Engineering Methylorubrum extorquens for Efficient Co-Utilization of Methanol and Glucose

Abstract

The development of microbial platforms for the efficient production of valuable biochemicals has become a cornerstone of biotechnology. Among various microorganisms, Methylorubrum extorquens has attracted significant attention due to its metabolic versatility and robustness. As a methylotrophic bacterium, M. extorquens can naturally utilize single-carbon compounds like methanol, making it a promising candidate for C1 biorefinery. Its inherent ability to efficiently assimilate single-carbon compounds can be harnessed to develop it into a platform strain, addressing the limitations of traditional production methods such as low yield and high costs.

In this study, we engineered M. extorquens to utilize glucose through strategic modifications in host metabolism. Furthermore, we confirmed the co-utilization of methanol and glucose. Our aim is to create a robust M. extorquens platform that can effectively utilize methanol and glucose—both readily available and inexpensive carbon sources—for the sustainable and high-level production of value-added chemicals. This approach not only promises advancements in microbial enzyme production but also contributes to the broader field of industrial biotechnology by providing a scalable and cost-effective method for generating high-value biochemicals