Lignin Valorization: Production of High Value-Added Compounds by Engineered Microorganisms

Rosini, Elena; Molinari, Filippo; Miani, Davide; Pollegioni, Loredano

doi:10.3390/catal13030555

Cited by 17 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 135 publications

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“…Among the various types of technical lignin, Kraft lignin (KL) stands out as a commonly produced lignin byproduct in the pulp and paper industries. Traditionally, due to its high calorific value, KL has been primarily burnt for energy generation. , However, with the growing interest in lignin valorization, KL has emerged as a potential raw material for the synthesis of high value-added products. In this context, understanding the properties and potential applications of KL has become crucial in the quest for sustainable and economically viable utilization of lignin resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Manganese Peroxidase-Catalyzed Conversion of the Lignin Structure and Its Application for the Polymerization of Kraft Lignin

Teo,

Kondo,

Watanabe

et al. 2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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Manganese peroxidase (MnP) has been well studied for woody biomass degradation. MnP exhibits a biotechnological potential for producing lignin-based materials through Kraft lignin (KL) polymerization. MnP derived from Ceriporiopsis subvermispora (CsMnP) is particularly intriguing as this fungus predominantly utilizes MnP to degrade/modify lignin. Here, we investigated CsMnP's catalytic activity toward the phenolic β-O-4′ lignin substructure, utilizing guaiacylglycerol-βguaiacyl ether (GGE) as the model substrate. The reaction carried out at 25 °C and pH 5 was monitored by RP-HPLC, leading to the isolation of five product peaks (P1 to P5) after 48 h. SEC analysis indicated that compounds in P1 to P5 had higher molecular weights than GGE, suggesting polymerization reactions. NMR analysis of P1 revealed that this compound contains two GGE segments, connected by a 5-5′ linkage. Furthermore, we demonstrated CsMnP's ability to modify KL at 25 °C and pH 5, yielding a product with a 360% higher molecular weight compared to untreated KL after 24 h. NMR spectra revealed the deprotonation of the benzenic ring in KL and polymerization through the possible formation of α-5′, 5-5′, and 4-O-5′ linkages. This study offers valuable insights into the enzymatic properties of CsMnP and presents a potential strategy for valorizing KL.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Manganese Peroxidase-Catalyzed Conversion of the Lignin Structure and Its Application for the Polymerization of Kraft Lignin

Teo,

Kondo,

Watanabe

et al. 2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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“…Furthermore, biomass deconstruction methods used to recover aromatics produce a diverse set of aromatic monomers, dimers, and oligomers ( 13 ). Therefore, metabolic engineering techniques for conversion of diverse biomass aromatics into simple product streams can be attractive if the hosts can funnel S, H, and G aromatics through common intermediates, thereby alleviating some of the challenges associated with plant cell wall heterogeneity ( 14 – 16 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engineering Novosphingobium aromaticivorans to produce cis,cis -muconic acid from biomass aromatics

Vilbert,

Kontur,

Gille

et al. 2024

Appl Environ Microbiol

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The platform chemical cis,cis- muconic acid ( cc MA) provides facile access to a number of monomers used in the synthesis of commercial plastics. It is also a metabolic intermediate in the β-ketoadipic acid pathway of many bacteria and, therefore, a current target for microbial production from abundant renewable resources via metabolic engineering. This study investigates Novosphingobium aromaticivorans DSM12444 as a chassis for the production of cc MA from biomass aromatics. The N. aromaticivorans genome predicts that it encodes a previously uncharacterized protocatechuic acid (PCA) decarboxylase and a catechol 1,2-dioxygenase, which would be necessary for the conversion of aromatic metabolic intermediates to cc MA. This study confirmed the activity of these two enzymes in vitro and compared their activity to ones that have been previously characterized and used in cc MA production. From these results, we generated one strain that is completely derived from native genes and a second that contains genes previously used in microbial engineering synthesis of this compound. Both of these strains exhibited stoichiometric production of cc MA from PCA and produced greater than 100% yield of cc MA from the aromatic monomers that were identified in liquor derived from alkaline pretreated biomass. Our results show that a strain completely derived from native genes and one containing homologs from other hosts are both capable of stoichiometric production of cc MA from biomass aromatics. Overall, this work combines previously unknown aspects of aromatic metabolism in N. aromaticivorans and the genetic tractability of this organism to generate strains that produce cc MA from deconstructed biomass. IMPORTANCE The production of commodity chemicals from renewable resources is an important goal toward increasing the environmental and economic sustainability of industrial processes. The aromatics in plant biomass are an underutilized and abundant renewable resource for the production of valuable chemicals. However, due to the chemical composition of plant biomass, many deconstruction methods generate a heterogeneous mixture of aromatics, thus making it difficult to extract valuable chemicals using current methods. Therefore, recent efforts have focused on harnessing the pathways of microorganisms to convert a diverse set of aromatics into a single product. Novosphingobium aromaticivorans DSM12444 has the native ability to metabolize a wide range of aromatics and, thus, is a potential chassis for conversion of these abundant compounds to commodity chemicals. This study reports on new features of N. aromaticivorans that can be used to produce the commodity chemical cis,cis -muconic acid from renewable and abundant biomass aromatics.

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“…As reviewed by Rosini et al, most of the industrial lignin is currently burnt for energy purposes. However, it is the richest natural source of aromatics and therefore a promising raw material for the production of value-added products [ 12 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of the Protective Function of a Lignin Coating of Natural Fiber Geotextiles against Biodegradation

2023

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Natural fibers do not have a long life in soil; therefore, they cannot replace synthetic textiles in many applications. However, in order to solve ever-increasing global environmental problems due to microplastics, more and more natural polymers must be used, creating a need for research into the sustainable life extension of natural fibers. Lignin is, along with cellulose, a main component of wood, and is produced in large quantities as waste during paper production. With appropriate processing, lignin can be exploited/used as a textile auxiliary to combine the strength-enhancing properties of textiles made from natural fibers with the protective properties of a lignin coating. However, there is not yet sufficient research on how to integrate lignin into textile applications. For this purpose, in this study, we have investigated whether thermoplastic lignin can be processed as a surface protective coating. We tested lignin as a yarn coating to extend the service life of cellulosic textiles. Cotton yarns have been coated with lignin in variations of coating mass, characterized and investigated by means of soil burial tests. As the soil burial tests conducted in climate chamber and outdoor field environments showed, the lifespan of textiles made from natural fibers can be significantly extended with a lignin coating. Long-term resilience has been demonstrated in standard burial tests. In the outdoor tests, the lignin coating was still fully intact, even after about 160 days of burial. The textile materials coated in this way enable sustainable applications, especially for geotextiles. They have an adjustable, sufficiently long service life; however, they are still biodegradable, and can therefore replace some applications, such as vegetating trench/brook slopes, with synthetic materials. Lignin-coated textiles have the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint, reduce not only the dependence on petroleum-based products but also the amount of microplastics entering the environment. Further research can be conducted to improve lignin compounding in terms of other interesting properties for specific textile applications. Process optimization could increase the protective effect and further extend the life of useful textiles in soil.

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Lignin Valorization: Production of High Value-Added Compounds by Engineered Microorganisms

Cited by 17 publications

References 135 publications

Understanding Manganese Peroxidase-Catalyzed Conversion of the Lignin Structure and Its Application for the Polymerization of Kraft Lignin

Understanding Manganese Peroxidase-Catalyzed Conversion of the Lignin Structure and Its Application for the Polymerization of Kraft Lignin

Engineering Novosphingobium aromaticivorans to produce cis,cis -muconic acid from biomass aromatics

Investigation of the Protective Function of a Lignin Coating of Natural Fiber Geotextiles against Biodegradation

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