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Multimodular Pathway Engineering of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens for Intensifying Iturin A Production
Zheng-Jie Hou1, Wei Shang1, Kai-Ge Song1
1State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Synthetic Biology and Biomanufacturing, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
|September 16, 2025
Summary
Metabolic engineering significantly boosted iturin A (a lipopeptide) production in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens by optimizing precursor pathways. This breakthrough achieved record-high yields, paving the way for industrial applications.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Biotechnology
- Synthetic Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Iturin A is a valuable lipopeptide with diverse applications.
- Current microbial production is limited by precursor supply and metabolic bottlenecks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance iturin A biosynthesis in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens through a modular metabolic engineering strategy.
- To overcome limitations in precursor availability and metabolic inefficiencies.
Main Methods:
- Engineered Bacillus amyloliquefaciens by modifying fatty acid, proline, serine, and branched-chain amino acid pathways.
- Manipulated genes involved in precursor synthesis and degradation (e.g., fapR, fabG, mmgA, fadM, sdaAB, proBA, serC, ilvD, gabT).
- Enhanced nitrogen acquisition via overexpression of the oligopeptide transporter (opp) operon.
Main Results:
- Developed an engineered strain (ITUz21) with significantly improved iturin A production.
- Achieved a record iturin A titer of 7.62 g/L.
- Reached a productivity of 0.14 g/L/h in a 7.5 L bioreactor.
Conclusions:
- Coordinated engineering of precursor pathways is highly effective for boosting microbial iturin A production.
- The developed strain and strategy represent a significant advancement in iturin A biosynthesis.
- Findings support the potential for large-scale industrial production of iturin A.
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