, such as their limited genetic tools, slow growth rate, and oxygen sensitivity. In this work, we carried out the overexpression of the genes involved in the synthesis of 1,3-PDO in C. beijerinckii Br21, which allowed us to increase the 1,3-PDO productivity in this strain. Thus, this study contributed to a better understanding of the metabolic pathways of glycerol conversion to 1,3-PDO by a C. beijerinckii isolate. Also, it made it possible to establish a transformation method of a modular vector in this strain, therefore expanding the limited genetic tools available for this bacterium, which is highly relevant in biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonatã Bortolucci
- Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto 14040-030, SP, Brazil
| | - María-Eugenia Guazzaroni
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto 14040-030, SP, Brazil
| | - Teresa Schoch
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Universität Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee, 11, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Peter Dürre
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Universität Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee, 11, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Valeria Reginatto
- Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto 14040-030, SP, Brazil
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Parvez A, Ravikumar Y, Bisht R, Yun J, Wang Y, Chandrika SP, Zabed HM, Qi X. Functional and Structural Roles of the Dimer Interface in the Activity and Stability of Clostridium butyricum 1,3-Propanediol Oxidoreductase. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1261-1271. [PMID: 35258945 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Biosynthesis of 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD) by 1,3-propanediol oxidoreductase (PDOR) is often limited by the stability issues. To address this issue, the goal of the present study was to engineer the Clostridium butyricum PDOR dimeric interface. The interface exists between the chains and plays a role in the synthesis of 1,3-PD, which is hindered by the increased temperature and pH. Herein, we engineered PDOR by HotSpot Wizard 3.0 and molecular dynamics simulations, improving its thermal stability, pH tolerance, and catalytic properties with respect to the wild-type PDOR activity at 37 °C. Compared to the activity of the wild-type PDOR, the N298C mutant showed 0.5-fold greater activity at pH 8.0, while the P299E mutant showed significantly increased activity of over five fold at pH 4.0. Further structural comparisons between the wild-type and P299E mutant revealed that the extraordinary stability of the P299E mutant could be due to the formation of additional hydrogen bonds and salt bridges. The N298C mutant also exhibits thermal stability at a broad range of temperature at pH 8 with respect to wild-type PDOR and other mutants. The molecular dynamics simulations revealed that stability profiles of P299E mutants at pH 4.0 are attributed to identical root mean square deviation values and stable conformations in the motif region present in the dimer interface of the enzyme. These findings suggest that the dimer interface motifs are essential for the compactness and stability of the PDOR enzyme; therefore, engineering the PDOR using a structure-guided approach could aid in improving its activity and stability under various physiological conditions (pH and temperature).
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Affiliation(s)
- Amreesh Parvez
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuvaraj Ravikumar
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, China
| | - Renu Bisht
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, South Asian University, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - Junhua Yun
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yang Wang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, China
| | - Sabapathy Poorna Chandrika
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hossain M. Zabed
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xianghui Qi
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, China
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Chánique AM, Parra LP. Protein Engineering for Nicotinamide Coenzyme Specificity in Oxidoreductases: Attempts and Challenges. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:194. [PMID: 29491854 PMCID: PMC5817062 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxidoreductases are ubiquitous enzymes that catalyze an extensive range of chemical reactions with great specificity, efficiency, and selectivity. Most oxidoreductases are nicotinamide cofactor-dependent enzymes with a strong preference for NADP or NAD. Because these coenzymes differ in stability, bioavailability and costs, the enzyme preference for a specific coenzyme is an important issue for practical applications. Different approaches for the manipulation of coenzyme specificity have been reported, with different degrees of success. Here we present various attempts for the switching of nicotinamide coenzyme preference in oxidoreductases by protein engineering. This review covers 103 enzyme engineering studies from 82 articles and evaluates the accomplishments in terms of coenzyme specificity and catalytic efficiency compared to wild type enzymes of different classes. We analyzed different protein engineering strategies and related them with the degree of success in inverting the cofactor specificity. In general, catalytic activity is compromised when coenzyme specificity is reversed, however when switching from NAD to NADP, better results are obtained. In most of the cases, rational strategies were used, predominantly with loop exchange generating the best results. In general, the tendency of removing acidic residues and incorporating basic residues is the strategy of choice when trying to change specificity from NAD to NADP, and vice versa. Computational strategies and algorithms are also covered as helpful tools to guide protein engineering strategies. This mini review aims to give a general introduction to the topic, giving an overview of tools and information to work in protein engineering for the reversal of coenzyme specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M Chánique
- Department of Chemical and Bioprocesses Engineering, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Loreto P Parra
- Department of Chemical and Bioprocesses Engineering, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological Sciences, Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Kumar V, Park S. Potential and limitations of Klebsiella pneumoniae as a microbial cell factory utilizing glycerol as the carbon source. Biotechnol Adv 2018; 36:150-167. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 10/15/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Wang M, Chen B, Fang Y, Tan T. Cofactor engineering for more efficient production of chemicals and biofuels. Biotechnol Adv 2017; 35:1032-1039. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2017.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Cofactor engineering in cyanobacteria to overcome imbalance between NADPH and NADH: A mini review. Front Chem Sci Eng 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11705-016-1591-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Tiwari V. In vitro Engineering of Novel Bioactivity in the Natural Enzymes. Front Chem 2016; 4:39. [PMID: 27774447 PMCID: PMC5054688 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2016.00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzymes catalyze various biochemical functions with high efficiency and specificity. In vitro design of the enzyme leads to novel bioactivity in this natural biomolecule that give answers of some vital questions like crucial residues in binding with substrate, molecular evolution, cofactor specificity etc. Enzyme engineering technology involves directed evolution, rational designing, semi-rational designing, and structure-based designing using chemical modifications. Similarly, combined computational and in vitro evolution approaches together help in artificial designing of novel bioactivity in the natural enzyme. DNA shuffling, error prone PCR and staggered extension process are used to artificially redesign active site of enzyme, which can alter its efficiency and specificity. Modifications of the enzyme can lead to the discovery of new path of molecular evolution, designing of efficient enzymes, locating active sites and crucial residues, shift in substrate, and cofactor specificity. The methods and thermodynamics of in vitro designing of the enzyme are also discussed. Similarly, engineered thermophilic and psychrophilic enzymes attain substrate specificity and activity of mesophilic enzymes that may also be beneficial for industry and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishvanath Tiwari
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Rajasthan Ajmer, India
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Expression and Characterization of a Novel 1,3-Propanediol Dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus brevis. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2016; 179:959-72. [DOI: 10.1007/s12010-016-2043-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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10
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Characterization of 1,3-propanediol oxidoreductase (DhaT) from Klebsiella pneumoniae J2B. BIOTECHNOL BIOPROC E 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s12257-015-0635-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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12
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Gao L, Jiang X, Fu S, Gong H. In silico identification of potential virulence genes in 1,3-propanediol producer Klebsiella pneumonia. J Biotechnol 2014; 189:9-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2014.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Revised: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Biochemical and structural studies of NADH-dependent FabG used to increase the bacterial production of fatty acids under anaerobic conditions. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013; 80:497-505. [PMID: 24212572 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03194-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Major efforts in bioenergy research have focused on producing fuels that can directly replace petroleum-derived gasoline and diesel fuel through metabolic engineering of microbial fatty acid biosynthetic pathways. Typically, growth and pathway induction are conducted under aerobic conditions, but for operational efficiency in an industrial context, anaerobic culture conditions would be preferred to obviate the need to maintain specific dissolved oxygen concentrations and to maximize the proportion of reducing equivalents directed to biofuel biosynthesis rather than ATP production. A major concern with fermentative growth conditions is elevated NADH levels, which can adversely affect cell physiology. The purpose of this study was to identify homologs of Escherichia coli FabG, an essential reductase involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, that display a higher preference for NADH than for NADPH as a cofactor. Four potential NADH-dependent FabG variants were identified through bioinformatic analyses supported by crystallographic structure determination (1.3- to 2.0-Å resolution). In vitro assays of cofactor (NADH/NADPH) preference in the four variants showed up to ≈ 35-fold preference for NADH, which was observed with the Cupriavidus taiwanensis FabG variant. In addition, FabG homologs were overexpressed in fatty acid- and methyl ketone-overproducing E. coli host strains under anaerobic conditions, and the C. taiwanensis variant led to a 60% higher free fatty acid titer and 75% higher methyl ketone titer relative to the titers of the control strains. With further engineering, this work could serve as a starting point for establishing a microbial host strain for production of fatty acid-derived biofuels (e.g., methyl ketones) under anaerobic conditions.
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Miyanaga A, Fujisawa S, Furukawa N, Arai K, Nakajima M, Taguchi H. The crystal structure of d-mandelate dehydrogenase reveals its distinct substrate and coenzyme recognition mechanisms from those of 2-ketopantoate reductase. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2013; 439:109-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 08/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Posada JA, Cardona CA, Higuita JC, Tamayo JA, Pisarenko YA. Design and economic analysis of the technological scheme for 1,3-propanediol production from raw glycerol. THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 2013. [DOI: 10.1134/s0040579513030093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Wang Y, San KY, Bennett GN. Cofactor engineering for advancing chemical biotechnology. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2013; 24:994-9. [PMID: 23611567 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2013.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2012] [Revised: 03/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cofactors provide redox carriers for biosynthetic reactions, catabolic reactions and act as important agents in transfer of energy for the cell. Recent advances in manipulating cofactors include culture conditions or additive alterations, genetic modification of host pathways for increased availability of desired cofactor, changes in enzyme cofactor specificity, and introduction of novel redox partners to form effective circuits for biochemical processes and biocatalysts. Genetic strategies to employ ferredoxin, NADH and NADPH most effectively in natural or novel pathways have improved yield and efficiency of large-scale processes for fuels and chemicals and have been demonstrated with a variety of microbial organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yipeng Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
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Elleuche S, Fodor K, Klippel B, von der Heyde A, Wilmanns M, Antranikian G. Structural and biochemical characterisation of a NAD⁺-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase from Oenococcus oeni as a new model molecule for industrial biotechnology applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2013; 97:8963-75. [PMID: 23385476 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-013-4725-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2012] [Revised: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol dehydrogenases are highly diverse enzymes catalysing the interconversion of alcohols and aldehydes or ketones. Due to their versatile specificities, these biocatalysts are of great interest for industrial applications. The adh3-gene encoding a group III alcohol dehydrogenase was isolated from the gram-positive bacterium Oenococcus oeni and was characterised after expression in the heterologous host Escherichia coli. Adh3 has been identified by genome BLASTP analyses using the amino acid sequence of 1,3-propanediol dehydrogenase DhaT from Klebsiella pneumoniae and group III alcohol dehydrogenases with known activity towards 1,3-propanediol as target sequences. The recombinant protein was purified in a two-step column chromatography approach. Crystal structure determination and biochemical characterisation confirmed that Adh3 forms a Ni(2+)-containing homodimer in its active form. Adh3 catalyses the interconversion of ethanol and its corresponding aldehyde acetaldyhyde and is also capable of using other alcoholic compounds as substrates, such as 1,3-propanediol, 1,2-propanediol and 1-propanol. In the presence of Ni(2+), activity increases towards 1,3-propanediol and 1,2-propanediol. Adh3 is strictly dependent on NAD(+)/NADH, whereas no activity has been observed with NADP(+)/NADPH as co-factor. The enzyme exhibits a specific activity of 1.1 U/mg using EtOH as substrate with an optimal pH value of 9.0 for ethanol oxidation and 8.0 for aldehyde reduction. Moreover, Adh3 exhibits tolerance to several metal ions and organic solvents, but is completely inhibited in the presence of Zn(2+). The present study demonstrates that O. oeni is a group III alcohol dehydrogenase with versatile substrate specificity, including Ni(2+)-dependent activity towards 1,3-propanediol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Skander Elleuche
- Institute of Technical Microbiology, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Kasernenstr. 12, 21073, Hamburg, Germany
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Elleuche S, Klippel B, von der Heyde A, Antranikian G. Comparative analysis of two members of the metal ion-containing group III-alcohol dehydrogenases from Dickeya zeae. Biotechnol Lett 2013; 35:725-33. [PMID: 23362047 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-013-1137-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2012] [Accepted: 01/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF WORK A pair of NAD(+)- and NADP(+)-dependent group III-alcohol dehydrogenases was characterized from the enterobacterium, Dickeya zeae, to expand our understanding of the distribution and biochemical properties of this interesting group of enzymes. Two putative group III-alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) were identified in the genome of Dickeya zeae. Amino acid alignments and phylogenetic analysis revealed that Adh3.1 and Adh3.2 are only distantly related (~25 % identity at the protein level). Both proteins were purified to homogeneity after heterologous expression in E. coli. A specific activity of 1.8 U/mg was measured for the NAD(+)-dependent enzyme Adh3.1 with ethanol used as substrate, while NADPH-dependent Adh3.2 preferred butanal (29.1 U/mg) as substrate. Maximum activity for Adh3.1 was at 50 °C and pH 10 and for Adh3.2 at 70 °C and pH 6. Cell viability assays were used to confirm activity towards butanal and glyoxals. Biochemical characterization and phylogenetic analyses led to the hypothesis that Adh3.1 and Adh3.2 are probably the result of an ancient gene duplication event followed by functional diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Skander Elleuche
- Institute of Technical Microbiology, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Kasernenstr. 12, 21073 Hamburg, Germany.
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Kubiak P, Leja K, Myszka K, Celińska E, Spychała M, Szymanowska-Powałowska D, Czaczyk K, Grajek W. Physiological predisposition of various Clostridium species to synthetize 1,3-propanediol from glycerol. Process Biochem 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2012.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Zeng AP, Sabra W. Microbial production of diols as platform chemicals: Recent progresses. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2011; 22:749-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2011.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2011] [Revised: 05/11/2011] [Accepted: 05/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Synthesis of 1,2,3-triazole moiety-containing NAD analogs and their potential as redox cofactors. Tetrahedron Lett 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2011.08.152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Celińska E. Klebsiella sppas a 1, 3-propanediol producer – the metabolic engineering approach. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2011; 32:274-88. [DOI: 10.3109/07388551.2011.616859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Pleiss J. Protein design in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2011; 22:611-7. [PMID: 21514140 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2011.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2011] [Revised: 03/08/2011] [Accepted: 03/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Starting from experimental data on sequence, structure or biochemical properties of enzymes, protein design seeks to construct enzymes with desired activity, stability, specificity and selectivity. Two strategies are widely used to investigate sequence-structure-function relationships: statistical methods to analyse protein families or mutant libraries, and molecular modelling methods to study proteins and their interaction with ligands or substrates. On the basis of these methods, protein design has been successfully applied to fine-tune bottleneck enzymes in metabolic engineering and to design enzymes with new substrate spectra and new functions. However, constructing efficient metabolic pathways by integrating individual enzymes into a complex system is challenging. The field of synthetic biology is still in its infancy, but promising results have demonstrated the feasibility and usefulness of the concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Pleiss
- Institute of Technical Biochemistry, University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 31, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
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