Abstract
Background Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is an impactful technique for cultivating microorganisms to adapt to specific environmental circumstances or substrates through iterative growth and selection. This study utilized an adaptive laboratory evolution method on Lipomyces starkeyi for high tolerance in producing lignin derivative alcohols and lipids from syringaldehyde. Afterward, untargeted metabolomics analysis was employed to find the key metabolites that play important roles in the better performance of evolved strains compared to the wild type. Lignin, a prominent constituent of plant biomass, is a favorable source material for the manufacture of biofuel and lipids. Nevertheless, the effective transformation of chemicals produced from lignin into products with high economic worth continues to be a difficult task.
Results In this study, we exposed L. starkeyi to a series of flask passaging experiments while applying selective pressure to facilitate its adaptation to syringaldehyde, a specific type of lignin monomeric aldehyde. Using ALE, we successfully enhanced the synthesis of lignin-derivative alcohols and lipids in comparison to the original strain. In addition, a comprehensive examination of untargeted metabolomics identified six specific crucial metabolites linked to the improved conversion of lignin.
Conclusion The results of our study reveal the ways in which L. starkeyiadapts to using substrates produced from lignin. These findings offer important information for developing strategies to improve the process of converting lignin into useful products for sustainable biorefinery applications.