Production of β-carotene by Recombinant Escherichia coli with Engineered Whole Mevalonate Pathway in Batch and Fed-batch Cultures

Recombinant Escherichia coli engineered to contain the whole mevalonate pathway and foreign genes for P-carotene biosynthesis, was utilized for production of beta-carotene in bioreactor cultures. Optimum culture conditions were established in batch and pH-stat fed-batch cultures to determine the optimal feeding strategy thereby improving production yield. The specific growth rate and volumetric productivity in batch cultures at 37 degrees C were 1.7-fold and 2-fold higher, respectively, than those at 28 degrees C. Glycerol was superior to glucose as a carbon source. Maximum P-carotene production (titer of 663 mg/L and overall volumetric productivity of 24.6 mg/L x h) resulted from the simultaneous addition of 500 g/L glycerol and 50 g/L yeast extract in pH-stat fed-batch culture. (C) KSBB