ARTICLE Expanding the Modular Ester Fermentative Pathways for Combinatorial Biosynthesis of Esters From Volatile Organic Acids Donovan S. Layton,1,2 Cong T. Trinh1,2,3 1 Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 2 BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 3 Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee; telephone: þ865-974-8121; fax: 865-974-7076; e-mail:
[email protected] Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1764–1776. ABSTRACT: Volatile organic acids are byproducts of fermentative ß 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. metabolism, for example, anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic KEYWORDS: modular chassis cell; carboxylate; ester; acyl acetate; biomass or organic wastes, and are often times undesired inhibiting acyl acylate; ester fermentative pathway cell growth and reducing directed formation of the desired products. Here, we devised a general framework for upgrading these volatile organic acids to high-value esters that can be used as flavors, fragrances, solvents, and biofuels. This framework employs the acid-to-ester modules, consisting of an AAT (alcohol Introduction acyltransferase) plus ACT (acyl CoA transferase) submodule and an alcohol submodule, for co-fermentation of sugars and organic Harnessing renewable or waste feedstocks (e.g., switchgrass, corn acids to acyl CoAs and alcohols to form a combinatorial library of stover, agricultural residue, or municipal solid waste)