Microbial synthesis of medium-chain α,ω-dicarboxylic acids and ω-aminocarboxylic acids from renewable long-chain fatty acids

Biotransformation of long-chain fatty acids into medium-chain α,ω-dicarboxylic acids or ω-aminocarboxylic acids could be achieved with biocatalysts. This study presents the production of α,ω-dicarboxylic acids (e.g., C₉, C₁₁, C ₁₂, C₁₃) and ω-aminocarboxylic acids (e.g., C ₁₁, C₁₂, C₁₃) directly from fatty acids (e.g., oleic acid, ricinoleic acid, lesquerolic acid) using recombinant Escherichia coli-based biocatalysts. ω-Hydroxycarboxylic acids, which were produced from oxidative cleavage of fatty acids via enzymatic reactions involving a fatty acid double bond hydratase, an alcohol dehydrogenase, a Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase and an esterase, were then oxidized to α,ω- dicarboxylic acids by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH, AlkJ) from Pseudomonas putida GPo1 or converted into ω-aminocarboxylic acids by a serial combination of ADH from P. putida GPo1 and an ω-transaminase of Silicibacter pomeroyi. The double bonds present in the fatty acids such as ricinoleic acid and lesquerolic acid were reduced by E. coli-native enzymes during the biotransformations. This study demonstrates that the industrially relevant building blocks (C₉ to C₁₃ saturated α,ω- dicarboxylic acids and ω-aminocarboxylic acids) can be produced from renewable fatty acids using biocatalysis.