Regulation of fermentation for O-succinyL-L-homoserine production based on metabolomics

Abstract:

[Objective] O-SuccinyL-L-homoserine (OSH), an important precursor for the synthesis of L-methionine, L-glufosinate-ammonium and other chemicals, has wide applications in the pharmaceutical, pesticide, and food industries. The green and efficient production of OSH has attracted a great deal of attention. This study investigated the metabolic pathway and metabolite changes during the microbial fermentation for production of OSH, aiming to establish an efficient regulation strategy to increase both the yield and sugar-acid conversion of OSH. [Methods] Metabolomics was employed to systematically investigate the metabolic changes during the fermentation, and the key metabolic pathways associated with OSH biosynthesis were determined. The key metabolites were added at different fermentation stages to balance the metabolic flux and reduce the competitive utilization of precursors. [Results] The efficient bio-production of OSH was realized in a 5 L fermentation tank. The titer reached 70.1 g/L with the conversion of 0.52 g/g (glucose). [Conclusion] The optimization of OSH fermentation system and regulation of fermentation process based on metabolomics have significantly improved the production of OSH, laying a foundation for the industrialization of OSH.