Engineering Halomonas bluephagenesis for high-efficiency biosynthesis of pyruvate

Pyruvate, a C3 platform compound, has significant applications across multiple sectors, including bio-based materials (e.g., polylactic acid), pharmaceutical intermediates (such as L-alanine), and food additives. Biomanufacturing via microbial fermentation provides renewable feedstocks and cleaner processes compared to traditional petroleum-based methods. This study explores the extremophilic halophile Halomonas bluephagenesis TD01 as a chassis organism for pyruvate production. To enhance pyruvate synthesis, several engineering strategies were implemented, including blocking the primary carbon consumption pathway, eliminating pyruvate bypass degradation, reducing tricarboxylic acid cycle activity, removing the glycolic acid cycle, regulating transcription factors, and minimizing pyruvate reabsorption and utilization. The engineered H. bluephagenesis TD1.24 produced 39 g/L pyruvate in a 50-h non-sterile fed-batch fermentation. Simultaneously, the high-pyruvate-producing strains showed improved conversion rate of PHB and efficient acetoin synthesis. H. bluephagenesis demonstrated robustness as a chassis for next generation industrial biotechnology (NGIB), enabling the production of both its native and a broader range of biological products.