Bacterial synthesis of C3-C5 diols via extending amino acid catabolism

Abstract

Significance To date, most industrially relevant bioproduction processes rely on sugar-based feedstocks, whereas utilization of ever-increasing protein wastes or hydrolysates, e.g., amino acids (AAs), for chemical production has been less explored. Currently, AAs that generated from cheap protein-rich wastes or overproduced from industrial fermentation mainly serve as animal feed additives and flavor ingredients. Considering the natural abundance and structural diversity of AAs, they may serve as new platform chemicals for chemical expansion in microbial systems. Through combination of a common catabolism of charged AAs and a diol production pathway, we devise a general metabolic platform that converts multiple AAs and glucose into C3-C5 diols. Our work presents a platform that enriches the pathway repertoire for nonnatural diols with expanded feedstock flexibility.