Manipulation of Ralstonia eutropha carbon storage pathways to produce useful bio-based products

Abstract

Ralstonia eutropha is a Gram-negative betaproteobacterium found natively in soils that can utilize a wide array of carbon sources for growth, and can store carbon intracellularly in the form of polyhydroxyalkanoate. Many aspects of R. eutropha make it a good candidate for use in biotechnological production of polyhydroxyalkanoate and other bio-based, value added compounds. Manipulation of the organism’s carbon flux is a cornerstone to success in developing it as a biotechnologically relevant organism. Here, we examine the methods of controlling and adapting the flow of carbon in R. eutropha metabolism and the wide range of compounds that can be synthesized as a result. The presence of many different carbon utilization pathways and the custom genetic toolkit for manipulation of those pathways gives R. eutropha a versatility that allows it to be a biotechnologically important organism.