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Biosynthesis of poly(2-hydroxybutyrate-co-lactate) in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli

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Abstract

We have previously reported in vivo biosynthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates containing 2-hydroxyacid monomers such as lactate and 2-hydroxybutyrate in recombinant Escherichia coli strains by the expression of evolved Clostridium propionicum propionyl-CoA transferase (PctCp) and Pseudomonas sp. MBEL 6-19 polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase 1 (PhaC1 Ps6-19). Here, we report the biosynthesis of poly(2-hydroxybutyrate-co-lactate)[P(2HB-co-LA)] by direct fermentation of metabolically engineered E. coli strain. Among E. coli strains WL3110, XL1-Blue, and BL21(DE3), recombinant E. coli XL1-Blue strain expressing PhaC1437 and Pct540 produced P(76.4mol%2HB-co-23.6mol%LA) to the highest content of 88 wt% when it was cultured in a chemically defined medium containing 20 g/L of glucose and 2 g/L of sodium 2-hydroxybutyrate. When recombinant E. coli XL1-Blue strain expressing PhaC1437 and Pct540 was cultured in a chemically defined medium containing 20 g/L of glucose and varying concentration of sodium 2-hydroxybutyrate, 2HB monomer fraction in P(2HB-co-LA) increased proportional to the concentration of sodium 2-hydroxybutyrate added to the culture medium. P(2HB-co-LA)] could also be produced from glucose as a sole carbon source without sodium 2-hydroxybutyrate into the culture medium. Recombinant E. coli XL1-Blue strain expressing the phaC1437, pct540, cimA3.7, and leuBCD genes together with the L. lactis Il1403 panE gene, successfully produced P(23.5mol%2HB-co-76.5mol%LA)] to the polymer content of 19.4 wt% when it cultured in a chemically defined medium containing 20 g/L of glucose. The metabolic engineering strategy reported here should be useful for the production of novel copolymer P(2HB-co-LA)].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Myongji University, Yongin, 17058, Korea

    Cheol Gi Chae, You Jin Kim & Si Jae Park

  2. Center for Bio-based Chemistry, Division of Convergence Chemistry, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, 34114, Korea

    Se Jin Lee, Young Hoon Oh, Jeong Chan Joo, Kyoung Hee Kang, Young-Ah Jang & Bong Keun Song

  3. Metabolic and Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 Program), Center for Systems and Synthetic Biotechnology, and Institute for the BioCentury, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, Korea

    Jung Eun Yang & Sang Yup Lee

  4. Division of Drug Discovery Research, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, 34114, Korea

    Hyuk Lee & A-Reum Park

Authors
  1. Cheol Gi Chae
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  2. You Jin Kim
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  3. Se Jin Lee
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  8. Young-Ah Jang
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  9. Hyuk Lee
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  10. A-Reum Park
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Correspondence to Si Jae Park.

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Chae, C.G., Kim, Y.J., Lee, S.J. et al. Biosynthesis of poly(2-hydroxybutyrate-co-lactate) in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli . Biotechnol Bioproc E 21, 169–174 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12257-015-0749-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12257-015-0749-x

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