Enhanced production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) via manipulating the fatty acid beta-oxidation pathway in E. coli

Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase gene (yafH) of Escherichia coli was expressed together with polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase gene (phaC(Ac)) and (R)-enoyl-CoA hydratase gene (phaJ(Ac)) from Aeromonas caviae. The expression plasmids were introduced into E. coli JM109, DH5 alpha and XL1-blue, respectively. Compared with the strains harboring only phaC(Ac) and phaJ(Ac), all recombinant E. coli strains harboring yafH, phaC(Ac) and phaJ(Ac) accumulated at least four times more poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx). Cell dry weights produced by all recombinants containing yafH were also considerably higher than that without yafH. The addition of acrylic acid which serves as inhibitor for beta-oxidation and may lead to more precursor supply for PHA synthesis did not result in improved PHBHHx production compared with that of the overexpression of yafH. It appeared that the overexpression of acyl-CoA dehydrogenase gene (yafH) enhanced the supply of enoyl-CoA which is the substrate of (R)-enoyl-CoA hydratase. With the enhanced precursor supply, the recombinants accumulated more PHBHHx.     

Production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-<Emphasis Type="Italic">co</Emphasis>-3-hydroxyhexanoate) with flexible 3-hydroxyhexanoate content in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Aeromonas hydrophila</Emphasis> CGMCC 0911

Aeromonas hydrophila CGMCC 0911 isolated from lake water was found to be able to synthesize a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymer (PHBHHx) consisting of 3-hydroxybutyrate (HB) and 4–6 mol% 3-hydroxyhexanoate (HHx). The wild-type bacterium accumulated 49% PHBHHx containing 6 mol% HHx in terms of cell dry weight (CDW) when grown on lauric acid for 48 h. When A. hydrophila CGMCC 0911 expressed the Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase gene (yafH) of Escherichia coli, the recombinant strain could accumulate 47% PHBHHx, while the HHx content reached 17.4 mol%. The presence of changing glucose concentration in the culture changed the HHx content both in wild type and recombinant A. hydrophila CGMCC 0911. When 5 g l^–1 glucose was added to a culture containing 5 g l^–1 lauric acid as co-substrate, 45% PHBHHx/CDW consisting of 8.8 mol% HHx was produced by wild-type A. hydrophila CGMCC 0911 compared with only 5% in the absence of glucose. When the recombinant A. hydrophila CGMCC 0911 was grown on a mixed substrate containing lauric acid and 8–10 g l^–1 glucose, the HHx content could be further increased to 35.6 mol%. When the glucose concentration exceeded 10 g l^–1, cell growth, PHA content and mole percentages of HHx in PHBHHx were significantly reduced.     

中长链聚羟基脂肪酸酯(mcl PHA)在嗜水气单胞菌Ⅰ型PHA合酶缺失突变株中的合成

拥有Ⅰ型聚羟基脂肪酸酯(PHA)舍酶基因的嗜水气单胞菌CGMCC 0911株可利用月桂酸而不能利用葡萄糖作为碳源积累PHBHHx。将氯霉素抗性基因(cm)插入到该基因中,获得带有Ⅰ型PHA合酶断裂基因(phaC：：Cm)的自杀质粒pFH10。自杀质粒DFH10通过接合作用转入嗜水气单胞菌CGMCC 0911株中并发生体内同源重组,Cm被整合到基因组上,获得Ⅰ型PHA合酶缺失突变株。DNA序列测定证明了这一结果。GC分析表明,突变株不再产生PHBHHx,但却可利用月桂酸或葡萄糖积累中长链PHA,明显表明野生型嗜水气单胞菌基因组中存在另一个编码Ⅱ型PHA合酶的基因,且只有Ⅰ型PHA合酶被钝化后,这个功能被隐藏的Ⅱ型PHA合酶才可在细胞中发挥作用。     

在兽疫链球菌中表达vgb基因和HA合成基因提高透明质酸产量

透明质酸(HA)是一种在医药及化妆品领域具有广泛应用的天然粘多糖。兽疫链球菌(Streptococcuszooepidemicus)是工业上生产透明质酸的菌种之一。透明颤菌血红蛋白(VHb)具有增强细胞摄氧的作用。对生产透明质酸的兽疫链球菌进行了基因改造:将兽疫链球菌HA的合成基因hasABC以及合成透明颤菌血红蛋白的vgb基因(Vitreoscillahemoglobingene,vgb)分别或同时插入阳性菌表达质粒pEU308中,通过电转化导入兽疫链球菌中。通过一氧化碳(CO)差光谱检测到了VHb的表达。在摇瓶实验中,同时带有hasABC和vgb基因的重组菌比野生菌的透明质酸产量提高了30％。而在发酵罐中,带有这2个基因的重组菌的透明质酸产量达到了6．9g／L,高于重组菌5．5g／L的产量。实验结果表明,vgb基因的存在促进了细胞的生长,hasABC操纵子的过表达增强了透明质酸的合成。首次将VHb导入兽疫链球菌中,获得了表达,并证明其对菌体生长及透明质酸合成有促进作用。通过研究,VHb将可以在阳性菌中获得更广泛的应用。     

Biosynthetic pathway for poly(3-Hydroxypropionate) in recombinant Escherichia coli

Poly(3-hydroxypropionate) (P3HP) is a biodegradable and biocompatible thermoplastic. In this study, we engineered a P3HP biosynthetic pathway in recombinant Escherichia coli. The genes for malonyl-CoA reductase (mcr, from Chloroflexus aurantiacus), propionyl-CoA synthetase (prpE, from E. coli), and polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase (phaC1, from Ralstonia eutropha) were cloned and expressed in E. coli. The E. coli genes accABCD encoding acetyl-CoA carboxylase were used to channel the carbon into the P3HP pathway. Using glucose as a sole carbon source, the cell yield and P3HP content were 1.32 g/L and 0.98% (wt/wt [cell dry weight]), respectively. Although the yield is relatively low, our study shows the feasibility of engineering a P3HP biosynthetic pathway using a structurally unrelated carbon source in bacteria.     

Polyhydroxyalkanoate production in recombinant Escherichia coli.

The bacterial species Escherichia coli has proven to be a powerful tool in the molecular analysis of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis. In addition, E. coli holds promise as a source for economical PHA production. Using this microorganism, clones have been developed in our laboratory which direct the synthesis of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) to levels as high as 95% of the cell dry weight. These clones have been further enhanced by the addition of a genetically mediated lysis system that allows the PHB granules to be released gently and efficiently. This paper describes these developments, as well as the use of an E. coli strain to produce the copolymer poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHB-co-3HV).     

Production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) by high-cell-density cultivation of Aeromonas hydrophila

The newly screened Aeromonas hydrophila produces copolymer consisting of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx). The characteristics of cell growth and polymer accumulation were examined using various carbon sources. P(3HB-co-3HHx) was produced from lauric acid and oleic acid only. P(3HB-co-3HHx) content can be increased by limitation of phosphorus. A maximal P(3HB-co-3HHx) content of 28.8 wt% could be obtained in flask culture. By applying the optimally designed nutrient feeding strategy, cell dry weight, P(3HB-co-3HHx) content, and 3HHx fraction obtained over the course of 43 h were 95.7 g/L, 45.2 wt%, and 17 mol%, respectively, resulting in a productivity of 1.01 g polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)/L. h.     

Industrial scale production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate)

Large scale production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] by Aeromonas hydrophila 4AK4 was examined in a 20,000 l fermentor. Cells were first grown using glucose as a carbon source, and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis was triggered by the addition of lauric acid under conditions of limited nitrogen or phosphorus. When cells first grown in a medium containing 50 g glucose l(-1) were further cultivated after the addition of 50 g lauric acid l(-1) under phosphorus limitation, a final cell concentration, PHA concentration and PHA content of 50 g l(-1), 25 g l(-1), and 50 wt%, respectively, were obtained in 46 h, equivalent to PHA productivity of 0.54 g l(-1)t h(-1). The copolymer produced was found to be a random copolymer, and the 3HHx fraction was 11 mol%.     

Effect of overexpression of a soluble pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase (UdhA) on the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) in Escherichia coli

A soluble pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase (UdhA) has been used to increase the productivity and yield of PHB in vivo. By inducing a high level of UdhA, which can transfer reducing equivalents between NAD and NADP, we have increased NADPH availability, resulting in high yield and productivity of PHB in Escherichia coli. Coexpression of the phb operon from Alcaligenes eutrophus H16 and the native udhA from E. coli from high copy plasmids resulted in an increase in PHB yield from 49 to 66% g of PHB per gram of total cell dry weight and an increase in final concentration from 3.52 to 6.42 g/L; the PHB concentration of the udhA carrying strain is almost twice that of the control strain expressing only the phb operon. The results of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of cofactor manipulation and its application as a tool in metabolic engineering.     

Production of alpha-amylase in fed-batch cultures of vgb+ and vgb- recombinant Escherichia coli: some observations.

Synthesis and excretion of Bacillus stearothermophilus alpha-amylase is analyzed in fed-batch cultivations of Escherichia coli JM103[pMK79] and E. coli JM103[pMK57], the former strain containing the plasmid-encoded Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) gene (vgb) and the latter strain being devoid of this gene. Fed-batch operation is observed to be substantially superior to batch operation as concerns the alpha-amylase production rate and the extent of excretion of the enzyme. Faster feeding of a nutrient medium (LB or M9) discourages synthesis of alpha-amylase. While synthesis of alpha-amylase in the vgb(-) strain is discouraged when oxygen availability is reduced, the reverse is the case with the vgb(+) strain, the promotion of alpha-amylase synthesis in the latter strain being linked to the synthesis of VHb. Increased availability of the principal carbon source (glucose) in a defined medium leads to overproduction of both alpha-amylase and VHb under oxygen limitation, which may be responsible for the segregational instability observed with the vgb(+) strain. The very high extents of excretion of alpha-amylase attained in fed-batch cultures are encouraging for downstream processing of the recombinant protein.     

Combination of N149S and D171G mutations in Aeromonas caviae polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase and impact on polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis

Aeromonas caviae polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase (PhaC(Ac)) is an important biocatalyst for the synthesis of practically useful two-component polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer, poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-(R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate] [P(3HB-co-3HHx)]. In a previous study, two PhaC(Ac) mutants that have a single amino acid substitution of either asparagine 149 by serine (N149S) or aspartate 171 by glycine (D171G) were isolated as higher active enzymes by means of evolutionary engineering. In this study, the synergistic effects of N149S and D171G double mutation (NSDG) in PhaC(Ac) on polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis were investigated in recombinant Ralstonia eutropha. The PhaC(Ac) NSDG mutant showed enhanced incorporation of longer 3-hydroxyalkanoate (3HA) units into the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer from octanoate (3HA fraction: 18.5 mol%) and soybean oil (5.4 mol%) as a carbon source. Besides, the NSDG mutant synthesized P(3HB) homopolymer with a very high molecular weight (M(w)=368 x 10(4)) when fructose was used as a carbon source. Thus, a combination of the beneficial mutations synergistically altered enzymatic properties, leading to synthesis of a polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer with enhanced 3HA fraction and increased molecular weight.     

利用基因工程菌VGl(pTUl4)产聚β-羟基丁酸酯的研究

本文对透明颤菌血红蛋白基因（ｖｇｂ）和λ噬菌体解基因（Ｓ＾－ＲＲｚ）在不同突破主大肠杆菌中的外源表达及其在聚β－羟基丁酸酯（ＰＨＢ）生产中的应用进行了研究。实验结果表明,同时携带ｖｇｂ、Ｓ＾－ＲＲｚ和ｐｈｂＣＡＢ三种基因的产ＰＨＢ基因工程菌ＶＧ１（ｐＴＵ１４）,经过８２ｈ的摇瓶补料分批培养。菌体浓度可以高达２５．９ｇ／Ｌ,ＰＨＢ百分含量则可在５２ｈ时达到９５％以上;此外,该菌株不仅可以实现摇瓶高密     

透明颤菌血红蛋白的DNA改组研究

为提高透明颤菌血红蛋白在限氧条件下促进宿主细胞生长的能力,首先通过易错PCR向透明颤菌血红蛋白基因中引入突变,再结合DNA改组对其进行改造。将改组基因置于透明颤菌血红蛋白天然启动子下游,转化大肠杆菌DH5α,构建改组文库。以限氧培养条件下菌体沉淀的颜色为指标进行试管初筛,再以限氧和极端限氧条件下菌体湿重为指标进行摇瓶复筛,最终得到一个高活性突变蛋白VHb'042506。该蛋白使宿主的菌体湿重在限氧和极端限氧条件下较原基因转化子分别提高了31.25%和58.75%。经测序和比对,该基因与原基因相比发生了11处碱基点突变,致氨基酸4处错义突变。CO差光谱实验显示该蛋白具有更强的特征吸收。     

整合型vgb基因载体的构建和研究

运用染色体-质粒同源基因重组的方法将外源Vitreoscilla血红蛋白基因(vgb)整合在大肠杆菌JM105染色体的苏氨酸操纵子位置上,构建单拷贝的vgb表达载体VGl。VGl保持了vgb基因的生理功能,可在低氧条件下表达Citreoscilla血红蛋白使细胞适应贫氧环境;同时它克服了以质粒作为表达载体时vgb基因剂量和表达量过高带来的生理负担,因此可作为一种适于高密度培养的基因工程宿主菌。实验结果还显示vgb基因的表达使VGl与普通大肠杆菌相比在低氧条件下仍能维持较高的呼吸强度,说明vgb基因产物参与了细胞处于低氧水平时的代谢过程。     

Engineering poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) copolymer composition in E. coli

A strain of Escherichia coli was metabolically engineered to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) of specified composition between 5% and 18% HV. A gene encoding propionyl-CoA synthetase (prpE from S. enterica) was placed under the control of the IPTG-inducible tac promoter (P(taclacUV5)) while the polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis operon (phaBCA) from R. eutropha was expressed constitutively. A strain of E. coli harboring both plasmids was grown in defined medium and PHBV was produced with specified hydroxyvalerate (HV) molar content between 5% and 18%. The molecular weight of the copolymer was approximately 700,000 across various HV contents, and average polydispersity was approximately 1.3. The majority of the PHBV production occurred during the late exponential/stationary phase. The HV content of the copolymer generally peaked early in the incubation before falling to its final value. We found that the time profiles of PrpE activity, propionyl-CoA, and acetyl-CoA were well correlated to the HV content time profile. Despite an abundance of propionyl-CoA, incorporation of HV into the copolymer was inefficient. Therefore, both the PHA operon and conditions affecting the availability of propionyl-CoA must be chosen carefully to achieve the desired HV content. The ability to engineer copolymer composition control into an E. coli strain would be useful in cases where the feedstock composition is not adjustable.     

Engineered Aeromonas hydrophila for enhanced production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) with alterable monomers composition

Aeromonas hydrophila 4AK4 produces poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) containing 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and about 15 mol% 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx) from dodecanoate. To study the factors affecting the monomer composition and PHBHHx content, genes encoding phasin (phaP), PHA synthase (phaC) and (R)-specific enoyl-CoA hydratase (phaJ) from Aeromonas punctata (formerly named Aeromonas caviae) were introduced individually or jointly into A. hydrophila 4AK4. The phaC gene increased 3HHx fraction more significantly than phaP, while phaJ had little effect. Expression of phaC alone increased the 3HHx fraction from 14 to 22 mol%. When phaC was co-expressed with phaP and phaJ, the 3HHx fraction increased from 14 to 34 mol%. Expression of phaP or phaC alone or with another gene enhanced PHBHHx content up to 64%, cell dry weight (CDW) as much as 4.4 gL(-1) and PHBHHx concentration to 2.7 gL(-1) after 48 h in shake flask culture. The results suggest that a higher PHA synthase activity could lead to a higher 3HHx fraction and PHBHHx content. Co-expression of phaJ with phaC or phaP would favor PHA accumulation, although over-expression of phaJ did not affect PHA synthesis much. In addition, inhibition of beta-oxidation by acrylate in A. hydrophila 4AK4 enhanced PHBHHx content. However, no monomers longer than 3HHx were detected. The results show that genetic modification of A. hydrophila 4AK4 enhanced PHBHHx production and altered monomer composition of the polymer.     

Genetic engineering of Serratia marcescens with bacterial hemoglobin gene: effects on growth, oxygen utilization, and cell size

The bacterial hemoglobin from Vitreoscilla has been shown to increase growth yield and yield of genetically engineered product in Escherichia coli. To test the generality of this phenomenon, the approximately 560-bp bacterial (Vitreoscilla) hemoglobin gene (vgb) (including the native promoter), cloned into the vector pUC8 in two constructs containing about 1650 and 850 bp, respectively, of Vitreoscilla DNA downstream of vgb, was transformed into Serratia marcescens. After several transfers of the transformants on selective media, both plasmids became stable in this host and the resulting strains produced hemoglobin. Both transformants were compared, regarding growth in liquid Luria-Bertani (LB) medium, with untransformed S. marcescens and S. marcescens transformed with pUC8. The vgb-bearing strains had about 5 times lower maximum viable cell numbers than the strains without hemoglobin, but the former also had late log or early stationary phase cells that were 5-10 times larger than those of the latter. Further, on a dry cell mass basis the presence of vgb inhibited cell growth in liquid media. In contrast, growth of the vgb-bearing strains on LB plates based on cell mass (determined from colony size) was markedly enhanced compared with that of the pUC8 transformant. Respiration of the vgb-bearing strains was lower than that of the strains without vgb on a cell mass basis. These results show that the presence of vgb can have idiosyncratic effects and is not always an aid to cell growth so that its use for genetic engineering must be tested on a case by case basis.     

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) formation from gamma-aminobutyrate and glutamate

To provide 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) formation from glutamate in Escherichia coli, an acetyl-CoA:4-hydroxybutyrate CoA transferase from Clostridium kluyveri, a 4-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase from Ralstonia eutropha, a gamma-aminobutyrate:2-ketoglutarate transaminase from Escherichia coli, and glutamate decarboxylases from Arabidopsis thaliana or E. coli were cloned and functionality tested by expression of single genes in E. coli to verify enzymatic activity, and uniquely assembled as operons under the control of the lac promoter. These operons were independently transformed into E. coli CT101 harboring the runaway replication vector pJM9238 for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production. Plasmid pJM9238 contains the PHA biosynthetic operon of R. eutropha under tac promoter control. Polyhydroxyalkanoate formation was monitored by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analysis of the chloroform extracted and ethanol precipitated polyesters. Functionality of the biosynthetic pathway for copolymer production was demonstrated through feeding experiments using various carbon sources that supplied different precursors within the 4HB-CoA biosynthetic pathway.     

嗜水气单胞菌WQ中PHBHHx的合成及其分子基础研究

聚羟基脂肪酸酯(Polyhydroxyalkanoate,PHA)是一系列生物合成的高分子材料,其单体可由多种3-羟基脂肪酸(3-hydroxyalkanoate,3HA)构成^[1]。PHA物理和机械性能的变化很大,从高脆性到弹性体,这跟它们的单体成分有很大关系^[2]。短链和中长链单体共聚的PHA比短链单体或中长链单体聚合得到的PHA有着更好的性能^[3]。在1994年,豚鼠气单胞菌(Aeromonas caviae)FA440被发现能以偶数碳原子数脂肪酸或植物油作为碳源在体内积累PHBHHx^[4]其PHA生物合成基因被成功克隆^[5]。根据亚基数目和底物特异性,PHA合成的关键酶,即PHA合酶或PhaC,被分成了3种类型。A．caviae的PHA合酶属于第1类PHA合酶^[6]。PHA合酶的一些类型含有一些保守的基因序列,该特征可被用于克隆,特别是第Ⅱ类PHA合酶^[2,8]。嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila)WQ和A．hydrophila 4AK4是能够合成PHBHHx的另外两种菌株,其中A．hydrophila 4AK4已被用作大规模生产PHBHHx。就目前来说,不管生长条件怎么改变,其合成的PHBHHx中3羟基己酸单体(3-hydroxyhexanoate,3HHx)的含量始终在12％～17％之间变化^[9]。而A．hydrophila WQ合成的PHBHHx中则含有6％～14％ 3HHx。本论文研究了A．hydrophila WQ的PHA生物合成及其分子基础。