PELIG · Characterisation of a Novel Pathway for Lignin Fragment Degradation in Rhodococcus jostii
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2016-10-06 → 2018-10-05
- EU contribution
- €183,455
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
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Results in brief
Characterisation of a Novel Pathway for Lignin Fragment Degradation in Rhodococcus jostii
Petroleum is currently the raw materials for production of industrial chemicals which are used for fine chemicals manufacture, polymer synthesis, and food/flavour chemistry. The emerging issues such as shortage of traditional fossil fuels and environmental pollution have prompted people to explore innovative alternatives, especially from renewable resources. Lignin, consists of phenylpropanoids, represents an attractive raw material for renewable aromatic chemicals. This substance is found as a major component of plant biomass (10-30%), and produced approximately 50 million tonnes worldwide as by-products of the paper industry annually. Therefore, this lignin-to-chemical platform provides a new valuable product stream to enhance the economics and benefit the society. However, due to its extremely complex structure, the effect utilisation of lignin has not been achieved yet. In nature, microorganisms including bacteria could degrade lignin and consume it as carbon source for growth, which has attracted considerable attention from researchers exploring the relevant metabolic pathways and intercepting that process to accumulate highly valuable products. Theoretically aromatic catabolic pathways can be engineered to funnel the products to different biological intermediates, thus opening up a new field of metabolic engineering for lignin utilisation. Hence, the discovery of unknown lignin metabolic pathways and gene products in bacteria is of importance. The overall objective of this study is to explore and manipulate a novel lignin metabolic pathway catalysed by benzoylformate decarboxylase in Rhodococcus jostii for lignin-based renewable chemicals production via a synthetic biology approach.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Lignin, composed of phenylpropanoic units, represents an attractive raw material for renewable aromatic chemicals. Lignin valorisation instead of petrochemical industry for chemicals production is a hot research area in green chemistry. Microorganisms have been proven to evolve metabolic pathways that enable the break-down of lignin; however, this lignin-to-chemicals bioconversion by both fungi and bacteria lacks essential attributes to commercial implementation. In the forefront, “omics” research has pointed out potential target genes and enzymes for manipulation, leading to more applied lignin bioconversion studies. Bacterial lignin metabolism is attracting more attention due to its relatively simple protein expression and genetic modification compared to fungi, which provides a potential application of a targeted pathway engineering strategy for diversified lignin-derived byproducts accumulation and yield enhancement. Hence, the discovery of unknown lignin metabolic pathways and gene products in bacteria is of importance. In this context, the current proposed research will explore and manipulate a novel lignin metabolic pathway - transketolase lignin degradation pathway - in Rhodococcus for lignin-based renewable chemicals production by using a synthetic biology approach. The goal will be achieved by pursuing the following two objectives: 1) elucidation and characterization of the novel enzyme encoded with tklX and evaluation of its activity reacted with lignin model compounds as transketolase; 2) targeted gene deletion for pathway engineering in genetically tractable hosts to manipulate lignin breakdown. The results of this study will therefore establish a promising foundation for production of lignin-derived chemicals from renewable feedstocks via catabolic pathways. Meanwhile, the Action will clearly provide the Applicant with unique opportunities to reach a position of professional maturity.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK · COVENTRYCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union