Optimization of the aromatic compounds pathway in Escherichia coli for phenazines production

• Grant number: 19/09332-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2019
• End date: October 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Adilson José da Silva
• Grantee: Daniel Lossa Altmann
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Microbial secondary metabolites are recognized as a valuable source of molecules suitable for diverse biotechnological applications. Among them there is a class of natural pigments called phenazines, which can be used fo biopesticides production, biosensors construction, drug development, and more. These molecules are composed by nitrogenous aromatic rings and their biosynthesis occurs from chorismate, which is the last product from the shikimate pathway. Metabolic engineering strategies have been developed to optimize the production of aromatic compounds by this pathway, and this project proposes the application of one of those strategies for the heterologous production of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) by recombinant E. coli cells. Specifically, the main goal of this project is to overexpress two enzymes related to the formation of key precursors for the shikimate pathway and to evaluate the PCA production by the modified cells. By using this approach, it is expected that the carbon flow through the aromatics pathway can be increased, favoring the production of PCA by the recombinant E. coli cells.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CHAVES, GABRIEL LUZ; BATISTA, RAQUEL SALGADO; CUNHA, JOSIVAN DE SOUSA; ALTMANN, DANIEL LOSSA; DA SILVA, ADILSON JOSE. Teaching cellular metabolism using metabolic model simulations. EDUCATION FOR CHEMICAL ENGINEERS, v. 38, p. 13-pg., 2022-01-01. (19/07902-6, 19/09332-2)