Unravelling Formaldehyde Metabolism in Bacteria: Road towards Synthetic Methylotrophy

Autor: Vivien Jessica Klein, Marta Irla, Marina Gil López, Trygve Brautaset, Luciana Fernandes Brito
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Microorganisms, Vol 10, Iss 2, p 220 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2076-2607
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020220
Popis: Formaldehyde metabolism is prevalent in all organisms, where the accumulation of formaldehyde can be prevented through the activity of dissimilation pathways. Furthermore, formaldehyde assimilatory pathways play a fundamental role in many methylotrophs, which are microorganisms able to build biomass and obtain energy from single- and multicarbon compounds with no carbon–carbon bonds. Here, we describe how formaldehyde is formed in the environment, the mechanisms of its toxicity to the cells, and the cell’s strategies to circumvent it. While their importance is unquestionable for cell survival in formaldehyde rich environments, we present examples of how the modification of native formaldehyde dissimilation pathways in nonmethylotrophic bacteria can be applied to redirect carbon flux toward heterologous, synthetic formaldehyde assimilation pathways introduced into their metabolism. Attempts to engineer methylotrophy into nonmethylotrophic hosts have gained interest in the past decade, with only limited successes leading to the creation of autonomous synthetic methylotrophy. Here, we discuss how native formaldehyde assimilation pathways can additionally be employed as a premise to achieving synthetic methylotrophy. Lastly, we discuss how emerging knowledge on regulation of formaldehyde metabolism can contribute to creating synthetic regulatory circuits applied in metabolic engineering strategies.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals