Metabolic modification of Sphingobium lignivorans SYK-6 for lignin valorization through the discovery of an unusual transcriptional repressor of lignin-derived dimer catabolism†

Sphingobium lignivorans SYK-6 catabolizes guaiacylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether (GGE, a β-O-4-type dimer) and 1,2-diguaiacylpropane-1,3-diol (DGPD, a β-1-type dimer) derived from lignin. Recently, SLG_35860 containing TetR- and MarR-type transcriptional regulator motifs was suggested to be involved in the regulation of GGE and DGPD catabolism. Here we investigated the role of SLG_35860 in the transcriptional regulation of GGE and DGPD catabolism genes. SLG_35860 designated ligS repressed 11 genes involved in GGE and DGPD catabolism. LigS binds directly to specific sequences in the promoter region of each gene. The MarR domain was shown to be involved in these bindings; however, GGE, DGPD, and their metabolites did not function as effectors of LigS. We discovered unidentified compound(s) in the black liquor of oxygen-soda anthraquinone pulping of Japanese cedar that SYK-6 cannot metabolize and that acted as effector(s). Therefore, LigS constantly represses the transcription of the GGE and DGPD catabolism genes to low levels. Based on these findings, we examined the productivity of a polymer building block, 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDC), from GGE, DGPD, and a GGE metabolite using an engineered ligS mutant. The rates of PDC production from each compound by this strain were 1.5–6.0 times higher than those of a PDC-producing strain carrying ligS.