Recombinant Microorganism Lactic Acid Transporter Overexpression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing lactic acid using microorganisms face inefficiencies, as they often result in excessive byproduct production and inhibited metabolite production when certain metabolites are overproduced, necessitating the development of a strain that efficiently produces lactic acid.
Innovation Solution
A recombinant microorganism is developed that highly expresses lactic acid transporters and has an inhibitory pathway for lactic acid degradation, allowing for increased production of lactic acid by over-expressing specific transporter genes and disrupting genes involved in degradation pathways.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If microorganisms are used to produce lactic acid, then production efficiency and cost-effectiveness are improved, but excessive byproduct production and inhibited metabolite production occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes harmful metabolic pathways by deleting genes (e.g., PDC1, CYB2) responsible for byproduct formation and lactic acid degradation. This extraction of problematic functional elements eliminates the harmful effects while preserving the beneficial lactic acid production capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies metabolic parameters by overexpressing key enzymes (LDH, PEPCK) and transporters (Ady2, Jen1) to shift the metabolic flux toward lactic acid production. This changes the metabolic parameters of the microorganism to favor desired product formation while suppressing byproduct pathways.
2Quantity of substance
If lactic acid is overproduced, then production yield is improved, but microbial growth is inhibited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the degradation pathway for lactic acid by deleting the CYB2 gene, preventing the microorganism from consuming its own product. This allows high lactic acid accumulation without feedback inhibition that would normally occur through degradation pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the metabolic parameters by overexpressing LDH and PEPCK enzymes, which redirects carbon flux toward lactic acid production and prevents accumulation of inhibitory intermediates, thereby maintaining microbial growth while increasing lactic acid yield.
3Productivity
If transporter genes are over-expressed, then lactic acid production is enhanced, but metabolic pathway complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional elements (overexpression of LDH, PEPCK, and transporters Ady2/Jen1) into a unified metabolic engineering strategy. This merging of functions creates a coordinated system that enhances lactic acid production while managing the complexity through integrated control rather than separate modifications.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly enhances lactic acid production, with improvements of up to 129% compared to control strains, making the recombinant microorganism and method industrially applicable for reducing production costs and increasing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
highly expresses lactic acid transporters relative to a parent microorganism
Implementation Method 2
has an inhibitory pathway of lactic acid degradation
Data Source
AI summary
A recombinant microorganism comprising a lactic acid (LA) transporter, wherein the expression of the LA transporter in the recombinant microorganism is increased relative to a parent microorganism, and a method of producing lactic acid using same.