Gamma-aminobutyric acid production through GABA shunt by synthetic scaffolds introduction in recombinant Escherichia coli

Nylon 4 is a biodegradable polymer which can be produced from the monomer of pyrrolidone. Gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) is a precursor of pyrrolidone used for the production of bioplastics. In this study, Escherichia coli were engineered to produce gammaaminobutyric acid from glucose via an alternative novel pathway by the introduction of synthetic scaffolds. The GABA pathway constructed contained succinate dehydrogenase, succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase and GABA aminotransferase to redirect the Krebs cycle flux to GABA production. By introduction of a synthetic scaffold, production of 0.64 g/L GABA was achieved at 30°C and pH 6.5. Final GABA concentration was increased by 11.3% via the inactivation of competing pathways, and higher initial glucose concentration led to the enhanced final GABA concentration of 1.01 g/L.