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Liu A, Ellis D, Mhatre A, Brahmankar S, Seto J, Nielsen DR, Varman AM. Biomanufacturing of value-added chemicals from lignin. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 89:103178. [PMID: 39098292 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Lignin valorization faces persistent biomanufacturing challenges due to the heterogeneous and toxic carbon substrates derived from lignin depolymerization. To address the heterogeneous nature of aromatic feedstocks, plant cell wall engineering and 'lignin first' pretreatment methods have recently emerged. Next, to convert the resulting aromatic substrates into value-added chemicals, diverse microbial host systems also continue to be developed. This includes microbes that (1) lack aromatic metabolism, (2) metabolize aromatics but not sugars, and (3) co-metabolize both aromatics and sugars, each system presenting unique pros and cons. Considering the intrinsic complexity of lignin-derived substrate mixtures, emerging and non-model microbes with native metabolism for aromatics appear poised to provide the greatest impacts on lignin valorization via biomanufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arren Liu
- Biological Design Program, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Dylan Ellis
- Chemical Engineering Program, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Apurv Mhatre
- Chemical Engineering Program, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Sumant Brahmankar
- Chemical Engineering Program, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jong Seto
- Chemical Engineering Program, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - David R Nielsen
- Biological Design Program, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Chemical Engineering Program, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Arul M Varman
- Biological Design Program, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Chemical Engineering Program, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
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Nawaz MZ, Shang H, Sun J, Geng A, Ali SS, Zhu D. Genomic insights into the metabolic potential of a novel lignin-degrading and polyhydroxyalkanoates producing bacterium Pseudomonas sp. Hu109A. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 310:136754. [PMID: 36228733 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Lignin is the most abundant heterogeneous aromatic polymer present on planet Earth and is recalcitrant to degradation due to its complex structure, therefore, imposing a challenge to biorefinery procedures. Identifying new microbial strains with the potential to valorize lignin into useful compounds is indispensable to achieving green sustainable consumption. In this study, a novel Pseudomonas strain designated as Hu109A was isolated from the termite gut and the genome was sequenced and analyzed further. The genome contains a circular chromosome with the size of 5,131,917 bp having a GC content of 62.6% and 4698 genes. Genome annotation reveals that the strain possesses lignin-oxidizing enzymes such as DyP-type peroxidases, laccase, dioxygenase, and aromatic degradation gene clusters. The genome also contains O-methyltransferases which function in accelerating the lignin degradation by methylating the free hydroxyl phenolic compounds which in high concentration can inhibit the lignin peroxidase. Furthermore, the genome exhibits two gene clusters encoding the enzymes related to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) synthesis. Pseudomonas strains are generally assumed to produce medium chain length PHAs (mcl-PHAs) only, however, strain Hu109A contains both Class II PHA synthase genes involved in mcl-PHAs and Class III PHA synthase gene involved in short-chain length PHAs (scl-PHAs). Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed that using 1 g/L lignin as the sole carbon source, the maximum production of PHA observed was 103.68 mg/L, which increased to 186 mg/L with an increase in lignin concentration to 3 g/L. However, PHA production while using glucose as the sole carbon source was significantly lower than the lignin source, and maximum production was 125.6 mg/L with 3 g/L glucose. The strain Hu109A can tolerate a broad range of solvents including methanol, isopropanol, dimethylformamide, and ethanol, revealing its potential for industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Zohaib Nawaz
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, PR China; Department of Computer Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan
| | - Huarong Shang
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, PR China
| | - Jianzhong Sun
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, PR China
| | - Alei Geng
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, PR China
| | - Sameh S Ali
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, PR China; Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, 31527, Egypt
| | - Daochen Zhu
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, PR China.
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Liu ZH, Li BZ, Yuan JS, Yuan YJ. Creative biological lignin conversion routes toward lignin valorization. Trends Biotechnol 2022; 40:1550-1566. [PMID: 36270902 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Lignin, the largest renewable aromatic resource, is a promising alternative feedstock for the sustainable production of various chemicals, fuels, and materials. Despite this potential, lignin is characterized by heterogeneous and macromolecular structures that must be addressed. In this review, we present biological lignin conversion routes (BLCRs) that offer opportunities for overcoming these challenges, making lignin valorization feasible. Funneling heterogeneous aromatics via a 'biological funnel' offers a high-specificity bioconversion route for aromatic platform chemicals. The inherent aromaticity of lignin drives atom-economic functionalization routes toward aromatic natural product generation. By harnessing the ligninolytic capacities of specific microbial systems, powerful aromatic ring-opening routes can be developed to generate various value-added products. Thus, BLCRs hold the promise to make lignin valorization feasible and enable a lignocellulose-based bioeconomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Hua Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Bing-Zhi Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China.
| | - Joshua S Yuan
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, The McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Ying-Jin Yuan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
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Sivapuratharasan V, Lenzen C, Michel C, Muthukrishnan AB, Jayaraman G, Blank LM. Metabolic engineering of Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 for rhamnolipid biosynthesis from biomass-derived aromatics. Metab Eng Commun 2022; 15:e00202. [PMID: 36017490 PMCID: PMC9396041 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2022.e00202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Lignin is a ubiquitously available and sustainable feedstock that is underused as its depolymerization yields a range of aromatic monomers that are challenging substrates for microbes. In this study, we investigated the growth of Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 on biomass-derived aromatics, namely, 4-coumarate, ferulate, 4-hydroxybenzoate, and vanillate. The wild type strain was not able to grow on 4-coumarate and ferulate. After integration of catabolic genes for breakdown of 4-coumarate and ferulate, the metabolically engineered strain was able to grow on these aromatics. Further, the specific growth rate of the strain was enhanced up to 3-fold using adaptive laboratory evolution, resulting in increased tolerance towards 4-coumarate and ferulate. Whole-genome sequencing highlighted several different mutations mainly in two genes. The first gene was actP, coding for a cation/acetate symporter, and the other gene was paaA coding for a phenyl acetyl-CoA oxygenase. The evolved strain was further engineered for rhamnolipid production. Among the biomass-derived aromatics investigated, 4-coumarate and ferulate were promising substrates for product synthesis. With 4-coumarate as the sole carbon source, a yield of 0.27 (Cmolrhl/Cmol4-coumarate) was achieved, corresponding to 28% of the theoretical yield. Ferulate enabled a yield of about 0.22 (Cmolrhl/Cmolferulate), representing 42% of the theoretical yield. Overall, this study demonstrates the use of biomass-derived aromatics as novel carbon sources for rhamnolipid biosynthesis. Enabling 4-coumarate and ferulate degradation in Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120. The growth rate and tolerance was enhanced towards non-native substrates. Genetic mutations in actP and paaA contributed to the enhanced tolerance. Production of mono-rhamnolipids was established using all the chosen aromatics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaishnavi Sivapuratharasan
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India
| | - Christoph Lenzen
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Carina Michel
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Anantha Barathi Muthukrishnan
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India
| | - Guhan Jayaraman
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India
| | - Lars M. Blank
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Corresponding author.
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Borrero‐de Acuña JM, Poblete‐Castro I. Rational engineering of natural polyhydroxyalkanoates producing microorganisms for improved synthesis and recovery. Microb Biotechnol 2022; 16:262-285. [PMID: 35792877 PMCID: PMC9871526 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial production of biopolymers derived from renewable substrates and waste streams reduces our heavy reliance on petrochemical plastics. One of the most important biodegradable polymers is the family of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), naturally occurring intracellular polyoxoesters produced for decades by bacterial fermentation of sugars and fatty acids at the industrial scale. Despite the advances, PHA production still suffers from heavy costs associated with carbon substrates and downstream processing to recover the intracellular product, thus restricting market positioning. In recent years, model-aided metabolic engineering and novel synthetic biology approaches have spurred our understanding of carbon flux partitioning through competing pathways and cellular resource allocation during PHA synthesis, enabling the rational design of superior biopolymer producers and programmable cellular lytic systems. This review describes these attempts to rationally engineering the cellular operation of several microbes to elevate PHA production on specific substrates and waste products. We also delve into genome reduction, morphology, and redox cofactor engineering to boost PHA biosynthesis. Besides, we critically evaluate engineered bacterial strains in various fermentation modes in terms of PHA productivity and the period required for product recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ignacio Poblete‐Castro
- Biosystems Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of Chemical and Bioprocess EngineeringUniversidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH)SantiagoChile
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Borrero-de Acuña JM, Rohde M, Saldias C, Poblete-Castro I. Fed-Batch mcl- Polyhydroxyalkanoates Production in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 and Δ phaZ Mutant on Biodiesel-Derived Crude Glycerol. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:642023. [PMID: 33796510 PMCID: PMC8007980 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.642023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Crude glycerol has emerged as a suitable feedstock for the biotechnological production of various industrial chemicals given its high surplus catalyzed by the biodiesel industry. Pseudomonas bacteria metabolize the polyol into several biopolymers, including alginate and medium-chain-length poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) (mcl-PHAs). Although P. putida is a suited platform to derive these polyoxoesters from crude glycerol, the attained concentrations in batch and fed-batch cultures are still low. In this study, we employed P. putida KT2440 and the hyper-PHA producer ΔphaZ mutant in two different fed-batch modes to synthesize mcl-PHAs from raw glycerol. Initially, the cells grew in a batch phase (μmax 0.21 h–1) for 22 h followed by a carbon-limiting exponential feeding, where the specific growth rate was set at 0.1 (h–1), resulting in a cell dry weight (CDW) of nearly 50 (g L–1) at 40 h cultivation. During the PHA production stage, we supplied the substrate at a constant rate of 50 (g h–1), where the KT2440 and the ΔphaZ produced 9.7 and 12.7 gPHA L–1, respectively, after 60 h cultivation. We next evaluated the PHA production ability of the P. putida strains using a DO-stat approach under nitrogen depletion. Citric acid was the main by-product secreted by the cells, accumulating in the culture broth up to 48 (g L–1) under nitrogen limitation. The mutant ΔphaZ amassed 38.9% of the CDW as mcl-PHA and exhibited a specific PHA volumetric productivity of 0.34 (g L–1 h–1), 48% higher than the parental KT2440 under the same growth conditions. The biosynthesized mcl-PHAs had average molecular weights ranging from 460 to 505 KDa and a polydispersity index (PDI) of 2.4–2.6. Here, we demonstrated that the DO-stat feeding approach in high cell density cultures enables the high yield production of mcl-PHA in P. putida strains using the industrial crude glycerol, where the fed-batch process selection is essential to exploit the superior biopolymer production hallmarks of engineered bacterial strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Manuel Borrero-de Acuña
- Institute for Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Manfred Rohde
- Central Facility of Microscopy, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Cesar Saldias
- Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Química y Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Macul, Chile
| | - Ignacio Poblete-Castro
- Biosystems Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences, Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
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