title: Engineering the isobutanol biosynthetic pathway in Escherichia coli by comparison of three aldehyde reductase/alcohol dehydrogenase genes.
abstract: Biofuels synthesized from renewable resources are of increasing interest because of global energy and environmental problems. We have previously demonstrated production of higher alcohols from Escherichia coli using a 2-keto acid-based pathway. Here, we have compared the effect of various alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) for the last step of the isobutanol production. E. coli has the yqhD gene which encodes a broad-range ADH. Isobutanol production significantly decreased with the deletion of yqhD, suggesting that the yqhD gene on the genome contributed to isobutanol production. The adh genes of two bacteria and one yeast were also compared in E. coli harboring the isobutanol synthesis pathway. Overexpression of yqhD or adhA in E. coli showed better production than ADH2, a result confirmed by activity measurements with isobutyraldehyde.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Shota
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Atsumi
authors.forename: Tung-Yun
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Eva-Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Eckl
authors.forename: Sarah D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buelter
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000449:Aldehyde Reductase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways / Q000235:genetics*; D000440:Butanols / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000440:Butanols; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C040507:isobutyl alcohol; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; D000449:Aldehyde Reductase