Synthesis of heterologous mevalonic acid pathway enzymes in Clostridium ljungdahlii for the conversion of fructose and of syngas to mevalonate and isoprene.

This study demonstrates the ability to synthesize a heterologous metabolic pathway in C. ljungdahlii, an organism capable of metabolizing either simple sugars or syngas or both together (mixotrophy). Syngas is an inexpensive source of carbon and reducing equivalents and is produced as a major component of some industrial waste gas, and can be generated by gasification of cellulosic biowaste, and of municipal solid waste. Its conversion to useful products therefore offers potential cost and environmental benefits. The ability of C. ljungdahlii to grow mixotrophically also enables the recapture, should there be sufficient reducing equivalents available, of CO2 released upon glycolysis, potentially increasing the mass yield of product formation. Isoprene is the simplest of the terpenoids and so demonstration of its production is a first step toward synthesis of higher-value products of the terpenoid pathway. PMID: 29054870 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Applied and Environmental Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Tags: Appl Environ Microbiol Source Type: research