1
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Casolari F, Alrashdi S, Carr R, Deng H. Exploring a Streptomyces wax synthase using acyl-SNACs as donor substrates. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:742-747. [PMID: 37799584 PMCID: PMC10549239 DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00107e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The demand of fragrance and food industries for short/branched wax esters is increasing due to their rich scent and low toxicity. Wax synthase and acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) are a family of bacterial enzymes capable of catalysing the production of wax esters. Here, we report that a WS/DGAT from Streptomyces coelicolor is able to mediate the reactions between alcohol acceptors and synthetic acyl-donor mimics, acyl-SNACs. The enzyme displayed considerable substrate tolerance towards acyl-donors with structural diversity. Structural modelling-guided site directed mutagenesis resulted in a variant, L25F, the catalytic efficiency of which was improved toward aromatic, short-linear, and branched acyl-donors compared to the wild type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Casolari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen Aberdeen AB24 3UE UK
| | - Saad Alrashdi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen Aberdeen AB24 3UE UK
- College of Science and Arts in Gurayat, Jouf University King Khaled Road Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Hai Deng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen Aberdeen AB24 3UE UK
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2
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Galván V, Pascutti F, Sandoval NE, Lanfranconi MP, Lozada M, Arabolaza AL, Mac Cormack WP, Alvarez HM, Gramajo HC, Dionisi HM. High wax ester and triacylglycerol biosynthesis potential in coastal sediments of Antarctic and Subantarctic environments. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288509. [PMID: 37459319 PMCID: PMC10351704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The wax ester (WE) and triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthetic potential of marine microorganisms is poorly understood at the microbial community level. The goal of this work was to uncover the prevalence and diversity of bacteria with the potential to synthesize these neutral lipids in coastal sediments of two high latitude environments, and to characterize the gene clusters related to this process. Homolog sequences of the key enzyme, the wax ester synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) were retrieved from 13 metagenomes, including subtidal and intertidal sediments of a Subantarctic environment (Ushuaia Bay, Argentina), and subtidal sediments of an Antarctic environment (Potter Cove, Antarctica). The abundance of WS/DGAT homolog sequences in the sediment metagenomes was 1.23 ± 0.42 times the abundance of 12 single-copy genes encoding ribosomal proteins, higher than in seawater (0.13 ± 0.31 times in 338 metagenomes). Homolog sequences were highly diverse, and were assigned to the Pseudomonadota, Actinomycetota, Bacteroidota and Acidobacteriota phyla. The genomic context of WS/DGAT homologs included sequences related to WE and TAG biosynthesis pathways, as well as to other related pathways such as fatty-acid metabolism, suggesting carbon recycling might drive the flux to neutral lipid synthesis. These results indicate the presence of abundant and taxonomically diverse bacterial populations with the potential to synthesize lipid storage compounds in marine sediments, relating this metabolic process to bacterial survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Galván
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET, FBIOyF–UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Federico Pascutti
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET, FBIOyF–UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Natalia E. Sandoval
- Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia (INBIOP-UNPSJB-CONICET), Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Mariana P. Lanfranconi
- Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia (INBIOP-UNPSJB-CONICET), Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Mariana Lozada
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Ana L. Arabolaza
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET, FBIOyF–UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Walter P. Mac Cormack
- Instituto de Nanobiotecnología (NANOBIOTEC-UBA-CONICET), San Martín, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA), San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Héctor M. Alvarez
- Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia (INBIOP-UNPSJB-CONICET), Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Hugo C. Gramajo
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET, FBIOyF–UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Hebe M. Dionisi
- Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
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3
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Bird LJ, Mickol RL, Eddie BJ, Thakur M, Yates MD, Glaven SM. Marinobacter: A case study in bioelectrochemical chassis evaluation. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:494-506. [PMID: 36464922 PMCID: PMC9948230 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The junction of bioelectrochemical systems and synthetic biology opens the door to many potentially groundbreaking technologies. When developing these possibilities, choosing the correct chassis organism can save a great deal of engineering effort and, indeed, can mean the difference between success and failure. Choosing the correct chassis for a specific application requires a knowledge of the metabolic potential of the candidate organisms, as well as a clear delineation of the traits, required in the application. In this review, we will explore the metabolic and electrochemical potential of a single genus, Marinobacter. We will cover its strengths, (salt tolerance, biofilm formation and electrochemical potential) and weaknesses (insufficient characterization of many strains and a less developed toolbox for genetic manipulation) in potential synthetic electromicrobiology applications. In doing so, we will provide a roadmap for choosing a chassis organism for bioelectrochemical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina J Bird
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Rebecca L Mickol
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Brian J Eddie
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Meghna Thakur
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,College of Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Matthew D Yates
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Sarah M Glaven
- Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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4
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Vollheyde K, Kühnel K, Lambrecht F, Kawelke S, Herrfurth C, Feussner I. Crystal Structure of the Bifunctional Wax Synthase 1 from Acinetobacter baylyi Suggests a Conformational Change upon Substrate Binding and Formation of Additional Substrate Binding Sites. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c01712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Vollheyde
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Karin Kühnel
- Department of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Felix Lambrecht
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Steffen Kawelke
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Cornelia Herrfurth
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
- International Center for Advanced Studies of Energy Conversion (ICASEC), University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077 Goettingen, Germany
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5
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Chen G, Harwood JL, Lemieux MJ, Stone SJ, Weselake RJ. Acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase: Properties, physiological roles, metabolic engineering and intentional control. Prog Lipid Res 2022; 88:101181. [PMID: 35820474 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2022.101181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT, EC 2.3.1.20) catalyzes the last reaction in the acyl-CoA-dependent biosynthesis of triacylglycerol (TAG). DGAT activity resides mainly in membrane-bound DGAT1 and DGAT2 in eukaryotes and bifunctional wax ester synthase-diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WSD) in bacteria, which are all membrane-bound proteins but exhibit no sequence homology to each other. Recent studies also identified other DGAT enzymes such as the soluble DGAT3 and diacylglycerol acetyltransferase (EaDAcT), as well as enzymes with DGAT activities including defective in cuticular ridges (DCR) and steryl and phytyl ester synthases (PESs). This review comprehensively discusses research advances on DGATs in prokaryotes and eukaryotes with a focus on their biochemical properties, physiological roles, and biotechnological and therapeutic applications. The review begins with a discussion of DGAT assay methods, followed by a systematic discussion of TAG biosynthesis and the properties and physiological role of DGATs. Thereafter, the review discusses the three-dimensional structure and insights into mechanism of action of human DGAT1, and the modeled DGAT1 from Brassica napus. The review then examines metabolic engineering strategies involving manipulation of DGAT, followed by a discussion of its therapeutic applications. DGAT in relation to improvement of livestock traits is also discussed along with DGATs in various other eukaryotic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanqun Chen
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6H 2P5, Canada.
| | - John L Harwood
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - M Joanne Lemieux
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, Edmonton T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Scot J Stone
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E5, Canada.
| | - Randall J Weselake
- Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6H 2P5, Canada
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6
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Domergue F, Miklaszewska M. The production of wax esters in transgenic plants:
towards a sustainable source of bio-lubricants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:2817-2834. [PMID: 35560197 PMCID: PMC9113324 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Wax esters are high-value compounds used as feedstocks for the production of lubricants, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Currently, they are produced mostly from fossil reserves using chemical synthesis, but this cannot meet increasing demand and has a negative environmental impact. Natural wax esters are also obtained from Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) but comparably in very low amounts and expensively. Therefore, metabolic engineering of plants, especially of the seed storage lipid metabolism of oil crops, represents an attractive strategy for renewable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly production of wax esters tailored to industrial applications. Utilization of wax ester-synthesizing enzymes with defined specificities and modulation of the acyl-CoA pools by various genetic engineering approaches can lead to obtaining wax esters with desired compositions and properties. However, obtaining high amounts of wax esters is still challenging due to their negative impact on seed germination and yield. In this review, we describe recent progress in establishing non-food-plant platforms for wax ester production and discuss their advantages and limitations as well as future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Domergue
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, LBM, UMR 5200, F-33140 Villenave d’Ornon, France
| | - Magdalena Miklaszewska
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Division of Molecular Systems Biology (MOSYS), Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
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7
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Mancipe NC, Mulliner KM, Plunkett MH, Barney BM. Canvasing the Substrate-Binding Pockets of the Wax Ester Synthase. Biochemistry 2022; 61:922-932. [PMID: 35507417 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The biosynthesis of wax esters and triglycerides in bacteria is accomplished through the action of the wax ester synthase/acyl-coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT or wax ester synthase). A hallmark of these enzymes is the broad substrate profile that accepts alcohols, diglycerides, and fatty acyl-CoAs of various carbon chain lengths and degrees of branching. These enzymes have a broad biotechnological potential due to their role in producing high-value lipids or simple fuels similar to biodiesel through biosynthetic routes. Recently, a crystal structure was solved for the wax ester synthase from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 (Maqu_0168), providing a much clearer picture of the architecture of this enzyme and enabling a more precise analysis of the important structural features of the protein. In this work, we used the structure to canvas amino acids lining the proposed substrate-binding pockets and tested the effects of exchanging specific residues on the substrate profiles. We also developed an approach to better probe the residues that alter fatty acyl-CoA selectivity, which has proven more difficult to investigate. Our findings provide an improved blueprint for future efforts to understand how these enzymes position substrates for catalysis and to tailor or improve these enzymes in future biosynthetic schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Calixto Mancipe
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
| | - Kalene M Mulliner
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
| | - Mary H Plunkett
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
| | - Brett M Barney
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States.,BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
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8
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Zhang Y, Guo X, Yang H, Shi S. The Studies in Constructing Yeast Cell Factories for the Production of Fatty Acid Alkyl Esters. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 9:799032. [PMID: 35087801 PMCID: PMC8787340 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.799032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatty acid alkyl esters have broad applications in biofuels, lubricant formulas, paints, coatings, and cosmetics. Traditionally, these esters are mostly produced through unsustainable and energy-intensive processes. In contrast, microbial production of esters from renewable and sustainable feedstocks may provide a promising alternative and has attracted widespread attention in recent years. At present, yeasts are used as ideal hosts for producing such esters, due to their availability for high-density fermentation, resistance to phage infection, and tolerance against toxic inhibitors. Here, we summarize recent development on the biosynthesis of alkyl esters, including fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), fatty acid short-branched chain alkyl esters (FASBEs), and wax esters (WEs) by various yeast cell factories. We focus mainly on the enzyme engineering strategies of critical wax ester synthases, and the pathway engineering strategies employed for the biosynthesis of various ester products. The bottlenecks that limit productivity and their potential solutions are also discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Guo
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Huaiyi Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shuobo Shi
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
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9
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Martínez-Alcantar L, Orozco G, Díaz-Pérez AL, Villegas J, Reyes-De la Cruz H, García-Pineda E, Campos-García J. Participation of Acyl-Coenzyme A Synthetase FadD4 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 in Acyclic Terpene/Fatty Acid Assimilation and Virulence by Lipid A Modification. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:785112. [PMID: 34867927 PMCID: PMC8637051 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.785112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa possesses high metabolic versatility, with its effectiveness to cause infections likely due to its well-regulated genetic content. P. aeruginosa PAO1 has at least six fadD paralogous genes, which have been implicated in fatty acid (FA) degradation and pathogenicity. In this study, we used mutagenesis and a functional approach in P. aeruginosa PAO1 to determine the roles of the fadD4 gene in acyclic terpene (AT) and FA assimilation and on pathogenicity. The results indicate that fadD4 encodes a terpenoyl-CoA synthetase utilized for AT and FA assimilation. Additionally, mutations in fadD paralogs led to the modification of the quorum-sensing las/rhl systems, as well as the content of virulence factors pyocyanin, biofilm, rhamnolipids, lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and polyhydroxyalkanoates. In a Caenorhabditis elegans in vivo pathogenicity model, culture supernatants from the 24-h-grown fadD4 single mutant increased lethality compared to the PAO1 wild-type (WT) strain; however, the double mutants fadD1/fadD2, fadD1/fadD4, and fadD2/fadD4 and single mutant fadD2 increased worm survival. A correlation analysis indicated an interaction between worm death by the PAO1 strain, the fadD4 mutation, and the virulence factor LPS. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis of LPS revealed that a proportion of the LPS and FA on lipid A were modified by the fadD4 mutation, suggesting that FadD4 is also involved in the synthesis/degradation and modification of the lipid A component of LPS. LPS isolated from the fadD4 mutant and double mutants fadD1/fadD4 and fadD2/fadD4 showed a differential behavior to induce an increase in body temperature in rats injected with LPS compared to the WT strain or from the fadD1 and fadD2 mutants. In agreement, LPS isolated from the fadD4 mutant and double mutants fadD1/fadD2 and fadD2/fadD4 increased the induction of IL-8 in rat sera, but IL1-β cytokine levels decreased in the double mutants fadD1/fadD2 and fadD1/fadD4. The results indicate that the fadD genes are implicated in the degree of pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa PAO1 induced by LPS-lipid A, suggesting that FadD4 contributes to the removal of acyl-linked FA from LPS, rendering modification in its immunogenic response associated to Toll-like receptor TLR4. The genetic redundancy of fadD is important for bacterial adaptability and pathogenicity over the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Martínez-Alcantar
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Microbiana, Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Gabriela Orozco
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Microbiana, Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Alma Laura Díaz-Pérez
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Microbiana, Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Javier Villegas
- Laboratorio de Interacción Suelo, Planta, Microorganismo, Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Homero Reyes-De la Cruz
- Laboratorio de Control Traduccional, Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Ernesto García-Pineda
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Jesús Campos-García
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Microbiana, Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Mexico
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10
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Liu Y, Zheng K, Liu B, Liang Y, You S, Zhang W, Zhang X, Jie Y, Shao H, Jiang Y, Guo C, He H, Wang H, Sung YY, Mok WJ, Wong LL, McMinn A, Wang M. Characterization and Genomic Analysis of Marinobacter Phage vB_MalS-PS3, Representing a New Lambda-Like Temperate Siphoviral Genus Infecting Algae-Associated Bacteria. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:726074. [PMID: 34512604 PMCID: PMC8424206 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.726074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Marinobacter is the abundant and important algal-associated and hydrocarbon biodegradation bacteria in the ocean. However, little knowledge about their phages has been reported. Here, a novel siphovirus, vB_MalS-PS3, infecting Marinobacter algicola DG893(T), was isolated from the surface waters of the western Pacific Ocean. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated that vB_MalS-PS3 has the morphology of siphoviruses. VB_MalS-PS3 was stable from −20 to 55°C, and with the latent and rise periods of about 80 and 10 min, respectively. The genome sequence of VB_MalS-PS3 contains a linear, double-strand 42,168-bp DNA molecule with a G + C content of 56.23% and 54 putative open reading frames (ORFs). Nineteen conserved domains were predicted by BLASTp in NCBI. We found that vB_MalS-PS3 represent an understudied viral group with only one known isolate. The phylogenetic tree based on the amino acid sequences of whole genomes revealed that vB_MalS-PS3 has a distant evolutionary relationship with other siphoviruses, and can be grouped into a novel viral genus cluster with six uncultured assembled viral genomes from metagenomics, named here as Marinovirus. This study of the Marinobacter phage vB_MalS-PS3 genome enriched the genetic database of marine bacteriophages, in addition, will provide useful information for further research on the interaction between Marinobacter phages and their hosts, and their relationship with algal blooms and hydrocarbon biodegradation in the ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yundan Liu
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Kaiyang Zheng
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Baohong Liu
- Department of Hospital Infection Management, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yantao Liang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,UMT-OUC Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China
| | - Siyuan You
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Xinran Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yaqi Jie
- College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Hongbing Shao
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,UMT-OUC Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,UMT-OUC Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China
| | - Cui Guo
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,UMT-OUC Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China
| | - Hui He
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,UMT-OUC Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China
| | - Hualong Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,UMT-OUC Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China
| | - Yeong Yik Sung
- UMT-OUC Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China.,Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Wen Jye Mok
- UMT-OUC Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China.,Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Li Lian Wong
- UMT-OUC Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China.,Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Andrew McMinn
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Min Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,UMT-OUC Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China.,The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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11
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Soong YHV, Zhao L, Liu N, Yu P, Lopez C, Olson A, Wong HW, Shao Z, Xie D. Microbial synthesis of wax esters. Metab Eng 2021; 67:428-442. [PMID: 34391890 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Microbial synthesis of wax esters (WE) from low-cost renewable and sustainable feedstocks is a promising path to achieve cost-effectiveness in biomanufacturing. WE are industrially high-value molecules, which are widely used for applications in chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Since the natural WE resources are limited, the WE production mostly rely on chemical synthesis from rather expensive starting materials, and therefore solution are sought from development of efficient microbial cell factories. Here we report to engineer the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica and bacterium Escherichia coli to produce WE at the highest level up to date. First, the key genes encoding fatty acyl-CoA reductases and wax ester synthase from different sources were investigated, and the expression system for two different Y. lipolytica hosts were compared and optimized for enhanced WE production and the strain stability. To improve the metabolic pathway efficiency, different carbon sources including glucose, free fatty acid, soybean oil, and waste cooking oil (WCO) were compared, and the corresponding pathway engineering strategies were optimized. It was found that using a lipid substrate such as WCO to replace glucose led to a 60-fold increase in WE production. The engineered yeast was able to produce 7.6 g/L WE with a yield of 0.31 (g/g) from WCO within 120 h and the produced WE contributed to 57% of the yeast DCW. After that, E. coli BL21(DE3), with a faster growth rate than the yeast, was engineered to significantly improve the WE production rate. Optimization of the expression system and the substrate feeding strategies led to production of 3.7-4.0 g/L WE within 40 h in a 1-L bioreactor. The predominant intracellular WE produced by both Y. lipolytica and E. coli in the presence of hydrophobic substrates as sole carbon sources were C36, C34 and C32, in an order of decreasing abundance and with a large proportion being unsaturated. This work paved the way for the biomanufacturing of WE at a large scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Hue Valerie Soong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Le Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Na Liu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Peng Yu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Carmen Lopez
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Andrew Olson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Hsi-Wu Wong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Zengyi Shao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
| | - Dongming Xie
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.
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12
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Zhang Y, Peng J, Zhao H, Shi S. Engineering oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula toruloides for overproduction of fatty acid ethyl esters. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2021; 14:115. [PMID: 33964988 PMCID: PMC8106135 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-021-01965-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Production of biofuels and green chemicals by microbes is currently of great interest due to the increasingly limited reserves of fossil fuels. Biodiesel, especially fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), is considered as an attractive alternative because of its similarity with petrodiesel and compatibility with existing infrastructures. Cost-efficient bio-production of FAEEs requires a highly lipogenic production host that is suitable for large-scale fermentation. As a non-model oleaginous yeast that can be cultured to an extremely high cell density and accumulate over 70% cell mass as lipids, Rhodotorula toruloides represents an attractive host for FAEEs production. RESULTS We first constructed the FAEE biosynthetic pathways in R. toruloides by introducing various wax ester synthase genes from different sources, and the bifunctional wax ester synthase/acyl-CoA-diacyglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) gene from Acinetobacter baylyi was successfully expressed, leading to a production of 826 mg/L FAEEs through shake-flask cultivation. We then mutated this bifunctional enzyme to abolish the DGAT activity, and further improved the titer to 1.02 g/L. Finally, to elevate the performance of Δku70-AbWS* in a bioreactor, both batch and fed-batch cultivation strategies were performed. The FAEEs titer, productivity and yield were 4.03 g/L, 69.5 mg/L/h and 57.9 mg/g (mg FAEEs/g glucose) under batch cultivation, and 9.97 g/L, 90.6 mg/L/h, and 86.1 mg/g under fed-batch cultivation. It is worth mentioning that most of the produced FAEEs were secreted out of the cell, which should greatly reduce the cost of downstream processing. CONCLUSION We achieved the highest FAEEs production in yeast with a final titer of 9.97 g/L and demonstrated that the engineered R. toruloides has the potential to serve as a platform strain for efficient production of fatty acid-derived molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Jie Peng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| | - Shuobo Shi
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
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13
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Abstract
Biological wax esters offer a sustainable, renewable and biodegradable alternative to many fossil fuel derived chemicals including plastics and paraffins. Many species of bacteria accumulate waxes with similar structure and properties to highly desirable animal and plant waxes such as Spermaceti and Jojoba oils, the use of which is limited by resource requirements, high cost and ethical concerns. While bacterial fermentations overcome these issues, a commercially viable bacterial wax production process would require high yields and renewable, affordable feedstock to make it economically competitive and environmentally beneficial. This review describes recent progress in wax ester generation in both wild type and genetically engineered bacteria, with a focus on comparing substrates and quantifying obtained waxes. The full breadth of wax accumulating species is discussed, with emphasis on species generating high yields and utilising renewable substrates. Key areas of the field that have, thus far, received limited attention are highlighted, such as waste stream valorisation, mixed microbial cultures and efficient wax extraction, as, until effectively addressed, these will slow progress in creating commercially viable wax production methods.
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14
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Vollheyde K, Yu D, Hornung E, Herrfurth C, Feussner I. The Fifth WS/DGAT Enzyme of the Bacterium Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8. Lipids 2020; 55:479-494. [PMID: 32434279 DOI: 10.1002/lipd.12250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Wax esters (WE) belong to the class of neutral lipids. They are formed by an esterification of a fatty alcohol and an activated fatty acid. Dependent on the chain length and desaturation degree of the fatty acid and the fatty alcohol moiety, WE can have diverse physicochemical properties. WE derived from monounsaturated long-chain acyl moieties are of industrial interest due to their very good lubrication properties. Whereas WE were obtained in the past from spermaceti organs of the sperm whale, industrial WE are nowadays mostly produced chemically from fossil fuels. In order to produce WE more sustainably, attempts to produce industrial WE in transgenic plants are steadily increasing. To achieve this, different combinations of WE producing enzymes are expressed in developing Arabidopsis thaliana or Camelina sativa seeds. Here we report the identification and characterization of a fifth wax synthase from the organism Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8, MaWSD5. It belongs to the class of bifunctional wax synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol O-acyltransferases (WSD). The protein was purified to homogeneity. In vivo and in vitro substrate analyses revealed that MaWSD5 is able to synthesize WE but no triacylglycerols. The protein produces WE from saturated and monounsaturated mid- and long-chain substrates. Arabidopsis thaliana seeds expressing a fatty acid reductase from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 and MaWSD5 produce WE. Main WE synthesized are 20:1/18:1 and 20:1/20:1. This makes MaWSD5 a suitable candidate for industrial WE production in planta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Vollheyde
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Dan Yu
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ellen Hornung
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Cornelia Herrfurth
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.,Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ivo Feussner
- Department for Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.,Service Unit for Metabolomics and Lipidomics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, D-37077, Goettingen, Germany.,Department for Plant Biochemistry, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Goettingen, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
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15
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Abstract
Phytol, the prenyl side chain of chlorophyll, is derived from geranylgeraniol by reduction of three double bonds. Recent results demonstrated that the conversion of geranylgeraniol to phytol is linked to chlorophyll synthesis, which is catalyzed by protein complexes associated with the thylakoid membranes. One of these complexes contains light harvesting chlorophyll binding like proteins (LIL3), enzymes of chlorophyll synthesis (protoporphyrinogen oxidoreductase, POR; chlorophyll synthase, CHLG) and geranylgeranyl reductase (GGR). Phytol is not only employed for the synthesis of chlorophyll, but also for tocopherol (vitamin E), phylloquinol (vitamin K) and fatty acid phytyl ester production. Previously, it was believed that phytol is derived from reduction of geranylgeranyl-diphosphate originating from the 4-methylerythritol-5-phosphate (MEP) pathway. The identification and characterization of two kinases, VTE5 and VTE6, involved in phytol and phytyl-phosphate phosphorylation, respectively, indicated that most phytol employed for tocopherol synthesis is derived from reduction of geranylgeranylated chlorophyll to (phytol-) chlorophyll. After hydrolysis from chlorophyll, free phytol is phosphorylated by the two kinases, and phytyl-diphosphate employed for the synthesis of tocopherol and phylloquinol. The reason why some chloroplast lipids, i.e. chlorophyll, tocopherol and phylloquinol, are derived from phytol, while others, i.e. carotenoids and tocotrienols (in some plant species) are synthesized from geranylgeraniol, remains unclear.
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16
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Petronikolou N, Nair SK. Structural and Biochemical Studies of a Biocatalyst for the Enzymatic Production of Wax Esters. ACS Catal 2018; 8:6334-6344. [PMID: 31559109 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.8b00787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Wax esters are high-value products whose enzymatic synthesis is of increasing biotechnological interest. The fabrication of cell factories that mass-produce wax esters may provide a facile route towards a sustainable, and environment-friendly approach to a large-scale process for this commodity chemical. An expedient route for wax-ester biocatalysis may be facilitated by the action of enzymes termed wax ester synthases/diacylglycerol acyltransferases (WS/DGAT), which produce wax esters using fatty acids and alcohols as a precursor. In this work, we report the structure for a member of the WS/DGAT superfamily. The structural data in conjunction with bioinformatics and mutational analyses allowed us to identify the substrate binding pockets, and residues that may be important for catalysis. Using this information as a guide, we generated a mutant with preference towards shorter acyl-substrates. This study demonstrates the efficacy of a structure-guided engineering effort towards a WS/DGAT variant with preference towards wax esters of desired lengths.
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17
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Gao Q, Cao X, Huang YY, Yang JL, Chen J, Wei LJ, Hua Q. Overproduction of Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters by the Oleaginous Yeast Yarrowia lipolytica through Metabolic Engineering and Process Optimization. ACS Synth Biol 2018; 7:1371-1380. [PMID: 29694786 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.7b00453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in the production of biofuels by microbes have attracted attention due to increasingly limited fossil fuels. Biodiesels, especially fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), are considered a potentially fully sustainable fuel in the near future due to similarities with petrodiesels and compatibility with existing infrastructure. However, biosynthesis of FAEEs is limited by the supply of precursor lipids and acetyl-CoA. In the present study, we explored the production potential of an engineered biosynthetic pathway coupled to the addition of ethanol in the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. This type of yeast is able to supply a greater amount of precursor lipids than species typically used. To construct the FAEEs synthesis pathway, WS genes that encode wax ester synthases (WSs) from different species were codon-optimized and heterologously expressed in Y. lipolytica. The most productive engineered strain was found to express a WS gene from Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus strain DSM 8798. To stepwisely increase FAEEs production, we optimized the promoter of WS overexpression, eliminated β-oxidation by deleting the PEX10 gene in our engineered strains, and redirected metabolic flux toward acetyl-CoA. The new engineered strain, coupled with an optimized ethanol concentration, led to an approximate 5.5-fold increase in extracellular FAEEs levels compared to the wild-type strain and a maximum FAEEs titer of 1.18 g/L in shake flask cultures. In summary, the present study demonstrated that an engineered Y. lipolytica strain possessed a high capacity for FAEEs production and may serve as a platform for more efficient biodiesel production in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, PR China
| | - Xuan Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, PR China
| | - Yu-Ying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, PR China
| | - Jing-Lin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, PR China
| | - Jun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, PR China
| | - Liu-Jing Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, PR China
| | - Qiang Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, PR China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, PR China
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18
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Miklaszewska M, Dittrich-Domergue F, Banaś A, Domergue F. Wax synthase MhWS2 from Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus: substrate specificity and biotechnological potential for wax ester production. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:4063-4074. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-8878-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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19
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Genomic potential of Marinobacter salinus Hb8T as sulfur oxidizing and aromatic hydrocarbon degrading bacterium. Mar Genomics 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2017.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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20
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Lázaro B, Villa JA, Santín O, Cabezas M, Milagre CDF, de la Cruz F, Moncalián G. Heterologous expression of a thermophilic diacylglycerol acyltransferase triggers triglyceride accumulation in Escherichia coli. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176520. [PMID: 28448543 PMCID: PMC5407786 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Triglycerides (TAGs), the major storage molecules of metabolic energy and source of fatty acids, are produced as single cell oil by some oleogenic microorganisms. However, these microorganisms require strict culture conditions, show low carbon source flexibilities, lack efficient genetic modification tools and in some cases pose safety concerns. TAGs have essential applications such as behaving as a source for added-value fatty acids or giving rise to the production of biodiesel. Hence, new alternative methods are urgently required for obtaining these oils. In this work we describe TAG accumulation in the industrially appropriate microorganism Escherichia coli expressing the heterologous enzyme tDGAT, a wax ester synthase/triacylglycerol:acylCoA acyltranferase (WS/DGAT). With this purpose, we introduce a codon-optimized gene from the thermophilic actinomycete Thermomonospora curvata coding for a WS/DGAT into different E. coli strains, describe the metabolic effects associated to the expression of this protein and evaluate neutral lipid accumulation. We observe a direct relation between the expression of this WS/DGAT and TAG production within a wide range of culture conditions. More than 30% TAGs were detected within the bacterial neutral lipids in 90 minutes after induction. TAGs were observed to be associated with the hydrophobic enzyme while forming round intracytoplasmic bodies, which could represent a bottleneck for lipid accumulation in E. coli. We detected an increase of almost 3-fold in the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) occurring in the recombinant strains. These MUFA were predominant in the accumulated TAGs achieving 46% of the TAG fatty acids. These results set the basis for further research on the achievement of a suitable method towards the sustainable production of these neutral lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Lázaro
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad de Cantabria, C/ Albert Einstein, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rua Prof. Francisco Degni, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juan A. Villa
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad de Cantabria, C/ Albert Einstein, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
| | - Omar Santín
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad de Cantabria, C/ Albert Einstein, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
| | - Matilde Cabezas
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad de Cantabria, C/ Albert Einstein, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
| | - Cintia D. F. Milagre
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rua Prof. Francisco Degni, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando de la Cruz
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad de Cantabria, C/ Albert Einstein, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
| | - Gabriel Moncalián
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - Universidad de Cantabria, C/ Albert Einstein, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
- * E-mail:
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21
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Menendez-Bravo S, Comba S, Gramajo H, Arabolaza A. Metabolic engineering of microorganisms for the production of structurally diverse esters. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 101:3043-3053. [PMID: 28275821 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-017-8179-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Conventional petroleum-based chemical industry, although economically still thriving, is now facing great socio-political challenges due to the increasing concerns on climate change and limited availability of fossil resources. In this context, microbial production of fuels and commodity oleochemicals from renewable biomass is being considered a promising sustainable alternative. The increasing understanding of cellular systems has enabled the redesign of microbial metabolism for the production of compounds present in many daily consumer products such as esters, waxes, fatty acids (FA) and fatty alcohols. Small aliphatic esters are important flavour and fragrance elements while long-chain esters, composed of FA esterified to fatty alcohols, are widely used in lubricant formulas, paints, coatings and cosmetics. Here, we review recent advances in the biosynthesis of these types of mono alkyl esters in vivo. We focus on the critical ester bond-forming enzymes and the latest metabolic engineering strategies employed for the biosynthesis of a wide range of products ranging from low-molecular-weight esters to waxy compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simón Menendez-Bravo
- Microbiology Division, IBR (Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Ocampo y Esmeralda (2000), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Santiago Comba
- Microbiology Division, IBR (Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Ocampo y Esmeralda (2000), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Hugo Gramajo
- Microbiology Division, IBR (Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Ocampo y Esmeralda (2000), Rosario, Argentina.
| | - Ana Arabolaza
- Microbiology Division, IBR (Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Ocampo y Esmeralda (2000), Rosario, Argentina.
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22
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Zhang N, Mao Z, Luo L, Wan X, Huang F, Gong Y. Two bifunctional enzymes from the marine protist Thraustochytrium roseum: biochemical characterization of wax ester synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase activity catalyzing wax ester and triacylglycerol synthesis. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:185. [PMID: 28725265 PMCID: PMC5513132 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0869-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Triacylglycerols (TAGs) and wax esters (WEs) are important neutral lipids which serve as energy reservoir in some plants and microorganisms. In recent years, these biologically produced neutral lipids have been regarded as potential alternative energy sources for biofuel production because of the increased interest on developing renewable and environmentally benign alternatives for fossil fuels. In bacteria, the final step in TAG and WE biosynthetic pathway is catalyzed by wax ester synthase/acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA):diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT). This bifunctional WS/DGAT enzyme is also a key enzyme in biotechnological production of liquid WE via engineering of plants and microorganisms. To date, knowledge about this class of biologically and biotechnologically important enzymes is mainly from biochemical characterization of WS/DGATs from Arabidopsis, jojoba and some bacteria that can synthesize both TAGs and WEs intracellularly, whereas little is known about WS/DGATs from eukaryotic microorganisms. RESULTS Here, we report the identification and characterization of two bifunctional WS/DGAT enzymes (designated TrWSD4 and TrWSD5) from the marine protist Thraustochytrium roseum. Both TrWSD4 and TrWSD5 comprise a WS-like acyl-CoA acyltransferase domain and the recombinant proteins purified from Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3) have substantial WS and lower DGAT activity. They exhibit WS activity towards various-chain-length saturated and polyunsaturated acyl-CoAs and fatty alcohols ranging from C10 to C18. TrWSD4 displays WS activity with the lowest Km value of 0.14 μM and the highest kcat/Km value of 1.46 × 105 M-1 s-1 for lauroyl-CoA (C12:0) in the presence of 100 μM hexadecanol, while TrWSD5 exhibits WS activity with the lowest Km value of 0.96 μM and the highest kcat/Km value of 9.83 × 104 M-1 s-1 for decanoyl-CoA (C10:0) under the same reaction condition. Both WS/DGAT enzymes have the highest WS activity at 37 and 47 °C, and WS activity was greatly decreased when temperature exceeds 47 °C. TrWSD4 and TrWSD5 are insensitive to ionic strength and reduced WS activity was observed when salt concentration exceeded 800 mM. The potential of T. roseum WS/DGATs to establish novel process for biotechnological production of WEs was demonstrated by heterologous expression in recombinant yeast. Expression of either TrWSD4 or TrWSD5 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae quadruple mutant H1246, which is devoid of storage lipids, resulted in the accumulation of WEs, but not any detectable TAGs, indicating a predominant WS activity in yeast. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates both in vitro WS and DGAT activity of two T. roseum WS/DGATs, which were characterized as unspecific acyltransferases accepting a broad range of acyl-CoAs and fatty alcohols as substrates for WS activity but displaying substrate preference for medium-chain acyl-CoAs. In vivo characterization shows that these two WS/DGATs predominantly function as wax synthase and presents the feasibility for production of WEs by heterologous hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Zejing Mao
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Ling Luo
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Xia Wan
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Fenghong Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Lipid Chemistry and Nutrition, Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Yangmin Gong
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
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23
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Wenning L, Yu T, David F, Nielsen J, Siewers V. Establishing very long-chain fatty alcohol and wax ester biosynthesis inSaccharomyces cerevisiae. Biotechnol Bioeng 2016; 114:1025-1035. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.26220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Wenning
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Systems and Synthetic Biology; Chalmers University of Technology; Kemivägen 10 Göteborg SE-412 96 Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability; Chalmers University of Technology; Kemivägen Göteborg Sweden
| | - Tao Yu
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Systems and Synthetic Biology; Chalmers University of Technology; Kemivägen 10 Göteborg SE-412 96 Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability; Chalmers University of Technology; Kemivägen Göteborg Sweden
| | - Florian David
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Systems and Synthetic Biology; Chalmers University of Technology; Kemivägen 10 Göteborg SE-412 96 Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability; Chalmers University of Technology; Kemivägen Göteborg Sweden
| | - Jens Nielsen
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Systems and Synthetic Biology; Chalmers University of Technology; Kemivägen 10 Göteborg SE-412 96 Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability; Chalmers University of Technology; Kemivägen Göteborg Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability; Technical University of Denmark; Kemitorvet Lyngby Denmark
| | - Verena Siewers
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Systems and Synthetic Biology; Chalmers University of Technology; Kemivägen 10 Göteborg SE-412 96 Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability; Chalmers University of Technology; Kemivägen Göteborg Sweden
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Lin JL, Zhu J, Wheeldon I. Rapid ester biosynthesis screening reveals a high activity alcohol-O-acyltransferase (AATase) from tomato fruit. Biotechnol J 2016; 11:700-7. [PMID: 26814045 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201500406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Ethyl and acetate esters are naturally produced in various yeasts, plants, and bacteria. The biosynthetic pathways that produce these esters share a common reaction step, the condensation of acetyl/acyl-CoA with an alcohol by alcohol-O-acetyl/acyltransferase (AATase). Recent metabolic engineering efforts exploit AATase activity to produce fatty acid ethyl esters as potential diesel fuel replacements as well as short- and medium-chain volatile esters as fragrance and flavor compounds. These efforts have been limited by the lack of a rapid screen to quantify ester biosynthesis. Enzyme engineering efforts have also been limited by the lack of a high throughput screen for AATase activity. Here, we developed a high throughput assay for AATase activity and used this assay to discover a high activity AATase from tomato fruit, Solanum lycopersicum (Atf-S.l). Atf1-S.l exhibited broad specificity towards acyl-CoAs with chain length from C4 to C10 and was specific towards 1-pentanol. The AATase screen also revealed new acyl-CoA substrate specificities for Atf1, Atf2, Eht1, and Eeb1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Atf-C.m from melon fruit, Cucumis melo, thus increasing the pool of characterized AATases that can be used in ester biosynthesis of ester-based fragrance and flavor compounds as well as fatty acid ethyl ester biofuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyun-Liang Lin
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Jie Zhu
- Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Ian Wheeldon
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
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Lanfranconi MP, Alvarez AF, Alvarez HM. Identification of genes coding for putative wax ester synthase/diacylglycerol acyltransferase enzymes in terrestrial and marine environments. AMB Express 2015; 5:128. [PMID: 26228353 PMCID: PMC4520822 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-015-0128-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthesis of neutral lipids such as triacylglycerols (TAG) and wax esters (WE) is catalyzed in bacteria by wax ester synthase/diacylglycerol acyltransferase enzymes (WS/DGAT). We investigated
the diversity of genes encoding this enzyme in contrasting natural environments from Patagonia (Argentina). The content of petroleum hydrocarbons in samples collected from oil-producing areas was measured. PCR-based analysis covered WS/DGAT occurrence in marine sediments and soil. No product was obtained in seawater samples. All clones retrieved from marine sediments affiliated with gammaproteobacterial sequences and within them, most phylotypes formed a unique cluster related to putative WS/DGAT belonging to marine OM60 clade. In contrast, soils samples contained phylotypes only related to actinomycetes. Among them, phylotypes affiliated with representatives largely or recently reported as oleaginous bacteria, as well as with others considered as possible lipid-accumulating bacteria based on the analysis of their annotated genomes. Our study shows for the first time that the environment could contain a higher variety of ws/dgat than that reported from bacterial isolates. The results of this study highlight the relevance of the environment in a natural process such as the synthesis and accumulation of neutral lipids. Particularly, both marine sediments and soil may serve as a useful source for novel WS/DGAT with biotechnological interest.
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Röttig A, Wolf S, Steinbüchel A. In vitro characterization of five bacterial WS/DGAT acyltransferases regarding the synthesis of biotechnologically relevant short-chain-length esters. EUR J LIPID SCI TECH 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ejlt.201500200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Annika Röttig
- Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie; Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster; Münster Germany
| | - Sebastian Wolf
- Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie; Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster; Münster Germany
| | - Alexander Steinbüchel
- Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie; Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster; Münster Germany
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences; King Abdulaziz University; Jeddah Saudi Arabia
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27
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Röttig A, Zurek PJ, Steinbüchel A. Assessment of bacterial acyltransferases for an efficient lipid production in metabolically engineered strains of E. coli. Metab Eng 2015; 32:195-206. [PMID: 26460058 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2015.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Revised: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Microbially produced lipids like triacylglycerols or fatty acid ethyl esters are currently of great interest as fuel replacements or other industrially relevant compounds. They can even be produced by non-oleaginous microbes, like Escherichia coli, upon metabolic engineering. However, there is still much room for improvement regarding the yield for a competitive microbial production of lipids or biofuels. We genetically engineered E. coli by expressing fadD, fadR, pgpB, plsB and 'tesA in combination with atfA from Acinetobacter baylyi. A total fatty acid contents of up to 16% (w/w) was obtained on complex media, corresponding to approximately 9% (w/w) triacylglycerols and representing the highest titers of fatty acids and triacylglycerols obtained in E. coli under comparable cultivation conditions, so far. To evaluate further possibilities for an optimization of lipid production, ten promising bacterial wax ester synthase/acyl-Coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferases were tested and compared. While highest triacylglycerol storage was achieved with AtfA, the mutated variant AtfA-G355I turned out to be most suitable for fatty acid ethyl ester biosynthesis and enabled an accumulation of approx. 500 mg/L without external ethanol supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Röttig
- Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Paul Jannis Zurek
- Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Alexander Steinbüchel
- Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, D-48149 Münster, Germany; Faculty of Environmental Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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28
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Alvarez HM. Triacylglycerol and wax ester-accumulating machinery in prokaryotes. Biochimie 2015; 120:28-39. [PMID: 26343555 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2015.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Gram negative bacteria as well as Gram positive actinobacteria possess the ability to accumulate variable amounts of wax esters (WE) and/or triacylglycerols (TAG) under nitrogen limiting conditions. In recent years many advances have been made to obtain insight into neutral lipid biosynthesis and accumulation in prokaryotes. The clinical and industrial relevance of bacterial WE/TAG significantly promoted basic and applied research in this field. The recent integrated omic studies as well as the functional characterization of diverse genes are contributing to unravel the composition of the WE/TAG-accumulating machinery in bacteria. This will be a valuable data for designing new drugs against bacteria with clinical importance, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or for transferring and optimizing lipid accumulation in bacterial hosts naturally unable to produce such lipids, such as Escherichia coli. In this article, recent investigations addressing WE/TAG biosynthesis and storage in prokaryotes are presented. A comprehensive view of the current knowledge on the different genes/proteins involved in WE/TAG biosynthesis is included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor M Alvarez
- Centro Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Científico Tecnológico (CRIDECIT), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, CIT-CHUBUT, CONICET, Km 4-Ciudad Universitaria 9000, Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina.
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29
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Bonis BM, Gralnick JA. Marinobacter subterrani, a genetically tractable neutrophilic Fe(II)-oxidizing strain isolated from the Soudan Iron Mine. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:719. [PMID: 26236300 PMCID: PMC4503921 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the isolation, characterization, and development of a robust genetic system for a halophilic, Fe(II)-oxidizing bacterium isolated from a vertical borehole originating 714 m below the surface located in the Soudan Iron Mine in northern Minnesota, USA. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene places the isolate in the genus Marinobacter of the Gammaproteobacteria. The genome of the isolate was sequenced using a combination of short- and long-read technologies resulting in two contigs representing a 4.4 Mbp genome. Using genomic information, we used a suicide vector for targeted deletion of specific flagellin genes, resulting in a motility-deficient mutant. The motility mutant was successfully complemented by expression of the deleted genes in trans. Random mutagenesis using a transposon was also achieved. Capable of heterotrophic growth, this isolate represents a microaerophilic Fe(II)-oxidizing species for which a system for both directed and random mutagenesis has been established. Analysis of 16S rDNA suggests Marinobacter represents a major taxon in the mine, and genetic interrogation of this genus may offer insight into the structure of deep subsurface communities as well as an additional tool for analyzing nutrient and element cycling in the subsurface ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Bonis
- BioTechnology Institute and Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities , Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Gralnick
- BioTechnology Institute and Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities , Saint Paul, MN, USA
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30
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Becker J, Wittmann C. Advanced Biotechnology: Metabolically Engineered Cells for the Bio-Based Production of Chemicals and Fuels, Materials, and Health-Care Products. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015; 54:3328-50. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201409033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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31
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Biotechnologie von Morgen: metabolisch optimierte Zellen für die bio-basierte Produktion von Chemikalien und Treibstoffen, Materialien und Gesundheitsprodukten. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201409033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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32
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Aslan S, Sun C, Leonova S, Dutta P, Dörmann P, Domergue F, Stymne S, Hofvander P. Wax esters of different compositions produced via engineering of leaf chloroplast metabolism in Nicotiana benthamiana. Metab Eng 2014; 25:103-12. [PMID: 25038447 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2013] [Revised: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In a future bio-based economy, renewable sources for lipid compounds at attractive cost are needed for applications where today petrochemical derivatives are dominating. Wax esters and fatty alcohols provide diverse industrial uses, such as in lubricant and surfactant production. In this study, chloroplast metabolism was engineered to divert intermediates from de novo fatty acid biosynthesis to wax ester synthesis. To accomplish this, chloroplast targeted fatty acyl reductases (FAR) and wax ester synthases (WS) were transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Wax esters of different qualities and quantities were produced providing insights to the properties and interaction of the individual enzymes used. In particular, a phytyl ester synthase was found to be a premium candidate for medium chain wax ester synthesis. Catalytic activities of FAR and WS were also expressed as a fusion protein and determined functionally equivalent to the expression of individual enzymes for wax ester synthesis in chloroplasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selcuk Aslan
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Linnean Centre for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Chuanxin Sun
- Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Linnean Centre for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Svetlana Leonova
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
| | - Paresh Dutta
- Department of Food Science, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Peter Dörmann
- Institut für Molekulare Physiologie und Biotechnologie der Planzen, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Frédéric Domergue
- Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire, CNRS UMR 5200, Université Bordeaux Ségalen, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Sten Stymne
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
| | - Per Hofvander
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
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33
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Rodriguez GM, Tashiro Y, Atsumi S. Expanding ester biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. Nat Chem Biol 2014; 10:259-65. [PMID: 24609358 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.1476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
To expand the capabilities of whole-cell biocatalysis, we have engineered Escherichia coli to produce various esters. The alcohol O-acyltransferase (ATF) class of enzyme uses acyl-CoA units for ester formation. The release of free CoA upon esterification with an alcohol provides the free energy to facilitate ester formation. The diversity of CoA molecules found in nature in combination with various alcohol biosynthetic pathways allows for the biosynthesis of a multitude of esters. Small to medium volatile esters have extensive applications in the flavor, fragrance, cosmetic, solvent, paint and coating industries. The present work enables the production of these compounds by designing several ester pathways in E. coli. The engineered pathways generated acetate esters of ethyl, propyl, isobutyl, 2-methyl-1-butyl, 3-methyl-1-butyl and 2-phenylethyl alcohols. In particular, we achieved high-level production of isobutyl acetate from glucose (17.2 g l(-1)). This strategy was expanded to realize pathways for tetradecyl acetate and several isobutyrate esters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel M Rodriguez
- 1] Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA. [2]
| | - Yohei Tashiro
- 1] Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA. [2]
| | - Shota Atsumi
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA
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34
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Janßen HJ, Steinbüchel A. Production of triacylglycerols in Escherichia coli by deletion of the diacylglycerol kinase gene and heterologous overexpression of atfA from Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 98:1913-24. [PMID: 24389701 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-013-5460-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Revised: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the production of triacylglycerols in cells of the wild type of Escherichia coli and of a strain with a deleted diacylglycerol kinase gene (dgkA). By overexpression of atfA from Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 and fadD from E. coli in the dgkA deletion mutant, cellular contents of up to 4.9% (w/w) triacylglycerols could be achieved in batch cultivation. Furthermore, heterologous expression of atfA relieves the negative effects of dgkA deletion on growth. Process optimization and fed-batch fermentation resulted in the production of 530 mg l (-1) triacylglycerols and a maximal content of 8.5% (w/w) triacylglycerols of the cell dry mass. This clearly exceeded all previous results concerning triacylglycerol production in E. coli. Furthermore, the production of extracellular free fatty acids and fatty acid ethyl esters was investigated. Like triacylglycerols, both products are potential biofuels, and we show their continuous production in a repeated batch process, with recovery of the production cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helge Jans Janßen
- Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstrasse 3, 48149, Münster, Germany,
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35
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Use of limited proteolysis and mutagenesis to identify folding domains and sequence motifs critical for wax ester synthase/acyl coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase activity. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013; 80:1132-41. [PMID: 24296496 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03433-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Triacylglycerols and wax esters are synthesized as energy storage molecules by some proteobacteria and actinobacteria under stress. The enzyme responsible for neutral lipid accumulation is the bifunctional wax ester synthase/acyl-coenzyme A (CoA):diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT). Structural modeling of WS/DGAT suggests that it can adopt an acyl-CoA-dependent acyltransferase fold with the N-terminal and C-terminal domains connected by a helical linker, an architecture demonstrated experimentally by limited proteolysis. Moreover, we found that both domains form an active complex when coexpressed as independent polypeptides. The structural prediction and sequence alignment of different WS/DGAT proteins indicated catalytically important motifs in the enzyme. Their role was probed by measuring the activities of a series of alanine scanning mutants. Our study underscores the structural understanding of this protein family and paves the way for their modification to improve the production of neutral lipids.
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36
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Lin F, Chen Y, Levine R, Lee K, Yuan Y, Lin XN. Improving fatty acid availability for bio-hydrocarbon production in Escherichia coli by metabolic engineering. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78595. [PMID: 24147139 PMCID: PMC3798384 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2013] [Accepted: 09/22/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated the feasibility of producing fatty-acid-derived hydrocarbons in Escherichia coli. However, product titers and yields remain low. In this work, we demonstrate new methods for improving fatty acid production by modifying central carbon metabolism and storing fatty acids in triacylglycerol. Based on suggestions from a computational model, we deleted seven genes involved in aerobic respiration, mixed-acid fermentation, and glyoxylate bypass (in the order of cyoA, nuoA, ndh, adhE, dld, pta, and iclR) to modify the central carbon metabolic/regulatory networks. These gene deletions led to increased total fatty acids, which were the highest in the mutants containing five or six gene knockouts. Additionally, when two key enzymes in the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway were over-expressed, we observed further increase in strain △cyoA△adhE△nuoA△ndh△pta△dld, leading to 202 mg/g dry cell weight of total fatty acids, ~250% of that in the wild-type strain. Meanwhile, we successfully introduced a triacylglycerol biosynthesis pathway into E. coli through heterologous expression of wax ester synthase/acyl-coenzyme:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) enzymes. The added pathway improved both the amount and fuel quality of the fatty acids. These new metabolic engineering strategies are providing promising directions for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengming Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, P.R. China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Robert Levine
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Kilho Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Yingjin Yuan
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoxia Nina Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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37
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Abstract
Long-chain-length hydrophobic acyl residues play a vital role in a multitude of essential biological structures and processes. They build the inner hydrophobic layers of biological membranes, are converted to intracellular storage compounds, and are used to modify protein properties or function as membrane anchors, to name only a few functions. Acyl thioesters are transferred by acyltransferases or transacylases to a variety of different substrates or are polymerized to lipophilic storage compounds. Lipases represent another important enzyme class dealing with fatty acyl chains; however, they cannot be regarded as acyltransferases in the strict sense. This review provides a detailed survey of the wide spectrum of bacterial acyltransferases and compares different enzyme families in regard to their catalytic mechanisms. On the basis of their studied or assumed mechanisms, most of the acyl-transferring enzymes can be divided into two groups. The majority of enzymes discussed in this review employ a conserved acyltransferase motif with an invariant histidine residue, followed by an acidic amino acid residue, and their catalytic mechanism is characterized by a noncovalent transition state. In contrast to that, lipases rely on completely different mechanism which employs a catalytic triad and functions via the formation of covalent intermediates. This is, for example, similar to the mechanism which has been suggested for polyester synthases. Consequently, although the presented enzyme types neither share homology nor have a common three-dimensional structure, and although they deal with greatly varying molecule structures, this variety is not reflected in their mechanisms, all of which rely on a catalytically active histidine residue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Röttig
- Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany
| | - Alexander Steinbüchel
- Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany
- Environmental Sciences Department, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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38
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Buijs NA, Siewers V, Nielsen J. Advanced biofuel production by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2013; 17:480-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2013.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2012] [Revised: 03/06/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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39
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Röttig A, Steinbüchel A. Random mutagenesis ofatfAand screening forAcinetobacter baylyimutants with an altered lipid accumulation. EUR J LIPID SCI TECH 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/ejlt.201200401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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40
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Lennen RM, Pfleger BF. Microbial production of fatty acid-derived fuels and chemicals. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2013; 24:1044-53. [PMID: 23541503 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2013.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2012] [Revised: 02/27/2013] [Accepted: 02/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Fatty acid metabolism is an attractive route to produce liquid transportation fuels and commodity oleochemicals from renewable feedstocks. Recently, genes and enzymes, which comprise metabolic pathways for producing fatty acid-derived compounds (e.g. esters, alkanes, olefins, ketones, alcohols, polyesters) have been elucidated and used in engineered microbial hosts. The resulting strains often generate products at low percentages of maximum theoretical yields, leaving significant room for metabolic engineering. Economically viable processes will require strains to approach theoretical yields, particularly for replacement of petroleum-derived fuels. This review will describe recent progress toward this goal, highlighting the scientific discoveries of each pathway, ongoing biochemical studies to understand each enzyme, and metabolic engineering strategies that are being used to improve strain performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Lennen
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Room 3629, Madison, WI 53706, United States; U.S. Department of Energy Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, United States
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41
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Lipid storage in high-altitude Andean Lakes extremophiles and its mobilization under stress conditions in Rhodococcus sp. A5, a UV-resistant actinobacterium. Extremophiles 2013; 17:217-27. [PMID: 23283521 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-012-0508-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The production of triacylglycerols (TAG) or wax esters (WS) seems to be a widespread feature among extremophile bacteria living in high-altitude Andean Lakes (HAAL), Argentina. Twelve out of twenty bacterial strains isolated from HAAL were able to produce TAG or WS (between 2 and 17 % of cellular dry weight) under nitrogen-limiting culture conditions. Among these strains, the extremophile Rhodococcus sp. A5 accumulated significant amounts of TAG during growth on glucose (17 %, CDW) and hexadecane (32 %, CDW) as sole carbon sources. The role of accumulated TAG in the response to carbon starvation, osmotic stress, UV-radiation and desiccation was investigated in Rhodococcus sp. A5 using an inhibitor of TAG degradation. Cells degraded TAG during these stresses in the absence of the inhibitor. The inhibition of TAG mobilization affected cell survival during osmotic stress only during the initial growth stage. Little or no surviving cells were observed after carbon starvation, UV-treatment and desiccation, when TAG mobilization was inhibited. These results suggested that TAG metabolism is relevant for the adaptation and survival of A5 cells under carbon starvation, osmotic stress and UV irradiation, and essential under desiccation conditions, which prevail in HAAL environments.
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Lin H, Wang Q, Shen Q, Zhan J, Zhao Y. Genetic engineering of microorganisms for biodiesel production. Bioengineered 2012; 4:292-304. [PMID: 23222170 DOI: 10.4161/bioe.23114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodiesel, as one type of renewable energy, is an ideal substitute for petroleum-based diesel fuel and is usually made from triacylglycerides by transesterification with alcohols. Biodiesel production based on microbial fermentation aiming to establish more efficient, less-cost and sustainable biodiesel production strategies is under current investigation by various start-up biotechnology companies and research centers. Genetic engineering plays a key role in the transformation of microbes into the desired cell factories with high efficiency of biodiesel production. Here, we present an overview of principal microorganisms used in the microbial biodiesel production and recent advances in metabolic engineering for the modification required. Overexpression or deletion of the related enzymes for de novo synthesis of biodiesel is highlighted with relevant examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Lin
- Institute of Microbiology; College of Life Sciences; Zhejiang University; Hangzhou, China; Institute of Plant Science; College of Life Sciences; Zhejiang University; Hangzhou, China
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Identification of a residue affecting fatty alcohol selectivity in wax ester synthase. Appl Environ Microbiol 2012; 79:396-9. [PMID: 23087036 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02523-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The terminal enzyme in the bacterial wax ester biosynthetic pathway is the bifunctional wax ester synthase/acyl-coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT), which utilizes a fatty alcohol and a fatty acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) to synthesize the corresponding wax ester. In this report, we identify a specific residue in WS/DGAT enzymes obtained from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 and Acinetobacter baylyi that alters fatty alcohol selectivity and kinetic parameters when modified to alternative residues.
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Hernández MA, Arabolaza A, Rodríguez E, Gramajo H, Alvarez HM. The atf2 gene is involved in triacylglycerol biosynthesis and accumulation in the oleaginous Rhodococcus opacus PD630. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2012; 97:2119-30. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-012-4360-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2012] [Revised: 08/07/2012] [Accepted: 08/09/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Differences in substrate specificities of five bacterial wax ester synthases. Appl Environ Microbiol 2012; 78:5734-45. [PMID: 22685145 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00534-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Wax esters are produced in certain bacteria as a potential carbon and energy storage compound. The final enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway responsible for wax ester production is the bifunctional wax ester synthase/acyl-coenzyme A (acyl-CoA):diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT), which utilizes a range of fatty alcohols and fatty acyl-CoAs to synthesize the corresponding wax ester. We report here the isolation and substrate range characterization for five WS/DGAT enzymes from four different bacteria: Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8, Acinetobacter baylyi, Rhodococcus jostii RHA1, and Psychrobacter cryohalolentis K5. The results from kinetic studies of isolated enzymes reveal a differential activity based on the order of substrate addition and reveal subtle differences between the substrate selectivity of the different enzymes. These in vitro results are compared to the wax ester and triacylglyceride product profiles obtained from each organism grown under neutral lipid accumulating conditions, providing potential insights into the role that the WS/DGAT enzyme plays in determining the final wax ester products that are produced under conditions of nutrient stress in each of these bacteria. Further, the analysis revealed that one enzyme in particular from M. aquaeolei VT8 showed the greatest potential for future study based on rapid purification and significantly higher activity than was found for the other isolated WS/DGAT enzymes. The results provide a framework to test prospective differences between these enzymes for potential biotechnological applications such as high-value petrochemicals and biofuel production.
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Lippold F, vom Dorp K, Abraham M, Hölzl G, Wewer V, Yilmaz JL, Lager I, Montandon C, Besagni C, Kessler F, Stymne S, Dörmann P. Fatty acid phytyl ester synthesis in chloroplasts of Arabidopsis. THE PLANT CELL 2012; 24:2001-14. [PMID: 22623494 PMCID: PMC3442583 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.112.095588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2012] [Revised: 03/06/2012] [Accepted: 04/30/2012] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
During stress or senescence, thylakoid membranes in chloroplasts are disintegrated, and chlorophyll and galactolipid are broken down, resulting in the accumulation of toxic intermediates, i.e., tetrapyrroles, free phytol, and free fatty acids. Chlorophyll degradation has been studied in detail, but the catabolic pathways for phytol and fatty acids remain unclear. A large proportion of phytol and fatty acids is converted into fatty acid phytyl esters and triacylglycerol during stress or senescence in chloroplasts. We isolated two genes (PHYTYL ESTER SYNTHASE1 [PES1] and PES2) of the esterase/lipase/thioesterase family of acyltransferases from Arabidopsis thaliana that are involved in fatty acid phytyl ester synthesis in chloroplasts. The two proteins are highly expressed during senescence and nitrogen deprivation. Heterologous expression in yeast revealed that PES1 and PES2 have phytyl ester synthesis and diacylglycerol acyltransferase activities. The enzymes show broad substrate specificities and can employ acyl-CoAs, acyl carrier proteins, and galactolipids as acyl donors. Double mutant plants (pes1 pes2) grow normally but show reduced phytyl ester and triacylglycerol accumulation. These results demonstrate that PES1 and PES2 are involved in the deposition of free phytol and free fatty acids in the form of phytyl esters in chloroplasts, a process involved in maintaining the integrity of the photosynthetic membrane during abiotic stress and senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Lippold
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology of Plants, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Katharina vom Dorp
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology of Plants, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Marion Abraham
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Georg Hölzl
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology of Plants, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Vera Wewer
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology of Plants, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Ida Lager
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, S-23053 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Cyrille Montandon
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Céline Besagni
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Felix Kessler
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Sten Stymne
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, S-23053 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Peter Dörmann
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology of Plants, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
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Yang P, Zhu JY, Gong ZJ, Xu DL, Chen XM, Liu WW, Lin XD, Li YF. Transcriptome analysis of the Chinese white wax scale Ericerus pela with focus on genes involved in wax biosynthesis. PLoS One 2012; 7:e35719. [PMID: 22536429 PMCID: PMC3334986 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2012] [Accepted: 03/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Chinese white wax scale, Ericerus pela Chavannes is economically significant for its role in wax production. This insect has been bred in China for over a thousand years. The wax secreted by the male scale insect during the second-instar larval stage has been widespread used in wax candle production, wax printing, engraving, Chinese medicine, and more recently in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries. However, little is known about the mechanisms responsible for white wax biosynthesis. The characterization of its larval transcriptome may promote better understanding of wax biosynthesis. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, characterization of the transcriptome of E. pela during peak wax secretion was performed using Illumina sequencing technology. Illumina sequencing produced 41,839 unigenes. These unigenes were annotated by blastx alignment against the NCBI Non-Redundant (NR), Swiss-Prot, KEGG, and COG databases. A total of 104 unigenes related to white wax biosynthesis were identified, and 15 of them were selected for quantitative real-time PCR analysis. We evaluated the variations in gene expression across different development stages, including egg, first/second instar larvae, male pupae, and male and female adults. Then we identified five genes involved in white wax biosynthesis. These genes were expressed most strongly during the second-instar larval stage of male E. pela. Conclusion/Significance The transcriptome analysis of E. pela during peak wax secretion provided an overview of gene expression information at the transcriptional level and a resource for gene mining. Five genes related to white wax biosynthesis were identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Yang
- Research Institute of Resources Insects, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Cultivating and Utilization of Resources Insects of State Forestry Administration, Kunming, China
| | - Jia-Ying Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Disaster Warning and Control of Yunnan Province, College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China
| | - Zhong-Jun Gong
- Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Science, Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Dong-Li Xu
- Research Institute of Resources Insects, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Cultivating and Utilization of Resources Insects of State Forestry Administration, Kunming, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Chen
- Research Institute of Resources Insects, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Cultivating and Utilization of Resources Insects of State Forestry Administration, Kunming, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Wei-Wei Liu
- Research Institute of Resources Insects, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Cultivating and Utilization of Resources Insects of State Forestry Administration, Kunming, China
| | - Xin-Da Lin
- College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Fei Li
- Research Institute of Resources Insects, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Cultivating and Utilization of Resources Insects of State Forestry Administration, Kunming, China
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Shi S, Valle-Rodríguez JO, Khoomrung S, Siewers V, Nielsen J. Functional expression and characterization of five wax ester synthases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and their utility for biodiesel production. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2012; 5:7. [PMID: 22364438 PMCID: PMC3309958 DOI: 10.1186/1754-6834-5-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2011] [Accepted: 02/24/2012] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wax ester synthases (WSs) can synthesize wax esters from alcohols and fatty acyl coenzyme A thioesters. The knowledge of the preferred substrates for each WS allows the use of yeast cells for the production of wax esters that are high-value materials and can be used in a variety of industrial applications. The products of WSs include fatty acid ethyl esters, which can be directly used as biodiesel. RESULTS Here, heterologous WSs derived from five different organisms were successfully expressed and evaluated for their substrate preference in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We investigated the potential of the different WSs for biodiesel (that is, fatty acid ethyl esters) production in S. cerevisiae. All investigated WSs, from Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1, Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus DSM 8798, Rhodococcus opacus PD630, Mus musculus C57BL/6 and Psychrobacter arcticus 273-4, have different substrate specificities, but they can all lead to the formation of biodiesel. The best biodiesel producing strain was found to be the one expressing WS from M. hydrocarbonoclasticus DSM 8798 that resulted in a biodiesel titer of 6.3 mg/L. To further enhance biodiesel production, acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase was up-regulated, which resulted in a 30% increase in biodiesel production. CONCLUSIONS Five WSs from different species were functionally expressed and their substrate preference characterized in S. cerevisiae, thus constructing cell factories for the production of specific kinds of wax ester. WS from M. hydrocarbonoclasticus showed the highest preference for ethanol compared to the other WSs, and could permit the engineered S. cerevisiae to produce biodiesel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuobo Shi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, SE 412 96, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Juan Octavio Valle-Rodríguez
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, SE 412 96, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Sakda Khoomrung
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, SE 412 96, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Verena Siewers
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, SE 412 96, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Jens Nielsen
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, SE 412 96, Göteborg, Sweden
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Shi S, Valle-Rodríguez JO, Khoomrung S, Siewers V, Nielsen J. Functional expression and characterization of five wax ester synthases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and their utility for biodiesel production. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2012. [PMID: 22364438 DOI: 10.1186/preaccept-1932279820621895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wax ester synthases (WSs) can synthesize wax esters from alcohols and fatty acyl coenzyme A thioesters. The knowledge of the preferred substrates for each WS allows the use of yeast cells for the production of wax esters that are high-value materials and can be used in a variety of industrial applications. The products of WSs include fatty acid ethyl esters, which can be directly used as biodiesel. RESULTS Here, heterologous WSs derived from five different organisms were successfully expressed and evaluated for their substrate preference in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We investigated the potential of the different WSs for biodiesel (that is, fatty acid ethyl esters) production in S. cerevisiae. All investigated WSs, from Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1, Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus DSM 8798, Rhodococcus opacus PD630, Mus musculus C57BL/6 and Psychrobacter arcticus 273-4, have different substrate specificities, but they can all lead to the formation of biodiesel. The best biodiesel producing strain was found to be the one expressing WS from M. hydrocarbonoclasticus DSM 8798 that resulted in a biodiesel titer of 6.3 mg/L. To further enhance biodiesel production, acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase was up-regulated, which resulted in a 30% increase in biodiesel production. CONCLUSIONS Five WSs from different species were functionally expressed and their substrate preference characterized in S. cerevisiae, thus constructing cell factories for the production of specific kinds of wax ester. WS from M. hydrocarbonoclasticus showed the highest preference for ethanol compared to the other WSs, and could permit the engineered S. cerevisiae to produce biodiesel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuobo Shi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, SE 412 96, Göteborg, Sweden.
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Biester EM, Hellenbrand J, Gruber J, Hamberg M, Frentzen M. Identification of avian wax synthases. BMC BIOCHEMISTRY 2012; 13:4. [PMID: 22305293 PMCID: PMC3316144 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2091-13-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2011] [Accepted: 02/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bird species show a high degree of variation in the composition of their preen gland waxes. For instance, galliform birds like chicken contain fatty acid esters of 2,3-alkanediols, while Anseriformes like goose or Strigiformes like barn owl contain wax monoesters in their preen gland secretions. The final biosynthetic step is catalyzed by wax synthases (WS) which have been identified in pro- and eukaryotic organisms. RESULTS Sequence similarities enabled us to identify six cDNAs encoding putative wax synthesizing proteins in chicken and two from barn owl and goose. Expression studies in yeast under in vivo and in vitro conditions showed that three proteins from chicken performed WS activity while a sequence from chicken, goose and barn owl encoded a bifunctional enzyme catalyzing both wax ester and triacylglycerol synthesis. Mono- and bifunctional WS were found to differ in their substrate specificities especially with regard to branched-chain alcohols and acyl-CoA thioesters. According to the expression patterns of their transcripts and the properties of the enzymes, avian WS proteins might not be confined to preen glands. CONCLUSIONS We provide direct evidence that avian preen glands possess both monofunctional and bifunctional WS proteins which have different expression patterns and WS activities with different substrate specificities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva-Maria Biester
- Institute of Biology I, RWTH Aachen University, (Worringer Weg 1), Aachen, (52074), Germany
| | - Janine Hellenbrand
- Institute of Biology I, RWTH Aachen University, (Worringer Weg 1), Aachen, (52074), Germany
| | - Jens Gruber
- Institute of Biology I, RWTH Aachen University, (Worringer Weg 1), Aachen, (52074), Germany
| | - Mats Hamberg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, (Scheeles Vag 2), Stockholm, (17176), Sweden
| | - Margrit Frentzen
- Institute of Biology I, RWTH Aachen University, (Worringer Weg 1), Aachen, (52074), Germany
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