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Carbon sources-dependent carotenoid production in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli

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Abstract

The effects of three phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-dependent PTS carbon sources (glucose, mannose and maltose) and three non-PTS carbon sources (glycerol, galactose, and lactose) on the formation of four carotenoids with diverse structures and on the cell growth of the recombinant Escherichia coli were investigated. The biosynthetic pathways of four carotenoids, C30 diapolycopene, C30 diapotorulene, C40 lycopene, and C40 beta-carotene, were engineered in E. coli. The resulting E. coli cells were grown in a mineral medium supplemented with each of the six carbon sources. Among the six carbon sources, non-PTS glycerol showed the highest performance in production of all four carotenoid structures, whereas PTS glucose showed the lowest performance. Based on the conversion yield, carotenoid-producing capability, and the cell density, we found that there was no close correlation between PTS and non-PTS transport mechanism and carotenoid formations in E. coli.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Priority Research Centers Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (2009-0093826) and by the Korean Government (MEST) (NRF-2009-C1AAA001-2009-0093062). This work was also supported by the Korea–Australia Collaborative Research Project on the development of Biomass-Based Bioprocess Platform (10030795) from the Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Woncheon-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, 443-749, South Korea

    Jongrae Kim, Min Kyung Kong & Pyung Cheon Lee

  2. Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 373-1 Gwanhangno, Yusong-gu, Taejon, 305-701, South Korea

    Sang Yup Lee

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  1. Jongrae Kim
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  2. Min Kyung Kong
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Correspondence to Pyung Cheon Lee.

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Kim, J., Kong, M.K., Lee, S.Y. et al. Carbon sources-dependent carotenoid production in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli . World J Microbiol Biotechnol 26, 2231–2239 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-010-0408-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-010-0408-5

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