Cell factory using C4 mimic metabolic engineering for prodigiosin production
- Publication Date: 2019-12-23
| Execution Methods | The differences between C4 and C3 carbon fixation pathways are C4 fas two phases reactions while carbon dioxides will fix first by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and then be released by malic enzyme for consequence Rubisco fixation. Malate could be considered as a reservoir for CO2 or a kind of condensing mechanism while malate could be also produced by glycolysis and TCA. Thus, if we could mimic C4 carbon fixation mechanism, we may recycle the CO2 that emitted from glycolysis back to main stream of carbon flux. The approach should enhance the total carbon flux and improve the productivity of cell factory for targeted compound. In this study, prodigiosin was used as a model target compound since it is a kind of natural pigments with pyrrolylpyrromethane skeleton and its’ derivatives have shown the potentials to act as anticancer drugs. In general, the metabolomics networks in prokaryote only need only two enzymes, prk and RuBisCO, to compensate the Calvin cycle with precursor RuBP. However, to mimic the complete C4 carbon fixation pathway, enzymes such as PEPC, ME, prk and RuBisCO will be introduced into E. coli host cell for confirming the function and then will be examined in original host for prodigiosin production. |
| Performance Evaluation | The initial results of the studies have been published in journal, we will continuously make efforts for obtaining research budget. Though the project, we have successfully link with the “Innovative Research Project for Symbiotic Ecosystem of Agriculture and Industry” which contained with five Japanese universities including Keio, Waseda, TIT, Tsukuba, and Obihiro. We will make progress together on the topics of Eco-friendly carbon recycling technology issues. |
| Conclusion & Suggestion | Through the C4 carbon fixation pathway that established in host cell, we could develop a novel type of cell factory that could recycling the CO2 from its own metabolism. The machinery for the new type cell factory could not only enhance the productivity of value-added compounds such as prodigiosin, but also could act as genetic bricks for building this kinds of cell factory for any host cells. |
| Appendix |