Publications by authors named "Kris N G Valdehuesa"

Phenylpropenes are a class of natural products that are synthesised by a vast range of plant species and hold considerable promise in the flavour and fragrance industries. Many studies have been carried out to elucidate and characterise the enzymes responsible for the production of these volatile compounds. However, there is a scarcity of studies demonstrating the production of phenylpropenes in microbial cell factories.

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Background: (Hydroxy)cinnamyl alcohols and allylphenols, including coniferyl alcohol and eugenol, are naturally occurring aromatic compounds widely utilised in pharmaceuticals, flavours, and fragrances. Traditionally, the heterologous biosynthesis of (hydroxy)cinnamyl alcohols from (hydroxy)cinnamic acids involved CoA-dependent activation of the substrate. However, a recently explored alternative pathway involving carboxylic acid reductase (CAR) has proven efficient in generating the (hydroxy)cinnamyl aldehyde intermediate without the need for CoA activation.

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Flavones and flavonols are important classes of flavonoids with nutraceutical and pharmacological value, and their production by fermentation with recombinant microorganisms promises to be a scalable and economically favorable alternative to extraction from plant sources. Flavones and flavonols have been produced recombinantly in a number of microorganisms, with typically being a preferred production host for these compounds due to higher yields and titers of precursor compounds, as well as generally improved ability to functionally express cytochrome P450 enzymes without requiring modification to improve their solubility. Recently, a rapid prototyping platform has been developed for high-value compounds in , and a number of gatekeeper (2)-flavanones, from which flavones and flavonols can be derived, have been produced to high titers in using this platform.

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Article Synopsis
  • The xylose oxidative pathway (XOP) in engineered microorganisms is promising for producing various industrial compounds, but its efficiency is often limited by the toxic accumulation of D-xylonic acid, which affects cell growth and product formation.
  • Strategies to mitigate D-xylonic acid accumulation include genetic engineering methods that enhance enzyme expression and optimize metabolic pathways, focusing particularly on bacterial strains.
  • Understanding the causes of D-xylonic acid buildup is crucial for developing effective microbial cell factories, which can ultimately improve the production yields of valuable industrial products.
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The lignocellulosic sugar d-xylose has recently gained prominence as an inexpensive alternative substrate for the production of value-added compounds using genetically modified organisms. Among the prokaryotes, has become the host for the development of engineered microbial cell factories. The favored status of resulted from a century of scientific explorations leading to a deep understanding of its systems.

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Objective: To identify and characterize a new β-agarase from Cellulophaga omnivescoria W5C capable of producing biologically-active neoagarooligosaccharides from agar.

Results: The β-agarase, Aga1, has signal peptides on both N- and C-terminals, which are involved in the type IX secretion system. It shares 75% protein sequence identity with AgaD from Zobellia galactanivorans and has a molecular weight of 54 kDa.

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In the published version, the y-axis data of Fig. 3c was incorrectly inserted (OD600 instead of D-xylonate (g L) and the x-axes of Figs. 3b, 3d, 3e and 3f ended at 48 h instead of 72 h.

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Article Synopsis
  • The xylose oxidative pathway (XOP) is an evolving alternative to traditional pentose pathways in prokaryotes, starting with the conversion of D-xylose to D-xylonic acid.
  • A key challenge with XOP is the accumulation of D-xylonic acid, which leads to acidification of the culture media.
  • This study introduces a pH-responsive genetic controller using a modified transcription factor, CadCΔ, which successfully regulates D-xylonic acid levels based on the media's pH, paving the way for future genetic controllers in similar metabolic pathways.
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The capability of Escherichia coli to catabolize D-xylonate is a crucial component for building and optimizing the Dahms pathway. It relies on the inherent dehydratase and keto-acid aldolase activities of E. coli.

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The non-conventional D-xylose metabolism called the Dahms pathway which only requires the expression of at least three enzymes to produce pyruvate and glycolaldehyde has been previously engineered in Escherichia coli. Strains that rely on this pathway exhibit lower growth rates which were initially attributed to the perturbed redox homeostasis as evidenced by the lower intracellular NADPH concentrations during exponential growth phase. NADPH-regenerating systems were then tested to restore the redox homeostasis.

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The D-xylose oxidative pathway (XOP) has recently been employed in several recombinant microorganisms for growth or for the production of several valuable compounds. The XOP is initiated by D-xylose oxidation to D-xylonolactone, which is then hydrolyzed into D-xylonic acid. D-Xylonic acid is then dehydrated to form 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-xylonic acid, which may be further dehydrated then oxidized into α-ketoglutarate or undergo aldol cleavage to form pyruvate and glycolaldehyde.

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Monitoring and control of odorous compound emissions have been enforced by the Korean government since 2005. One of the point sources for these emissions was from food waste composting facilities. In this study, a pilot-scale scrubber installed in a composting facility was evaluated for its performance in the removal of malodorous compounds.

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The continued research in the isolation of novel bacterial strains is inspired by the fact that native microorganisms possess certain desired phenotypes necessary for recombinant microorganisms in the biotech industry. Most studies have focused on the isolation and characterization of strains from marine ecosystems as they present a higher microbial diversity than other sources. In this study, a marine bacterium, W5C, was isolated from red seaweed collected from Yeosu, South Korea.

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Glycolic acid (GA) is an ⍺-hydroxy acid used in cosmetics, packaging, and medical industries due to its excellent properties, especially in its polymeric form. In this study, Escherichia coli was engineered to produce GA from D-xylose by linking the Dahms pathway, the glyoxylate bypass, and the partial reverse glyoxylate pathway (RGP). Initially, a GA-producing strain was constructed by disrupting the xylAB and glcD genes in the E.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluates open-pore polyurethane foam as an effective and economical packing material for wet chemical scrubbers designed to remove NH and HS gases.
  • The foam's properties, including being lightweight, porous, and providing a large surface area, contribute to improved gas/liquid mass transfer, enhancing the scrubbing process.
  • Key findings indicate that maintaining optimal pH, ORP levels, and a higher re-circulation rate in scrubbing solutions leads to gas removal efficiencies exceeding 95%, confirming polyurethane foam's practical application in managing high-volume dilute emissions.
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  • Research on marine biomass has highlighted the enzymatic breakdown of seaweed-derived agar, focusing on the enzyme agarase.
  • A new β-agarase named Aga2 was discovered from Cellulophaga omnivescoria W5C, and is distinct to this genus, belonging to the glycoside hydrolase 16 family.
  • Aga2 demonstrates endolytic activity producing neoagaro-oligosaccharides, shows optimal performance at 45°C and pH 8.0, and is notably stable with over 90% activity after freeze-thaw cycles, influenced by the presence of specific metal ions.
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  • The renewable production of ethylene glycol (EG) through microbial methods is gaining traction in chemical and polymer industries.
  • The initial biosynthetic approach using the Dahms pathway in E. coli achieved a yield of 71%, which improved with metabolic engineering tactics.
  • The final engineered strain, WTXB, reached an impressive 98% of the theoretical yield from d-xylose, marking a significant advancement over previous efforts.
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Interest in agar or agarose-based pharmaceutical products has driven the search for potent agarolytic enzymes. An extracellular β-agarase (AgaA7) recently isolated from Pseudoalteromonas hodoensis sp. nov was expressed in Bacillus subtilis, which was chosen due to its capability to overproduce and secrete functional enzymes.

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Biosynthetic pathways for the production of biofuels often rely on inherent aldehyde reductases (ALRs) of the microbial host. These native ALRs play vital roles in the success of the microbial production of 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, and isobutanol. In the present study, the main ALR for 1,2,4-butanetriol (BT) production in Escherichia coli was identified.

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An engineered Escherichia coli strain was developed for enhanced isoprene production using D-galactose as substrate. Isoprene is a valuable compound that can be biosynthetically produced from pyruvate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P) through the methylerythritol phosphate pathway (MEP). The Leloir and De Ley-Doudoroff (DD) pathways are known existing routes in E.

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  • The study showcases the use of a flexible enzyme, l-arabinose dehydrogenase (AraDH), from *Azospirillum brasilense* to produce L-arabonate and D-galactonate.
  • AraDH effectively works with both L-arabinose and D-galactose, utilizing different cofactors (NAD(+) and NADP(+)).
  • Engineered E. coli strains produced significant amounts of L-arabonate and D-galactonate, demonstrating AraDH's potential for industrial applications in sugar acid production.
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  • The combination of the Embden-Meyerhof pathway (EMP) and the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate pathway (MEP) in E. coli faces challenges due to an uneven production of pyruvate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P).
  • Experiments showed that the Entner-Doudoroff Pathway (EDP) is the most effective for isoprene production compared to other glycolytic pathways, as it produces pyruvate and G3P at the same time, resulting in isoprene yields over three and six times higher than those from the EMP.
  • The study highlights that combining EDP with the Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP)
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Article Synopsis
  • D-galactose can be converted into D-galactonate by engineered E. coli, which is beneficial for the polymer and cosmetic industries.
  • Engineered E. coli expressing a specific galactose dehydrogenase showed significant D-galactonate production, especially when metabolic pathways for D-galactose and D-galactonate were blocked.
  • By optimizing fermentation conditions, the study achieved a high concentration and yield of D-galactonate, highlighting the potential for industrial applications.
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Development of sustainable technologies for the production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3HP) as a platform chemical has recently been gaining much attention owing to its versatility in applications for the synthesis of other specialty chemicals. Several proposed biological synthesis routes and strategies for producing 3HP from glucose and glycerol are reviewed presently. Ten proposed routes for 3HP production from glucose are described and one of which was recently constructed successfully in Escherichia coli with malonyl-Coenzyme A as a precursor.

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Ethylene glycol (EG) is an important platform chemical with steadily expanding global demand. Its commercial production is currently limited to fossil resources; no biosynthesis route has been delineated. Herein, a biosynthesis route for EG production from D-xylose is reported.

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