Issue 22, 2023

A cell-free artificial anabolic pathway for direct conversion of CO2 to ethanol

Abstract

Biological CO2 activation and conversion to high-value ethanol are a feasible and green strategy to close the carbon cycle. However, naturally evolved CO2 utilization pathways involve carbon loss or ATP consumption. Herein, we report a complete anabolic pathway for direct conversion of CO2 to ethanol by constructing and assembling three functional modules including CO2 activation, formaldehyde → acetyl-CoA, and ethanol synthesis in a carbon-conserved and ATP-independent system. These artificial ethanol metabolic pathway fluxes were strengthened by screening efficient key enzymes for CO2 activation, promoting formaldehyde assimilation, and employing a two-step reaction. 13C-labeled CO2 demonstrated the feasibility of the pathway converting CO2 into ethanol in vitro by detecting the carbon flow. With this anabolic pathway, we obtained an ethanol concentration of 0.37 mM at a conversion rate of 4.33 nmol CO2 min−1 mg−1 enzyme and 0.5 mM R5P supply. This modularization strategy provides a new avenue in the construction of artificial metabolic pathways for ethanol synthesis from CO2.

Graphical abstract: A cell-free artificial anabolic pathway for direct conversion of CO2 to ethanol

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
23 8 2023
Accepted
16 10 2023
First published
17 10 2023

Green Chem., 2023,25, 9069-9074

A cell-free artificial anabolic pathway for direct conversion of CO2 to ethanol

W. Dong, X. Ji, Y. Huang, Y. Xue, B. Guo, D. Cai, S. Chen and S. Zhang, Green Chem., 2023, 25, 9069 DOI: 10.1039/D3GC03159D

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