Issue 5, 2014

Polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in myxobacteria: different PUFA synthases and their product diversity

Abstract

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly the omega-3 long-chain PUFAs (LC-PUFAs) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are well known for their beneficial health effects. The obvious limitation of the present EPA/DHA key source, fish oil, demands for alternative and sustainable PUFA resources and several biotechnological approaches addressing this problem are currently under development. Different marine microorganisms are known to produce PUFAs de novo under strictly anaerobic conditions employing polyketide synthase (PKS)-like enzymes known as PUFA synthases. Here, we report for the first time the characterization of such PUFA synthases from terrestrial origin. Two distinct types of PUFA biosynthetic gene clusters were discovered, originating from linoleic acid producing myxobacteria of the genus Sorangium as well as from species of the recently discovered myxobacterial genus Aetherobacter, that turned out to be prolific producers of EPA and DHA. The identified biosynthetic pathways differ significantly from the marine systems in terms of gene organization, catalytic domain arrangement, and sequence identity of the encoded PUFA synthases. Notably, a unique domain, which most likely acts as 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase, was identified in these myxobacterial PUFA synthases. As the native producer strains grow slowly, are difficult to handle, and genetic modification has proven difficult, synthetic biotechnology approaches were applied to establish a heterologous production platform in the myxobacterial model strain Myxococcus xanthus.

Graphical abstract: Polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in myxobacteria: different PUFA synthases and their product diversity

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
15 Nov 2013
Accepted
24 Dec 2013
First published
02 Jan 2014

Chem. Sci., 2014,5, 1733-1741

Polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in myxobacteria: different PUFA synthases and their product diversity

K. Gemperlein, S. Rachid, R. O. Garcia, S. C. Wenzel and R. Müller, Chem. Sci., 2014, 5, 1733 DOI: 10.1039/C3SC53163E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements