Tailored polyhydroxyalkanoate production from renewable non-fatty acid carbon sources using engineered Cupriavidus necator H16

• Published in: International journal of biological macromolecules Vol. 263; no. Pt 1; p. 130360
• Main Authors: Park, Soyoung, Roh, Soonjong, Yoo, Jin, Ahn, Jung Ho, Gong, Gyeongtaek, Lee, Sun-Mi, Um, Youngsoon, Han, Sung Ok, Ko, Ja Kyong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.04.2024
• Subjects: Biodegradable polymer; Metabolic engineering; Polyhydroxyalkanoate; Renewable source; Short-chain-length/medium-chain-length PHA copolymer (SCL/MCL-PHA); Metabolic engineering; Renewable source; Biodegradable polymer; Polyhydroxyalkanoate; Short-chain-length/medium-chain-length PHA copolymer (SCL/MCL-PHA)
• ISSN: 0141-8130; 1879-0003
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130360

As thermoplastic, nontoxic, and biocompatible polyesters, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are considered promising biodegradable plastic candidates for diverse applications. Short-chain-length/medium-chain-length (SCL/MCL) PHA copolymers are flexible and versatile PHAs that are typically produced from fatty acids, which are expensive and toxic. Therefore, to achieve the sustainable biosynthesis of SCL/MCL-PHAs from renewable non-fatty acid carbon sources (e.g., sugar or CO2), we used the lithoautotrophic bacterium Cupriavidus necator H16 as a microbial platform. Specifically, we synthesized tailored PHA copolymers with varying MCL-3-hydroxyalkanoate (3HA) compositions (10–70 mol%) from fructose by rewiring the MCL-3HA biosynthetic pathways, including (i) the thioesterase-mediated free fatty acid biosynthetic pathway coupled with the beta-oxidation cycle and (ii) the hydroxyacyl transferase-mediated fatty acid de novo biosynthetic pathway. In addition to sugar-based feedstocks, engineered strains are also promising platforms for the lithoautotrophic production of SCL/MCL-PHAs from CO2. The set of engineered C. necator strains developed in this study provides greater opportunities to produce customized polymers with controllable monomer compositions from renewable resources. [Display omitted] •SCL/MCL-PHA copolymers were produced from renewable non-fatty acid carbon sources.•Tailored SCL/MCL-PHA copolymers with manipulating MCL fractions were synthesized.•MCL-monomer biosynthetic pathways were rewired to customize PHA composition.•The engineered strains can be used for versatile PHA copolymer production from CO2.