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The change of the state of cell membrane can enhance the synthesis of menaquinone in Escherichia coli

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Abstract

Menaquinone (MK) was an attractive membrane-bound intracellular chemical. To enhance its production, we tried to find the relationship between its synthesis and the state of cell membrane in producing strain. Due to non-ionic surfactant-polyoxyethylene oleyl ether (POE) and plant oil-cedar wood oil (CWO) can typically increase extracellular secretion and intracellular synthesis of MK respectively, the effect of these two substances on cell morphology, physical properties of cell membrane was investigated. Finally, two engineering strains were constructed to verify whether the state of cell membrane can enhance MK synthesis. The result showed that the edge of cells was broken when POE added in the medium. Other physical properties such as total fatty acid content decreased by 40.7% and the ratio of saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids decreased from 1.58 ± 0.05 to 1.31 ± 0.04. Meanwhile, cell membrane leakage was enhanced from 7.14 to 64.31%. Different from POE group, cell membrane was intact in CWO group. Moreover, the ratio of saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids increased from 1.58 ± 0.05 to 1.78 ± 0.04 and the average lipid length decreased from 16.05 ± 0.08 to 15.99 ± 0.10. Two constructed strains, especially Escherichia coli DH5α FatB, exhibited strong MK secretion ability and the extracellular MK reached 10.71 ± 0.19 mg/L. An understanding of these functionary mechanisms could not only provide a new idea for the synthesis of MK, but also provide a reference to increase the yield of intracellular membrane-bound metabolites.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 31501465, 31471615), the National High-tech R&D Program (No. 2014AA021704), Anhui Provincial Nature Science Foundation (No. 1608085QC54), Anhui Higher Education Exchange Program for Young Talents (No. gxfxZD2016109) and Anhui Provincial Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program (No.201510363130) and the National Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program (No. 2016103630055).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Biochemical Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, 241000, China

    Yan Liu, Xiu-min Ding, Zheng-lian Xue, Liu-xiu Hu, Ning-juan Zhang, Zhou Wang, Jian-wei Yang, Qian Cheng & Ming-hong Chen

  2. Key Laboratory of Ion Beam Bioengineering, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Science, Hefei, 230031, China

    Yan Liu & Zhi-ming Zheng

  3. VCU Massey Cancer Center, VCU Institute of Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA

    Yan Liu & Zhuang-zhuang Zhang

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  1. Yan Liu
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  2. Xiu-min Ding
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  3. Zheng-lian Xue
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Correspondence to Yan Liu or Zheng-lian Xue.

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Liu, Y., Ding, Xm., Xue, Zl. et al. The change of the state of cell membrane can enhance the synthesis of menaquinone in Escherichia coli . World J Microbiol Biotechnol 33, 52 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-017-2222-9

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