Microbial production of 1,3-propanediol: a transition of feedstocks from C6 to C3 and C1 carbon sources

Abstract:

1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) is an important diol with wide applications in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries. In addition, 1,3-PDO serves as a crucial monomer in the synthesis of polytrimethylene terephthalate, an important synthetic fiber material. Microbial conversion of renewable resources such as glucose into 1,3-PDO has been industrialized due to its environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, safe, and sustainable characteristics. It serves as a successful case in the design and application of microbial cell factories for biochemicals. However, concerns such as food scarcity and climate change are driving the exploration of non-food, low-cost, and sustainable alternatives as biomanufacturing feedstocks. The biosynthesis of 1,3-PDO from the C3 feedstock glycerol by microorganisms has been well studied. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the synthesis of 1,3-PDO from C1 feedstocks such as methanol, which has higher energy density than glucose and glycerol. Several new artificial biosynthetic pathways have been proposed and validated, laying a foundation for the sustainable bioproduction of 1,3-PDO. This article reviews the feedstock transition from C6 to C3 and C1 carbon sources for the microbial synthesis of 1,3-PDO and discusses the strategies for reprogramming metabolic pathway to enhance 1,3-PDO biosynthesis from different feedstocks. Finally, the development prospects of 1,3-PDO bioproduction from C1 feedstocks are forecasted.