Production of 4-hydroxyvalerate from Whole Cell Biotransformation Using Recombinant Escherichia coli

Abstract

4-Hydroxyvalerate (4HV) is an important compound that is a necessary intermediate for sustainable solvents such as gamma-valerolactone (GVL) as well as plastic additives. However, production is limited due to problems such as the use of harsh solvents, the requirement of noble metal catalysts, or the need for supercritical fluids. Therefore, other regeneration methods for 4HV and GVL production are considered. Here we report a bio-based method of 4HV and GVL production. High production and yield of 4HV was obtained from levulinic acid (LA), a cheap and renewable biomass source. 4HV production was performed by expressing 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (3HBDH) in Escherichia coli and transforming LA in glucose-fed anaerobic environment. As a result, about 7g/L of 4HV and 3 g/L GVL was produced, which corresponds to a 30% molar production yield. In conclusion, these conversion yield can have the potential to stimulate the development of carbon-based chemicals and promote economic access to the commercial scale of GVL production.