AUTHOR=Vuoristo Kiira S. , Mars Astrid E. , van Loon Stijn , Orsi Enrico , Eggink Gerrit , Sanders Johan P. M. , Weusthuis Ruud A. 

TITLE=Heterologous expression of Mus musculus immunoresponsive gene 1 (irg1) in Escherichia coli results in itaconate production

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2015

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00849

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2015.00849

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Itaconic acid, a C5-dicarboxylic acid, is a potential biobased building block for the polymer industry. It is obtained from the citric acid cycle by decarboxylation of <italic>cis</italic>-aconitic acid. This reaction is catalyzed by CadA in the native itaconic acid producer <italic>Aspergillus terreus</italic>. Recently, another enzyme encoded by the mammalian immunoresponsive gene 1 (<italic>irg1</italic>), was found to decarboxylate <italic>cis</italic>-aconitate to itaconate <italic>in vitro</italic>. We show that heterologous expression of <italic>irg1</italic> enabled itaconate production in <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> with production titres up to 560 mg/L.</p>