Engineering Flocculation for Improved Tolerance and Production of d-Lactic Acid in Pichia pastoris.

ABSTRACT: d-lactic acid, a chiral organic acid, can enhance the thermal stability of polylactic acid plastics. Microorganisms such as the yeast Pichia pastoris, which lack the natural ability to produce or accumulate high amounts of d-lactic acid, have been metabolically engineered to produce it in high titers. However, tolerance to d-lactic acid remains a challenge. In this study, we demonstrate that cell flocculation improves tolerance to d-lactic acid and increases d-lactic acid production in Pichia pastoris. By incorporating a flocculation gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ScFLO1) into P. pastoris KM71, we created a strain (KM71-ScFlo1) that demonstrated up to a 1.6-fold improvement in specific growth rate at high d-lactic acid concentrations. Furthermore, in

SUBMITTER: Sae-Tang K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10143824 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature