Enhanced rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa overexpressing estA in a simple medium

PLoS One. 2017 Aug 24;12(8):e0183857. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183857. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

A modified Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain capable of overexpressing the estA gene, an encoding gene for a membrane-bound esterase, was constructed and its rhamnolipid (RML) production was studied. Fermentations using wild-type (WT) and modified P. aeruginosa strains were conducted until exhaustion of glycerol in Medium Salt Production, using two different C/N ratios. At a C/N of 83.2, the modified strain produced up to 3.9 times more RMLs than the WT, yielding a maximum concentration of 14.62 g/L RML when measured by HPLC and 22 g/L by the orcinol assay. Cell-free supernatant from the modified strain reduced surface tension to 29.4 mN/m and had a CMC of 240 mg/L and CMD of 56.05. This is the first report on the construction of an estA-based recombinant strain for RML production.

MeSH terms

  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Chromatography, Thin Layer
  • Culture Media
  • Fermentation
  • Genes, Bacterial*
  • Glycolipids / biosynthesis*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / genetics
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / metabolism*
  • Surface Tension
  • Surface-Active Agents / pharmacology

Substances

  • Culture Media
  • Glycolipids
  • Surface-Active Agents
  • rhamnolipid

Grants and funding

This work is supported by Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis (www.anp.gov.br) - LD, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (www.capes.gov.br) - LD, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (www.cnpq.br) - BRC. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.