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Title: Overcoming substrate limitations for improved production of ethylene in E. coli

Journal Article · · Biotechnology for Biofuels
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Ethylene is an important industrial compound for the production of a wide variety of plastics and chemicals. At present, ethylene production involves steam cracking of a fossil-based feedstock, representing the highest CO2-emitting process in the chemical industry. Biological ethylene production can be achieved via expression of a single protein, the ethylene-forming enzyme (EFE), found in some bacteria and fungi; it has the potential to provide a sustainable alternative to steam cracking, provided that significant increases in productivity can be achieved. A key barrier is determining factors that influence the availability of substrates for the EFE reaction in potential microbial hosts. In the presence of O2, EFE catalyzes ethylene formation from the substrates α-ketoglutarate (AKG) and arginine. The concentrations of AKG, a key TCA cycle intermediate, and arginine are tightly controlled by an intricate regulatory system that coordinates carbon and nitrogen metabolism. Thus, reliably predicting which genetic changes will ultimately lead to increased AKG and arginine availability is challenging.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC008812; AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1618634
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1236036
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-2700-63804; 3; PII: 413
Journal Information:
Biotechnology for Biofuels, Journal Name: Biotechnology for Biofuels Vol. 9 Journal Issue: 1; ISSN 1754-6834
Publisher:
Springer Science + Business MediaCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
Netherlands
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 10 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (3)

Dioxygen activation by nonheme iron enzymes with the 2-His-1-carboxylate facial triad that generate high-valent oxoiron oxidants journal January 2017
Genome-wide association study discovered favorable single nucleotide polymorphisms and candidate genes associated with ramet number in ramie (Boehmeria nivea L.) journal December 2018
Bio-production of gaseous alkenes: ethylene, isoprene, isobutene journal August 2018

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Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ethylene
ethylene-forming enzyme
arginine
α-ketoglutarate
E. coli