Microbial production of 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid from lignin derivatives in an engineered Pseudomonas putida and its application for the synthesis of bio-based polyester
Siseon Lee, Ye Jean Jung, Si Jae Park, Mi‐Hee Ryu, Joo Eon Kim, Hye Min Song, Kyoung Hee Kang, Bong Keun Song, Bong Hyun Sung, Yong Hwan Kim, Hee Taek Kim, Jeong Chan Joo
Abstract
Lignin valorization depends on microbial upcycling of various aromatic compounds in the form of a complex mixture, including p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid. In this study, an engineered Pseudomonas putida strain utilizing lignin-derived monomeric compounds via biological funneling was developed to produce 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDC), which has been considered a promising building block for bioplastics. The biosynthetic pathway for PDC production was established by introducing the heterologous ligABC genes under the promoter Ptac in a strain lacking pcaGH genes to accumulate a precursor of PDC, i.e., protocatechuic acid. Based on the culture optimization, fed-batch fermentation of the final strain resulted in 22.7 g/L PDC with a molar yield of 1.0 mol/mol and productivity of 0.21 g/L/h. Subsequent purification of PDC at high purity was successfully implemented, which was consequently applied for the novel polyester.