Sathiyanarayanan Ganesan, Esteves Sandra
Wales Centre of Excellence for Anaerobic Digestion, Sustainable Environment Research Centre, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, United Kingdom.
Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2025 Jun 4;13:1545438. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1545438. eCollection 2025.
The persistence of fossil fuel-based plastics poses significant environmental challenges, prompting increased research into biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymers derived from cost-effective and sustainable resources. Different microorganisms can produce PHA amongst carbon dioxide (CO)-assimilating autotrophic organisms, particularly noteworthy in carbon capture and utilization (CCU). Autotrophic bacteria have evolved to utilize either light (photoautotrophy) or inorganic chemicals (chemolithoautotrophy) to capture CO, which powers their primary and secondary metabolic activities. This review explores the diversity of PHA-producing autotrophs, the metabolic pathways implicated in autotrophic PHA accumulation, and recent progress in photoautotrophs and chemolithoautotrophs regarding PHA synthesis using CO. Additionally, microbial electrosynthesis for converting CO to PHA is also discussed. Genetic engineering strategies are also emphasized for the autotrophic synthesis of PHA. This review also addresses the challenges and prospects for sustainable PHA production using CO.
基于化石燃料的塑料的持久性带来了重大的环境挑战,这促使人们对源自经济高效且可持续资源的可生物降解聚羟基脂肪酸酯(PHA)聚合物展开更多研究。在吸收二氧化碳(CO)的自养生物中,不同的微生物都能产生PHA,这在碳捕获与利用(CCU)方面尤为值得关注。自养细菌已经进化到利用光(光合自养)或无机化学物质(化能无机自养)来捕获CO,为其初级和次级代谢活动提供能量。本综述探讨了产生PHA的自养生物的多样性、与自养PHA积累相关的代谢途径,以及光合自养生物和化能无机自养生物在利用CO进行PHA合成方面的最新进展。此外,还讨论了将CO转化为PHA的微生物电合成。同时也强调了用于PHA自养合成的基因工程策略。本综述还阐述了利用CO进行可持续PHA生产面临的挑战与前景。