Diversifying the Chemical Structures of Polymer Precursors Produced in E. coli

Worldwide demand for plastics and other polymers are on the rise, and sustainable alternatives to petroleum sources will help to meet this demand in the future. Therefore, much effort has recently focused on microbial production of hydroxy fatty acids and dicarboxylic acids from renewable sources. These classes of compounds can be polymerized to produce bio-based plastics, nylons and other useful materials.

Here we report comparison and evaluation of varying engineered pathways to produce both hydroxy fatty acids and dicarboxylic acids directly from glucose. We have explored variants of key enzymes in pathways to produce hydroxy fatty acids, and have optimized conditions for the production of various chain lengths and degrees of saturation. We have also developed a novel pathway specifically for the production of odd-carbon dicarboxylic acids, and we compare this pathway with previously reported systems. These results expand the portfolio of chemical products accessible through microbial fermentation and will allow metabolic engineers to tailor the chemical structures of hydroxy fatty acids and dicarboxylic fatty acids for specific industrial applications