Engineering 1-Alkene Biosynthesis and Secretion by Dynamic Regulation in Yeast

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Synthetic Biology
• Metabolic Engineering

Background:

• Microbial production of fatty acid-derived hydrocarbons presents a sustainable route for biofuels and oleochemicals.
• Achieving high production rates and efficient product secretion are critical challenges for economic viability.
• Low secretion efficiency increases separation costs, necessitating engineered solutions for product export.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer Saccharomyces cerevisiae for enhanced production and secretion of 1-alkenes.
• To overcome limitations in hydrocarbon production rate and secretion efficiency.
• To develop a dynamic regulation strategy for improved cell growth and product yield.

Main Methods:

• Genetic engineering of fatty acid metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• Strategic selection and expression of key enzymes and a transporter for 1-alkene synthesis and export.
• Implementation of a dynamic gene expression control system for membrane proteins.

Main Results:

• Engineered yeast produced 35.3 mg/L of 1-alkenes, a significant improvement.
• Over 80% of the produced 1-alkenes were secreted, reducing downstream processing costs.
• Dynamic regulation enhanced both 1-alkene production and cell growth by mitigating protein toxicity.

Conclusions:

• The engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain is a promising cell factory for sustainable 1-alkene production.
• The developed dynamic regulation strategy effectively balances product synthesis, secretion, and cell viability.
• This work represents a tenfold increase in hydrocarbon production by yeast, paving the way for industrial applications.