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Halle L, Hollmann N, Tenhaef N, Mbengi L, Glitz C, Wiechert W, Polen T, Baumgart M, Bott M, Noack S. Robotic workflows for automated long-term adaptive laboratory evolution: improving ethanol utilization by Corynebacterium glutamicum. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:175. [PMID: 37679814 PMCID: PMC10483779 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02180-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is known as a powerful tool for untargeted engineering of microbial strains and genomics research. It is particularly well suited for the adaptation of microorganisms to new environmental conditions, such as alternative substrate sources. Since the probability of generating beneficial mutations increases with the frequency of DNA replication, ALE experiments are ideally free of constraints on the required duration of cell proliferation. RESULTS Here, we present an extended robotic workflow for performing long-term evolution experiments based on fully automated repetitive batch cultures (rbALE) in a well-controlled microbioreactor environment. Using a microtiter plate recycling approach, the number of batches and thus cell generations is technically unlimited. By applying the validated workflow in three parallel rbALE runs, ethanol utilization by Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 (WT) was significantly improved. The evolved mutant strain WT_EtOH-Evo showed a specific ethanol uptake rate of 8.45 ± 0.12 mmolEtOH gCDW-1 h-1 and a growth rate of 0.15 ± 0.01 h-1 in lab-scale bioreactors. Genome sequencing of this strain revealed a striking single nucleotide variation (SNV) upstream of the ald gene (NCgl2698, cg3096) encoding acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). The mutated basepair was previously predicted to be part of the binding site for the global transcriptional regulator GlxR, and re-engineering demonstrated that the identified SNV is key for enhanced ethanol assimilation. Decreased binding of GlxR leads to increased synthesis of the rate-limiting enzyme ALDH, which was confirmed by proteomics measurements. CONCLUSIONS The established rbALE technology is generally applicable to any microbial strain and selection pressure that fits the small-scale cultivation format. In addition, our specific results will enable improved production processes with C. glutamicum from ethanol, which is of particular interest for acetyl-CoA-derived products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Halle
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBG-1: Biotechnology, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- Bioeconomy Science Center (BioSC), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Niels Hollmann
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBG-1: Biotechnology, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Niklas Tenhaef
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBG-1: Biotechnology, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Lea Mbengi
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBG-1: Biotechnology, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Christiane Glitz
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBG-1: Biotechnology, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wiechert
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBG-1: Biotechnology, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- Bioeconomy Science Center (BioSC), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Tino Polen
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBG-1: Biotechnology, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- Bioeconomy Science Center (BioSC), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Meike Baumgart
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBG-1: Biotechnology, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Michael Bott
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBG-1: Biotechnology, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- Bioeconomy Science Center (BioSC), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Stephan Noack
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBG-1: Biotechnology, 52425, Jülich, Germany.
- Bioeconomy Science Center (BioSC), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany.
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Yu X, Li S, Feng H, Liao X, Xing XH, Bai Z, Liu X, Zhang C. CRISPRi-microfluidics screening enables genome-scale target identification for high-titer protein production and secretion. Metab Eng 2023; 75:192-204. [PMID: 36572334 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2022.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Genome-scale target identification promises to guide microbial cell factory engineering for higher-titer production of biomolecules such as recombinant proteins (r-protein), but challenges remain due to the need not only for comprehensive genotypic perturbation but also in conjunction with high-throughput phenotypic screening strategies. Here, we developed a CRISPRi-microfluidics screening platform to systematically identify crucial gene targets that can be engineered to enhance r-protein secretion in Corynebacterium glutamicum. We created a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) library containing 46,549 single-guide RNAs, where we aimed to unbiasedly target all genes for repression. Meanwhile, we developed a highly efficient droplet-based microfluidics system integrating the FlAsH-tetracysteine assay that enables screening of millions of strains to identify potential knockdowns conducive to nanobody VHH secretion. Among our highest-ranking candidates are a slew of previously unknown targets involved in transmembrane transport, amino-acid metabolism and redox regulation. Guided by these findings, we eventually constructed a hyperproducer for multiple proteins via combinatorial engineering of redox-response transcription factors. As the near-universal applicability of CRISPRi technology and the FlAsH-based screening platform, this procedure might be expanded to include a varied variety of microbial species and recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Yu
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Shuang Li
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Huibao Feng
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xihao Liao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xin-Hui Xing
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhonghu Bai
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xiuxia Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
| | - Chong Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Industrial Biocatalysis, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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Ricci L, Seifert A, Bernacchi S, Fino D, Pirri CF, Re A. Leveraging substrate flexibility and product selectivity of acetogens in two-stage systems for chemical production. Microb Biotechnol 2022; 16:218-237. [PMID: 36464980 PMCID: PMC9871533 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbon dioxide (CO2 ) stands out as sustainable feedstock for developing a circular carbon economy whose energy supply could be obtained by boosting the production of clean hydrogen from renewable electricity. H2 -dependent CO2 gas fermentation using acetogenic microorganisms offers a viable solution of increasingly demonstrated value. While gas fermentation advances to achieve commercial process scalability, which is currently limited to a few products such as acetate and ethanol, it is worth taking the best of the current state-of-the-art technology by its integration within innovative bioconversion schemes. This review presents multiple scenarios where gas fermentation by acetogens integrate into double-stage biotechnological production processes that use CO2 as sole carbon feedstock and H2 as energy carrier for products' synthesis. In the integration schemes here reviewed, the first stage can be biotic or abiotic while the second stage is biotic. When the first stage is biotic, acetogens act as a biological platform to generate chemical intermediates such as acetate, formate and ethanol that become substrates for a second fermentation stage. This approach holds the potential to enhance process titre/rate/yield metrics and products' spectrum. Alternatively, when the first stage is abiotic, the integrated two-stage scheme foresees, in the first stage, the catalytic transformation of CO2 into C1 products that, in the second stage, can be metabolized by acetogens. This latter scheme leverages the metabolic flexibility of acetogens in efficient utilization of the products of CO2 abiotic hydrogenation, namely formate and methanol, to synthesize multicarbon compounds but also to act as flexible catalysts for hydrogen storage or production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Ricci
- Department of Applied Science and TechnologyPolitecnico di TorinoTurinItaly,Centre for Sustainable Future TechnologiesFondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaTurinItaly
| | | | | | - Debora Fino
- Department of Applied Science and TechnologyPolitecnico di TorinoTurinItaly,Centre for Sustainable Future TechnologiesFondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaTurinItaly
| | - Candido Fabrizio Pirri
- Department of Applied Science and TechnologyPolitecnico di TorinoTurinItaly,Centre for Sustainable Future TechnologiesFondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaTurinItaly
| | - Angela Re
- Department of Applied Science and TechnologyPolitecnico di TorinoTurinItaly,Centre for Sustainable Future TechnologiesFondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaTurinItaly
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Lee SM, Jeong KJ. Advances in Synthetic Biology Tools and Engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum as a Platform Host for Recombinant Protein Production. BIOTECHNOL BIOPROC E 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12257-022-0219-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Shikina E, Kovalevsky R, Shirkovskaya A, Toukach P. Prospective bacterial and fungal sources of hyaluronic acid: A review. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:6214-6236. [PMID: 36420162 PMCID: PMC9676211 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The unique biological and rheological properties make hyaluronic acid a sought-after material for medicine and cosmetology. Due to very high purity requirements for hyaluronic acid in medical applications, the profitability of streptococcal fermentation is reduced. Production of hyaluronic acid by recombinant systems is considered a promising alternative. Variations in combinations of expressed genes and fermentation conditions alter the yield and molecular weight of produced hyaluronic acid. This review is devoted to the current state of hyaluronic acid production by recombinant bacterial and fungal organisms.
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Stark C, Münßinger S, Rosenau F, Eikmanns BJ, Schwentner A. The Potential of Sequential Fermentations in Converting C1 Substrates to Higher-Value Products. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:907577. [PMID: 35722332 PMCID: PMC9204031 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.907577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Today production of (bulk) chemicals and fuels almost exclusively relies on petroleum-based sources, which are connected to greenhouse gas release, fueling climate change. This increases the urgence to develop alternative bio-based technologies and processes. Gaseous and liquid C1 compounds are available at low cost and often occur as waste streams. Acetogenic bacteria can directly use C1 compounds like CO, CO2, formate or methanol anaerobically, converting them into acetate and ethanol for higher-value biotechnological products. However, these microorganisms possess strict energetic limitations, which in turn pose limitations to their potential for biotechnological applications. Moreover, efficient genetic tools for strain improvement are often missing. However, focusing on the metabolic abilities acetogens provide, they can prodigiously ease these technological disadvantages. Producing acetate and ethanol from C1 compounds can fuel via bio-based intermediates conversion into more energy-demanding, higher-value products, by deploying aerobic organisms that are able to grow with acetate/ethanol as carbon and energy source. Promising new approaches have become available combining these two fermentation steps in sequential approaches, either as separate fermentations or as integrated two-stage fermentation processes. This review aims at introducing, comparing, and evaluating the published approaches of sequential C1 fermentations, delivering a list of promising organisms for the individual fermentation steps and giving an overview of the existing broad spectrum of products based on acetate and ethanol. Understanding of these pioneering approaches allows collecting ideas for new products and may open avenues toward making full use of the technological potential of these concepts for establishment of a sustainable biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Stark
- Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sini Münßinger
- Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Frank Rosenau
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Bernhard J. Eikmanns
- Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- *Correspondence: Bernhard J. Eikmanns,
| | - Andreas Schwentner
- Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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