Biosynthesis of poly(ester amide)s in engineered Escherichia coli

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Polymer Science
• Synthetic Biology

Background:

• The plastic industry urgently needs sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based polymers.
• Biobased polymers offer a renewable solution to reduce environmental impact.
• Developing efficient biosynthesis routes for novel biopolymers is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the biosynthesis and characterization of poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) in Escherichia coli.
• To establish a new-to-nature amino acid polymerization pathway for biopolymer production.
• To investigate the structure-property relationships of biosynthesized PEAs.

Main Methods:

• Engineered Escherichia coli strains with a novel amino acid polymerization pathway.
• Enzymatic activation of amino acids by β-alanine CoA transferase.
• Polymerization of amino acyl-CoA using polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase.

Main Results:

• Successful biosynthesis of various PEAs with tunable monomer compositions.
• Demonstrated dependence of molecular weight on polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase type.
• Observed decreased melting temperature and crystallinity with increased 3-aminopropionate fraction.
• Achieved enhanced elongation at break compared to polyester analogs.

Conclusions:

• Engineered E. coli can efficiently biosynthesize diverse poly(ester amide)s.
• The developed pathway enables the production of biobased PEAs from renewable resources.
• This system provides a sustainable platform for creating novel biopolymers with tailored properties.