Green Synthesis of D-1,2,4-Butanetriol from D-Glucose

摘要

The current microbial synthesis of D-1,2,4-butanetriol using E. coli KIT18/pWN7.126B is based on the use of D-xylose as the starting material. Although D-xylose is abundant in hemicellulose, streams of D-xylose sufficiently pure to support microbial growth are not available in the U.S. Because of the current expense of D-xylose, a microbial synthesis of D-1,2,4- butanetriol from D-glucose was targeted for development. The activity of mdlC- encoded benzoylformate decarboxylase is essential to improving the yields and concentrations of microbe-synthesized D-1,2,4-butanetriol. Attempt to identify new source of 3-deoxy-D-glycero-pentulosonate decarboxylase was carried out. Reaction engineering to improve microbial synthesis of D-1,2,4-butanetriol titer and yield was also examined.