A synthetic methylotroph achieves accelerated cell growth by alleviating transcription-replication conflicts

Abstract Microbial utilization of methanol for valorization is an effective way to advance green bio-manufacturing technology. Although synthetic methylotrophs have been developed, strategies to enhance their cell growth rate and internal regulatory mechanism remain underexplored. In this study, we...

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Main Authors: Xin Meng, Guipeng Hu, Xiaomin Li, Cong Gao, Wei Song, Wanqing Wei, Jing Wu, Liming Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-01-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55502-5
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author Xin Meng
Guipeng Hu
Xiaomin Li
Cong Gao
Wei Song
Wanqing Wei
Jing Wu
Liming Liu
author_facet Xin Meng
Guipeng Hu
Xiaomin Li
Cong Gao
Wei Song
Wanqing Wei
Jing Wu
Liming Liu
author_sort Xin Meng
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Microbial utilization of methanol for valorization is an effective way to advance green bio-manufacturing technology. Although synthetic methylotrophs have been developed, strategies to enhance their cell growth rate and internal regulatory mechanism remain underexplored. In this study, we design a synthetic methanol assimilation (SMA) pathway containing only six enzymes linked to central carbon metabolism, which does not require energy and carbon emissions. Through rational design and laboratory evolution, E. coli harboring with the SMA pathway is converted into a synthetic methylotroph. By self-adjusting the expression of TOPAI (topoisomerase I inhibitor) to alleviate transcriptional-replication conflicts (TRCs), the doubling time of methylotrophic E. coli is reduced to 4.5 h, approaching that of natural methylotrophs. This work has the potential to overcome the growth limitation of C1-assimilating microbes and advance the development of a circular carbon economy.
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id doaj-art-ce702da6fbac4689818d92795982eafa
institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
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publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-ce702da6fbac4689818d92795982eafa2025-01-05T12:39:50ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111610.1038/s41467-024-55502-5A synthetic methylotroph achieves accelerated cell growth by alleviating transcription-replication conflictsXin Meng0Guipeng Hu1Xiaomin Li2Cong Gao3Wei Song4Wanqing Wei5Jing Wu6Liming Liu7School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan UniversitySchool of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan UniversitySchool of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan UniversitySchool of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan UniversitySchool of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan UniversitySchool of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan UniversitySchool of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan UniversitySchool of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan UniversityAbstract Microbial utilization of methanol for valorization is an effective way to advance green bio-manufacturing technology. Although synthetic methylotrophs have been developed, strategies to enhance their cell growth rate and internal regulatory mechanism remain underexplored. In this study, we design a synthetic methanol assimilation (SMA) pathway containing only six enzymes linked to central carbon metabolism, which does not require energy and carbon emissions. Through rational design and laboratory evolution, E. coli harboring with the SMA pathway is converted into a synthetic methylotroph. By self-adjusting the expression of TOPAI (topoisomerase I inhibitor) to alleviate transcriptional-replication conflicts (TRCs), the doubling time of methylotrophic E. coli is reduced to 4.5 h, approaching that of natural methylotrophs. This work has the potential to overcome the growth limitation of C1-assimilating microbes and advance the development of a circular carbon economy.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55502-5
spellingShingle Xin Meng
Guipeng Hu
Xiaomin Li
Cong Gao
Wei Song
Wanqing Wei
Jing Wu
Liming Liu
A synthetic methylotroph achieves accelerated cell growth by alleviating transcription-replication conflicts
Nature Communications
title A synthetic methylotroph achieves accelerated cell growth by alleviating transcription-replication conflicts
title_full A synthetic methylotroph achieves accelerated cell growth by alleviating transcription-replication conflicts
title_fullStr A synthetic methylotroph achieves accelerated cell growth by alleviating transcription-replication conflicts
title_full_unstemmed A synthetic methylotroph achieves accelerated cell growth by alleviating transcription-replication conflicts
title_short A synthetic methylotroph achieves accelerated cell growth by alleviating transcription-replication conflicts
title_sort synthetic methylotroph achieves accelerated cell growth by alleviating transcription replication conflicts
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55502-5
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