Engineering carboxylic acid reductase for selective synthesis of medium-chain fatty alcohols in yeast.

ABSTRACT: Medium-chain fatty alcohols (MCFOHs, C6 to C12) are potential substitutes for fossil fuels, such as diesel and jet fuels, and have wide applications in various manufacturing processes. While today MCFOHs are mainly sourced from petrochemicals or plant oils, microbial biosynthesis represents a scalable, reliable, and sustainable alternative. Here, we aim to establish a Saccharomyces cerevisiae platform capable of selectively producing MCFOHs. This was enabled by tailoring the properties of a bacterial carboxylic acid reductase from Mycobacterium marinum (MmCAR). Extensive protein engineering, including directed evolution, structure-guided semirational design, and rational design, was implemented. MmCAR variants with enhanced activity were identified using a growth-coupled high

SUBMITTER: Hu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7502760 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature