title: Pilot-scale production of (S)-styrene oxide from styrene by recombinant Escherichia coli synthesizing styrene monooxygenase.
abstract: Recombinant Escherichia coli JM101(pSPZ10) cells produce the styrene monooxygenase of Pseudomonas sp. strain VLB120, which catalyzes the oxidation of styrene to (S)-styrene oxide at an enantiomeric excess larger than 99%. This biocatalyst was used to produce 388 g of styrene oxide in a two-liquid phase 30-L fed-batch bioconversion. The average overall volumetric activity was 170 U per liter over a period of more than 10 h, equivalent to mass transfer rates of 10.2 mmoles per liter per hour at a phase ratio of 0.5. At this transfer rate, the biotransformation system appeared to be substrate mass-transfer limited. The reactor had an estimated power input in the order of 5 W. L(-1), which is close to values typically obtained with commercially operating units. The product could be easily purified by fractional distillation to a purity in excess of 97%. The process illustrates the feasibility of recombinant whole cell biotransformations in two-liquid phase systems with toxic substrates and products.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH-Hönggerberg HPT, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panke
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Held
authors.forename: Marcel G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Wubbolts
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Witholt
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmid
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D020058:Styrene / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D020058:Styrene; C013690:styrene oxide; D010105:Oxygenases; C026721:styrene monooxygenase