Carbon fluxes rewiring in engineered E. coli via reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle pathway under chemolithotrophic condition.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A transgenic strain of Escherichia coli has been engineered to directly assimilate gaseous CO₂ into its biomass through hydrogen-powered anaerobic respiration. This was achieved by expressing key components of the reverse tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle, including genes encoding α-ketoglutarate: ferredoxin oxidoreductase (KOR) and ATP-dependent citrate lyase (ACL) from Chlorobium tepidum. These enzymes were selected for their essential roles in enabling CO₂ fixation and integration into central metabolism.

Results

This study found that KOR alone can support cellular maintenance under chemolithotrophic conditions, while additional expression of ACL enhances CO₂ assimilation. Using isotopic ¹³CO₂ tracing, it was

SUBMITTER: Peng JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11863533 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature