Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida KT2440 as cell factories for free fatty acid production: A comparative review

Abstract

Free fatty acids (FFA) serve as versatile precursors for biofuels and oleochemicals, and their microbial production offers a renewable alternative to petrochemical processes. Escherichia coli has been extensively engineered for high-titer FFA production and currently serves as the benchmark chassis, achieving titers exceeding 35 g L-1 through advanced metabolic and systems biology approaches. In contrast, Pseudomonas putida KT2440 has recently gained attention due to its innate stress tolerance, redox flexibility, and broad substrate utilization, though reported FFA titers remain modest (similar to 0.67 g L-1). P. putida KT2440 exhibits innate tolerance to FFA toxicity, attributed to its surplus NADPH supply and robust membrane composition. This review provides a side-by-side comparison of the two hosts with respect to fatty acid biosynthetic pathways, redox metabolism, native tolerance mechanisms, and substrate scope. We summarize key metabolic engineering strategies used to enhance FFA production and examine recent advances in genetic toolkits and regulatory rewiring that have accelerated strain development in both organisms. While E. coli remains the leading host in terms of performance, P. putida offers distinct advantages for next-generation biomanufacturing. This comparative review outlines the key opportunities and challenges in FFA biosynthesis and offers a framework to guide future strain engineering for sustainable production.