Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Claudia Durall, Kateryna Kukil, Jeffrey A. Hawkes, Alessia Albergati, Peter Lindblad, Pia Lindberg
Summary: This study successfully introduced the glyoxylate shunt into Synechocystis PCC 6803 and found that complete expression of the glyoxylate shunt can increase succinate accumulation. Supplementation with succinate dehydrogenase enzyme inhibitor and acetate can further enhance succinate accumulation in the presence of nitrate.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Dragan Miscevic, Ju-Yi Mao, Teshager Kefale, Daryoush Abedi, Murray Moo-Young, C. Perry Chou
Summary: This study describes the development of a microbial bioprocess usingEscherichia colito produce high levels of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). Through the implementation of the Shemin pathway and CRISPRi interference, metabolic engineering strategies were applied to direct carbon flux and enhance the biosynthesis of 5-ALA, achieving significant production yields.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dorota M. Krzyzanowska, Magdalena Jablonska, Zbigniew Kaczynski, Malgorzata Czerwicka-Pach, Katarzyna Macur, Sylwia Jafra
Summary: Using RNAseq, we compared the transcriptomic responses of Pseudomonas donghuensis P482 to root exudates of tomato and maize. We found that tomato exudates specifically induced nitric oxide detoxification, repair of iron-sulfur clusters, respiration through the cyanide-insensitive cytochrome bd, and catabolism of amino and/or fatty acids. Maize exudates specifically induced the activity of the MexE RND-type efflux pump and copper tolerance. The shared response to exudates was influenced by compounds from the plants and their growth environment.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Davinder Lall, Dragan Miscevic, Mark Bruder, Adam Westbrook, Marc Aucoin, Murray Moo-Young, C. Perry Chou
Summary: Strain engineering and bioprocessing strategies were utilized to produce porphobilinogen (PBG) using Escherichia coli as the cell factory. By implementing non-native pathways, directing carbon flux, and utilizing CRISPRi technology for genetic regulation, high PBG titers were achieved with improved stability and accumulation. This study identified potential factors limiting PBG production and demonstrated effective metabolic engineering approaches for enhancing biobased PBG production.
BIORESOURCES AND BIOPROCESSING
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ratanti Sarkhel, Shekhar Apoorva, Swagatika Priyadarsini, Hari Balaji Sridhar, Sanjeev Kumar Bhure, Manish Mahawar
Summary: The malate synthase (MS) contributes to the survival and virulence of S. Typhimurium under carbon limiting and oxidative stress conditions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ya Xu, Di You, Bang-Ce Ye
Summary: Phosphate stress regulates the glyoxylate shunt pathway by controlling the transcription of icl gene in M. smegmatis, impacting the growth and survival of the bacteria. Deactivation of RegX3 leads to increased icl transcription and ICL activity, resulting in growth defects in M. smegmatis.
ACS INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zamira E. Soto-Varela, Gema Cabrera, Agustin Romero, Domingo Cantero, Antonio Valle, Jorge Bolivar
Summary: This study investigates the production of dicarboxylic acids (C4) from renewable carbon sources using Escherichia coli. Overexpression of phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase (Ppc) enhances succinate production, while phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (Pck) favors malate production. Optimization of culture conditions also plays a crucial role in malate production.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maithily S. Nanadikar, Ana M. Vergel Leon, Jia Guo, Gijsbert J. van Belle, Aline Jatho, Elvina S. Philip, Astrid F. Brandner, Rainer A. Boeckmann, Runzhu Shi, Anke Zieseniss, Carla M. Siemssen, Katja Dettmer, Susanne Brodesser, Marlen Schmidtendorf, Jingyun Lee, Hanzhi Wu, Cristina M. Furdui, Soren Brandenburg, Joseph R. Burgoyne, Ivan Bogeski, Jan Riemer, Arpita Chowdhury, Peter Rehling, Tobias Bruegmann, Vsevolod V. Belousov, Dorthe M. Katschinski
Summary: The authors identify the gamma-subunit of IDH3 as a redox switch linking oxidative stress to impaired metabolism and heart function, providing new insights into the relationship between redox signaling and cardiac function. They demonstrate that increased endogenous production of H2O2 leads to reversible impairment of cardiac contractility and identify specific cysteine residues in IDH3 gamma as critical for H2O2-dependent regulation of IDH3 activity.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Natasha Lopes Fischer, Sunny Shin, Igor E. Brodsky
Summary: Itaconate and iNOS work together to regulate NLRP3 inflammasome activity, reducing cytokine secretion and cell death.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Chao Yang, Zhi Li, Dongdong Zhao, Jing Chen, Xinna Zhu, Xueli Zhang, Changhao Bi
Summary: By investigating the endogenous hydrogenase genes of Escherichia coli, a versatile biological platform was constructed for efficient utilization of H-2, with further improvements made through modulation of gene expression and engineering of the rTCA cycle and CO2 supplementation pathways, resulting in increased succinate yield.
BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Dragan Miscevic, Ju-Yi Mao, Bradley Mozell, Kajan Srirangan, Daryoush Abedi, Murray Moo-Young, C. Perry Chou
Summary: The study applied metabolic engineering and bioprocessing strategies to enhance the heterologous production of PHBV with a modulated 3-HV monomeric fraction in engineered E. coli under different oxygenic conditions. By regulating carbon flux channeling and oxygenic conditions, high-level PHBV biosynthesis with a wide range of 3-HV monomeric fraction was achieved, potentially enabling the fine-tuning of PHBV mechanical properties at the biosynthesis stage. Similar strategies could be applied to enhance bio-based production of chemicals derived from succinyl-CoA.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Tae Seok Oh, Damian C. Hutchins, Rabina Mainali, Kevin H. Goslen, Matthew A. Quinn
Summary: Itaconate, a metabolite in the Krebs cycle, has gained attention for its anti-inflammatory effects. However, its impact on muscle differentiation is not well understood. This study found that itaconate and its derivatives disrupt muscle differentiation in vitro and in vivo, potentially by inhibiting specific enzymes and accumulating certain metabolites.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Wendy Escobedo-Hinojosa, Maria Agustina Vila, Julian L. Wissner, Natalie Haerterich, Philip Horz, Cesar Iglesias, Bernhard Hauer
Summary: Glycerol dehydrogenase (GldA) from Escherichia coli can oxidize glycerol to dihydroxyacetone and accept larger C6-C8 alcohols as substrates. This is important for E. coli-based cell factories expressing Rieske non-heme iron dioxygenases, as GldA can degrade valuable products, hampering the expected performance of the recombinant platform.
JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Evelyn Yu-Wen Huang, Brooke X. C. Kwai, Ram Prasad Bhusal, Ghader Bashiri, Ivanhoe K. H. Leung
Summary: The icl2 gene in Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv encodes two different products, Rv1915 and Rv1916, due to a frameshift mutation. While Rv1916 shows structural similarities to the C-terminal domain of ICL2 and can bind acetyl-CoA, it lacks isocitrate lyase activity. Caution should be exercised when using Mtb H37Rv as a model organism for studying central carbon metabolism due to potential differences between full-length ICL2 and the gene products Rv1915 and Rv1916.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Bui Hoang Dang Long, Masahiro Nishiyama, Rintaro Sato, Tomonari Tanaka, Hitomi Ohara, Yuji Aso
Summary: In this study, a novel method for producing glyoxylate from glucose using engineered Escherichia coli BW25113 was proposed. By disrupting certain genes and reinforcing the glyoxylate shunt pathway, a glyoxylate titer of 0.93 ± 0.17 g/L was achieved in flask cultivation. Further overexpression of certain genes resulted in an improvement in glyoxylate production to 1.15 ± 0.02 g/L. Additionally, by expressing a heterologous gene, pyc, the production of glyoxylate was increased to 2.42 ± 0.00 g/L, the highest reported titer and specific productivity of glyoxylate in E. coli to date.
FERMENTATION-BASEL
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Kun-Qiang Hong, Xiao-Meng Fu, Hao Yin, Shu-Ting Li, Tao Chen, Zhi-Wen Wang
Summary: Analytical methods for the quantification of polyhydroxylated alkaloids like 1-DNJ require a multifaceted approach, with recent advancements in extraction, purification, detection, and identification techniques enhancing efficiency and accuracy. This review overviewed the available methods and highlighted different strategies for the design of 1-DNJ detection methods, analyzing them in light of recent detection data. Perspectives on future strategies for increasing the efficiency of identification and quantification of 1-DNJ were also provided.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Juntao Zhao, Feng Li, Yingxiu Cao, Xinbo Zhang, Tao Chen, Hao Song, Zhiwen Wang
Summary: This review explores the extracellular electron transfer (EET) mechanisms of electroactive microorganisms (EAMs) and their applications in bioelectrochemical systems, focusing on bacteria, fungi, and archaea. Additionally, the article provides detailed insights into three engineering strategies aimed at improving the EET ability of EAMs.
BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Cong Chen, Tao Chen, Zhiwen Wang, Xueming Zhao
Summary: Metabolic engineering has made significant progress in both academic research and industrial applications in recent years. This study conducted an in-depth analysis of the current development and future trends of global metabolic engineering, as well as the situation in China, aiming to provide a reference for future research and national public policy in science and technology.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Leilei Wang, Yufeng Mao, Zhiwen Wang, Hongwu Ma, Tao Chen
Summary: Beta-alanine is a naturally occurring amino acid with important physiological functions, despite not being incorporated into proteins. Its biological production is gaining more attention due to its wide industrial applications and environmental concerns. Research progress in natural microorganism synthesis and optimization of biological pathways offers promising new approaches.
WORLD JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Wenya Hu, Shuang Liu, Zhiwen Wang, Tao Chen
Summary: This study successfully enhanced riboflavin production in Escherichia coli by fine-tuning the expression levels of ribF, purA, and guaC genes using synthetic regulatory small RNAs. The best strain achieved the highest yield of riboflavin by optimizing promoters and co-expressing different sRNAs, leading to a significant increase in riboflavin titer compared to the base strain. Overall, this is the first study to simultaneously regulate multiple genes to enhance riboflavin synthesis, resulting in a record-high yield among reported strains.
JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zhenzhen Cui, Zhiwen Wang, Meiyu Zheng, Tao Chen
Summary: Acetoin, a widely used high-value-added bio-based platform chemical, is important in various industries like food, cosmetics, agriculture, and chemicals. Different approaches for acetoin production, including electrode-assisted fermentation, whole-cell biocatalysis, and in vitro/cell-free biocatalysis, have been reviewed. Advantages and disadvantages of these methods are discussed in relation to the progress towards economic, green, and efficient acetoin production.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Shuang Liu, Wenya Hu, Zhiwen Wang, Tao Chen
Summary: Riboflavin production in Escherichia coli LS31T was significantly increased by employing multiple strategies and optimizations, leading to the highest titer and yield achieved in fed-batch fermentation among all rationally engineered strains.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jing Zhang, Biao Jin, Kunqiang Hong, You Lv, Zhiwen Wang, Tao Chen
Summary: Through genetic engineering, Halomonas bluephagenesis with high tolerance successfully produces high titers of itaconic acid (IA) from citrate using a cell catalytic strategy. Under optimized conditions, the conversion rate reaches 93.24% with a productivity of 1.63 g/(L h).
ACS SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yongjun Wei, Boyang Ji, Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro, Tao Chen, Xiao-Jun Ji
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zhishuai Chang, Wei Dai, Yufeng Mao, Zhenzhen Cui, Zhidan Zhang, Zhiwen Wang, Hongwu Ma, Tao Chen
Summary: This study explored the potential of using Corynebacterium glutamicum as a host to produce 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) from acetate. Through optimizing enzyme expression and metabolic pathways, the production yield and titer of 3-HP were successfully increased.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Kun-Qiang Hong, Jing Zhang, Biao Jin, Tao Chen, Zhi-Wen Wang
Summary: Synthetic glycine-OFF and -ON riboswitches were successfully designed and screened, showing broad application in tunable regulation, dynamic regulation, and directed evolution of enzymes in E. coli.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jing Zhang, Biao Jin, Jing Fu, Zhiwen Wang, Tao Chen
Summary: In this study, adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) was used to improve the acetate adaptability and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) production of Halomonas bluephagenesis. The evolved strain B71 showed better fitness to high concentrations of acetate and produced a higher PHB titer compared to the parental strain. Genetic mutations were identified as possible contributors to the improved acetate adaptability and PHB production. The results highlight the efficient utilization of H. bluephagenesis for the production of PHB or other high-value chemicals using ALE.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mengyun Kou, Zhenzhen Cui, Jing Fu, Wei Dai, Zhiwen Wang, Tao Chen
Summary: In this study, a C. glutamicum strain was engineered to efficiently produce optically pure (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol. Through genetic modification and fermentation engineering, the titer of (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol reached a record-high level, making C. glutamicum a competitive candidate for commercial production of this compound.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qiuyu Yang, Juntao Zhao, Yangyang Zheng, Tao Chen, Zhiwen Wang
Summary: Heme b, characterized by a ferrous ion and a porphyrin macrocycle, is used as a prosthetic group for enzymes and has wide applications in medicine, food, chemical production, and other fields. This review summarizes the progress in microbial synthesis of heme b, describing three different pathways and highlighting metabolic engineering strategies. New detection methods such as HPLC and biosensors are replacing UV spectrophotometric detection of heme b, and this review provides a summary of recent methods. Future prospects for improving heme b biosynthesis and understanding regulatory mechanisms are discussed.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Shiqi Luo, Juntao Zhao, Yangyang Zheng, Tao Chen, Zhiwen Wang
Summary: This article provides a detailed description of the two biosynthetic pathways of NMN and introduces the latest studies on NMN production through different pathways using metabolic engineering strategies. NMN accumulation can be improved by optimizing the activity of key enzymes, enhancing the supply of precursors and co-factors, inhibiting the synthesis of byproducts, and promoting product export. Finally, the current challenges of producing NMN and possible solutions for the future are discussed.
FERMENTATION-BASEL
(2023)