Results of metabolic pathway optimization for synthesis of propylene oxide by microbial engineering?

Results of metabolic pathway optimization for synthesis of propylene oxide by microbial engineering

Propylene oxide (Propylene, PO) is an important chemical raw material, widely used in polyurethane, epoxy resin, surfactant and other fields. The traditional production of propylene oxide mainly depends on the petrochemical route, which has the problems of large resource consumption and serious environmental pollution. In recent years, with the popularization of green chemistry and the concept of sustainable development, the research on the synthesis of propylene oxide by microbial engineering has attracted much attention. Through the optimization of metabolic pathways, scientists have achieved a series of important results, providing new possibilities for industrial production.

1. Microbial synthesis of propylene oxide metabolic pathway design

The synthesis of propylene oxide usually takes place through multiple metabolic steps. In microbial engineering, researchers need to rationally design and optimize the metabolic pathways of host bacteria to improve the yield and transformation efficiency of target products. Common design strategies include modular metabolic pathway reengineering, molecular evolution of key enzymes, and optimization of gene regulatory networks.

Taking E. coli as an example, researchers can construct a metabolic pathway for the direct synthesis of propylene oxide from simple substrates such as ethanol or glucose by introducing foreign genes. These foreign genes are usually derived from microorganisms that can naturally synthesize similar products, or modified by artificial synthetic biology techniques. For example, by optimizing the catalytic efficiency and thermal stability of key enzymes, the synthesis rate of propylene oxide can be significantly increased.

2. Key enzyme research and transformation

In the process of microbial synthesis of propylene oxide, the performance of key enzymes directly affects the efficiency of metabolic pathways. Therefore, the researchers have conducted in-depth studies on these enzymes and modified them through molecular biology techniques.

The thermal stability and substrate specificity of key enzymes are the focus of optimization. For example, through site-directed mutagenesis and random mutagenesis screening, mutants with higher catalytic efficiency can be obtained. Using computational tools to predict the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme, and further optimize its catalytic performance through rational design. Synthetic biology techniques have also been used to engineer host cells to express these key enzymes more efficiently.

3. Systems metabolic engineering in propylene oxide synthesis

Systematic metabolic engineering is a method to optimize the metabolic network of host bacteria by using genome editing, metabolic flow analysis and metabolic model construction. In the synthesis of propylene oxide, researchers have solved several key problems by means of systemic metabolic engineering.

The researchers optimized the central carbon metabolism pathway of the host bacteria to improve the utilization of carbon sources. By gene knockout or overexpression of a particular gene, side reactions detrimental to the synthesis of the target product are eliminated. Using metabolic flow analysis technology, researchers can monitor the accumulation of intermediates in the pathway in real time and regulate them in a targeted manner.

4. Results and Prospects

At present, a variety of microorganisms have been successfully used in the synthesis of propylene oxide, and the yield of some of the high-yield strains has reached the level of industrial application. These results show that microbial engineering synthesis of propylene oxide has great potential. In the future, with the further development of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, the microbial synthesis of propylene oxide will move towards higher efficiency and lower cost.

The optimization of metabolic pathway for the synthesis of propylene oxide by microbial engineering provides a new idea for the production of green chemical industry. Through rational design and system optimization, researchers can not only improve the yield of products, but also reduce the burden on the environment. This sustainable production method will undoubtedly promote the transformation and upgrading of the propylene oxide industry and inject new vitality into the social and economic development.