Efficient expression of myo-inositol oxygenase in Escherichia coli and application for conversion of myo-inositol to glucuronic acid

Glucuronic acid is an important biochemical with wide applications in the food and medical industries. The myo-inositol oxygenase (MIOX) gene was synthesized and expressed in Escherichia coli BL 21(DE3). After optimization of induction conditions and the culture temperature, the highest MIOX activity (45.46 kU/L) was achieved when 0.1 mM isopropyl-thio-β-d-galactoside (IPTG) was added to cell cultures with an OD600 value 1.0 followed by induction at 26°C for 8 hours. The purified MIOX enzyme exerted characteristics similar to the native form. Conversion of myo-inositol to glucuronic acid was performed using whole cells in a pH 8.5 buffer system. Whole cells harboring myo-inositol oxygenase were used as a biocatalyst to produce 2.13 g/L of glucuronic acid with a conversion rate of 99%. A promising novel process for glucuronic acid production from abundant agricultural byproducts is presented.