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Title: Construction and Optimization of a Heterologous Pathway for Protocatechuate Catabolism in Escherichia coli Enables Bioconversion of Model Aromatic Compounds

Abstract

The production of biofuels from lignocellulose yields a substantial lignin by-product stream that currently has few applications. Biological conversion of lignin-derived compounds into chemicals and fuels has the potential to improve the economics of lignocellulose-derived biofuels, but few microbes are able both to catabolize lignin-derived aromatic compounds and to generate valuable products. WhileEscherichia colihas been engineered to produce a variety of fuels and chemicals, it is incapable of catabolizing most aromatic compounds. Therefore, we engineeredE. colito catabolize protocatechuate, a common intermediate in lignin degradation, as the sole source of carbon and energy via heterologous expression of a nine-gene pathway fromPseudomonas putidaKT2440. Then, we used experimental evolution to select for mutations that increased growth with protocatechuate more than 2-fold. Increasing the strength of a single ribosome binding site in the heterologous pathway was sufficient to recapitulate the increased growth. After optimization of the core pathway, we extended the pathway to enable catabolism of a second model compound, 4-hydroxybenzoate. These engineered strains will be useful platforms to discover, characterize, and optimize pathways for conversions of lignin-derived aromatics. IMPORTANCELignin is a challenging substrate for microbial catabolism due to its polymeric and heterogeneous chemical structure. Therefore, engineering microbes for improved catabolism of lignin-derived aromaticmore » compounds will require the assembly of an entire network of catabolic reactions, including pathways from genetically intractable strains. By constructing defined pathways for aromatic compound degradation in a model host would allow rapid identification, characterization, and optimization of novel pathways. Finally, we constructed and optimized one such pathway inE. colito enable catabolism of a model aromatic compound, protocatechuate, and then extended the pathway to a related compound, 4-hydroxybenzoate. This optimized strain can now be used as the basis for the characterization of novel pathways.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [3];  [4]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Chemical Sciences Division
  3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division, BioEnergy Science Center
  4. Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
OSTI Identifier:
1394233
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725; AC02-05CH1231
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 83; Journal Issue: 18; Journal ID: ISSN 0099-2240
Publisher:
American Society for Microbiology
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; lignin; protocatechuic acid; ortho-cleavage pathway; experimental evolution; synthetic biology; ligninolysis; metabolic engineering; ortho-cleavage

Citation Formats

Clarkson, Sonya M., Giannone, Richard J., Kridelbaugh, Donna M., Elkins, James G., Guss, Adam M., Michener, Joshua K., and Vieille, Claire. Construction and Optimization of a Heterologous Pathway for Protocatechuate Catabolism in Escherichia coli Enables Bioconversion of Model Aromatic Compounds. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1128/AEM.01313-17.
Clarkson, Sonya M., Giannone, Richard J., Kridelbaugh, Donna M., Elkins, James G., Guss, Adam M., Michener, Joshua K., & Vieille, Claire. Construction and Optimization of a Heterologous Pathway for Protocatechuate Catabolism in Escherichia coli Enables Bioconversion of Model Aromatic Compounds. United States. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01313-17
Clarkson, Sonya M., Giannone, Richard J., Kridelbaugh, Donna M., Elkins, James G., Guss, Adam M., Michener, Joshua K., and Vieille, Claire. 2017. "Construction and Optimization of a Heterologous Pathway for Protocatechuate Catabolism in Escherichia coli Enables Bioconversion of Model Aromatic Compounds". United States. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01313-17.
@article{osti_1394233,
title = {Construction and Optimization of a Heterologous Pathway for Protocatechuate Catabolism in Escherichia coli Enables Bioconversion of Model Aromatic Compounds},
author = {Clarkson, Sonya M. and Giannone, Richard J. and Kridelbaugh, Donna M. and Elkins, James G. and Guss, Adam M. and Michener, Joshua K. and Vieille, Claire},
abstractNote = {The production of biofuels from lignocellulose yields a substantial lignin by-product stream that currently has few applications. Biological conversion of lignin-derived compounds into chemicals and fuels has the potential to improve the economics of lignocellulose-derived biofuels, but few microbes are able both to catabolize lignin-derived aromatic compounds and to generate valuable products. WhileEscherichia colihas been engineered to produce a variety of fuels and chemicals, it is incapable of catabolizing most aromatic compounds. Therefore, we engineeredE. colito catabolize protocatechuate, a common intermediate in lignin degradation, as the sole source of carbon and energy via heterologous expression of a nine-gene pathway fromPseudomonas putidaKT2440. Then, we used experimental evolution to select for mutations that increased growth with protocatechuate more than 2-fold. Increasing the strength of a single ribosome binding site in the heterologous pathway was sufficient to recapitulate the increased growth. After optimization of the core pathway, we extended the pathway to enable catabolism of a second model compound, 4-hydroxybenzoate. These engineered strains will be useful platforms to discover, characterize, and optimize pathways for conversions of lignin-derived aromatics. IMPORTANCELignin is a challenging substrate for microbial catabolism due to its polymeric and heterogeneous chemical structure. Therefore, engineering microbes for improved catabolism of lignin-derived aromatic compounds will require the assembly of an entire network of catabolic reactions, including pathways from genetically intractable strains. By constructing defined pathways for aromatic compound degradation in a model host would allow rapid identification, characterization, and optimization of novel pathways. Finally, we constructed and optimized one such pathway inE. colito enable catabolism of a model aromatic compound, protocatechuate, and then extended the pathway to a related compound, 4-hydroxybenzoate. This optimized strain can now be used as the basis for the characterization of novel pathways.},
doi = {10.1128/AEM.01313-17},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1394233}, journal = {Applied and Environmental Microbiology},
issn = {0099-2240},
number = 18,
volume = 83,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jul 21 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Fri Jul 21 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}