Phycocyanobilin, an algae-originated
light-harvesting pigment known
for its antioxidant properties, has gained attention as it plays important
roles in the food and medication industries and has surged in demand
owing to its low-yield extraction from natural resources. In this
study, engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum was developed to achieve high PCB production, and three strategies
were proposed: reinforcement of the heme biosynthesis pathway with
the introduction of two PCB-related enzymes, strengthening of the
pentose phosphate pathway to generate an efficient cycle of NADPH,
and fed-batch fermentation to maximize PCB production. Each approach
increased PCB synthesis, and the final engineered strain successfully
produced 78.19 mg/L in a flask and 259.63 mg/L in a 5 L bioreactor,
representing the highest bacterial production of PCB reported to date,
to our knowledge. The strategies applied in this study will be useful
for the synthesis of PCB derivatives and can be applied in the food
and pharmaceutical industries.