Metabolic Engineering for Effective Synthesis of 2-Hydroxyadipate

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Metabolic Engineering
• Synthetic Biology

Background:

• Adipic acid is a crucial monomer for nylon-6,6 production.
• Biosynthesis of adipic acid is gaining attention as a sustainable alternative.
• 2-hydroxyadipate is a key intermediate in the l-lysine-based adipic acid biosynthesis pathway.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct and optimize the biosynthesis pathway of 2-hydroxyadipate in Escherichia coli.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of large-scale 2-hydroxyadipate production.
• To lay the foundation for the microbial production of adipic acid and bio-based nylon.

Main Methods:

• Construction of the 2-hydroxyadipate biosynthesis pathway in Escherichia coli.
• Enhancement of precursor synthesis and cofactor regulation.
• Optimization using transcriptome analysis for yield improvement.
• Scale-up studies in a 5 L bioreactor.

Main Results:

• First-time successful biosynthesis of 2-hydroxyadipate.
• Achieved 7.11 g/L 2-hydroxyadipate production in a 5 L bioreactor.
• Further optimized production reached 11.1 g/L 2-hydroxyadipate in a 5 L bioreactor.
• Demonstrated scale-up potential for 2-hydroxyadipate production.

Conclusions:

• The engineered Escherichia coli strain efficiently produces 2-hydroxyadipate.
• The study validates the potential for microbial production of adipic acid precursors.
• This work provides a foundation for sustainable bionylon production.