Publications

• 3-Deoxy-D-pentulosonic acid aldolase and its role in a new pathway of D-xylose degradation.

  Dahms A.S.

  Biochem Biophys Res Commun 60:1433-1439(1974) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• 2-Keto-3-deoxy-d-xylonate aldolase (3-deoxy-d-pentulosonic acid aldolase).

  Dahms A.S., Donald A.

  Methods Enzymol 90 Pt E:269-272(1982) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Biosynthesis of ethylene glycol in Escherichia coli.

  Liu H., Ramos K.R., Valdehuesa K.N., Nisola G.M., Lee W.K., Chung W.J.

  Ethylene glycol (EG) is an important platform chemical with steadily expanding global demand. Its commercial production is currently limited to fossil resources; no biosynthesis route has been delineated. Herein, a biosynthesis route for EG production from D-xylose is reported. This route consists ... >> More

  Ethylene glycol (EG) is an important platform chemical with steadily expanding global demand. Its commercial production is currently limited to fossil resources; no biosynthesis route has been delineated. Herein, a biosynthesis route for EG production from D-xylose is reported. This route consists of four steps: D-xylose → D-xylonate → 2-dehydro-3-deoxy-D-pentonate → glycoaldehyde → EG. Respective enzymes, D-xylose dehydrogenase, D-xylonate dehydratase, 2-dehydro-3-deoxy-D-pentonate aldolase, and glycoaldehyde reductase, were assembled. The route was implemented in a metabolically engineered Escherichia coli, in which the D-xylose → D-xylulose reaction was prevented by disrupting the D-xylose isomerase gene. The most efficient construct produced 11.7 g L(-1) of EG from 40.0 g L(-1) of D-xylose. Glycolate is a carbon-competing by-product during EG production in E. coli; blockage of glycoaldehyde → glycolate reaction was also performed by disrupting the gene encoding aldehyde dehydrogenase, but from this approach, EG productivity was not improved but rather led to D-xylonate accumulation. To channel more carbon flux towards EG than the glycolate pathway, further systematic metabolic engineering and fermentation optimization studies are still required to improve EG productivity. << Less

  Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 97:3409-3417(2013) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Characterization of l-2-keto-3-deoxyfuconate aldolases in a nonphosphorylating l-fucose metabolism pathway in anaerobic bacteria.

  Watanabe S.

  The genetic context in bacterial genomes and screening for potential substrates can help identify the biochemical functions of bacterial enzymes. The Gram-negative, strictly anaerobic bacterium <i>Veillonella ratti</i> possesses a gene cluster that appears to be related to l-fucose metabolism and ... >> More

  The genetic context in bacterial genomes and screening for potential substrates can help identify the biochemical functions of bacterial enzymes. The Gram-negative, strictly anaerobic bacterium <i>Veillonella ratti</i> possesses a gene cluster that appears to be related to l-fucose metabolism and contains a putative dihydrodipicolinate synthase/<i>N</i>-acetylneuraminate lyase protein (FucH). Here, screening of a library of 2-keto-3-deoxysugar acids with this protein and biochemical characterization of neighboring genes revealed that this gene cluster encodes enzymes in a previously unknown "route I" nonphosphorylating l-fucose pathway. Previous studies of other aldolases in the dihydrodipicolinate synthase/<i>N</i>-acetylneuraminate lyase protein superfamily used only limited numbers of compounds, and the approach reported here enabled elucidation of the substrate specificities and stereochemical selectivities of these aldolases and comparison of them with those of FucH. According to the aldol cleavage reaction, the aldolases were specific for (<i>R</i>)- and (<i>S</i>)-stereospecific groups at the C4 position of 2-keto-3-deoxysugar acid but had no structural specificity or preference of methyl groups at the C5 and C6 positions, respectively. This categorization corresponded to the (<i>Re</i>)- or (<i>Si</i>)-facial selectivity of the pyruvate enamine on the (glycer)aldehyde carbonyl in the aldol-condensation reaction. These properties are commonly determined by whether a serine or threonine residue is positioned at the equivalent position close to the active site(s), and site-directed mutagenesis markedly modified C4-OH preference and selective formation of a diastereomer. I propose that substrate specificity of 2-keto-3-deoxysugar acid aldolases was convergently acquired during evolution and report the discovery of another l-2-keto-3-deoxyfuconate aldolase involved in the same nonphosphorylating l-fucose pathway in <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i>. << Less

  J Biol Chem 295:1338-1349(2020) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

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