{"title":"Rational Design Assisted by Evolutionary Engineering Allows (De)Construction and Optimization of Complex Phenotypes in Pseudomonas putida KT2440","authors":"Blas Blázquez, Juan Nogales","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70132","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Beyond the rational construction of genetic determinants to encode target functions, complex phenotype engineering requires the contextualisation of their expression within the metabolic and genetic background of the host strain. Furthermore, wherever metabolic complexity is involved, phenotype engineering demands standard, reliable, plug-and-play tools. We introduce GENIO (GENome Integration and fitness Optimization platform for <i>Pseudomonas putida</i>), a framework to optimise genetic circuit performance by means of (i) chromosome-location-based differential gene expression and (ii) subsequent fitness improvement through evolutionary engineering if needed. Using gene expression strength and cell-to-cell variation, we characterised 10 <i>P. putida</i> chromosomal loci (ppLPS) to show that genome context rather than distance to ORI is the main factor driving differential expression performance. We further contextualised ppLPS gene expression against well-known chromosomal integration sites and plasmids displaying different copy numbers. GENIO supports comprehensive exploration of the gene expression space across <i>P. putida</i>'s genome while unlocking performance optimization of complex heterologous metabolic pathways through evolutionary engineering. To demonstrate the usability of GENIO, we restored <i>P. putida</i>'s aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism by (de)constructing the toluene/<i>m</i>-xylene catabolic pathway coded in the pWW0 plasmid. We also showed that engineering complex phenotypes requires accurate contextualisation of the synthetic pathways involved, a process that benefits from biological robustness.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1751-7915.70132","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143689942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rational Design Assisted by Evolutionary Engineering Allows (De)Construction and Optimization of Complex Phenotypes in Pseudomonas putida KT2440","authors":"Blas Blázquez, Juan Nogales","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70132","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Beyond the rational construction of genetic determinants to encode target functions, complex phenotype engineering requires the contextualisation of their expression within the metabolic and genetic background of the host strain. Furthermore, wherever metabolic complexity is involved, phenotype engineering demands standard, reliable, plug-and-play tools. We introduce GENIO (GENome Integration and fitness Optimization platform for <i>Pseudomonas putida</i>), a framework to optimise genetic circuit performance by means of (i) chromosome-location-based differential gene expression and (ii) subsequent fitness improvement through evolutionary engineering if needed. Using gene expression strength and cell-to-cell variation, we characterised 10 <i>P. putida</i> chromosomal loci (ppLPS) to show that genome context rather than distance to ORI is the main factor driving differential expression performance. We further contextualised ppLPS gene expression against well-known chromosomal integration sites and plasmids displaying different copy numbers. GENIO supports comprehensive exploration of the gene expression space across <i>P. putida</i>'s genome while unlocking performance optimization of complex heterologous metabolic pathways through evolutionary engineering. To demonstrate the usability of GENIO, we restored <i>P. putida</i>'s aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism by (de)constructing the toluene/<i>m</i>-xylene catabolic pathway coded in the pWW0 plasmid. We also showed that engineering complex phenotypes requires accurate contextualisation of the synthetic pathways involved, a process that benefits from biological robustness.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1751-7915.70132","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143689857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kailin Shao, Xiaobin Yu, Yan Zhao, Ying Zhang, Xiaobo Liu
{"title":"Semirational Design of SenC to Enhance Organic Selenium Biosynthesis","authors":"Kailin Shao, Xiaobin Yu, Yan Zhao, Ying Zhang, Xiaobo Liu","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70130","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1751-7915.70130","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Organic selenium, a bioavailable form of the essential trace element selenium, holds significant potential for improving human health through dietary supplements and functional foods. However, low bioconversion efficiency has primarily limited the biosynthesis of organic selenium compounds. Here, we focused on enhancing the biosynthesis of organic selenium by optimising the expression and activity of two key enzymes, SenB and SenC, involved in the conversion process. We compared several expression systems, including fusion expression and dual-promoter approaches, and optimised reaction conditions such as temperature, pH and incubation time. Our results showed that mutations of SenC more than doubled enzyme activity, resulting in a corresponding rise in the intermediate SeP. Notably, the fusion expression of SenB and SenC exhibited the highest conversion rate of organic selenium, achieving over 95% under optimal conditions. Our findings provide a basis for organic selenium production through microbial biotechnology.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1751-7915.70130","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143676709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zeynep Efsun Duman-Özdamar, Mattijs K. Julsing, Vitor A. P. Martins dos Santos, Jeroen Hugenholtz, Maria Suarez-Diez
{"title":"Model-Driven Engineering of Yarrowia lipolytica for Improved Microbial Oil Production","authors":"Zeynep Efsun Duman-Özdamar, Mattijs K. Julsing, Vitor A. P. Martins dos Santos, Jeroen Hugenholtz, Maria Suarez-Diez","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70089","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1751-7915.70089","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Extensive usage of plant-based oils, especially palm oil, has led to environmental and social issues, such as deforestation and loss of biodiversity, thus sustainable alternatives are required. Microbial oils, especially from <i>Yarrowia lipolytica</i>, offer a promising solution because of their similar composition to palm oil, low carbon footprint and ability to utilise low-cost substrates. In this study, we employed the Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) approach to enhance lipid production in <i>Y. lipolytica</i>. We systematically evaluated predictions from the genome-scale metabolic model to identify and overcome bottlenecks in lipid biosynthesis. We tested the effect of predicted medium supplements (glutamate, leucine, methionine and threonine) and genetic intervention targets, including the overexpression of ATP-citrate lyase (<i>ACL</i>), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (<i>ACC</i>), threonine synthase (<i>TS</i>), diacylglycerol acyltransferase(<i>DGA1</i>), the deletion of citrate exporter gene (<i>CEX1</i>) and disruption of β-oxidation pathway (<i>MFE1</i>). This work revealed the critical roles of <i>ACC</i>, <i>ACL</i>, <i>TS</i> and <i>DGA1</i> and the interaction of these genes with elevated intracellular citrate availability in lipid biosynthesis. Combining <i>TS</i> and <i>DGA1</i> overexpression in the <i>Δmfe_Δcex</i> background achieved a remarkable 200% increase in lipid content (56% w/w) and a 230% increase in lipid yield on glycerol. These findings underscore the potential of <i>Y. lipolytica</i> as an efficient microbial cell factory for fatty acid production. Our study advances the understanding of lipid metabolism in <i>Y. lipolytica</i> and demonstrates a viable approach for developing sustainable and economically feasible alternatives to palm oil.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11925697/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143668615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Taeho Yu, Minjee Chae, Ziling Wang, Gahyeon Ryu, Gi Bae Kim, Sang Yup Lee
{"title":"Microbial Technologies Enhanced by Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare Applications","authors":"Taeho Yu, Minjee Chae, Ziling Wang, Gahyeon Ryu, Gi Bae Kim, Sang Yup Lee","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70131","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The combination of artificial intelligence (AI) with microbial technology marks the start of a major transformation, improving applications throughout biotechnology, especially in healthcare. With the capability of AI to process vast amounts of biological big data, advanced microbial technology allows for a comprehensive understanding of complex biological systems, advancing disease diagnosis, treatment and the development of microbial therapeutics. This mini review explores the impact of AI-integrated microbial technologies in healthcare, highlighting advancements in microbial biomarker-based diagnosis, the development of microbial therapeutics and the microbial production of therapeutic compounds. This exploration promises significant improvements in the design and implementation of health-related solutions, steering a new era in biotechnological applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1751-7915.70131","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143638707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Taeho Yu, Minjee Chae, Ziling Wang, Gahyeon Ryu, Gi Bae Kim, Sang Yup Lee
{"title":"Microbial Technologies Enhanced by Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare Applications","authors":"Taeho Yu, Minjee Chae, Ziling Wang, Gahyeon Ryu, Gi Bae Kim, Sang Yup Lee","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70131","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The combination of artificial intelligence (AI) with microbial technology marks the start of a major transformation, improving applications throughout biotechnology, especially in healthcare. With the capability of AI to process vast amounts of biological big data, advanced microbial technology allows for a comprehensive understanding of complex biological systems, advancing disease diagnosis, treatment and the development of microbial therapeutics. This mini review explores the impact of AI-integrated microbial technologies in healthcare, highlighting advancements in microbial biomarker-based diagnosis, the development of microbial therapeutics and the microbial production of therapeutic compounds. This exploration promises significant improvements in the design and implementation of health-related solutions, steering a new era in biotechnological applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1751-7915.70131","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143638705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Isabel De La Torre, Miguel G. Acedos, Juan J. Cestero, Jorge Barriuso, José L. García
{"title":"Engineering Xylose Isomerase and Reductase Pathways in Yarrowia lipolytica for Efficient Lipid Production","authors":"Isabel De La Torre, Miguel G. Acedos, Juan J. Cestero, Jorge Barriuso, José L. García","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70127","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Xylose is a common monosaccharide in lignocellulosic residues that <i>Yarrowia lipolytica</i> cannot naturally metabolise for lipid production and therefore, heterologous xylose metabolic pathways must be engineered in this yeast to facilitate its consumption. We have compared the metabolic efficiency of two xylose metabolic pathways by developing three recombinant <i>Y. lipolytica</i> strains: one harbouring a xylose reductase pathway, one with a xylose isomerase pathway, and one combining both pathways, and the strains were tested for xylose consumption and lipid production at different scales. The recombinant strain with the reductase pathway that was directly isolated in selective xylose medium showed the highest lipid yield, producing up to 12.8 g/L of lipids, or 43% of the biomass dry weight, without requiring any other xylose consumption adaptive evolution process. This strain achieved a lipid yield of 0.13 g lipids/g xylose, one of the highest yields in yeast reported so far using xylose as the sole carbon and energy source. Although the strain harbouring the isomerase pathway performed better under oxygen-limiting conditions and led to higher lipid intracellular accumulation, it showed a lower xylose uptake and biomass production, rendering a lower yield under non-limiting oxygen conditions. Unexpectedly, the combination of both pathways in the same strain was less effective than the use of the reductase pathway alone.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1751-7915.70127","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143629813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Isabel De La Torre, Miguel G. Acedos, Juan J. Cestero, Jorge Barriuso, José L. García
{"title":"Engineering Xylose Isomerase and Reductase Pathways in Yarrowia lipolytica for Efficient Lipid Production","authors":"Isabel De La Torre, Miguel G. Acedos, Juan J. Cestero, Jorge Barriuso, José L. García","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70127","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Xylose is a common monosaccharide in lignocellulosic residues that <i>Yarrowia lipolytica</i> cannot naturally metabolise for lipid production and therefore, heterologous xylose metabolic pathways must be engineered in this yeast to facilitate its consumption. We have compared the metabolic efficiency of two xylose metabolic pathways by developing three recombinant <i>Y. lipolytica</i> strains: one harbouring a xylose reductase pathway, one with a xylose isomerase pathway, and one combining both pathways, and the strains were tested for xylose consumption and lipid production at different scales. The recombinant strain with the reductase pathway that was directly isolated in selective xylose medium showed the highest lipid yield, producing up to 12.8 g/L of lipids, or 43% of the biomass dry weight, without requiring any other xylose consumption adaptive evolution process. This strain achieved a lipid yield of 0.13 g lipids/g xylose, one of the highest yields in yeast reported so far using xylose as the sole carbon and energy source. Although the strain harbouring the isomerase pathway performed better under oxygen-limiting conditions and led to higher lipid intracellular accumulation, it showed a lower xylose uptake and biomass production, rendering a lower yield under non-limiting oxygen conditions. Unexpectedly, the combination of both pathways in the same strain was less effective than the use of the reductase pathway alone.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1751-7915.70127","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143629812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wan-Qi Qin, Yi-Fan Liu, Jin-Feng Liu, Lei Zhou, Shi-Zhong Yang, Ji-Dong Gu, Bo-Zhong Mu
{"title":"The Metabolic and Physiological Responses to Spaceflight of a Lipopeptide-Producing Bacillus subtilis","authors":"Wan-Qi Qin, Yi-Fan Liu, Jin-Feng Liu, Lei Zhou, Shi-Zhong Yang, Ji-Dong Gu, Bo-Zhong Mu","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70111","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70111","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Outer space is an extreme environment and the survival of many microorganisms after spaceflight is well established. However, adaptations of <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> to space stress, particularly metabolism, are largely unknown. Here, we first performed a spaceflight mission of the <i>B. subtilis</i> TD7 strain and compared the spaceflight-exposed strain with the wild-type in terms of their phenotype, biofilm formation and secondary metabolism. The spaceflight-exposed strain exhibited slower growth, different morphology and decreased biofilm formation. Importantly, a decline in lipopeptide production was observed after spaceflight. Multi-omics approaches were used to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying secondary metabolism and 997 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found, involving the TCA cycle, fatty acid degradation, amino acid biosynthesis and quorum sensing systems. Further analysis of 26 lipopeptide-related DEGs further elucidated the relationship between the space environment and secondary metabolism regulation. Our findings could contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between the space environment and microbial adaptation mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1751-7915.70111","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143602467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wan-Qi Qin, Yi-Fan Liu, Jin-Feng Liu, Lei Zhou, Shi-Zhong Yang, Ji-Dong Gu, Bo-Zhong Mu
{"title":"The Metabolic and Physiological Responses to Spaceflight of a Lipopeptide-Producing Bacillus subtilis","authors":"Wan-Qi Qin, Yi-Fan Liu, Jin-Feng Liu, Lei Zhou, Shi-Zhong Yang, Ji-Dong Gu, Bo-Zhong Mu","doi":"10.1111/1751-7915.70111","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.70111","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Outer space is an extreme environment and the survival of many microorganisms after spaceflight is well established. However, adaptations of <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> to space stress, particularly metabolism, are largely unknown. Here, we first performed a spaceflight mission of the <i>B. subtilis</i> TD7 strain and compared the spaceflight-exposed strain with the wild-type in terms of their phenotype, biofilm formation and secondary metabolism. The spaceflight-exposed strain exhibited slower growth, different morphology and decreased biofilm formation. Importantly, a decline in lipopeptide production was observed after spaceflight. Multi-omics approaches were used to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying secondary metabolism and 997 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found, involving the TCA cycle, fatty acid degradation, amino acid biosynthesis and quorum sensing systems. Further analysis of 26 lipopeptide-related DEGs further elucidated the relationship between the space environment and secondary metabolism regulation. Our findings could contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between the space environment and microbial adaptation mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":209,"journal":{"name":"Microbial Biotechnology","volume":"18 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1751-7915.70111","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143602567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}