Effective production of Itaconic Acid in A. niger

Ref ID: 18518

Author:

Laura van der Straat,
Marieke Lammers,
Marloes Vernooij,
Willy van den Berg,
Jan Cordewener,
Ingrid
Vermeer,
Andries Koops,
Leo de Graaff

Author address:

Fungal Systems Biology, Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 10,
6703 HB Wageningen, Netherlands  
Bioscience, Plant Research International, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB,
Wageningen, The Netherlands

Full conference title:

11 th European Conference on Fungal Genetics

Abstract:

Itaconic acid is an important building block for the chemical industry that can be produced from sugars in a
fermentative process. Currently, Aspergillus terreus is most frequently used for the commercial production of
itaconic acid. The itaconic acid production pathway in A terreus is similar to the citric acid pathway in Aspergillus
niger. Citric acid is the precursor for cis8208;aconitic acid which can be converted to itaconic acid by decarboxylation.
Itaconic acid in A. terreus is produced upto a concentration of 80 g/L while citric acid production in A. niger reaches
concentrations over 200 g/L which show the enormous potential of A. niger as a production host for itaconic acid.
However, the key8208;enzyme cis8208;aconitic acid decarboxylase (CadA) in the itaconic acid production pathway is lacking
in A. niger. Within the genome of A. terreus the cadA gene is flanked by two putative transporters, a mitochondrial
transporter and a plasmamembrane transporter. The expression of the cadA gene in an A. niger strain optimized
for citrate production resulted in the production of itaconic acid.  The amount of itaconic acid produced by A. niger
is further improved by using a codon8208;optimized version of the cadA gene. Still, significant amounts of citrate were
produced suggesting that the conversion to itaconic acid is not very efficient. To improve the efficiency and to
increase the itaconic acid production both putative transporters are introduced. Introduction of the mitochondrial
transporter strongly increased the itaconic acid production.  

Abstract Number: PR8.19

Conference Year: 2012

Link to conference website: http://www.ecfg.info/images/Abstract_Book_Electronic.pdf

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