1
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Pfefferle K, Averhoff B. Wax Ester and Triacylglycerol Production in Acinetobacter baumannii: Role in Osmostress Protection, Reactive Oxygen Species, and Antibiotic Sensitivity. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:2093-2104. [PMID: 37883671 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Wax esters (WEs) are neutral lipids that are produced by many different bacteria as potential carbon and energy storage compounds. Comparatively little is known about the role of WE in pathogenic bacteria. The opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections worldwide. Salt and desiccation resistance foster A. baumannii infections such as urinary tract infections and allow for reinfection when bacteria are taken up from dry surfaces in the hospital environment. Here we report on WE and triacylglycerol (TAG) production in A. baumannii as a response to nitrogen limitation and high salt stress. Fatty acids and fatty alcohols with chain lengths of C16 and C18 were identified as the most prominent WE constituents. We identified the terminal key enzyme of WE biosynthesis, the bifunctional wax ester synthase/acylCoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) encoded by the wax/dgat gene, and demonstrated that transcription of wax/dgat and production of WS/DGAT are independent of the nitrogen concentration. A Δwax/dgat mutant was impaired in growth in the presence of high salt concentration and was more sensitive to imipenem and reactive oxygen species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Pfefferle
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Beate Averhoff
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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2
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Galván V, Pascutti F, Sandoval NE, Lanfranconi MP, Lozada M, Arabolaza AL, Mac Cormack WP, Alvarez HM, Gramajo HC, Dionisi HM. High wax ester and triacylglycerol biosynthesis potential in coastal sediments of Antarctic and Subantarctic environments. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288509. [PMID: 37459319 PMCID: PMC10351704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The wax ester (WE) and triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthetic potential of marine microorganisms is poorly understood at the microbial community level. The goal of this work was to uncover the prevalence and diversity of bacteria with the potential to synthesize these neutral lipids in coastal sediments of two high latitude environments, and to characterize the gene clusters related to this process. Homolog sequences of the key enzyme, the wax ester synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) were retrieved from 13 metagenomes, including subtidal and intertidal sediments of a Subantarctic environment (Ushuaia Bay, Argentina), and subtidal sediments of an Antarctic environment (Potter Cove, Antarctica). The abundance of WS/DGAT homolog sequences in the sediment metagenomes was 1.23 ± 0.42 times the abundance of 12 single-copy genes encoding ribosomal proteins, higher than in seawater (0.13 ± 0.31 times in 338 metagenomes). Homolog sequences were highly diverse, and were assigned to the Pseudomonadota, Actinomycetota, Bacteroidota and Acidobacteriota phyla. The genomic context of WS/DGAT homologs included sequences related to WE and TAG biosynthesis pathways, as well as to other related pathways such as fatty-acid metabolism, suggesting carbon recycling might drive the flux to neutral lipid synthesis. These results indicate the presence of abundant and taxonomically diverse bacterial populations with the potential to synthesize lipid storage compounds in marine sediments, relating this metabolic process to bacterial survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Galván
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET, FBIOyF–UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Federico Pascutti
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET, FBIOyF–UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Natalia E. Sandoval
- Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia (INBIOP-UNPSJB-CONICET), Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Mariana P. Lanfranconi
- Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia (INBIOP-UNPSJB-CONICET), Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Mariana Lozada
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Ana L. Arabolaza
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET, FBIOyF–UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Walter P. Mac Cormack
- Instituto de Nanobiotecnología (NANOBIOTEC-UBA-CONICET), San Martín, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA), San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Héctor M. Alvarez
- Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia (INBIOP-UNPSJB-CONICET), Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Hugo C. Gramajo
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET, FBIOyF–UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Hebe M. Dionisi
- Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
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3
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Valle-Rodríguez JO, Siewers V, Nielsen J, Shi S. Directed evolution of a wax ester synthase for production of fatty acid ethyl esters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:2921-2932. [PMID: 36976306 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12466-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Wax ester synthases (WSs) utilize a fatty alcohol and a fatty acyl-coenzyme A (activated fatty acid) to synthesize the corresponding wax ester. There is much interest in developing novel cell factories that can produce shorter esters, e.g., fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), with properties similar to biodiesel in order to use these as transportation fuels. However, ethanol is a poor substrate for WSs, and this may limit the biosynthesis of FAEEs. Here, we implemented a random mutagenesis approach to enhance the catalytic efficiency of a WS from Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus (MhWS2, encoded by the ws2 gene). Our selection system was based on FAEE formation serving as a detoxification mechanism for excessive oleate, where high WS activity was essential for a storage-lipid free yeast to survive. A random mutagenesis library of ws2 was used to transform the storage-lipid free yeast, and mutants could be selected by plating the transformants on oleate containing plates. The variants encoding WS with improved activity were sequenced, and an identified point mutation translated into the residue substitution at position A344 was discovered to substantially increase the selectivity of MhWS2 toward ethanol and other shorter alcohols. Structural modeling indicated that an A344T substitution might affect the alcohol selectivity due to change of both steric effects and polarity changes near the active site. This work not only provides a new WS variant with altered selectivity to shorter alcohols but also presents a new high-throughput selection system to isolate WSs with a desired selectivity. KEY POINTS: • The work provides WS variants with altered substrate preference for shorter alcohols • A novel method was developed for directed evolution of WS of desired selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Verena Siewers
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jens Nielsen
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2970, Hørsholm, Denmark.
| | - Shuobo Shi
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
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4
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Vollheyde K, Kühnel K, Lambrecht F, Kawelke S, Herrfurth C, Feussner I. Crystal Structure of the Bifunctional Wax Synthase 1 from Acinetobacter baylyi Suggests a Conformational Change upon Substrate Binding and Formation of Additional Substrate Binding Sites. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c01712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Vollheyde
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Karin Kühnel
- Department of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Felix Lambrecht
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Steffen Kawelke
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Cornelia Herrfurth
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
- International Center for Advanced Studies of Energy Conversion (ICASEC), University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
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5
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Chen G, Harwood JL, Lemieux MJ, Stone SJ, Weselake RJ. Acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase: Properties, physiological roles, metabolic engineering and intentional control. Prog Lipid Res 2022; 88:101181. [PMID: 35820474 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2022.101181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT, EC 2.3.1.20) catalyzes the last reaction in the acyl-CoA-dependent biosynthesis of triacylglycerol (TAG). DGAT activity resides mainly in membrane-bound DGAT1 and DGAT2 in eukaryotes and bifunctional wax ester synthase-diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WSD) in bacteria, which are all membrane-bound proteins but exhibit no sequence homology to each other. Recent studies also identified other DGAT enzymes such as the soluble DGAT3 and diacylglycerol acetyltransferase (EaDAcT), as well as enzymes with DGAT activities including defective in cuticular ridges (DCR) and steryl and phytyl ester synthases (PESs). This review comprehensively discusses research advances on DGATs in prokaryotes and eukaryotes with a focus on their biochemical properties, physiological roles, and biotechnological and therapeutic applications. The review begins with a discussion of DGAT assay methods, followed by a systematic discussion of TAG biosynthesis and the properties and physiological role of DGATs. Thereafter, the review discusses the three-dimensional structure and insights into mechanism of action of human DGAT1, and the modeled DGAT1 from Brassica napus. The review then examines metabolic engineering strategies involving manipulation of DGAT, followed by a discussion of its therapeutic applications. DGAT in relation to improvement of livestock traits is also discussed along with DGATs in various other eukaryotic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanqun Chen
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6H 2P5, Canada.
| | - John L Harwood
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - M Joanne Lemieux
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, Edmonton T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Scot J Stone
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E5, Canada.
| | - Randall J Weselake
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6H 2P5, Canada
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6
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Domergue F, Miklaszewska M. The production of wax esters in transgenic plants:
towards a sustainable source of bio-lubricants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:2817-2834. [PMID: 35560197 PMCID: PMC9113324 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Wax esters are high-value compounds used as feedstocks for the production of lubricants, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Currently, they are produced mostly from fossil reserves using chemical synthesis, but this cannot meet increasing demand and has a negative environmental impact. Natural wax esters are also obtained from Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) but comparably in very low amounts and expensively. Therefore, metabolic engineering of plants, especially of the seed storage lipid metabolism of oil crops, represents an attractive strategy for renewable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly production of wax esters tailored to industrial applications. Utilization of wax ester-synthesizing enzymes with defined specificities and modulation of the acyl-CoA pools by various genetic engineering approaches can lead to obtaining wax esters with desired compositions and properties. However, obtaining high amounts of wax esters is still challenging due to their negative impact on seed germination and yield. In this review, we describe recent progress in establishing non-food-plant platforms for wax ester production and discuss their advantages and limitations as well as future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Domergue
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, LBM, UMR 5200, F-33140 Villenave d’Ornon, France
| | - Magdalena Miklaszewska
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Division of Molecular Systems Biology (MOSYS), Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
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7
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Mancipe NC, Mulliner KM, Plunkett MH, Barney BM. Canvasing the Substrate-Binding Pockets of the Wax Ester Synthase. Biochemistry 2022; 61:922-932. [PMID: 35507417 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The biosynthesis of wax esters and triglycerides in bacteria is accomplished through the action of the wax ester synthase/acyl-coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT or wax ester synthase). A hallmark of these enzymes is the broad substrate profile that accepts alcohols, diglycerides, and fatty acyl-CoAs of various carbon chain lengths and degrees of branching. These enzymes have a broad biotechnological potential due to their role in producing high-value lipids or simple fuels similar to biodiesel through biosynthetic routes. Recently, a crystal structure was solved for the wax ester synthase from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 (Maqu_0168), providing a much clearer picture of the architecture of this enzyme and enabling a more precise analysis of the important structural features of the protein. In this work, we used the structure to canvas amino acids lining the proposed substrate-binding pockets and tested the effects of exchanging specific residues on the substrate profiles. We also developed an approach to better probe the residues that alter fatty acyl-CoA selectivity, which has proven more difficult to investigate. Our findings provide an improved blueprint for future efforts to understand how these enzymes position substrates for catalysis and to tailor or improve these enzymes in future biosynthetic schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Calixto Mancipe
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
| | - Kalene M Mulliner
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
| | - Mary H Plunkett
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
| | - Brett M Barney
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States.,BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
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8
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Zhang Y, Guo X, Yang H, Shi S. The Studies in Constructing Yeast Cell Factories for the Production of Fatty Acid Alkyl Esters. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 9:799032. [PMID: 35087801 PMCID: PMC8787340 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.799032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatty acid alkyl esters have broad applications in biofuels, lubricant formulas, paints, coatings, and cosmetics. Traditionally, these esters are mostly produced through unsustainable and energy-intensive processes. In contrast, microbial production of esters from renewable and sustainable feedstocks may provide a promising alternative and has attracted widespread attention in recent years. At present, yeasts are used as ideal hosts for producing such esters, due to their availability for high-density fermentation, resistance to phage infection, and tolerance against toxic inhibitors. Here, we summarize recent development on the biosynthesis of alkyl esters, including fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), fatty acid short-branched chain alkyl esters (FASBEs), and wax esters (WEs) by various yeast cell factories. We focus mainly on the enzyme engineering strategies of critical wax ester synthases, and the pathway engineering strategies employed for the biosynthesis of various ester products. The bottlenecks that limit productivity and their potential solutions are also discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Guo
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Huaiyi Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shuobo Shi
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
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9
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Vollheyde K, Hornung E, Herrfurth C, Ischebeck T, Feussner I. Plastidial wax ester biosynthesis as a tool to synthesize shorter and more saturated wax esters. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2021; 14:238. [PMID: 34911577 PMCID: PMC8675476 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-021-02062-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wax esters (WE) are neutral lipids that consist of a fatty alcohol esterified to a fatty acid. WE are valuable feedstocks in industry for producing lubricants, coatings, and cosmetics. They can be produced chemically from fossil fuel or plant-derived triacylglycerol. As fossil fuel resources are finite, the synthesis of WE in transgenic plants may serve as an alternative source. As chain length and desaturation of the alcohol and acyl moieties determine the physicochemical properties of WE and their field of application, tightly controlled and tailor-made WE synthesis in plants would be a sustainable, beneficial, and valuable commodity. Here, we report the expression of ten combinations of WE producing transgenes in Arabidopsis thaliana. In order to study their suitability for WE production in planta, we analyzed WE amount and composition in the transgenic plants. RESULTS The transgenes consisted of different combinations of a FATTY ACYL-COA/ACP REDUCTASE (FAR) and two WAX SYNTHASES/ACYL-COA:DIACYLGLYCEROL O-ACYLTRANSFERASES (WSD), namely WSD2 and WSD5 from the bacterium Marinobacter aquaeoleoi. We generated constructs with and without plastidial transit peptides to access distinct alcohol and acyl substrate pools within A. thaliana cells. We observed WE formation with plastid and cytosol-localized FAR and WSD in seeds. A comparative WE analysis revealed the production of shorter and more saturated WE by plastid-localized WE biosynthesis compared to cytosolic WE synthesis. CONCLUSIONS A shift of WE formation into seed plastids is a suitable approach for tailor-made WE production and can be used to synthesize WE that are mainly derived from mid- and long-chain saturated and monounsaturated substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Vollheyde
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ellen Hornung
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Cornelia Herrfurth
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Till Ischebeck
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, International Center for Advanced Studies of Energy Conversion (ICASEC) and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, International Center for Advanced Studies of Energy Conversion (ICASEC) and Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.
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10
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Alvarez HM, Hernández MA, Lanfranconi MP, Silva RA, Villalba MS. Rhodococcus as Biofactories for Microbial Oil Production. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26164871. [PMID: 34443455 PMCID: PMC8401914 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26164871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria belonging to the Rhodococcus genus are frequent components of microbial communities in diverse natural environments. Some rhodococcal species exhibit the outstanding ability to produce significant amounts of triacylglycerols (TAG) (>20% of cellular dry weight) in the presence of an excess of the carbon source and limitation of the nitrogen source. For this reason, they can be considered as oleaginous microorganisms. As occurs as well in eukaryotic single-cell oil (SCO) producers, these bacteria possess specific physiological properties and molecular mechanisms that differentiate them from other microorganisms unable to synthesize TAG. In this review, we summarized several of the well-characterized molecular mechanisms that enable oleaginous rhodococci to produce significant amounts of SCO. Furthermore, we highlighted the ability of these microorganisms to degrade a wide range of carbon sources coupled to lipogenesis. The qualitative and quantitative oil production by rhodococci from diverse industrial wastes has also been included. Finally, we summarized the genetic and metabolic approaches applied to oleaginous rhodococci to improve SCO production. This review provides a comprehensive and integrating vision on the potential of oleaginous rhodococci to be considered as microbial biofactories for microbial oil production.
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11
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Lijewski AM, Knutson CM, Lenneman EM, Barney BM. Evaluation of two thioesterases from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8: Relationship to wax ester production. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2020; 368:fnaa206. [PMID: 33301558 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnaa206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The biosynthesis of lipid-based biofuels is an important aspect of developing sustainable alternatives to conventional oils derived from fossil fuel reserves. Many biosynthetic approaches to biodiesel fuels and oils involve fatty acid derivatives as a precursor, and thioesterases have been employed in various strategies to increase fatty acid pools. Thioesterases liberate fatty acids from fatty acyl-coenzyme A or fatty acyl-acyl carrier protein substrates. The role played by thioesterases has not been extensively studied in model bacteria that accumulate elevated levels of biological oils based on fatty acid precursors. In this report, two primary thioesterases from the wax ester accumulating bacterium Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 were heterologously expressed, isolated and characterized. These genes were further analyzed at the transcriptional level in the native bacterium during wax ester accumulation, and their genes were disrupted to determine the effect these changes had on wax ester levels. Combined, these results indicate that these two thioesterases do not play an integral role in wax ester accumulation in this natural lipid-accumulating model bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia M Lijewski
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108
| | - Carolann M Knutson
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108
| | - Eric M Lenneman
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108
| | - Brett M Barney
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, 1390 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108
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12
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Vollheyde K, Yu D, Hornung E, Herrfurth C, Feussner I. The Fifth WS/DGAT Enzyme of the Bacterium Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8. Lipids 2020; 55:479-494. [PMID: 32434279 DOI: 10.1002/lipd.12250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Wax esters (WE) belong to the class of neutral lipids. They are formed by an esterification of a fatty alcohol and an activated fatty acid. Dependent on the chain length and desaturation degree of the fatty acid and the fatty alcohol moiety, WE can have diverse physicochemical properties. WE derived from monounsaturated long-chain acyl moieties are of industrial interest due to their very good lubrication properties. Whereas WE were obtained in the past from spermaceti organs of the sperm whale, industrial WE are nowadays mostly produced chemically from fossil fuels. In order to produce WE more sustainably, attempts to produce industrial WE in transgenic plants are steadily increasing. To achieve this, different combinations of WE producing enzymes are expressed in developing Arabidopsis thaliana or Camelina sativa seeds. Here we report the identification and characterization of a fifth wax synthase from the organism Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8, MaWSD5. It belongs to the class of bifunctional wax synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol O-acyltransferases (WSD). The protein was purified to homogeneity. In vivo and in vitro substrate analyses revealed that MaWSD5 is able to synthesize WE but no triacylglycerols. The protein produces WE from saturated and monounsaturated mid- and long-chain substrates. Arabidopsis thaliana seeds expressing a fatty acid reductase from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 and MaWSD5 produce WE. Main WE synthesized are 20:1/18:1 and 20:1/20:1. This makes MaWSD5 a suitable candidate for industrial WE production in planta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Vollheyde
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Dan Yu
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ellen Hornung
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Cornelia Herrfurth
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.,Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.,Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany.,Department for Plant Biochemistry, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
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13
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Yu A, Zhao Y, Li J, Li S, Pang Y, Zhao Y, Zhang C, Xiao D. Sustainable production of FAEE biodiesel using the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. Microbiologyopen 2020; 9:e1051. [PMID: 32342649 PMCID: PMC7349176 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) are fatty acid‐derived molecules and serve as an important form of biodiesel. The oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is considered an ideal host platform for the production of fatty acid‐derived products due to its excellent lipid accumulation capacity. In this proof‐of‐principle study, several metabolic engineering strategies were applied for the overproduction of FAEE biodiesel in Y. lipolytica. Here, chromosome‐based co‐overexpression of two heterologous genes, namely, PDC1 (encoding pyruvate decarboxylase) and ADH1 (encoding alcohol dehydrogenase) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the endogenous GAPDH (encoding glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase) gene of Y. lipolytica resulted in successful biosynthesis of ethanol at 70.8 mg/L in Y. lipolytica. The engineered Y. lipolytica strain expressing the ethanol synthetic pathway together with a heterologous wax ester synthase (MhWS) exhibited the highest FAEE titer of 360.8 mg/L, which is 3.8‐fold higher than that of the control strain when 2% exogenous ethanol was added to the culture medium of Y. lipolytica. Furthermore, a synthetic microbial consortium comprising an engineered Y. lipolytica strain that heterologously expressed MhWS and a S. cerevisiae strain that could provide ethanol as a substrate for the production of the final product in the final engineered Y. lipolytica strain was created in this study. Finally, this synthetic consortium produced FAEE biodiesel at a titer of 4.8 mg/L under the optimum coculture conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiqun Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Microbial Metabolism and Fermentation Process Control, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Microbial Metabolism and Fermentation Process Control, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Jian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Microbial Metabolism and Fermentation Process Control, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Shenglong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Microbial Metabolism and Fermentation Process Control, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yaru Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Microbial Metabolism and Fermentation Process Control, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yakun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Microbial Metabolism and Fermentation Process Control, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Cuiying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Microbial Metabolism and Fermentation Process Control, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Dongguang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Microbial Metabolism and Fermentation Process Control, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
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14
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Steryl Ester Formation and Accumulation in Steroid-Degrading Bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.02353-19. [PMID: 31704679 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02353-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Steryl esters (SEs) are important storage compounds in many eukaryotes and are often prominent components of intracellular lipid droplets. Here, we demonstrate that selected Actino- and Proteobacteria growing on sterols are also able to synthesize SEs and to sequester them in cytoplasmic lipid droplets. We found cholesteryl ester (CE) formation in members of the actinobacterial genera Rhodococcus, Mycobacterium, and Amycolatopsis, as well as several members of the proteobacterial Cellvibrionales order. CEs maximally accumulated under nitrogen-limiting conditions, suggesting that steryl ester formation plays a crucial role for storing excess energy and carbon under adverse conditions. Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 was able to synthesize phytosteryl and cholesteryl esters, the latter reaching up to 7% of its cellular dry weight and 69% of its lipid droplets. Purified lipid droplets from RHA1 contained CEs, free cholesterol, and triacylglycerols. In addition, we found formation of CEs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis when it was grown with cholesterol plus an additional fatty acid substrate. This study provides a basis for the application of bacterial whole-cell systems in the biotechnological production of SEs for use in functional foods and cosmetics.IMPORTANCE Oleaginous bacteria exhibit great potential for the production of high-value neutral lipids, such as triacylglycerols and wax esters. This study describes the formation of steryl esters (SEs) as neutral lipid storage compounds in sterol-degrading oleaginous bacteria, providing a basis for biotechnological production of SEs using bacterial systems with potential applications in the functional food, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries. We found cholesteryl ester (CE) formation in several sterol-degrading Actino- and Proteobacteria under nitrogen-limiting conditions, suggesting an important role of this process in storing energy and carbon under adverse conditions. In addition, Mycobacterium tuberculosis grown on cholesterol accumulated CEs in the presence of an additional fatty acid substrate.
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15
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Alimoradi S, Stohr H, Stagg-Williams S, Sturm B. Effect of temperature on toxicity and biodegradability of dissolved organic nitrogen formed during hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 238:124573. [PMID: 31454741 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the nutrient content and reuse potential of wastewater generated during hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgal biomass. The hydrothermal liquefaction reaction was tested at 270, 300, 330, and 345 °C to determine the effect of temperature on the formation of non-biodegradable dissolved organic nitrogen (nbDON). Total nitrogen, ammonium, color, and toxicity were selected as key characteristics for the reuse of hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater. Results indicated that a higher concentration of nbDON5 (nbDON defined with a 5 day growth assay) and more diverse heterocyclic N-containing organic compounds were associated with greater toxicity as measured by a growth rate assay. For the tested temperature ranges, the total nitrogen content of the hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater slightly decreased from 5020 ± 690 mg L-1 to 4160 ± 120 mg L-1, but the % nbDON5 fraction increased from 57 ± 3 %DON to 96 ± 5 %DON. The temperature of hydrothermal liquefaction reactions can be optimized to maximize carbon conversion and nitrogen recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirwan Alimoradi
- Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering Department, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Hannah Stohr
- Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Department, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Susan Stagg-Williams
- Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Department, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Belinda Sturm
- Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering Department, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA.
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16
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Meyer A, Saaem I, Silverman A, Varaljay VA, Mickol R, Blum S, Tobias AV, Schwalm ND, Mojadedi W, Onderko E, Bristol C, Liu S, Pratt K, Casini A, Eluere R, Moser F, Drake C, Gupta M, Kelley-Loughnane N, Lucks JP, Akingbade KL, Lux MP, Glaven S, Crookes-Goodson W, Jewett MC, Gordon DB, Voigt CA. Organism Engineering for the Bioproduction of the Triaminotrinitrobenzene (TATB) Precursor Phloroglucinol (PG). ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:2746-2755. [PMID: 31750651 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Organism engineering requires the selection of an appropriate chassis, editing its genome, combining traits from different source species, and controlling genes with synthetic circuits. When a strain is needed for a new target objective, for example, to produce a chemical-of-need, the best strains, genes, techniques, software, and expertise may be distributed across laboratories. Here, we report a project where we were assigned phloroglucinol (PG) as a target, and then combined unique capabilities across the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force service laboratories with the shared goal of designing an organism to produce this molecule. In addition to the laboratory strain Escherichia coli, organisms were screened from soil and seawater. Putative PG-producing enzymes were mined from a strain bank of bacteria isolated from aircraft and fuel depots. The best enzyme was introduced into the ocean strain Marinobacter atlanticus CP1 with its genome edited to redirect carbon flux from natural fatty acid ester (FAE) production. PG production was also attempted in Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium acetobutylicum. A genetic circuit was constructed in E. coli that responds to PG accumulation, which was then ported to an in vitro paper-based system that could serve as a platform for future low-cost strain screening or for in-field sensing. Collectively, these efforts show how distributed biotechnology laboratories with domain-specific expertise can be marshalled to quickly provide a solution for a targeted organism engineering project, and highlights data and material sharing protocols needed to accelerate future efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Meyer
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ishtiaq Saaem
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- The Foundry, 75 Ames Street, Cambridge Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Adam Silverman
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Vanessa A. Varaljay
- Soft Matter Materials Branch, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433, United States
| | - Rebecca Mickol
- American Society for Engineering Education, 1818 N Street NW Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20036, United States
| | - Steven Blum
- U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center, 8198 Blackhawk Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010, United States
| | - Alexander V. Tobias
- U.S. Army Research Laboratory, FCDD-RLS-EB, 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, Maryland 20783, United States
| | - Nathan D. Schwalm
- U.S. Army Research Laboratory, FCDD-RLS-EB, 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, Maryland 20783, United States
| | - Wais Mojadedi
- Oak Ridge Associate Universities, P.O.
Box 117, MS-29, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Elizabeth Onderko
- National Research Council, 500 5th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001, United States
| | - Cassandra Bristol
- The Foundry, 75 Ames Street, Cambridge Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Shangtao Liu
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- The Foundry, 75 Ames Street, Cambridge Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Katelin Pratt
- The Foundry, 75 Ames Street, Cambridge Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Arturo Casini
- The Foundry, 75 Ames Street, Cambridge Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Raissa Eluere
- The Foundry, 75 Ames Street, Cambridge Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Felix Moser
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Carrie Drake
- UES, Inc., 4401 Dayton-Xenia Road, Dayton, Ohio 45432, United States
| | - Maneesh Gupta
- Soft Matter Materials Branch, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433, United States
| | - Nancy Kelley-Loughnane
- Soft Matter Materials Branch, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433, United States
| | - Julius P. Lucks
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Katherine L. Akingbade
- U.S. Army Research Laboratory, FCDD-RLS-EB, 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, Maryland 20783, United States
| | - Matthew P. Lux
- U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center, 8198 Blackhawk Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010, United States
| | - Sarah Glaven
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375, United States
| | - Wendy Crookes-Goodson
- Soft Matter Materials Branch, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433, United States
| | - Michael C. Jewett
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - D. Benjamin Gordon
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- The Foundry, 75 Ames Street, Cambridge Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Christopher A. Voigt
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- The Foundry, 75 Ames Street, Cambridge Massachusetts 02142, United States
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17
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Kim HM, Chae TU, Choi SY, Kim WJ, Lee SY. Engineering of an oleaginous bacterium for the production of fatty acids and fuels. Nat Chem Biol 2019; 15:721-729. [DOI: 10.1038/s41589-019-0295-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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18
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Simultaneous solid and biocrude product transformations from the hydrothermal treatment of high pH-induced flocculated algae at varying Ca concentrations. ALGAL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2019.101501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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19
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Bird LJ, Wang Z, Malanoski AP, Onderko EL, Johnson BJ, Moore MH, Phillips DA, Chu BJ, Doyle JF, Eddie BJ, Glaven SM. Development of a Genetic System for Marinobacter atlanticus CP1 ( sp. nov.), a Wax Ester Producing Strain Isolated From an Autotrophic Biocathode. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:3176. [PMID: 30622527 PMCID: PMC6308636 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we report on the development of a genetic system for Marinobacter sp. strain CP1, previously isolated from the Biocathode MCL community and shown to oxidize iron and grow as a cathodic biofilm. Sequence analysis of the small and large subunits of the 16S rRNA gene of CP1, as well as comparison of select conserved proteins, indicate that it is most closely related to Marinobacter adhaerens HP15 and Marinobacter sp. ES.042. In silico DNA–DNA hybridization using the genome-to-genome distance calculator (GGDC) predicts CP1 to be a new species of Marinobacter described here as Marinobacter atlanticus. CP1 is competent for transformation with plasmid DNA using conjugation with Escherichia coli donor strain WM3064 and constitutive expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is stable in the absence of antibiotic selection. Targeted double deletion mutagenesis of homologs for the M. aquaeoli fatty acyl-CoA reductase (acrB) and fatty aldehyde reductase (farA) genes resulted in a loss of production of wax esters; however, single deletion mutants for either gene resulted in an increase in total wax esters recovered. Genetic tools presented here for CP1 will enable further exploration of wax ester synthesis for biotechnological applications, as well as furthering our efforts to understand the role of CP1 within the Biocathode MCL community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina J Bird
- National Research Council, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Zheng Wang
- Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Anthony P Malanoski
- Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | | | - Brandy J Johnson
- Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Martin H Moore
- Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Daniel A Phillips
- American Society For Engineering Education, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Brandon J Chu
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | | | - Brian J Eddie
- Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Sarah M Glaven
- Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, United States Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States
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20
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de Carvalho CCCR, Caramujo MJ. The Various Roles of Fatty Acids. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23102583. [PMID: 30304860 PMCID: PMC6222795 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23102583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 306] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipids comprise a large group of chemically heterogeneous compounds. The majority have fatty acids (FA) as part of their structure, making these compounds suitable tools to examine processes raging from cellular to macroscopic levels of organization. Among the multiple roles of FA, they have structural functions as constituents of phospholipids which are the "building blocks" of cell membranes; as part of neutral lipids FA serve as storage materials in cells; and FA derivatives are involved in cell signalling. Studies on FA and their metabolism are important in numerous research fields, including biology, bacteriology, ecology, human nutrition and health. Specific FA and their ratios in cellular membranes may be used as biomarkers to enable the identification of organisms, to study adaptation of bacterial cells to toxic compounds and environmental conditions and to disclose food web connections. In this review, we discuss the various roles of FA in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and highlight the application of FA analysis to elucidate ecological mechanisms. We briefly describe FA synthesis; analyse the role of FA as modulators of cell membrane properties and FA ability to store and supply energy to cells; and inspect the role of polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) and the suitability of using FA as biomarkers of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla C C R de Carvalho
- Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Maria José Caramujo
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Edifício C2-5º Piso, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
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21
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Musiol-Kroll EM, Wohlleben W. Acyltransferases as Tools for Polyketide Synthase Engineering. Antibiotics (Basel) 2018; 7:antibiotics7030062. [PMID: 30022008 PMCID: PMC6164871 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics7030062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2018] [Revised: 07/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyketides belong to the most valuable natural products, including diverse bioactive compounds, such as antibiotics, anticancer drugs, antifungal agents, immunosuppressants and others. Their structures are assembled by polyketide synthases (PKSs). Modular PKSs are composed of modules, which involve sets of domains catalysing the stepwise polyketide biosynthesis. The acyltransferase (AT) domains and their “partners”, the acyl carrier proteins (ACPs), thereby play an essential role. The AT loads the building blocks onto the “substrate acceptor”, the ACP. Thus, the AT dictates which building blocks are incorporated into the polyketide structure. The precursor- and occasionally the ACP-specificity of the ATs differ across the polyketide pathways and therefore, the ATs contribute to the structural diversity within this group of complex natural products. Those features make the AT enzymes one of the most promising tools for manipulation of polyketide assembly lines and generation of new polyketide compounds. However, the AT-based PKS engineering is still not straightforward and thus, rational design of functional PKSs requires detailed understanding of the complex machineries. This review summarizes the attempts of PKS engineering by exploiting the AT attributes for the modification of polyketide structures. The article includes 253 references and covers the most relevant literature published until May 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Maria Musiol-Kroll
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Wolfgang Wohlleben
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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22
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Petronikolou N, Nair SK. Structural and Biochemical Studies of a Biocatalyst for the Enzymatic Production of Wax Esters. ACS Catal 2018; 8:6334-6344. [PMID: 31559109 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.8b00787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Wax esters are high-value products whose enzymatic synthesis is of increasing biotechnological interest. The fabrication of cell factories that mass-produce wax esters may provide a facile route towards a sustainable, and environment-friendly approach to a large-scale process for this commodity chemical. An expedient route for wax-ester biocatalysis may be facilitated by the action of enzymes termed wax ester synthases/diacylglycerol acyltransferases (WS/DGAT), which produce wax esters using fatty acids and alcohols as a precursor. In this work, we report the structure for a member of the WS/DGAT superfamily. The structural data in conjunction with bioinformatics and mutational analyses allowed us to identify the substrate binding pockets, and residues that may be important for catalysis. Using this information as a guide, we generated a mutant with preference towards shorter acyl-substrates. This study demonstrates the efficacy of a structure-guided engineering effort towards a WS/DGAT variant with preference towards wax esters of desired lengths.
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23
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Zhou X, Meng J, Yu Z, Miao L, Jin C. The Alterations of Biofilm Formation and EPS Characteristics of a Diatom by a Sponge-Associated Bacterium Psychrobacter sp. SCIENTIFICA 2018; 2018:1892520. [PMID: 30034907 PMCID: PMC6035847 DOI: 10.1155/2018/1892520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A sponge-associated bacterium, which was identified as Psychrobacter sp. in this study, was found with high activity against biofilm formation of benthic diatoms, including Amphora sp., Nitzschia closterium, Nitzschia frustulum, and Stauroneis sp. The activity against diatom biofilm formation by the tested strain was confirmed mostly in the culture supernatant and could be extracted using organic solvents. Treatment with its supernatant crude extract significantly reduced the cells of Stauroneis sp. forming biofilm and slightly increased the cells floating in the culture medium, which results in the ratio of biofilm cell/floating cell altering from 0.736 in control to 0.414 in treatment. Use of the supernatant crude extract led to increased production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) by diatom Stauroneis sp. from 16.66 to 41.59 (g/g cell dry weight). The increase in EPS production was mainly contributed by soluble EPS (SL-EPS) and followed by the EPS that was tightly bound to biofilm cells (BF-TB-EPS). In addition, the supernatant crude extract caused significant changes in the monosaccharides composition of the EPS of Stauroneis sp. Specifically, glucuronic acid (Glc-A) and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (Glc-NAc) in BF-TB-EPS were 55% fold decreased and 1219% fold increased, respectively. Based on our findings, we proposed that these changes in monosaccharides composition might lead to a decreased biofilm formation efficiency of diatom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojian Zhou
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, No. 196 Huayang West Street, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Marine Science and Technology Institute, Yangzhou University, No. 196 Huayang West Street, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Meng
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, No. 196 Huayang West Street, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhaowei Yu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, No. 196 Huayang West Street, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Li Miao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, No. 196 Huayang West Street, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Cuili Jin
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, No. 196 Huayang West Street, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Marine Science and Technology Institute, Yangzhou University, No. 196 Huayang West Street, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
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24
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Miklaszewska M, Dittrich-Domergue F, Banaś A, Domergue F. Wax synthase MhWS2 from Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus: substrate specificity and biotechnological potential for wax ester production. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:4063-4074. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-8878-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Lanfranconi MP, Alvarez HM. Rewiring neutral lipids production for the de novo synthesis of wax esters in Rhodococcus opacus PD630. J Biotechnol 2017; 260:67-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2017.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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A Fatty Acyl Coenzyme A Reductase Promotes Wax Ester Accumulation in Rhodococcus jostii RHA1. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017; 83:AEM.00902-17. [PMID: 28778885 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00902-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many rhodococci are oleaginous and, as such, have considerable potential for the sustainable production of lipid-based commodity chemicals. Herein, we demonstrated that Rhodococcus jostii RHA1, a soil bacterium that catabolizes a wide range of organic compounds, produced wax esters (WEs) up to 0.0002% of its cellular dry weight during exponential growth on glucose. These WEs were fully saturated and contained primarily 31 to 34 carbon atoms. Moreover, they were present at higher levels during exponential growth than under lipid-accumulating conditions. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that RHA1 contains a gene encoding a putative fatty acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) reductase (FcrA). The purified enzyme catalyzed the NADPH-dependent transformation of stearoyl-CoA to stearyl alcohol with a specific activity of 45 ± 3 nmol/mg · min and dodecanal to dodecanol with a specific activity of 5,300 ± 300 nmol/mg · min. Deletion of fcrA did not affect WE accumulation when grown in either carbon- or nitrogen-limited medium. However, the ΔfcrA mutant accumulated less than 20% of the amount of WEs as the wild-type strain under conditions of nitric oxide stress. A strain of RHA1 overproducing FcrA accumulated WEs to ∼13% cellular dry weight under lipid-accumulating conditions, and their acyl moieties had longer average chain lengths than those in wild-type cells (C17 versus C16). The results provide insight into the biosynthesis of WEs in rhodococci and facilitate the development of this genus for the production of high-value neutral lipids.IMPORTANCE Among the best-studied oleaginous bacteria, rhodococci have considerable potential for the sustainable production of lipid-based commodity chemicals, such as wax esters. However, many aspects of lipid synthesis in these bacteria are poorly understood. The current study identifies a key enzyme in wax ester synthesis in rhodococci and exploits it to significantly improve the yield of wax esters in bacteria. In so doing, this work contributes to the development of novel bioprocesses for an important class of oleochemicals that may ultimately allow us to phase out their unsustainable production from sources such as petroleum and palm oil.
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Five Fatty Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Enzymes from Marinobacter and Acinetobacter spp. and Structural Insights into the Aldehyde Binding Pocket. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017; 83:AEM.00018-17. [PMID: 28389542 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00018-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzymes involved in lipid biosynthesis and metabolism play an important role in energy conversion and storage and in the function of structural components such as cell membranes. The fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase (FAldDH) plays a central function in the metabolism of lipid intermediates, oxidizing fatty aldehydes to the corresponding fatty acid and competing with pathways that would further reduce the fatty aldehydes to fatty alcohols or require the fatty aldehydes to produce alkanes. In this report, the genes for four putative FAldDH enzymes from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 and an additional enzyme from Acinetobacter baylyi were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and shown to display FAldDH activity. Five enzymes (Maqu_0438, Maqu_3316, Maqu_3410, Maqu_3572, and the enzyme reported under RefSeq accession no. WP_004927398) were found to act on aldehydes ranging from acetaldehyde to hexadecanal and also acted on the unsaturated long-chain palmitoleyl and oleyl aldehydes. A comparison of the specificities of these enzymes with various aldehydes is presented. Crystallization trials yielded diffraction-quality crystals of one particular FAldDH (Maqu_3316) from M. aquaeolei VT8. Crystals were independently treated with both the NAD+ cofactor and the aldehyde substrate decanal, revealing specific details of the likely substrate binding pocket for this class of enzymes. A likely model for how catalysis by the enzyme is accomplished is also provided.IMPORTANCE This study provides a comparison of multiple enzymes with the ability to oxidize fatty aldehydes to fatty acids and provides a likely picture of how the fatty aldehyde and NAD+ are bound to the enzyme to facilitate catalysis. Based on the information obtained from this structural analysis and comparisons of specificities for the five enzymes that were characterized, correlations to the potential roles played by specific residues within the structure may be drawn.
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Guo Y, Jetter R. Comparative Analyses of Cuticular Waxes on Various Organs of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2017; 65:3926-3933. [PMID: 28467851 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b00818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Complex mixtures of cuticular waxes coat plant surfaces to seal them against environmental stresses, with compositions greatly varying between species and possibly organs. This paper reports comprehensive analyses of the waxes on both above- and below-ground organs of potato, where total wax coverages varied between petals (2.6 μg/cm2), leaves, stems, and tubers (1.8-1.9 μg/cm2), and rhizomes (1.1 μg/cm2). The wax mixtures on above-ground organs were dominated by alkanes, occurring in homologous series of isomeric C25-C35 n-alkanes, C25-C35 2-methylalkanes, and C26-C34 3-methylalkanes. In contrast, below-ground organs had waxes rich in monoacylglycerols (C22-C28 acyls) and C18-C30 alkyl ferulates, together with fatty acids (rhizomes) or primary alcohols (tubers). The organ-specific wax coverages, compound class distribution, and chain length profiles suggest highly regulated activities of wax biosynthesis enzymes, likely related to organ-specific ecophysiological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Guo
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University , Chongqing 400716, China
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia , 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Reinhard Jetter
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia , 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia , 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
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Zhang N, Mao Z, Luo L, Wan X, Huang F, Gong Y. Two bifunctional enzymes from the marine protist Thraustochytrium roseum: biochemical characterization of wax ester synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase activity catalyzing wax ester and triacylglycerol synthesis. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:185. [PMID: 28725265 PMCID: PMC5513132 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0869-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Triacylglycerols (TAGs) and wax esters (WEs) are important neutral lipids which serve as energy reservoir in some plants and microorganisms. In recent years, these biologically produced neutral lipids have been regarded as potential alternative energy sources for biofuel production because of the increased interest on developing renewable and environmentally benign alternatives for fossil fuels. In bacteria, the final step in TAG and WE biosynthetic pathway is catalyzed by wax ester synthase/acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA):diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT). This bifunctional WS/DGAT enzyme is also a key enzyme in biotechnological production of liquid WE via engineering of plants and microorganisms. To date, knowledge about this class of biologically and biotechnologically important enzymes is mainly from biochemical characterization of WS/DGATs from Arabidopsis, jojoba and some bacteria that can synthesize both TAGs and WEs intracellularly, whereas little is known about WS/DGATs from eukaryotic microorganisms. RESULTS Here, we report the identification and characterization of two bifunctional WS/DGAT enzymes (designated TrWSD4 and TrWSD5) from the marine protist Thraustochytrium roseum. Both TrWSD4 and TrWSD5 comprise a WS-like acyl-CoA acyltransferase domain and the recombinant proteins purified from Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3) have substantial WS and lower DGAT activity. They exhibit WS activity towards various-chain-length saturated and polyunsaturated acyl-CoAs and fatty alcohols ranging from C10 to C18. TrWSD4 displays WS activity with the lowest Km value of 0.14 μM and the highest kcat/Km value of 1.46 × 105 M-1 s-1 for lauroyl-CoA (C12:0) in the presence of 100 μM hexadecanol, while TrWSD5 exhibits WS activity with the lowest Km value of 0.96 μM and the highest kcat/Km value of 9.83 × 104 M-1 s-1 for decanoyl-CoA (C10:0) under the same reaction condition. Both WS/DGAT enzymes have the highest WS activity at 37 and 47 °C, and WS activity was greatly decreased when temperature exceeds 47 °C. TrWSD4 and TrWSD5 are insensitive to ionic strength and reduced WS activity was observed when salt concentration exceeded 800 mM. The potential of T. roseum WS/DGATs to establish novel process for biotechnological production of WEs was demonstrated by heterologous expression in recombinant yeast. Expression of either TrWSD4 or TrWSD5 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae quadruple mutant H1246, which is devoid of storage lipids, resulted in the accumulation of WEs, but not any detectable TAGs, indicating a predominant WS activity in yeast. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates both in vitro WS and DGAT activity of two T. roseum WS/DGATs, which were characterized as unspecific acyltransferases accepting a broad range of acyl-CoAs and fatty alcohols as substrates for WS activity but displaying substrate preference for medium-chain acyl-CoAs. In vivo characterization shows that these two WS/DGATs predominantly function as wax synthase and presents the feasibility for production of WEs by heterologous hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Zejing Mao
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Ling Luo
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Xia Wan
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Fenghong Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Lipid Chemistry and Nutrition, Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Yangmin Gong
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
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Viljoen A, Blaise M, de Chastellier C, Kremer L. MAB_3551c encodes the primary triacylglycerol synthase involved in lipid accumulation in Mycobacterium abscessus. Mol Microbiol 2016; 102:611-627. [PMID: 27513974 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Slow growing pathogenic mycobacteria utilize host-derived lipids and accumulate large amounts of triacylglycerol (TAG) in the form of intracytoplasmic lipid inclusions (ILI), serving as a source of carbon and energy during prolonged infection. Mycobacterium abscessus is an emerging and rapidly growing species capable to induce severe and chronic pulmonary infections. However, whether M. abscessus, like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, possesses the machinery to acquire and store host lipids, remains unaddressed. Herein, we aimed at deciphering the contribution of the seven putative M. abscessus TAG synthases (Tgs) in TAG synthesis/accumulation thanks to a combination of genetic and biochemical techniques and a well-defined foamy macrophage (FM) model along with electron microscopy. Targeted gene deletion and functional complementation studies identified the MAB_3551c product, Tgs1, as the major Tgs involved in TAG production. Tgs1 exhibits a preference for long acyl-CoA substrates and site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated that His144 and Gln145 are essential for enzymatic activity. Importantly, in the lipid-rich intracellular context of FM, M. abscessus formed large ILI in a Tgs1-dependent manner. This supports the ability of M. abscessus to assimilate host lipids and the crucial role of Tgs1 in intramycobacterial TAG production, which may represent important mechanisms for long-term storage of a rich energy supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albertus Viljoen
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique FRE3689, Centre d'études d'agents Pathogènes et Biotechnologies pour la Santé, Université de Montpellier, 1919 route de Mende, Montpellier, 34293, France.,Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université UM2, Inserm, U1104, CNRS UMR7280, Marseille, 13288, France
| | - Mickael Blaise
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique FRE3689, Centre d'études d'agents Pathogènes et Biotechnologies pour la Santé, Université de Montpellier, 1919 route de Mende, Montpellier, 34293, France
| | - Chantal de Chastellier
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix Marseille Université UM2, Inserm, U1104, CNRS UMR7280, Marseille, 13288, France
| | - Laurent Kremer
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique FRE3689, Centre d'études d'agents Pathogènes et Biotechnologies pour la Santé, Université de Montpellier, 1919 route de Mende, Montpellier, 34293, France.,INSERM, CPBS, Montpellier, 34293, France
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Amara S, Seghezzi N, Otani H, Diaz-Salazar C, Liu J, Eltis LD. Characterization of key triacylglycerol biosynthesis processes in rhodococci. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24985. [PMID: 27126051 PMCID: PMC4850399 DOI: 10.1038/srep24985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Oleaginous microorganisms have considerable potential for biofuel and commodity chemical production. Under nitrogen-limitation, Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 grown on benzoate, an analog of lignin depolymerization products, accumulated triacylglycerols (TAGs) to 55% of its dry weight during transition to stationary phase, with the predominant fatty acids being C16:0 and C17:0. Transcriptomic analyses of RHA1 grown under conditions of N-limitation and N-excess revealed 1,826 dysregulated genes. Genes whose transcripts were more abundant under N-limitation included those involved in ammonium assimilation, benzoate catabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis and the methylmalonyl-CoA pathway. Of the 16 atf genes potentially encoding diacylglycerol O-acyltransferases, atf8 transcripts were the most abundant during N-limitation (~50-fold more abundant than during N-excess). Consistent with Atf8 being a physiological determinant of TAG accumulation, a Δatf8 mutant accumulated 70% less TAG than wild-type RHA1 while atf8 overexpression increased TAG accumulation 20%. Genes encoding type-2 phosphatidic acid phosphatases were not significantly expressed. By contrast, three genes potentially encoding phosphatases of the haloacid dehalogenase superfamily and that cluster with, or are fused with other Kennedy pathway genes were dysregulated. Overall, these findings advance our understanding of TAG metabolism in mycolic acid-containing bacteria and provide a framework to engineer strains for increased TAG production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sawsan Amara
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Nicolas Seghezzi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Hiroshi Otani
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Carlos Diaz-Salazar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Lindsay D Eltis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Lin JL, Zhu J, Wheeldon I. Rapid ester biosynthesis screening reveals a high activity alcohol-O-acyltransferase (AATase) from tomato fruit. Biotechnol J 2016; 11:700-7. [PMID: 26814045 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201500406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Ethyl and acetate esters are naturally produced in various yeasts, plants, and bacteria. The biosynthetic pathways that produce these esters share a common reaction step, the condensation of acetyl/acyl-CoA with an alcohol by alcohol-O-acetyl/acyltransferase (AATase). Recent metabolic engineering efforts exploit AATase activity to produce fatty acid ethyl esters as potential diesel fuel replacements as well as short- and medium-chain volatile esters as fragrance and flavor compounds. These efforts have been limited by the lack of a rapid screen to quantify ester biosynthesis. Enzyme engineering efforts have also been limited by the lack of a high throughput screen for AATase activity. Here, we developed a high throughput assay for AATase activity and used this assay to discover a high activity AATase from tomato fruit, Solanum lycopersicum (Atf-S.l). Atf1-S.l exhibited broad specificity towards acyl-CoAs with chain length from C4 to C10 and was specific towards 1-pentanol. The AATase screen also revealed new acyl-CoA substrate specificities for Atf1, Atf2, Eht1, and Eeb1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Atf-C.m from melon fruit, Cucumis melo, thus increasing the pool of characterized AATases that can be used in ester biosynthesis of ester-based fragrance and flavor compounds as well as fatty acid ethyl ester biofuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyun-Liang Lin
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Jie Zhu
- Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Ian Wheeldon
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
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Kawelke S, Feussner I. Two Predicted Transmembrane Domains Exclude Very Long Chain Fatty acyl-CoAs from the Active Site of Mouse Wax Synthase. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145797. [PMID: 26714272 PMCID: PMC4694924 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Wax esters are used as coatings or storage lipids in all kingdoms of life. They are synthesized from a fatty alcohol and an acyl-CoA by wax synthases. In order to get insights into the structure-function relationships of a wax synthase from Mus musculus, a domain swap experiment between the mouse acyl-CoA:wax alcohol acyltransferase (AWAT2) and the homologous mouse acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) was performed. This showed that the substrate specificity of AWAT2 is partially determined by two predicted transmembrane domains near the amino terminus of AWAT2. Upon exchange of the two domains for the respective part of DGAT2, the resulting chimeric enzyme was capable of incorporating up to 20% of very long acyl chains in the wax esters upon expression in S. cerevisiae strain H1246. The amount of very long acyl chains in wax esters synthesized by wild type AWAT2 was negligible. The effect was narrowed down to a single amino acid position within one of the predicted membrane domains, the AWAT2 N36R variant. Taken together, we provide first evidence that two predicted transmembrane domains in AWAT2 are involved in determining its acyl chain length specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Kawelke
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg-August-University, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, Georg-August-University, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Georg-August-University, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, International Center for Advanced Studies of Energy Conversion (ICASEC), Georg-August-University, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
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Aslan S, Hofvander P, Dutta P, Sun C, Sitbon F. Increased production of wax esters in transgenic tobacco plants by expression of a fatty acid reductase:wax synthase gene fusion. Transgenic Res 2015; 24:945-53. [PMID: 26138876 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-015-9893-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Wax esters are hydrophobic lipids consisting of a fatty acid moiety linked to a fatty alcohol with an ester bond. Plant-derived wax esters are today of particular concern for their potential as cost-effective and sustainable sources of lubricants. However, this aspect is hampered by the fact that the level of wax esters in plants generally is too low to allow commercial exploitation. To investigate whether wax ester biosynthesis can be increased in plants using transgenic approaches, we have here exploited a fusion between two bacterial genes together encoding a single wax ester-forming enzyme, and targeted the resulting protein to chloroplasts in stably transformed tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) plants. Compared to wild-type controls, transgenic plants showed both in leaves and stems a significant increase in the total level of wax esters, being eight-fold at the whole plant level. The profiles of fatty acid methyl ester and fatty alcohol in wax esters were related, and C16 and C18 molecules constituted predominant forms. Strong transformants displayed certain developmental aberrations, such as stunted growth and chlorotic leaves and stems. These negative effects were associated with an accumulation of fatty alcohols, suggesting that an adequate balance between formation and esterification of fatty alcohols is crucial for a high wax ester production. The results show that wax ester engineering in transgenic plants is feasible, and suggest that higher yields may become achieved in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selcuk Aslan
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Linnean Centre for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7080, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Per Hofvander
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Paresh Dutta
- Department of Food Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Chuanxin Sun
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Linnean Centre for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7080, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Folke Sitbon
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Linnean Centre for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7080, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Röttig A, Wolf S, Steinbüchel A. In vitro characterization of five bacterial WS/DGAT acyltransferases regarding the synthesis of biotechnologically relevant short-chain-length esters. EUR J LIPID SCI TECH 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ejlt.201500200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Annika Röttig
- Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie; Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster; Münster Germany
| | - Sebastian Wolf
- Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie; Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster; Münster Germany
| | - Alexander Steinbüchel
- Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie; Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster; Münster Germany
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences; King Abdulaziz University; Jeddah Saudi Arabia
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36
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Teo WS, Ling H, Yu AQ, Chang MW. Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for production of fatty acid short- and branched-chain alkyl esters biodiesel. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2015; 8:177. [PMID: 26543501 PMCID: PMC4634726 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-015-0361-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biodiesel is a mixture of fatty acid short-chain alkyl esters of different fatty acid carbon chain lengths. However, while fatty acid methyl or ethyl esters are useful biodiesel produced commercially, fatty acid esters with branched-chain alcohol moieties have superior fuel properties. Crucially, this includes improved cold flow characteristics, as one of the major problems associated with biodiesel use is poor low-temperature flow properties. Hence, microbial production as a renewable, nontoxic and scalable method to produce fatty acid esters with branched-chain alcohol moieties from biomass is critical. RESULTS We engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce fatty acid short- and branched-chain alkyl esters, including ethyl, isobutyl, isoamyl and active amyl esters using endogenously synthesized fatty acids and alcohols. Two wax ester synthase genes (ws2 and Maqu_0168 from Marinobacter sp.) were cloned and expressed. Both enzymes were found to catalyze the formation of fatty acid esters, with different alcohol preferences. To boost the ability of S. cerevisiae to produce the aforementioned esters, negative regulators of the INO1 gene in phospholipid metabolism, Rpd3 and Opi1, were deleted to increase flux towards fatty acyl-CoAs. In addition, five isobutanol pathway enzymes (Ilv2, Ilv5, Ilv3, Aro10, and Adh7) targeted into the mitochondria were overexpressed to enhance production of alcohol precursors. By combining these engineering strategies with high-cell-density fermentation, over 230 mg/L fatty acid short- and branched-chain alkyl esters were produced, which is the highest titer reported in yeast to date. CONCLUSIONS In this work, we engineered the metabolism of S. cerevisiae to produce biodiesels in the form of fatty acid short- and branched-chain alkyl esters, including ethyl, isobutyl, isoamyl and active amyl esters. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the production of fatty acid isobutyl and active amyl esters in S. cerevisiae. Our findings will be useful for engineering S. cerevisiae strains toward high-level and sustainable biodiesel production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Suong Teo
- />Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597 Singapore
- />NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117456 Singapore
| | - Hua Ling
- />Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597 Singapore
- />NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117456 Singapore
| | - Ai-Qun Yu
- />Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597 Singapore
- />NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117456 Singapore
| | - Matthew Wook Chang
- />Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597 Singapore
- />NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117456 Singapore
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Abstract
The bifunctional wax ester synthase/acyl-coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT or wax ester synthase) catalyzes the terminal reaction in the bacterial wax ester biosynthetic pathway, utilizing a range of alcohols and fatty acyl-CoAs to synthesize the corresponding wax ester. The wild-type wax ester synthase Maqu_0168 from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 exhibits a preference for longer fatty alcohols, while applications with smaller alcohols would yield products with desired biotechnological properties. Small and medium chain length alcohol substrates are much poorer substrates for the native enzyme, which may hinder broad application of the wax ester synthase in many proposed biosynthetic schemes. Developing approaches to improve enzyme activity toward specific smaller alcohol substrates first requires a clear understanding of which amino acids of the primary sequences of these enzymes contribute to substrate specificity in the native enzyme. In this report, we surveyed a range of potential residues and identified the leucine at position 356 and methionine at position 405 in Maqu_0168 as residues that affected selectivity toward small, branched, and aromatic alcohols when substituted with different amino acids. This analysis provides evidence of residues that line the binding site for wax ester synthase, which will aid rational approaches to improve this enzyme with specific substrates.
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38
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Eriksen DT, HamediRad M, Yuan Y, Zhao H. Orthogonal Fatty Acid Biosynthetic Pathway Improves Fatty Acid Ethyl Ester Production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. ACS Synth Biol 2015; 4:808-14. [PMID: 25594225 DOI: 10.1021/sb500319p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) are a form of biodiesel that can be microbially produced via a transesterification reaction of fatty acids with ethanol. The titer of microbially produced FAEEs can be greatly reduced by unbalanced metabolism and an insufficient supply of fatty acids, resulting in a commercially inviable process. Here, we report on a pathway engineering strategy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for enhancing the titer of microbially produced FAEEs by providing the cells with an orthogonal route for fatty acid synthesis. The fatty acids generated from this heterologous pathway would supply the FAEE production, safeguarding endogenous fatty acids for cellular metabolism and growth. We investigated the heterologous expression of a Type-I fatty acid synthase (FAS) from Brevibacterium ammoniagenes coupled with WS/DGAT, the wax ester synthase/acyl-coenzyme that catalyzes the transesterification reaction with ethanol. Strains harboring the orthologous fatty acid synthesis yielded a 6.3-fold increase in FAEE titer compared to strains without the heterologous FAS. Variations in fatty acid chain length and degree of saturation can affect the quality of the biodiesel; therefore, we also investigated the diversity of the fatty acid production profile of FAS enzymes from other Actinomyces organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn T. Eriksen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, ‡Institute for Genomic Biology and
the Energy Biosciences Institute, and §Departments of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and
Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Mohammad HamediRad
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, ‡Institute for Genomic Biology and
the Energy Biosciences Institute, and §Departments of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and
Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Yongbo Yuan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, ‡Institute for Genomic Biology and
the Energy Biosciences Institute, and §Departments of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and
Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, ‡Institute for Genomic Biology and
the Energy Biosciences Institute, and §Departments of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and
Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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Dávila Costa JS, Leichert L, Alvarez HM, Herrero OM. Label-free and redox proteomic analyses of the triacylglycerol-accumulating Rhodococcus jostii RHA1. Microbiology (Reading) 2015; 161:593-610. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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40
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The effects of putative lipase and wax ester synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase gene knockouts on triacylglycerol accumulation in Gordonia sp. KTR9. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 42:219-27. [PMID: 25487758 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-014-1552-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Previously, we demonstrated triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation and the in vivo ability to catalyze esters from exogenous short chain alcohol sources in Gordonia sp. strain KTR9. In this study, we investigated the effects that putative lipase (KTR9_0186) and wax ester synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT; KTR9_3844) gene knockouts had on TAG accumulation. Gene disruption of KTR9_0186 resulted in a twofold increase in TAG content in nitrogen starved cells. Lipase mutants subjected to carbon starvation, following nitrogen starvation, retained 75 % more TAGs and retained pigmentation. Transcriptome expression data confirmed the deletion of KTR9_0186 and identified the up-regulation of key genes involved in fatty acid degradation, a likely compensatory mechanism for reduced TAG mobilization. In vitro assays with purified KTR9_3844 demonstrated WS/DGAT activity with short chain alcohols and C16 and C18 fatty acid Co-As. Collectively, these results indicate that Gordonia sp. KTR9 has a suitable tractable genetic background for TAG production as well as the enzymatic capacity to catalyze fatty acid esters from short chain alcohols.
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41
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Muller EEL, Sheik AR, Wilmes P. Lipid-based biofuel production from wastewater. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2014; 30:9-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2014.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Revised: 03/27/2014] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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42
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Aslan S, Sun C, Leonova S, Dutta P, Dörmann P, Domergue F, Stymne S, Hofvander P. Wax esters of different compositions produced via engineering of leaf chloroplast metabolism in Nicotiana benthamiana. Metab Eng 2014; 25:103-12. [PMID: 25038447 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2013] [Revised: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In a future bio-based economy, renewable sources for lipid compounds at attractive cost are needed for applications where today petrochemical derivatives are dominating. Wax esters and fatty alcohols provide diverse industrial uses, such as in lubricant and surfactant production. In this study, chloroplast metabolism was engineered to divert intermediates from de novo fatty acid biosynthesis to wax ester synthesis. To accomplish this, chloroplast targeted fatty acyl reductases (FAR) and wax ester synthases (WS) were transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Wax esters of different qualities and quantities were produced providing insights to the properties and interaction of the individual enzymes used. In particular, a phytyl ester synthase was found to be a premium candidate for medium chain wax ester synthesis. Catalytic activities of FAR and WS were also expressed as a fusion protein and determined functionally equivalent to the expression of individual enzymes for wax ester synthesis in chloroplasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selcuk Aslan
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Linnean Centre for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Chuanxin Sun
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Linnean Centre for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Svetlana Leonova
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
| | - Paresh Dutta
- Department of Food Science, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Peter Dörmann
- Institut für Molekulare Physiologie und Biotechnologie der Planzen, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Frédéric Domergue
- Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire, CNRS UMR 5200, Université Bordeaux Ségalen, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Sten Stymne
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
| | - Per Hofvander
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
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43
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Thompson RA, Trinh CT. Enhancing fatty acid ethyl ester production inSaccharomyces cerevisiaethrough metabolic engineering and medium optimization. Biotechnol Bioeng 2014; 111:2200-8. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.25292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Revised: 05/11/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Adam Thompson
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education; The University of Tennessee; Knoxville Tennessee
| | - Cong T. Trinh
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education; The University of Tennessee; Knoxville Tennessee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; The University of Tennessee; Knoxville Tennessee 37996
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Lenneman EM, Wang P, Barney BM. Potential application of algicidal bacteria for improved lipid recovery with specific algae. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2014; 354:102-10. [PMID: 24673371 DOI: 10.1111/1574-6968.12436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Revised: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The utility of specific strains of natural algicidal bacteria isolated from shallow wetland sediments was evaluated against several strains of algae with potential immediate or future commercial value. Two strains of bacteria, Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes AD6 and Aeromonas hydrophila AD9, were identified and demonstrated to have algicidal activity against the microalgae Neochloris oleoabundans and Dunaliella tertiolecta. These bacteria were further evaluated for the potential to improve lipid extraction using a mild solvent extraction approach. Aeromonas hydrophila AD9 showed a nearly 12-fold increase in lipid extraction with D. tertiolecta, while both bacteria showed a sixfold improvement in lipid extraction with N. oleoabundans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Lenneman
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
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45
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Santala S, Efimova E, Koskinen P, Karp MT, Santala V. Rewiring the wax ester production pathway of Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1. ACS Synth Biol 2014; 3:145-51. [PMID: 24898054 DOI: 10.1021/sb4000788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Wax esters are industrially relevant high-value molecules. For sustainable production of wax esters, bacterial cell factories are suggested to replace the chemical processes exploiting expensive starting materials. However, it is well recognized that new sophisticated solutions employing synthetic biology toolbox are required to improve and tune the cellular production platform to meet the product requirements. For example, saturated wax esters with alkanol chain lengths C12 or C14 that are convenient for industrial uses are rare among bacteria. Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1, a natural producer of wax esters, is a convenient model organism for studying the potentiality and modifiability of wax esters in a natural host by means of synthetic biology. In order to establish a controllable production platform exploiting well-characterized biocomponents, and to modify the wax ester synthesis pathway of A. baylyi ADP1 in terms product quality, a fatty acid reductase complex LuxCDE with an inducible arabinose promoter was employed to replace the natural fatty acyl-CoA reductase acr1 in ADP1. The engineered strain was able to produce wax esters by the introduced synthetic pathway. Moreover, the fatty alkanol chain length profile of wax esters was found to shift toward shorter and more saturated carbon chains, C16:0 accounting for most of the alkanols. The study demonstrates the potentiality of recircuiting a biosynthesis pathway in a natural producer, enabling a regulated production of a customized bioproduct. Furthermore, the LuxCDE complex can be potentially used as a well-characterized biopart in a variety of synthetic biology applications involving the production of long-chain hydrocarbons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvi Santala
- Department
of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere 33101, Finland
| | - Elena Efimova
- Department
of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere 33101, Finland
| | - Perttu Koskinen
- Research and Development, Neste Oil Corporation, Porvoo 06101, Finland
| | - Matti Tapani Karp
- Department
of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere 33101, Finland
| | - Ville Santala
- Department
of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere 33101, Finland
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46
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de Jong BW, Shi S, Siewers V, Nielsen J. Improved production of fatty acid ethyl esters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae through up-regulation of the ethanol degradation pathway and expression of the heterologous phosphoketolase pathway. Microb Cell Fact 2014; 13:39. [PMID: 24618091 PMCID: PMC3995654 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2859-13-39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to an increasing demand of transportation fuels, a lower availability of cheap crude oil and a lack of sustainability of fossil fuels, a gradual shift from petroleum based fuels towards alternative and renewable fuel resources will be required in the near future. Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) have properties similar to current crude diesel and could therefore form an important contribution to the development of sustainable transportation fuels in future. It is important to develop novel cell factories for efficient production of FAEEs and their precursors. RESULTS Here, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell factory expressing a heterologous wax ester synthase (ws2) from Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus was used to produce FAEEs from ethanol and acyl-coenzyme A (acyl-CoA). The production of acyl-CoA requires large amounts of NADPH and acetyl-CoA. Therefore, two metabolic engineering strategies for improved provision of NADPH and acetyl-CoA were evaluated. First, the ethanol degradation pathway was employed to re-channel carbon flow towards the synthesis of acetyl-CoA. Therefore, ADH2 and ALD6 encoding, respectively, alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase were overexpressed together with the heterologous gene acsSEL641P encoding acetyl-CoA synthetase. The co-overexpression of ADH2, ALD6 and acsSEL641P with ws2 resulted in 408 ± 270 μg FAEE gCDW-1, a 3-fold improvement. Secondly, for the expression of the PHK pathway two genes, xpkA and ack, both descending from Aspergillus nidulans, were co-expressed together with ws2 to catalyze, respectively, the conversion of xylulose-5-phosphate to acetyl phosphate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and acetyl phosphate to acetate. Alternatively, ack was substituted with pta from Bacillus subtilis, encoding phosphotransacetylase for the conversion of acetyl phosphate to acetyl-CoA. Both PHK pathways were additionally expressed in a strain with multiple chromosomally integrated ws2 gene, which resulted in respectively 5100 ± 509 and 4670 ± 379 μg FAEE gCDW-1, an up to 1.7-fold improvement. CONCLUSION Two different strategies for engineering of the central carbon metabolism for efficient provision of acetyl-CoA and NADPH required for fatty acid biosynthesis and hence FAEE production were evaluated and it was found that both the ethanol degradation pathway as well as the phosphoketolase pathway improve the yield of FAEEs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jens Nielsen
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, Göteborg SE-412 96, Sweden.
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47
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Rodriguez GM, Tashiro Y, Atsumi S. Expanding ester biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. Nat Chem Biol 2014; 10:259-65. [PMID: 24609358 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.1476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
To expand the capabilities of whole-cell biocatalysis, we have engineered Escherichia coli to produce various esters. The alcohol O-acyltransferase (ATF) class of enzyme uses acyl-CoA units for ester formation. The release of free CoA upon esterification with an alcohol provides the free energy to facilitate ester formation. The diversity of CoA molecules found in nature in combination with various alcohol biosynthetic pathways allows for the biosynthesis of a multitude of esters. Small to medium volatile esters have extensive applications in the flavor, fragrance, cosmetic, solvent, paint and coating industries. The present work enables the production of these compounds by designing several ester pathways in E. coli. The engineered pathways generated acetate esters of ethyl, propyl, isobutyl, 2-methyl-1-butyl, 3-methyl-1-butyl and 2-phenylethyl alcohols. In particular, we achieved high-level production of isobutyl acetate from glucose (17.2 g l(-1)). This strategy was expanded to realize pathways for tetradecyl acetate and several isobutyrate esters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel M Rodriguez
- 1] Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA. [2]
| | - Yohei Tashiro
- 1] Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA. [2]
| | - Shota Atsumi
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA
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48
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Barney
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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49
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Use of limited proteolysis and mutagenesis to identify folding domains and sequence motifs critical for wax ester synthase/acyl coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase activity. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013; 80:1132-41. [PMID: 24296496 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03433-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Triacylglycerols and wax esters are synthesized as energy storage molecules by some proteobacteria and actinobacteria under stress. The enzyme responsible for neutral lipid accumulation is the bifunctional wax ester synthase/acyl-coenzyme A (CoA):diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT). Structural modeling of WS/DGAT suggests that it can adopt an acyl-CoA-dependent acyltransferase fold with the N-terminal and C-terminal domains connected by a helical linker, an architecture demonstrated experimentally by limited proteolysis. Moreover, we found that both domains form an active complex when coexpressed as independent polypeptides. The structural prediction and sequence alignment of different WS/DGAT proteins indicated catalytically important motifs in the enzyme. Their role was probed by measuring the activities of a series of alanine scanning mutants. Our study underscores the structural understanding of this protein family and paves the way for their modification to improve the production of neutral lipids.
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50
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Fatty alcohols for wax esters in Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8: two optional routes in the wax biosynthesis pathway. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013; 79:7055-62. [PMID: 24014533 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02420-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The biosynthesis of wax esters in bacteria is accomplished by a unique pathway that combines a fatty alcohol and a fatty acyl coenzyme A substrate. Previous in vitro enzymatic studies indicated that two different enzymes could be involved in the synthesis of the required fatty alcohol in Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8. In this study, we demonstrate through a series of gene deletions and transcriptional analysis that either enzyme is capable of fulfilling the role of providing the fatty alcohol required for wax ester biosynthesis in vivo, but evolution has clearly selected one of these, a previously characterized fatty aldehyde reductase, as the preferred enzyme to perform this reaction under typical wax ester-accumulating conditions. These results complement previous in vitro studies and provide the first glimpse into the role of each enzyme in vivo in the native organism.
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