Mevalonate production by engineered acetogen biocatalyst during continuous fermentation of syngas or CO₂/H₂ blend

Naturally mevalonate-resistant acetogen Clostridium sp. MT1243 produced only 425 mM acetate during syngas fermentation. Using Clostridium sp. MT1243 we engineered biocatalyst selectively producing mevalonate from synthesis gas or CO₂/H₂ blend. Acetate production and spore formation were eliminated from Clostridium sp. MT1243 using Cre-lox66/lox71-system. Cell energy released via elimination of phosphotransacetylase, acetate kinase and early stage sporulation genes powered mevalonate accumulation in fermentation broth due to expression of synthetic thiolase, HMG-synthase, and HMG-reductase, three copies of each, integrated using Tn7-approach. Recombinants produced 145 mM mevalonate in five independent single-step fermentation runs 25 days each in five repeats using syngas blend 60% CO and 40% H₂ (v/v) (p < 0.005). Mevalonate production was 97 mM if only CO₂/H₂ blend was fed instead of syngas (p < 0.005). Mevalonate from CO₂/H₂ blend might serve as a commercial route to mitigate global warming in proportion to CO₂ fermentation scale worldwide.