RRC ID 29432
Author Fujita T, Nguyen HD, Ito T, Zhou S, Osada L, Tateyama S, Kaneko T, Takaya N.
Title Microbial monomers custom-synthesized to build true bio-derived aromatic polymers.
Journal Appl Microbiol Biotechnol
Abstract Aromatic polymers include novel and extant functional materials although none has been produced from biotic building blocks derived from primary biomass glucose. Here we screened microbial aromatic metabolites, engineered bacterial metabolism and fermented the aromatic lactic acid derivative β-phenyllactic acid (PhLA). We expressed the Wickerhamia fluorescens gene (pprA) encoding a phenylpyruvate reductase in Escherichia coli strains producing high levels of phenylalanine, and fermented optically pure (>99.9 %) D-PhLA. Replacing pprA with bacterial ldhA encoding lactate dehydrogenase generated L-PhLA, indicating that the produced enzymes converted phenylpyruvate, which is an intermediate of phenylalanine synthesis, to these chiral PhLAs. Glucose was converted under optimized fermentation conditions to yield 29 g/l D-PhLA, which was purified from fermentation broth. The product satisfied the laboratory-scale chemical synthesis of poly(D-PhLA) with M w 28,000 and allowed initial physiochemical characterization. Poly(D-PhLA) absorbed near ultraviolet light, and has the same potential as all other biomass-derived aromatic bioplastics of phenylated derivatives of poly(lactic acid). This approach to screening and fermenting aromatic monomers from glucose exploits a new era of bio-based aromatic polymer design and will contribute to petroleum conservation and carbon dioxide fixation.
Volume 97(20)
Pages 8887-94
Published 2013-10-1
DOI 10.1007/s00253-013-5078-4
PMID 23949992
MeSH Biomass Biopolymers / biosynthesis* Bioreactors / microbiology Escherichia coli / genetics Escherichia coli / metabolism* Fermentation Genetic Engineering Lactates / metabolism Volatile Organic Compounds / metabolism*
IF 3.53
Times Cited 34
WOS Category BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
Resource
General Microbes JCM 21823