Production of ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway derived dicarboxylic acids mesaconic and (2S)-methylsuccinic acid from methanol by Methylobacterium extorquens

Bild Forschungsprojekt
Period: 01.01.2012 - 31.12.2014 
Partner: ETH Zürich, Stiftelsen SINTEF, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG), PROMAR AS, Universität Bielefeld, INSA Toulouse, Insilico Biotechnology AG
Funder: EU
Project Manager: Dr. Markus Buchhaupt
Research Group: Biochemical Engineering

There is a high need for sustainably producible chemical building blocks being applicable e.g. as monomers for novel bioplastics. The ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway (EMCP) harbors several CoA-esters such as ethylmalonyl-, methylsuccinyl- or mesaconyl-CoA whose free dicarboxylic acid derivatives potentially present promising synthons for chemical industry. The EMCP in Methylobacterium extorquens offers the possibility to produce these new building blocks directly from the cheap and non-food competing C-source methanol.

Suitable thioesterases for production of different EMCP-derived dicarboxylic acids were identified by in vitro assays and their expression levels in M. extorquens optimized. Productivities of different strains were compared and increased by different metabolic engineering and medium optimization strategies. A current focus of this project is the identification of acid reuptake and utilization mechanisms. Altogether we aim to establish the biotechnological production of unconventional dicarboxylic acids from methanol with high efficiency.

 

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