Metabolic engineering for sustainable xylitol production from diverse carbon sources in Pichia pastoris

Abstract Xylitol, known for its health benefits, is a valuable compound in the food and pharmaceutical industries. However, conventional chemical production methods are often unsustainable for large-scale applications, prompting the need for alternative approaches. This study demonstrates a signific...

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Main Authors: Xiaocong Lu, Mingxin Chang, Xiangyu Li, Wenbing Cao, Zhoukang Zhuang, Qian Wu, Tao Yu, Aiqun Yu, Hongting Tang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-03-01
Series:Microbial Cell Factories
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-025-02683-3
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author Xiaocong Lu
Mingxin Chang
Xiangyu Li
Wenbing Cao
Zhoukang Zhuang
Qian Wu
Tao Yu
Aiqun Yu
Hongting Tang
author_facet Xiaocong Lu
Mingxin Chang
Xiangyu Li
Wenbing Cao
Zhoukang Zhuang
Qian Wu
Tao Yu
Aiqun Yu
Hongting Tang
author_sort Xiaocong Lu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Xylitol, known for its health benefits, is a valuable compound in the food and pharmaceutical industries. However, conventional chemical production methods are often unsustainable for large-scale applications, prompting the need for alternative approaches. This study demonstrates a significant enhancement in xylitol production using microbial cell factories, optimized through metabolic engineering. Two synthetic pathways were combined, and the introduction of a novel NADPH-dependent xylitol dehydrogenase further boosted xylitol yields, achieving 0.14 g xylitol/g glucose—a record-high yield for microbial systems. Additionally, the use of sustainable feedstocks, such as glycerol and methanol, led to the production of 7000 mg/L xylitol with a yield of 0.35 g xylitol/g glycerol, and 250 mg/L xylitol from methanol. These results underscore the potential for eco-friendly, cost-effective xylitol production, providing a robust foundation for future industrial-scale biotechnological applications.
format Article
id doaj-art-3c36b17202a849e4b6dbaca1d581d76b
institution DOAJ
issn 1475-2859
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series Microbial Cell Factories
spelling doaj-art-3c36b17202a849e4b6dbaca1d581d76b2025-08-20T02:56:20ZengBMCMicrobial Cell Factories1475-28592025-03-0124111110.1186/s12934-025-02683-3Metabolic engineering for sustainable xylitol production from diverse carbon sources in Pichia pastorisXiaocong Lu0Mingxin Chang1Xiangyu Li2Wenbing Cao3Zhoukang Zhuang4Qian Wu5Tao Yu6Aiqun Yu7Hongting Tang8State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and TechnologyState Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and TechnologyState Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and TechnologyCenter for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes for Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesCenter for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes for Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesCenter for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes for Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesCenter for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes for Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and TechnologySchool of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen UniversityAbstract Xylitol, known for its health benefits, is a valuable compound in the food and pharmaceutical industries. However, conventional chemical production methods are often unsustainable for large-scale applications, prompting the need for alternative approaches. This study demonstrates a significant enhancement in xylitol production using microbial cell factories, optimized through metabolic engineering. Two synthetic pathways were combined, and the introduction of a novel NADPH-dependent xylitol dehydrogenase further boosted xylitol yields, achieving 0.14 g xylitol/g glucose—a record-high yield for microbial systems. Additionally, the use of sustainable feedstocks, such as glycerol and methanol, led to the production of 7000 mg/L xylitol with a yield of 0.35 g xylitol/g glycerol, and 250 mg/L xylitol from methanol. These results underscore the potential for eco-friendly, cost-effective xylitol production, providing a robust foundation for future industrial-scale biotechnological applications.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-025-02683-3Metabolic engineeringXylitol biosynthesisSustainable carbon sourcesPichia pastoris
spellingShingle Xiaocong Lu
Mingxin Chang
Xiangyu Li
Wenbing Cao
Zhoukang Zhuang
Qian Wu
Tao Yu
Aiqun Yu
Hongting Tang
Metabolic engineering for sustainable xylitol production from diverse carbon sources in Pichia pastoris
Microbial Cell Factories
Metabolic engineering
Xylitol biosynthesis
Sustainable carbon sources
Pichia pastoris
title Metabolic engineering for sustainable xylitol production from diverse carbon sources in Pichia pastoris
title_full Metabolic engineering for sustainable xylitol production from diverse carbon sources in Pichia pastoris
title_fullStr Metabolic engineering for sustainable xylitol production from diverse carbon sources in Pichia pastoris
title_full_unstemmed Metabolic engineering for sustainable xylitol production from diverse carbon sources in Pichia pastoris
title_short Metabolic engineering for sustainable xylitol production from diverse carbon sources in Pichia pastoris
title_sort metabolic engineering for sustainable xylitol production from diverse carbon sources in pichia pastoris
topic Metabolic engineering
Xylitol biosynthesis
Sustainable carbon sources
Pichia pastoris
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-025-02683-3
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