Enhanced yield of ethylene glycol production from D-xylose by pathway optimization in Escherichia coli

This report further improved the EG yield by implementing metabolic engineering strategies. First, D-xylonic acid accumulation was reduced by employing a weak promoter which provided a tighter control over Xdh expression. Second, EG yield was further improved by expressing the YjgB, which was identified as the most suitable aldehyde reductase endogenous to E. coli. Finally, cellular growth, D-xylose consumption, and EG yield were further increased by blocking a competing reaction. The final strain (WTXB) was able to reach up to 98% of the theoretical yield (25% higher as compared to the first study), the highest reported value for EG production from D-xylose.
Source: Enzyme and Microbial Technology - Category: Biotechnology Source Type: research