Genetic engineering of Synechocystis PCC6803 for the photoautotrophic production of the sweetener erythritol

Erythritol is a polyol that is used in the food and beverage industry. Due to its non-caloric and non-cariogenic properties, the popularity of this sweetener is increasing. Large scale production of erythritol is currently based on conversion of glucose by selected fungi. In this study, we describe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microbial cell factories 2016-04, Vol.15 (60), p.60-60, Article 60
Main Authors: van der Woude, Aniek D, Perez Gallego, Ruth, Vreugdenhil, Angie, Puthan Veetil, Vinod, Chroumpi, Tania, Hellingwerf, Klaas J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aldehyde Reductase - genetics
Aldehyde Reductase - metabolism
Autotrophic Processes
Codon
Erythritol - biosynthesis
Escherichia coli
Genetic engineering
Genetic Engineering - methods
Genetically modified organisms
Light
Organisms, Genetically Modified
Photosynthesis - genetics
Sugar Phosphates - metabolism
Sweetening Agents - metabolism
Synechocystis - genetics
Synechocystis - growth & development
Synechocystis - metabolism
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Summary:Erythritol is a polyol that is used in the food and beverage industry. Due to its non-caloric and non-cariogenic properties, the popularity of this sweetener is increasing. Large scale production of erythritol is currently based on conversion of glucose by selected fungi. In this study, we describe a biotechnological process to produce erythritol from light and CO2, using engineered Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. By functionally expressing codon-optimized genes encoding the erythrose-4-phosphate phosphatase TM1254 and the erythrose reductase Gcy1p, or GLD1, this cyanobacterium can directly convert the Calvin cycle intermediate erythrose-4-phosphate into erythritol via a two-step process and release the polyol sugar in the extracellular medium. Further modifications targeted enzyme expression and pathway intermediates. After several optimization steps, the best strain, SEP024, produced up to 2.1 mM (256 mg/l) erythritol, excreted in the medium.
ISSN:1475-2859
1475-2859
DOI:10.1186/s12934-016-0458-y