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Tailor-made type II Pseudomonas PHA synthases and their use for the biosynthesis of polylactic acid and its copolymer in recombinant Escherichia coli

  • Applied Genetics and Molecular Biotechnology
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Abstract

Previously, we have developed metabolically engineered Escherichia coli strains capable of producing polylactic acid (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-lactate) [P(3HB-co-LA)] by employing evolved Clostridium propionicum propionate CoA transferase (Pct Cp ) and Pseudomonas sp. MBEL 6-19 polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase 1 (PhaC1Ps6-19). Introduction of mutations four sites (E130, S325, S477, and Q481) of PhaC1Ps6-19 have been found to affect the polymer content, lactate mole fraction, and molecular weight of P(3HB-co-LA). In this study, we have further engineered type II Pseudomonas PHA synthases 1 (PhaC1s) from Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Pseudomonas sp. 61-3, Pseudomonas putida KT2440, Pseudomonas resinovorans, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 to accept short-chain-length hydroxyacyl-CoAs including lactyl-CoA and 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA as substrates by site-directed mutagenesis of four sites (E130, S325, S477, and Q481). All PhaC1s having mutations in these four sites were able to accept lactyl-CoA as a substrate and supported the synthesis of P(3HB-co-LA) in recombinant E. coli, whereas the wild-type PhaC1s could not accumulate polymers in detectable levels. The contents, lactate mole fractions, and the molecular weights of P(3HB-co-LA) synthesized by recombinant E. coli varied depending upon the source of the PHA synthase and the mutants used. PLA homopolymer could also be produced at ca. 7 wt.% by employing the several PhaC1 variants containing E130D/S325T/S477G/Q481K quadruple mutations in wild-type E. coli XL1-Blue.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Sun Ok Oh (LG Chem) for her help with the GPC analysis. This work was supported by LG Chem and by the Korean Systems Biology Research Project (20090065571) of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST). Further supports by the World Class University Program (R32-2008-000-10142-0) through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the MEST and LG Chem Chair Professorship are appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Corporate R&D, LG Chem Research Park, 104-1 Moonji-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-380, Republic of Korea

    Taek Ho Yang, Hye Ok Kang & Tae Wan Kim

  2. 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, 335 Gwahangno, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea

    Yu Kyung Jung & Sang Yup Lee

  3. Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Department of Biological Sciences, BioProcess Engineering Research Center, and Bioinformatics Research Center, KAIST, 335 Gwahangno, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea

    Sang Yup Lee

  4. Chemical Biotechnology Research Center, Green Chemistry Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, P.O.Box 107, Sinseongno 19, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-600, Republic of Korea

    Si Jae Park

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  1. Taek Ho Yang
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  2. Yu Kyung Jung
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Correspondence to Taek Ho Yang or Sang Yup Lee.

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Yang, T.H., Jung, Y.K., Kang, H.O. et al. Tailor-made type II Pseudomonas PHA synthases and their use for the biosynthesis of polylactic acid and its copolymer in recombinant Escherichia coli . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 90, 603–614 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-3077-2

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