Method of producing autotrophic microorganisms with altered photorespiration and improved CO2 fixation

Scientists from the Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology have developed autotrophic microorganisms with altered photorespiration, which is projected to increase growth rate, productivity and energy conversion efficiency of these organisms.

The invention bypasses the naturally occurring photorespiration pathways in autotrophic microorganisms with the ß-hydroxyaspartate cycle (BHAC). In ubiquitous marine Proteobacteria, the BHAC enables the production of oxaloacetate from glyoxylate through four enzymatic steps, representing an efficient glyoxylate assimilation route. In contrast to the natural photorespiration pathways no CO₂ is released, no ATP and only 1 equivalent of NADH is required. The BHAC represents a CO₂ neutral photorespiration bypass with the least amount of required reducing equivalents and the regeneration of the catalytic amino donor, which makes it the most efficient glyoxylate assimilation pathway described to date.

A PCT application was filed on 15.04.2019.

Schada von Borzyskowski, Lennart et al. Nature. 2019, doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1748-4