Redirection of Metabolic Flux into Novel Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Production Pathway by Introduction of Synthetic Scaffolds Strategy in Escherichia Coli

In general, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) pathway involves the decarboxylation of glutamate, which is produced from sugar by Corynebacterium fermentation. GABA can be used for the production of pharmaceuticals and functional foods. Due to the increasing demand of GABA, it is essential to create an effective alternative pathway for the GABA production. In this study, Escherichia coli were engineered to produce GABA from glucose via GABA shunt, which consists of succinate dehydrogenase, succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, and GABA aminotransferase. The three enzymes were physically attached to each other through a synthetic scaffold, and the Krebs cycle flux was redirected to the GABA pathway. By introduction of synthetic scaffold, 0.75 g/l of GABA was produced from 10 g/l of glucose at 30 °C and pH 6.5. The inactivation of competing metabolic pathways provided 15.4 % increase in the final GABA concentration.