Robustness of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 as a host for ethanol biosynthesis

Establishing a straightforward I-SceI-mediated recombination one-plasmid system for efficient genome editing in P. putida KT2440

Pseudomonas putida has become an increasingly important chassis for producing valuable bioproducts. This development is not least due to the ever-improving genetic toolbox, including gene and genome editing techniques. Here, we present a novel, one-plasmid design of a critical genetic tool, the pEMG/pSW system, guaranteeing one engineering cycle to be finalized in 3 days. The pEMG/pSW system proved in the last decade to be valuable for targeted genome engineering in Pseudomonas, as it enables the deletion of large regions of the genome, the integration of heterologous gene clusters or the targeted generation of point mutations. Here, to expedite genetic engineering, two alternative plasmids were constructed: (1) The sacB gene from Bacillus subtilis was integrated into the I-SceI expressing plasmid pSW-2 as a counterselection marker to accelerated plasmid curing; (2) double-strand break introducing gene I-sceI and sacB counterselection marker were integrated into the backbone of the original pEMG vector, named pEMG-RIS. The single plasmid of pEMG-RIS allows rapid genome editing despite the low transcriptional activity of a single copy of the I-SceI encoding gene. Here, the usability of the pEMG-RIS is shown in P. putida KT2440 by integrating an expression cassette including an msfGFP gene in 3 days. In addition, a large fragment of 12.1 kb was also integrated. In summary, we present an updated pEMG/pSW genome editing system that allows efficient and rapid genome editing in P. putida. All plasmids designed in this study will be available via the Addgene platform.

Comparison of wild-type KT2440 and genome-reduced EM42 Pseudomonas putida strains for muconate production from aromatic compounds and glucose

Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is a robust, aromatic catabolic bacterium that has been widely engineered to convert bio-based and waste-based feedstocks to target products. Towards industrial domestication of P. putida KT2440, rational genome reduction has been previously conducted, resulting in P. putida strain EM42, which exhibited characteristics that could be advantageous for production strains. Here, we compared P. putida KT2440- and EM42-derived strains for cis,cis-muconic acid production from an aromatic compound, p-coumarate, and in separate strains, from glucose. To our surprise, the EM42-derived strains did not outperform the KT2440-derived strains in muconate production from either substrate. In bioreactor cultivations, KT2440- and EM42-derived strains produced muconate from p-coumarate at titers of 45 g/L and 37 g/L, respectively, and from glucose at 20 g/L and 13 g/L, respectively. To provide additional insights about the differences in the parent strains, we analyzed growth profiles of KT2440 and EM42 on aromatic compounds as the sole carbon and energy sources. In general, the EM42 strain exhibited reduced growth rates but shorter growth lags than KT2440. We also observed that EM42-derived strains resulted in higher growth rates on glucose compared to KT2440-derived strains, but only at the lowest glucose concentrations tested. Transcriptomics revealed that genome reduction in EM42 had global effects on transcript levels and showed that the EM42-derived strains that produce muconate from glucose exhibit reduced modulation of gene expression in response to changes in glucose concentrations. Overall, our results highlight that additional studies are warranted to understand the effects of genome reduction on microbial metabolism and physiology, especially when intended for use in production strains.

Co-feeding enhances the yield of methyl ketones

The biotechnological production of methyl ketones is a sustainable alternative to fossil-derived chemical production. To date, the best host for microbial production of methyl ketones is a genetically engineered Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 ∆6 pProd strain, achieving yields of 101 mgg-1 on glucose in batch cultivations. For competitiveness with the petrochemical production pathway, however, higher yields are necessary. Co-feeding can improve the yield by fitting the carbon-to-energy ratio to the organism and the target product. In this work, we developed co-feeding strategies for P. taiwanensis VLB120 ∆6 pProd by combined metabolic modeling and experimental work. In a first step, we conducted flux balance analysis with an expanded genome-scale metabolic model of iJN1463 and found ethanol as the most promising among five cosubstrates. Next, we performed cultivations with ethanol and found the highest reported yield in batch production of methyl ketones with P. taiwanensis VLB120 to date, namely, 154 mg g-1 methyl ketones. However, ethanol is toxic to the cell, which reflects in a lower substrate consumption and lower product concentrations when compared to production on glucose. Hence, we propose cofeeding ethanol with glucose and find that, indeed, higher concentrations than in ethanol-fed cultivation (0.84 g Laq-1 with glucose and ethanol as opposed to 0.48 g Laq-1 with only ethanol) were achieved, with a yield of 85 mg g-1. In a last step, comparing experimental with computational results suggested the potential for improving the methyl ketone yield by fed-batch cultivation, in which cell growth and methyl ketone production are separated into two phases employing optimal ethanol to glucose ratios.

ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY

By combining computational and experimental work, we demonstrate that feeding ethanol in addition to glucose improves the yield of biotechnologically produced methyl ketones.

A tunable metabolic valve for precise growth control and increased product formation in Pseudomonas putida

Metabolic engineering of microorganisms aims to design strains capable of producing valuable compounds under relevant industrial conditions and in an economically competitive manner. From this perspective, and beyond the need for a catalyst, biomass is essentially a cost-intensive, abundant by-product of a microbial conversion. Yet, few broadly applicable strategies focus on the optimal balance between product and biomass formation. Here, we present a genetic control module that can be used to precisely modulate growth of the industrial bacterial chassis Pseudomonas putida KT2440. The strategy is based on the controllable expression of the key metabolic enzyme complex pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) which functions as a metabolic valve. By tuning the PDH activity, we accurately controlled biomass formation, resulting in six distinct growth rates with parallel overproduction of excess pyruvate. We deployed this strategy to identify optimal growth patterns that improved the production yield of 2-ketoisovalerate and lycopene by 2.5- and 1.38-fold, respectively. This ability to dynamically steer fluxes to balance growth and production substantially enhances the potential of this remarkable microbial chassis for a wide range of industrial applications.

Engineering of Pseudomonas putida for accelerated co-utilization of glucose and cellobiose yields aerobic overproduction of pyruvate explained by an upgraded metabolic model

Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is an attractive bacterial host for biotechnological production of valuable chemicals from renewable lignocellulosic feedstocks as it can valorize lignin-derived aromatics or glucose obtainable from cellulose. P. putida EM42, a genome-reduced variant of strain KT2440 endowed with advantageous physiological properties, was recently engineered for growth on cellobiose, a major cellooligosaccharide product of enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis. Co-utilization of cellobiose and glucose was achieved in a mutant lacking periplasmic glucose dehydrogenase Gcd (PP_1444). However, the cause of the co-utilization phenotype remained to be understood and the Δgcd strain had a significant growth defect. In this study, we investigated the basis of the simultaneous uptake of the two sugars and accelerated the growth of P. putida EM42 Δgcd mutant for the bioproduction of valuable compounds from glucose and cellobiose. We show that the gcd deletion lifted the inhibition of the exogenous β-glucosidase BglC from Thermobifida fusca exerted by the intermediates of the periplasmic glucose oxidation pathway. The additional deletion of hexR gene, which encodes a repressor of the upper glycolysis genes, failed to restore rapid growth on glucose. The reduced growth rate of the Δgcd mutant was partially compensated by the implantation of heterologous glucose and cellobiose transporters (Glf from Zymomonas mobilis and LacY from Escherichia coli, respectively). Remarkably, this intervention resulted in the accumulation of pyruvate in aerobic P. putida cultures. We demonstrated that the excess of this key metabolic intermediate can be redirected to the enhanced biosynthesis of ethanol and lactate. The pyruvate overproduction phenotype was then unveiled by an upgraded genome-scale metabolic model constrained with proteomic and kinetic data. The model pointed to the saturation of glucose catabolism enzymes due to unregulated substrate uptake and it predicted improved bioproduction of pyruvate-derived chemicals by the engineered strain. This work sheds light on the co-metabolism of cellulosic sugars in an attractive biotechnological host and introduces a novel strategy for pyruvate overproduction in bacterial cultures under aerobic conditions.

Providing octane degradation capability to Pseudomonas putida KT2440 through the horizontal acquisition of oct genes located on an integrative and conjugative element

The extensive use of petrochemicals has produced serious environmental pollution problems; fortunately, bioremediation is considered an efficient way to fight against pollution. In line with Synthetic Biology is that robust microbial chassis with an expanded ability to remove environmental pollutants are desirable. Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is a robust lab microbe that has preserved the ability to survive in the environment and is the natural host for the self-transmissible TOL plasmid, which allows metabolism of toluene and xylenes to central metabolism. We show that the P. putida KT2440 (pWW0) acquired the ability to use octane as the sole C-source after acquisition of an almost 62-kb ICE from a microbial community that harbours an incomplete set of octane metabolism genes. The ICE bears genes for an alkane monooxygenase, a PQQ-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase but lacks the electron donor enzymes required for the monooxygenase to operate. Host rubredoxin and rubredoxin reductase allow metabolism of octane to octanol. Proteomic assays and mutants unable to grow on octane or octanoic acid revealed that metabolism of octane is mediated by redundant host and ICE enzymes. Octane is oxidized to octanol, octanal and octanoic acid, the latter is subsequently acylated and oxidized to yield acetyl-CoA that is assimilated via the glyoxylate shunt; in fact, a knockout mutant in the aceA gene, encoding isocitrate lyase was unable to grow on octane or octanoic acid.

Engineering multifunctional enzymes for agro-biomass utilization

Lignocellulosic biomass is a plentiful renewable resource that can be converted into a wide range of high-value-added industrial products. However, the complexity of its structural integrity is one of the major constraints and requires combinations of different fibrolytic enzymes for the cost-effective, industrially and environmentally feasible transformation. An interesting approach is constructing multifunctional enzymes, either in a single polypeptide or by joining multiple domains with linkers and performing diverse reactions simultaneously, in a single host. The production of such chimera proteins multiplies the advantages of different enzymatic reactions in a single setup, in lesser time, at lower production cost and with desirable and improved catalytic activities. This review embodies the various domain-tailoring and extracellular secretion strategies, possible solutions to their challenges, and efforts to experimentally connect different catalytic activities in a single host, as well as their applications.

CRISPR-Cas system in microbial hosts for terpenoid production

Terpenoids represent the largest group of secondary metabolites with variable structures and functions. Terpenoids are well known for their beneficial application in human life, such as pharmaceutical products, vitamins, hormones, anticancer drugs, cosmetics, flavors and fragrances, foods, agriculture, and biofuels. Recently, engineering microbial cells have been provided with a sustainable approach to produce terpenoids with high yields. Noticeably, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated (Cas) system has emerged as one of the most efficient genome-editing technologies to engineer microorganisms for improving terpenoid production. In this review, we summarize the application of the CRISPR-Cas system for the production of terpenoids in microbial hosts such as Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Corynebacterium glutamicum, and Pseudomonas putida. CRISPR-Cas9 deactivated Cas9 (dCas9)-based CRISPR (CRISPRi), and the dCas9-based activator (CRISPRa) have been used in either individual or combinatorial systems to control the metabolic flux for enhancing the production of terpenoids. Finally, the prospects of using the CRISPR-Cas system in terpenoid production are also discussed.

Pseudomonas putida KT2440 endures temporary oxygen limitations

The obligate aerobic nature of Pseudomonas putida, one of the most prominent whole-cell biocatalysts emerging for industrial bioprocesses, questions its ability to be cultivated in large-scale bioreactors, which exhibit zones of low dissolved oxygen tension. P. putida KT2440 was repeatedly subjected to temporary oxygen limitations in scale-down approaches to assess the effect on growth and an exemplary production of rhamnolipids. At those conditions, the growth and production of P. putida KT2440 were decelerated compared to well-aerated reference cultivations, but remarkably, final biomass and rhamnolipid titers were similar. The robust growth behavior was confirmed across different cultivation systems, media compositions, and laboratories, even when P. putida KT2440 was repeatedly exposed to dual carbon and oxygen starvation. Quantification of the nucleotides ATP, ADP, and AMP revealed a decrease of intracellular ATP concentrations with increasing duration of oxygen starvation, which can, however, be restored when re-supplied with oxygen. Only small changes in the proteome were detected when cells encountered oscillations in dissolved oxygen tensions. Concluding, P. putida KT2440 appears to be able to cope with repeated oxygen limitations as they occur in large-scale bioreactors, affirming its outstanding suitability as a whole-cell biocatalyst for industrial-scale bioprocesses.

Identification and Validation of Four Novel Promoters for Gene Engineering with Broad Suitability across Species

The transcriptional capacities of target genes are strongly influenced by promoters, whereas few studies have focused on the development of robust, high-performance and cross-species promoters for wide application in different bacteria. In this work, four novel promoters (P_k.rtufB, P_k.r1, P_k.r2, and P_k.r3) were predicted from Ketogulonicigenium robustum and their inconsistency in the -10 and -35 region nucleotide sequences indicated they were different promoters. Their activities were evaluated by using green fluorescent protein (gfp) as a reporter in different species of bacteria, including K. vulgare SPU B805, Pseudomonas putida KT2440, Paracoccus denitrificans PD1222, Bacillus licheniformis and Raoultella ornithinolytica, due to their importance in metabolic engineering. Our results showed that the four promoters had different activities, with P_k.r1 showing the strongest activity in almost all of the experimental bacteria. By comparison with the commonly used promoters of E. coli (tufB, lac, lacUV5), K. vulgare (Psdh, Psndh) and P. putida KT2440 (JE111411), the four promoters showed significant differences due to only 12.62% nucleotide similarities, and relatively higher ability in regulating target gene expression. Further validation experiments confirmed their ability in initiating the target minCD cassette because of the shape changes under the promoter regulation. The overexpression of sorbose dehydrogenase and cytochrome c551 by P_k.r1 and P_k.r2 resulted in a 22.75% enhancement of 2-KGA yield, indicating their potential for practical application in metabolic engineering. This study demonstrates an example of applying bioinformatics to find new biological components for gene operation and provides four novel promoters with broad suitability, which enriches the usable range of promoters to realize accurate regulation in different genetic backgrounds.

Micro-aerobic production of isobutanol with engineered Pseudomonas putida

Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is emerging as a promising microbial host for biotechnological industry due to its broad range of substrate affinity and resilience to physicochemical stresses. Its natural tolerance towards aromatics and solvents qualifies this versatile microbe as promising candidate to produce next generation biofuels such as isobutanol. In this study, we scaled-up the production of isobutanol with P. putida from shake flask to fed-batch cultivation in a 30 L bioreactor. The design of a two-stage bioprocess with separated growth and production resulted in 3.35 gisobutanol L-1. Flux analysis revealed that the NADPH expensive formation of isobutanol exceeded the cellular catabolic supply of NADPH finally causing growth retardation. Concomitantly, the cell counteracted to the redox imbalance by increased formation of 2-ketogluconic thereby providing electrons for the respiratory ATP generation. Thus, P. putida partially uncoupled ATP formation from the availability of NADH. The quantitative analysis of intracellular pyridine nucleotides NAD(P)+ and NAD(P)H revealed elevated catabolic and anabolic reducing power during aerobic production of isobutanol. Additionally, the installation of micro-aerobic conditions during production doubled the integral glucose-to-isobutanol conversion yield to 60 mgisobutanol gglucose -1 while preventing undesired carbon loss as 2-ketogluconic acid.

Engineering Native and Synthetic Pathways in Pseudomonas putida for the Production of Tailored Polyhydroxyalkanoates

Growing environmental concern sparks renewed interest in the sustainable production of (bio)materials that can replace oil-derived goods. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are isotactic polymers that play a critical role in the central metabolism of producer bacteria, as they act as dynamic reservoirs of carbon and reducing equivalents. PHAs continue to attract industrial attention as a starting point toward renewable, biodegradable, biocompatible, and versatile thermoplastic and elastomeric materials. Pseudomonas species have been known for long as efficient biopolymer producers, especially for medium-chain-length PHAs. The surge of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering approaches in recent years offers the possibility of exploiting the untapped potential of Pseudomonas cell factories for the production of tailored PHAs. In this article, an overview of the metabolic and regulatory circuits that rule PHA accumulation in Pseudomonas putida is provided, and approaches leading to the biosynthesis of novel polymers (e.g., PHAs including nonbiological chemical elements in their structures) are discussed. The potential of novel PHAs to disrupt existing and future market segments is closer to realization than ever before. The review is concluded by pinpointing challenges that currently hinder the wide adoption of bio-based PHAs, and strategies toward programmable polymer biosynthesis from alternative substrates in engineered P. putida strains are proposed.

Enabling anoxic acetate assimilation by electrode-driven respiration in the obligate aerobe, Pseudomonas putida

This study examined the obligate aerobe, Pseudomonas putida, using acetate as the sole carbon and energy source, and respiration via an anode as the terminal electron acceptor under anoxic conditions. P. putida showed significantly different acetate assimilation in a closed-circuit microbial fuel cell (CC-MFC) compared to an open circuit MFC (OC-MFC). More than 72% (2.6 mmol) of acetate was consumed during 84 hrs in the CC-MFC in contrast to the no acetate consumption observed in the OC-MFC. The CC-MFC produced 150 μA (87 C) from acetate metabolization. Electrode-based respiration reduced the NADH/NAD⁺ ratio anaerobically, which is similar to the aerobic condition. The CC-MFC showed significantly higher acetyl-CoA synthetase activity than the OC-MFC (0.028 vs. 0.001 μmol/min/mg), which was comparable to the aerobic condition (circa 60%). Overall, electrode-based respiration enables P. putida to metabolize acetate under anoxic conditions and provide a platform to regulate the bacterial redox balance without oxygen.

SEVA 3.1: enabling interoperability of DNA assembly among the SEVA, BioBricks and Type IIS restriction enzyme standards

Robust synthetic biology applications rely heavily on the design and assembly of DNA parts with specific functionalities based on engineering principles. However, the assembly standards adopted by different communities vary considerably, thus limiting the interoperability of parts, vectors and methods. We hereby introduce the SEVA 3.1 platform consisting of the SEVA 3.1 vectors and the Golden Gate-based 'SevaBrick Assembly'. This platform enables the convergence of standard processes between the SEVA platform, the BioBricks and the Type IIs-mediated DNA assemblies to reduce complexity and optimize compatibility between parts and methods. It features a wide library of cloning vectors along with a core set of standard SevaBrick primers that allow multipart assembly and exchange of short functional genetic elements (promoters, RBSs) with minimal cloning and design effort. As proof of concept, we constructed, among others, multiple sfGFP expression vectors under the control of eight RBSs, eight promoters and four origins of replication as well as an inducible four-gene operon expressing the biosynthetic genes for the black pigment proviolacein. To demonstrate the interoperability of the SEVA 3.1 vectors, all constructs were characterized in both Pseudomonas putida and Escherichia coli. In summary, the SEVA 3.1 platform optimizes compatibility and modularity of inserts and backbones with a cost- and time-friendly DNA assembly method, substantially expanding the toolbox for successful synthetic biology applications in Gram-negative bacteria.

Effect of Photocaged Isopropyl β-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside Solubility on the Light Responsiveness of LacI-controlled Expression Systems in Different Bacteria

Photolabile protecting groups play a significant role in controlling biological functions and cellular processes in living cells and tissues, as light offers high spatiotemporal control, is non‐invasive as well as easily tuneable. In the recent past, photo‐responsive inducer molecules such as 6‐nitropiperonyl‐caged IPTG (NP‐cIPTG) have been used as optochemical tools for Lac repressor‐controlled microbial expression systems. To further expand the applicability of the versatile optochemical on‐switch, we have investigated whether the modulation of cIPTG water solubility can improve the light responsiveness of appropriate expression systems in bacteria. To this end, we developed two new cIPTG derivatives with different hydrophobicity and demonstrated both an easy applicability for the light‐mediated control of gene expression and a simple transferability of this optochemical toolbox to the biotechnologically relevant bacteria Pseudomonas putida and Bacillus subtilis. Notably, the more water‐soluble cIPTG derivative proved to be particularly suitable for light‐mediated gene expression in these alternative expression hosts.

Exploring the synthetic biology potential of bacteriophages for engineering non-model bacteria

Non-model bacteria like Pseudomonas putida, Lactococcus lactis and other species have unique and versatile metabolisms, offering unique opportunities for Synthetic Biology (SynBio). However, key genome editing and recombineering tools require optimization and large-scale multiplexing to unlock the full SynBio potential of these bacteria. In addition, the limited availability of a set of characterized, species-specific biological parts hampers the construction of reliable genetic circuitry. Mining of currently available, diverse bacteriophages could complete the SynBio toolbox, as they constitute an unexplored treasure trove for fully adapted metabolic modulators and orthogonally-functioning parts, driven by the longstanding co-evolution between phage and host.

Fatty Acid and Alcohol Metabolism in Pseudomonas putida: Functional Analysis Using Random Barcode Transposon Sequencing

With its ability to catabolize a wide variety of carbon sources and a growing engineering toolkit, Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is emerging as an important chassis organism for metabolic engineering. Despite advances in our understanding of the organism, many gaps remain in our knowledge of the genetic basis of its metabolic capabilities. The gaps are particularly noticeable in our understanding of both fatty acid and alcohol catabolism, where many paralogs putatively coding for similar enzymes coexist, making biochemical assignment via sequence homology difficult. To rapidly assign function to the enzymes responsible for these metabolisms, we leveraged random barcode transposon sequencing (RB-Tn-Seq). Global fitness analyses of transposon libraries grown on 13 fatty acids and 10 alcohols produced strong phenotypes for hundreds of genes. Fitness data from mutant pools grown on fatty acids of varying chain lengths indicated specific enzyme substrate preferences and enabled us to hypothesize that DUF1302/DUF1329 family proteins potentially function as esterases. From the data, we also postulate catabolic routes for the two biogasoline molecules isoprenol and isopentanol, which are catabolized via leucine metabolism after initial oxidation and activation with coenzyme A (CoA). Because fatty acids and alcohols may serve as both feedstocks and final products of metabolic-engineering efforts, the fitness data presented here will help guide future genomic modifications toward higher titers, rates, and yields.IMPORTANCE To engineer novel metabolic pathways into P. putida, a comprehensive understanding of the genetic basis of its versatile metabolism is essential. Here, we provide functional evidence for the putative roles of hundreds of genes involved in the fatty acid and alcohol metabolism of the bacterium. These data provide a framework facilitating precise genetic changes to prevent product degradation and to channel the flux of specific pathway intermediates as desired.

Production of Substituted Styrene Bioproducts from Lignin and Lignocellulose Using Engineered Pseudomonas putida KT2440

Ferulic acid is a renewable chemical found in lignocellulose from grasses such as wheat straw and sugarcane. Pseudomonas putida is able to liberate and metabolize ferulic acid from plant biomass. Deletion of the hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA hydratase-lyase gene (ech) produced a strain of P. putida unable to utilize ferulic and p-coumaric acid, which is able to accumulate ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid from wheat straw or sugar cane bagasse. Further engineering of this strain saw the replacement of ech with the phenolic acid decarboxylase padC, which converts p-coumaric and ferulic acid into 4-vinylphenol and the flavor agent 4-vinylguaiacol, respectively. The engineered strain containing padC is able to generate 4-vinylguaiacol and 4-vinylphenol from media containing lignocellulose or Green Value Protobind lignin as feedstock, and does not require the addition of an exogenous inducer molecule. Biopolymerization of 4-vinylguaiacol and 4-vinylcatechol styrene products is also carried out, using Trametes versicolor laccase, to generate "biopolystyrene" materials on small scale.

One major facilitator superfamily transporter is responsible for propionic acid tolerance in Pseudomonas putida KT2440

Propionic acid (PA) has been widely used as a food preservative and chemical intermediate in the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries. Environmental and friendly biotechnological production of PA from biomass has been considered as an alternative to the traditional petrochemical route. However, because PA is a strong inhibitor of cell growth, the biotechnological host should be not only able to produce the compound but the host should be robust. In this study, we identified key PA tolerance factors in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 strain by comparative transcriptional analysis in the presence or absence of PA stress. The identified major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter gene cluster of PP_1271, PP_1272 and PP_1273 was experimentally verified to be involved in PA tolerance in P. putida strains. Overexpression of this cluster improved tolerance to PA in a PA producing strain, what is useful to further engineer this robust platform not only for PA synthesis but for the production of other weak acids.

Synthetic control of plasmid replication enables target- and self-curing of vectors and expedites genome engineering of Pseudomonas putida

Genome engineering of non-conventional microorganisms calls for the development of dedicated synthetic biology tools. Pseudomonas putida is a Gram-negative, non-pathogenic soil bacterium widely used for metabolic engineering owing to its versatile metabolism and high levels of tolerance to different types of stress. Genome editing of P. putida largely relies on homologous recombination events, assisted by helper plasmid-based expression of genes encoding DNA modifying enzymes. Plasmid curing from selected isolates is the most tedious and time-consuming step of this procedure, and implementing commonly used methods to this end in P. putida (e.g. temperature-sensitive replicons) is often impractical. To tackle this issue, we have developed a toolbox for both target- and self-curing of plasmid DNA in Pseudomonas species. Our method enables plasmid-curing in a simple cultivation step by combining in vivo digestion of vectors by the I-SceI homing nuclease with synthetic control of plasmid replication, triggered by the addition of a cheap chemical inducer (3-methylbenzoate) to the medium. The system displays an efficiency of vector curing >90% and the screening of plasmid-free clones is greatly facilitated by the use of fluorescent markers that can be selected according to the application intended. Furthermore, quick genome engineering of P. putida using self-curing plasmids is demonstrated through genome reduction of the platform strain EM42 by eliminating all genes encoding β-lactamases, the catabolic ben gene cluster, and the pyoverdine synthesis machinery. Physiological characterization of the resulting streamlined strain, P. putida SEM10, revealed advantageous features that could be exploited for metabolic engineering.

•

Plasmid-curing is the most time-consuming step in genome engineering approaches.

•

We have developed a system for easy target- and self-curing of plasmid DNA.

•

Synthetic control of replication and highly-specific in vivo DNA digestion were used.

•

Plasmid curing with this system displays an efficiency >90% in a 24-h cultivation.

•

Quick genome engineering facilitated genome reduction of P. putida.

Robust microorganisms for biofuel and chemical production from municipal solid waste

Background

Worldwide 3.4 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) will be produced annually by 2050, however, current approaches to MSW management predominantly involve unsustainable practices like landfilling and incineration. The organic fraction of MSW (OMSW) typically comprises ~ 50% lignocellulose-rich material but is underexplored as a biomanufacturing feedstock due to its highly inconsistent and heterogeneous composition. This study sought to overcome the limitations associated with studying MSW-derived feedstocks by using OMSW produced from a realistic and reproducible MSW mixture on a commercial autoclave system. The resulting OMSW fibre was enzymatically hydrolysed and used to screen diverse microorganisms of biotechnological interest to identify robust species capable of fermenting this complex feedstock.

Results

The autoclave pre-treated OMSW fibre contained a polysaccharide fraction comprising 38% cellulose and 4% hemicellulose. Enzymatic hydrolysate of OMSW fibre was high in d-glucose (5.5% w/v) and d-xylose (1.8%w/v) but deficient in nitrogen and phosphate. Although relatively low levels of levulinic acid (30 mM) and vanillin (2 mM) were detected and furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural were absent, the hydrolysate contained an abundance of potentially toxic metals (0.6% w/v). Hydrolysate supplemented with 1% yeast extract to alleviate nutrient limitation was used in a substrate-oriented shake-flask screen with eight biotechnologically useful microorganisms (Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum, Escherichia coli, Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius, Pseudomonas putida, Rhodococcus opacus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Zymomonas mobilis). Each species’ growth and productivity were characterised and three species were identified that robustly and efficiently fermented OMSW fibre hydrolysate without significant substrate inhibition: Z. mobilis, S. cerevisiae and R. opacus, respectively produced product to 69%, 70% and 72% of the maximum theoretical fermentation yield and could theoretically produce 136 kg and 139 kg of ethanol and 91 kg of triacylglycerol (TAG) per tonne of OMSW.

Conclusions

Developing an integrated biorefinery around MSW has the potential to significantly alleviate the environmental burden of current waste management practices. Substrate-oriented screening of a representative and reproducible OMSW-derived fibre identified microorganisms intrinsically suited to growth on OMSW hydrolysates. These species are promising candidates for developing an MSW biorefining platform and provide a foundation for future studies aiming to valorise this underexplored feedstock.

An expanded CRISPRi toolbox for tunable control of gene expression in Pseudomonas putida

Owing to its wide metabolic versatility and physiological robustness, together with amenability to genetic manipulations and high resistance to stressful conditions, Pseudomonas putida is increasingly becoming the organism of choice for a range of applications in both industrial and environmental applications. However, a range of applied synthetic biology and metabolic engineering approaches are still limited by the lack of specific genetic tools to effectively and efficiently regulate the expression of target genes. Here, we present a single-plasmid CRISPR-interference (CRISPRi) system expressing a nuclease-deficient cas9 gene under the control of the inducible XylS/Pm expression system, along with the option of adopting constitutively expressed guide RNAs (either sgRNA or crRNA and tracrRNA). We showed that the system enables tunable, tightly controlled gene repression (up to 90%) of chromosomally expressed genes encoding fluorescent proteins, either individually or simultaneously. In addition, we demonstrate that this method allows for suppressing the expression of the essential genes pyrF and ftsZ, resulting in significantly low growth rates or morphological changes respectively. This versatile system expands the capabilities of the current CRISPRi toolbox for efficient, targeted and controllable manipulation of gene expression in P. putida.

Engineering glucose metabolism for enhanced muconic acid production in Pseudomonas putida KT2440

Pseudomonas putida KT2440 has received increasing attention as an important biocatalyst for the conversion of diverse carbon sources to multiple products, including the olefinic diacid, cis,cis-muconic acid (muconate). P. putida has been previously engineered to produce muconate from glucose; however, periplasmic oxidation of glucose causes substantial 2-ketogluconate accumulation, reducing product yield and selectivity. Deletion of the glucose dehydrogenase gene (gcd) prevents 2-ketogluconate accumulation, but dramatically slows growth and muconate production. In this work, we employed adaptive laboratory evolution to improve muconate production in strains incapable of producing 2-ketogluconate. Growth-based selection improved growth, but reduced muconate titer. A new muconate-responsive biosensor was therefore developed to enable muconate-based screening using fluorescence activated cell sorting. Sorted clones demonstrated both improved growth and muconate production. Mutations identified by whole genome resequencing of these isolates indicated that glucose metabolism may be dysregulated in strains lacking gcd. Using this information, we used targeted engineering to recapitulate improvements achieved by evolution. Deletion of the transcriptional repressor gene hexR improved strain growth and increased the muconate production rate, and the impact of this deletion was investigated using transcriptomics. The genes gntZ and gacS were also disrupted in several evolved clones, and deletion of these genes further improved strain growth and muconate production. Together, these targets provide a suite of modifications that improve glucose conversion to muconate by P. putida in the context of gcd deletion. Prior to this work, our engineered strain lacking gcd generated 7.0 g/L muconate at a productivity of 0.07 g/L/h and a 38% yield (mol/mol) in a fed-batch bioreactor. Here, the resulting strain with the deletion of hexR, gntZ, and gacS achieved 22.0 g/L at 0.21 g/L/h and a 35.6% yield (mol/mol) from glucose in similar conditions. These strategies enabled enhanced muconic acid production and may also improve production of other target molecules from glucose in P. putida.

Metabolic engineering of Pseudomonas putida for increased polyhydroxyalkanoate production from lignin

Microbial conversion offers a promising strategy for overcoming the intrinsic heterogeneity of the plant biopolymer, lignin. Soil microbes that natively harbour aromatic‐catabolic pathways are natural choices for chassis strains, and Pseudomonas putida KT2440 has emerged as a viable whole‐cell biocatalyst for funnelling lignin‐derived compounds to value‐added products, including its native carbon storage product, medium‐chain‐length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl‐PHA). In this work, a series of metabolic engineering targets to improve mcl‐PHA production are combined in the P. putida chromosome and evaluated in strains growing in a model aromatic compound, p‐coumaric acid, and in lignin streams. Specifically, the PHA depolymerase gene phaZ was knocked out, and the genes involved in β‐oxidation (fadBA1 and fadBA2) were deleted. Additionally, to increase carbon flux into mcl‐PHA biosynthesis, phaG, alkK, phaC1 and phaC2 were overexpressed. The best performing strain – which contains all the genetic modifications detailed above – demonstrated a 53% and 200% increase in mcl‐PHA titre (g l⁻¹) and a 20% and 100% increase in yield (g mcl‐PHA per g cell dry weight) from p‐coumaric acid and lignin, respectively, compared with the wild type strain. Overall, these results present a promising strain to be employed in further process development for enhancing mcl‐PHA production from aromatic compounds and lignin.

Non-invasive, ratiometric determination of intracellular pH in Pseudomonas species using a novel genetically encoded indicator

The ability of Pseudomonas species to thrive in all major natural environments (i.e. terrestrial, freshwater and marine) is based on its exceptional capability to adapt to physicochemical changes. Thus, environmental bacteria have to tightly control the maintenance of numerous physiological traits across different conditions. The intracellular pH (pHi ) homoeostasis is a particularly important feature, since the pHi influences a large portion of the biochemical processes in the cell. Despite its importance, relatively few reliable, easy-to-implement tools have been designed for quantifying in vivo pHi changes in Gram-negative bacteria with minimal manipulations. Here we describe a convenient, non-invasive protocol for the quantification of the pHi in bacteria, which is based on the ratiometric fluorescent indicator protein PHP (pH indicator for Pseudomonas). The DNA sequence encoding PHP was thoroughly adapted to guarantee optimal transcription and translation of the indicator in Pseudomonas species. Our PHP-based quantification method demonstrated that pHi is tightly regulated over a narrow range of pH values not only in Pseudomonas, but also in other Gram-negative bacterial species such as Escherichia coli. The maintenance of the cytoplasmic pH homoeostasis in vivo could also be observed upon internal (e.g. redirection of glucose consumption pathways in P. putida) and external (e.g. antibiotic exposure in P. aeruginosa) perturbations, and the PHP indicator was also used to follow dynamic changes in the pHi upon external pH shifts. In summary, our work describes a reliable method for measuring pHi in Pseudomonas, allowing for the detailed investigation of bacterial pHi homoeostasis and its regulation.

Heterologous rhamnolipid biosynthesis by P. putida KT2440 on bio-oil derived small organic acids and fractions

In many cases in industrial biotechnology, substrate costs make up a major part of the overall production costs. One strategy to achieve more cost-efficient processes in general is to exploit cheaper sources of substrate. Small organic acids derived from fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass represent a significant proportion of microbially accessible carbon in bio-oil. However, using bio-oil for microbial cultivation is a highly challenging task due to its strong adverse effects on microbial growth as well as its complex composition. In this study, the suitability of bio-oil as a substrate for industrial biotechnology was investigated with special focus on organic acids. For this purpose, using the example of the genetically engineered, non-pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440 producing mono-rhamnolipids, cultivation on small organic acids derived from fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass, as well as on bio-oil fractions, was investigated and evaluated. As biosurfactants, rhamnolipids represent a potential bulk product of industrial biotechnology where substitution of traditional carbon sources is of conceivable interest. Results suggest that maximum achievable productivities as well as substrate-to-biomass yields are in a comparable range for glucose, acetate, as well as the mixture of acetate, formate and propionate. Similar yields were obtained for a pretreated bio-oil fraction, which was used as reference real raw material, although with significantly lower titers. As such, the reported process constitutes a proof-of-principle for using bio-oil as a potential cost-effective alternative carbon source in a future bio-based economy.

CRISPR interference-mediated gene regulation in Pseudomonas putida KT2440

Targeted gene regulation is indispensable for reprogramming a cellular network to modulate a microbial phenotype. Here, we adopted the type II CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system for simple and efficient regulation of target genes in Pseudomonas putida KT2440. A single CRISPRi plasmid was generated to express a nuclease-deficient Cas9 gene and a designed single guide RNA, under control of l-rhamnose-inducible P_{rha BAD} and the constitutive Biobrick J23119 promoter respectively. Two target genes were selected to probe the CRISPRi-mediated gene regulation: exogenous green fluorescent protein on the multicopy plasmid and endogenous glpR on the P. putida KT2440 chromosome, encoding GlpR, a transcriptional regulator that represses expression of the glpFKRD gene cluster for glycerol utilization. The CRISPRi system successfully repressed the two target genes, as evidenced by a reduction in the fluorescence intensity and the lag phase of P. putida KT2440 cell growth on glycerol. Furthermore, CRISPRi-mediated repression of glpR improved both the cell growth and glycerol utilization, resulting in the enhanced production of mevalonate in an engineered P. putida KT2440 harbouring heterologous genes for the mevalonate pathway. CRISPRi is expected to become a robust tool to reprogram P. putida KT2440 for the development of microbial cell factories producing industrially valuable products.

The Metabolic Redox Regime of Pseudomonas putida Tunes Its Evolvability toward Novel Xenobiotic Substrates

During evolution of biodegradation pathways for xenobiotic compounds involving Rieske nonheme iron oxygenases, the transition toward novel substrates is frequently associated with faulty reactions. Such events release reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are endowed with high mutagenic potential. In this study, we evaluated how the operation of the background metabolic network by an environmental bacterium may either foster or curtail the still-evolving pathway for 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) catabolism. To this end, the genetically tractable strain Pseudomonas putida EM173 was implanted with the whole genetic complement necessary for the complete biodegradation of 2,4-DNT (recruited from the environmental isolate Burkholderia sp. R34). By using reporter technology and direct measurements of ROS formation, we observed that the engineered P. putida strain experienced oxidative stress when catabolizing the nitroaromatic substrate. However, the formation of ROS was neither translated into significant activation of the SOS response to DNA damage nor did it result in a mutagenic regime (unlike what has been observed in Burkholderia sp. R34, the original host of the pathway). To inspect whether the tolerance of P. putida to oxidative challenges could be traced to its characteristic reductive redox regime, we artificially altered the NAD(P)H pool by means of a water-forming, NADH-specific oxidase. Under the resulting low-NAD(P)H status, catabolism of 2,4-DNT triggered a conspicuous mutagenic and genomic diversification scenario. These results indicate that the background biochemical network of environmental bacteria ultimately determines the evolvability of metabolic pathways. Moreover, the data explain the efficacy of some bacteria (e.g., pseudomonads) to host and evolve with new catabolic routes.IMPORTANCE Some environmental bacteria evolve with new capacities for the aerobic biodegradation of chemical pollutants by adapting preexisting redox reactions to novel compounds. The process typically starts by cooption of enzymes from an available route to act on the chemical structure of the substrate-to-be. The critical bottleneck is generally the first biochemical step, and most of the selective pressure operates on reshaping the initial reaction. The interim uncoupling of the novel substrate to preexisting Rieske nonheme iron oxygenases usually results in formation of highly mutagenic ROS. In this work, we demonstrate that the background metabolic regime of the bacterium that hosts an evolving catabolic pathway (e.g., biodegradation of the xenobiotic 2,4-DNT) determines whether the cells either adopt a genetic diversification regime or a robust ROS-tolerant status. Furthermore, our results offer new perspectives to the rational design of efficient whole-cell biocatalysts, which are pursued in contemporary metabolic engineering.

Development of a Pseudomonas putida cell-free protein synthesis platform for rapid screening of gene regulatory elements

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) systems enable the production of protein without the use of living, intact cells. An emerging area of interest is to use CFPS systems to characterize individual elements for genetic programs [e.g. promoters, ribosome binding sites (RBS)]. To enable this research area, robust CFPS systems must be developed from new chassis organisms. One such chassis is the Gram-negative Pseudomonas bacteria, which have been studied extensively for their diverse metabolism with promises in the field of bioremediation and biosynthesis. Here, we report the development and optimization of a high-yielding (198 ± 5.9 µg/ml) batch CFPS system from Pseudomonas putida ATCC 12633. Importantly, both circular and linear DNA templates can be applied directly to the CFPS reaction to program protein synthesis. Therefore, it is possible to prepare hundreds or even thousands of DNA templates without time-consuming cloning work. This opens the possibility to rapidly assess and validate genetic part performance in vitro before performing experiments in cells. To validate the P. putida CFPS system as a platform for prototyping genetic parts, we designed and constructed a library consisting of 15 different RBSs upstream of the reporter protein sfGFP, which covered an order of magnitude range in expression. Looking forward, our P. putida CFPS platform will not only expand the protein synthesis toolkit for synthetic biology but also serve as a platform in expediting the screening and prototyping of gene regulatory elements.

A New Player in the Biorefineries Field: Phasin PhaP Enhances Tolerance to Solvents and Boosts Ethanol and 1,3-Propanediol Synthesis in Escherichia coli

The microbial production of biofuels and other added-value chemicals is often limited by the intrinsic toxicity of these compounds. The phasin PhaP from the soil bacterium Azotobacter sp. strain FA8 is a polyhydroxyalkanoate granule-associated protein that protects recombinant Escherichia coli against several kinds of stress. PhaP enhances growth and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) synthesis in polymer-producing recombinant strains and reduces the formation of inclusion bodies during overproduction of heterologous proteins. In this work, the heterologous expression of this phasin in E. coli was used as a strategy to increase tolerance to several biotechnologically relevant chemicals. PhaP was observed to enhance bacterial fitness in the presence of biofuels, such as ethanol and butanol, and other chemicals, such as 1,3-propanediol. The effect of PhaP was also studied in a groELS mutant strain, in which both GroELS and PhaP were observed to exert a beneficial effect that varied depending on the chemical tested. Lastly, the potential of PhaP and GroEL to enhance the accumulation of ethanol or 1,3-propanediol was analyzed in recombinant E. coli Strains that overexpressed either groEL or phaP had increased growth, reflected in a higher final biomass and product titer than the control strain. Taken together, these results add a novel application to the already multifaceted phasin protein group, suggesting that expression of these proteins or other chaperones can be used to improve the production of biofuels and other chemicals.IMPORTANCE This work has both basic and applied aspects. Our results demonstrate that a phasin with chaperone-like properties can increase bacterial tolerance to several biochemicals, providing further evidence of the diverse properties of these proteins. Additionally, both the PhaP phasin and the well-known chaperone GroEL were used to increase the biosynthesis of the biotechnologically relevant compounds ethanol and 1,3-propanediol in recombinant E. coli These findings open the road for the use of these proteins for the manipulation of bacterial strains to optimize the synthesis of diverse bioproducts from renewable carbon sources.

Refactoring the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas Pathway as a Whole of Portable GlucoBricks for Implantation of Glycolytic Modules in Gram-Negative Bacteria

The Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas (EMP) pathway is generally considered to be the biochemical standard for glucose catabolism. Alas, its native genomic organization and the control of gene expression in Escherichia coli are both very intricate, which limits the portability of the EMP pathway to other biotechnologically important bacterial hosts that lack the route. In this work, the genes encoding all the enzymes of the linear EMP route have been individually recruited from the genome of E. coli K-12, edited in silico to remove their endogenous regulatory signals, and synthesized de novo following a standard (GlucoBrick) that enables their grouping in the form of functional modules at the user’s will. After verifying their activity in several glycolytic mutants of E. coli, the versatility of these GlucoBricks was demonstrated in quantitative physiology tests and biochemical assays carried out in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 and P. aeruginosa PAO1 as the heterologous hosts. Specific configurations of GlucoBricks were also adopted to streamline the downward circulation of carbon from hexoses to pyruvate in E. coli recombinants, thereby resulting in a 3-fold increase of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) synthesis from glucose. Refactoring whole metabolic blocks in the fashion described in this work thus eases the engineering of biochemical processes where the optimization of carbon traffic is facilitated by the operation of the EMP pathway—which yields more ATP than other glycolytic routes such as the Entner–Doudoroff pathway.

Engineering Gram-Negative Microbial Cell Factories Using Transposon Vectors

The construction of microbial cell factories à la carte largely depends on specialized molecular biology and synthetic biology tools needed to reprogram bacteria for modifying their existing functions or for bestowing them with new-to-Nature tasks. In this chapter, we document the use of a series of broad-host-range mini-Tn5 vectors for the delivery of gene(s) into the chromosome of Gram-negative bacteria and for the generation of saturated, random mutagenesis libraries for studies of gene function. The application of these tailored mini-transposon vectors, which could also be used for chromosomal engineering of a wide variety of Gram-negative microorganisms, is demonstrated in the platform environmental bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440.

Paralogous Regulators ArsR1 and ArsR2 of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 as a Basis for Arsenic Biosensor Development

The remarkable metal resistance of many microorganisms is related to the presence of multiple metal resistance operons. Pseudomonas putida KT2440 can be considered a model for these microorganisms since its arsenic resistance is due to the action of proteins encoded by the two paralogous arsenic resistance operons ARS1 and ARS2. Both operons contain the genes encoding the transcriptional regulators ArsR1 and ArsR2 that control operon expression. We show here that purified ArsR1 and ArsR2 bind the trivalent salt of arsenic (arsenite) with similar affinities (~30 μM), whereas no binding is observed for the pentavalent salt (arsenate). Furthermore, trivalent salts of bismuth and antimony showed binding to both paralogues. The positions of cysteines, found to bind arsenic in other homologues, indicate that ArsR1 and ArsR2 employ different modes of arsenite recognition. Both paralogues are dimeric and possess significant thermal stability. Both proteins were used to construct whole-cell, lacZ-based biosensors. Whereas responses to bismuth were negligible, significant responses were observed for arsenite, arsenate, and antimony. Biosensors based on the P. putida arsB1 arsB2 arsenic efflux pump double mutant were significantly more sensitive than biosensors based on the wild-type strain. This sensitivity enhancement by pump mutation may be a convenient strategy for the construction of other biosensors. A frequent limitation found for other arsenic biosensors was their elevated background signal and interference by inorganic phosphate. The constructed biosensors show no interference by inorganic phosphate, are characterized by a very low background signal, and were found to be suitable to analyze environmental samples.

IMPORTANCE

Arsenic is at the top of the priority list of hazardous compounds issued by the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease. The reason for the stunning arsenic resistance of many microorganisms is the existence of paralogous arsenic resistance operons. Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is a model organism for such bacteria, and their duplicated ars operons and in particular their ArsR transcription regulators have been studied in depth by in vivo approaches. Here we present an analysis of both purified ArsR paralogues by different biophysical techniques, and data obtained provide valuable insight into their structure and function. Particularly insightful was the comparison of ArsR effector profiles determined by in vitro and in vivo experimentation. We also report the use of both paralogues to construct robust and highly sensitive arsenic biosensors. Our finding that the deletion of both arsenic efflux pumps significantly increases biosensor sensitivity is of general relevance in the biosensor field.

Protein Complex Production in Alternative Prokaryotic Hosts

Research for multiprotein expression in nonconventional bacterial and archaeal expression systems aims to exploit particular properties of "alternative" prokaryotic hosts that might make them more efficient than E. coli for particular applications, especially in those areas where more conventional bacterial hosts traditionally do not perform well. Currently, a wide range of products with clinical or industrial application have to be isolated from their native source, often microorganisms whose growth present numerous problems owing to very slow growth phenotypes or because they are unculturable under laboratory conditions. In those cases, transfer of the gene pathway responsible for synthesizing the product of interest into a suitable recombinant host becomes an attractive alternative solution. Despite many efforts dedicated to improving E. coli systems due to low cost, ease of use, and its dominant position as a ubiquitous expression host model, many alternative prokaryotic systems have been developed for heterologous protein expression mostly for biotechnological applications. Continuous research has led to improvements in expression yield through these non-conventional models, including Pseudomonas, Streptomyces and Mycobacterium as alternative bacterial expression hosts. Advantageous properties shared by these systems include low costs, high levels of secreted protein products and their safety of use, with non-pathogenic strains been commercialized. In addition, the use of extremophilic and halotolerant archaea as expression hosts has to be considered as a potential tool for the production of mammalian membrane proteins such as GPCRs.

Novel Essential Role of Ethanol Oxidation Genes at Low Temperature Revealed by Transcriptome Analysis in the Antarctic Bacterium Pseudomonas extremaustralis

Temperature is one of the most important factors for bacterial growth and development. Cold environments are widely distributed on earth, and psychrotolerant and psychrophilic microorganisms have developed different adaptation strategies to cope with the stress derived from low temperatures. Pseudomonas extremaustralis is an Antarctic bacterium able to grow under low temperatures and to produce high amounts of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). In this work, we analyzed the genome-wide transcriptome by RNA deep-sequencing technology of early exponential cultures of P. extremaustralis growing in LB (Luria Broth) supplemented with sodium octanoate to favor PHA accumulation at 8°C and 30°C. We found that genes involved in primary metabolism, including tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) related genes, as well as cytochromes and amino acid metabolism coding genes, were repressed at low temperature. Among up-regulated genes, those coding for transcriptional regulatory and signal transduction proteins were over-represented at cold conditions. Remarkably, we found that genes involved in ethanol oxidation, exaA, exaB and exaC, encoding a pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-dependent ethanol dehydrogenase, the cytochrome c550 and an aldehyde dehydrogenase respectively, were up-regulated. Along with RNA-seq experiments, analysis of mutant strains for pqqB (PQQ biosynthesis protein B) and exaA were carried out. We found that the exaA and pqqB genes are essential for growth under low temperature in LB supplemented with sodium octanoate. Additionally, p-rosaniline assay measurements showed the presence of alcohol dehydrogenase activity at both 8°C and 30°C, while the activity was abolished in a pqqB mutant strain. These results together with the detection of ethanol by gas chromatography in P. extremaustralis cultures grown at 8°C support the conclusion that this pathway is important under cold conditions. The obtained results have led to the identification of novel components involved in cold adaptation mechanisms in this bacterium, suggesting for the first time a role of the ethanol oxidation pathway for bacterial growth at low temperatures.

High-resolution analysis of the m-xylene/toluene biodegradation subtranscriptome of Pseudomonas putida mt-2

Pseudomonas putida mt-2 metabolizes m-xylene and other aromatic compounds through the enzymes encoded by the xyl operons of the TOL plasmid pWW0 along with other chromosomally encoded activities. Tiling arrays of densely overlapping oligonucleotides were designed to cover every gene involved in this process, allowing dissection of operon structures and exposing the interplay of plasmid and chromosomal functions. All xyl sequences were transcribed in response to aromatic substrates and the 3'-termini of both upper and lower mRNA operons extended beyond their coding regions, i.e. the 3'-end of the lower operon mRNA penetrated into the convergent xylS regulatory gene. Furthermore, xylR mRNA for the master m-xylene responsive regulator of the system was decreased by aromatic substrates, while the cognate upper operon mRNA was evenly stable throughout its full length. RNA sequencing confirmed these data at a single nucleotide level and refined the formerly misannotated xylL sequence. The chromosomal ortho route for degradation of benzoate (the ben, cat clusters and some pca genes) was activated by this aromatic, but not by the TOL substrates, toluene or m-xylene. We advocate this scenario as a testbed of natural retroactivity between a pre-existing metabolic network and a new biochemical pathway implanted through gene transfer.

Analysis of the molecular response of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to the next-generation biofuel n-butanol

To increase the efficiency of biocatalysts a thorough understanding of the molecular response of the biocatalyst to precursors, products and environmental conditions applied in bioconversions is essential. Here we performed a comprehensive proteome and phospholipid analysis to characterize the molecular response of the potential biocatalyst Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to the next-generation biofuel n-butanol. Using complementary quantitative proteomics approaches we were able to identify and quantify 1467 proteins, corresponding to 28% of the total KT2440 proteome. 256 proteins were altered in abundance in response to n-butanol. The proteome response entailed an increased abundance of enzymes involved in n-butanol degradation including quinoprotein alcohol dehydrogenases, aldehyde dehydrogenases and enzymes of fatty acid beta oxidation. From these results we were able to construct a pathway for the metabolism of n-butanol in P. putida. The initial oxidation of n-butanol is catalyzed by at least two quinoprotein ethanol dehydrogenases (PedE and PedH). Growth of mutants lacking PedE and PedH on n-butanol was significantly impaired, but not completely inhibited, suggesting that additional alcohol dehydrogenases can at least partially complement their function in KT2440. Furthermore, phospholipid profiling revealed a significantly increased abundance of lyso-phospholipids in response to n-butanol, indicating a rearrangement of the lipid bilayer.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

n-butanol is an important bulk chemical and a promising alternative to gasoline as a transportation fuel. Due to environmental concerns as well as increasing energy prices there is a growing interest in sustainable and cost-effective biotechnological production processes for the production of bulk chemicals and transportation fuels from renewable resources. n-butanol fermentation is well established in Clostridiae, but the efficiency of n-butanol production is mainly limited by its toxicity. Therefore bacterial strains with higher intrinsic tolerance to n-butanol have to be selected as hosts for n-butanol production. Pseudomonas bacteria are metabolically very versatile and exhibit a high intrinsic tolerance to organic solvents making them suitable candidates for bioconversion processes. A prerequisite for a potential production of n-butanol in Pseudomonas bacteria is a thorough understanding of the molecular adaption processes caused by n-butanol and the identification of enzymes involved in n-butanol metabolization. This work describes the impact of n-butanol on the proteome and the phospholipid composition of the reference strain P. putida KT2440. The high proteome coverage of our proteomics survey allowed us to reconstruct the degradation pathway of n-butanol and to monitor the changes in the energy metabolism of KT2440 induced by n-butanol. Key enzymes involved in n-butanol degradation identified in study will be interesting targets for optimization of n-butanol production in Pseudomonads. The present work and the identification of key enzymes involved in butanol metabolism may serve as a fundament to develop new or improve existing strategies for the biotechnological production of the next-generation biofuel n-butanol in Pseudomonads.

Genome reduction boosts heterologous gene expression in Pseudomonas putida

BACKGROUND

The implementation of novel platform organisms to be used as microbial cell factories in industrial applications is currently the subject of intense research. Ongoing efforts include the adoption of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 variants with a reduced genome as the functional chassis for biotechnological purposes. In these strains, dispensable functions removed include flagellar motility (1.1% of the genome) and a number of open reading frames expected to improve genotypic and phenotypic stability of the cells upon deletion (3.2% of the genome).

RESULTS

In this study, two previously constructed multiple-deletion P. putida strains were systematically evaluated as microbial cell factories for heterologous protein production and compared to the parental bacterium (strain KT2440) with regards to several industrially-relevant physiological traits. Energetic parameters were quantified at different controlled growth rates in continuous cultivations and both strains had a higher adenosine triphosphate content, increased adenylate energy charges, and diminished maintenance demands than the wild-type strain. Under all the conditions tested the mutants also grew faster, had enhanced biomass yields and showed higher viability, and displayed increased plasmid stability than the parental strain. In addition to small-scale shaken-flask cultivations, the performance of the genome-streamlined strains was evaluated in larger scale bioreactor batch cultivations taking a step towards industrial growth conditions. When the production of the green fluorescent protein (used as a model heterologous protein) was assessed in these cultures, the mutants reached a recombinant protein yield with respect to biomass up to 40% higher than that of P. putida KT2440.

CONCLUSIONS

The two streamlined-genome derivatives of P. putida KT2440 outcompeted the parental strain in every industrially-relevant trait assessed, particularly under the working conditions of a bioreactor. Our results demonstrate that these genome-streamlined bacteria are not only robust microbial cell factories on their own, but also a promising foundation for further biotechnological applications.

Combinatory strategy for characterizing and understanding the ethanol synthesis pathway in cyanobacteria cell factories

BACKGROUND

Photosynthetic production of chemicals and fuels by recycling CO2 in cyanobacteria is a promising solution facing energy shortage and resource declination. Ethanol is an attractive and demonstrative biofuel product, and ethanol synthesis in cyanobacteria has been achieved by assembling of a pathway consisting of pyruvate decarboxylase (PDCzm) and alcohol dehydrogenase II (slr1192). For enabling more powerful ethanol photosynthetic production, an optimized and balanced catalyzing route was required. In this work, we provided a paradigm for systematically characterizing and optimizing the PDCzm-slr1192 pathway from engineered cyanobacteria strains, combining in vitro reconstitution, genetic engineering and feeding-cultivation.

RESULTS

We reconstituted the PDCzm-slr1192 pathway in vitro and performed specific titration assays for enzymes, substrates, cofactors, and metal ions. In the in vitro system, K 50 of PDCzm was 0.326 μM, with a V max of 2.074 μM/s; while for slr1192, the values were 0.109 μM and 1.722 μM/s, respectively. Titration response discrepancy indicated that PDCzm rather than slr1192 was the rate-limiting factor for ethanol synthesis. In addition, a 4:6 concentration ratio of PDCzm-slr1192 would endow the reaction with a maximal specific catalytic activity. Titration assays for other components were also performed. K m values for NADPH, pyruvate, TPP, Mg(2+) and acetaldehyde were 0.136, 6.496, 0.011, 0.104, and 0.393 mM, respectively. We further constructed Synechocystis mutant strains with diverse PDCzm-slr1192 concentrations and ratios, and compared the growth and ethanol synthesis performances. The results revealed that activities of PDCzm indeed held control over the ethanol generation capacities. We performed pyruvate-feeding treatment with the newly developed Syn-YQ4 strain, and confirmed that improvement of pyruvate supply would direct more carbon flow to ethanol formation.

CONCLUSIONS

We systematically characterized and optimized the PDCzm-slr1192 pathway in engineered cyanobacteria for ethanol production. Information gained from in vitro monitoring and genetic engineering revealed that for further enhancing ethanol synthesis capacities, PDCzm activities needed enhancement, and the PDCzm-slr1192 ratio should be improved and held to about 1:1.5. Considering actual metabolites concentrations of cyanobacteria cells, enhancing pyruvate supply was also a promising strategy for further updating the current ethanol photosynthetic cell factories.

Pseudomonas 2.0: genetic upgrading of P. putida KT2440 as an enhanced host for heterologous gene expression

Background

Because of its adaptability to sites polluted with toxic chemicals, the model soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida is naturally endowed with a number of metabolic and stress-endurance qualities which have considerable value for hosting energy-demanding and redox reactions thereof. The growing body of knowledge on P. putida strain KT2440 has been exploited for the rational design of a derivative strain in which the genome has been heavily edited in order to construct a robust microbial cell factory.

Results

Eleven non-adjacent genomic deletions, which span 300 genes (i.e., 4.3% of the entire P. putida KT2440 genome), were eliminated; thereby enhancing desirable traits and eliminating attributes which are detrimental in an expression host. Since ATP and NAD(P)H availability – as well as genetic instability, are generally considered to be major bottlenecks for the performance of platform strains, a suite of functions that drain high-energy phosphate from the cells and/or consume NAD(P)H were targeted in particular, the whole flagellar machinery. Four prophages, two transposons, and three components of DNA restriction-modification systems were eliminated as well. The resulting strain (P. putida EM383) displayed growth properties (i.e., lag times, biomass yield, and specific growth rates) clearly superior to the precursor wild-type strain KT2440. Furthermore, it tolerated endogenous oxidative stress, acquired and replicated exogenous DNA, and survived better in stationary phase. The performance of a bi-cistronic GFP-LuxCDABE reporter system as a proxy of combined metabolic vitality, revealed that the deletions in P. putida strain EM383 brought about an increase of >50% in the overall physiological vigour.

Conclusion

The rationally modified P. putida strain allowed for the better functional expression of implanted genes by directly improving the metabolic currency that sustains the gene expression flow, instead of resorting to the classical genetic approaches (e.g., increasing the promoter strength in the DNA constructs of interest).

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12934-014-0159-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.