Muconic Acid Production from Glucose and Xylose in Pseudomonas putida via Evolution and Metabolic Engineering

Muconic acid is a bioprivileged molecule that can be converted into direct replacement chemicals for incumbent petrochemicals and performance-advantaged bioproducts. In this study, Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is engineered to convert glucose and xylose, the primary carbohydrates in lignocellulosic hydrolysates, to muconic acid using a model-guided strategy to maximize the theoretical yield. Using adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) and metabolic engineering in a strain engineered to express the D-xylose isomerase pathway, we demonstrate that mutations in the heterologous D-xylose:H⁺ symporter (XylE), increased expression of a major facilitator superfamily transporter (PP_2569), and overexpression of aroB encoding the native 3-dehydroquinate synthase, enable efficient muconic acid production from glucose and xylose simultaneously. Using the rationally engineered strain, we produce 33.7 g L⁻¹ muconate at 0.18 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹ and a 46% molar yield (92% of the maximum theoretical yield). This engineering strategy is promising for the production of other shikimate pathway-derived compounds from lignocellulosic sugars.