Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39468081›Full record

ArticleNature communications2024

Lignin valorization to bioplastics with an aromatic hub metabolite-based autoregulation system.

Yiquan Zhao, Le Xue, Zhiyi Huang, Zixian Lei, Shiyu Xie, Zhenzhen Cai, Xinran Rao, Ze Zheng, Ning Xiao, Xiaoyu Zhang and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Recent Advances in Understanding Bio-Compounds from Haloarchaea.Journal of microbiology and biotechnology · 2026
    Review
  5. Coupling Nitrogenous Organic Wastewater Treatment and Biorefinery via N-Cycling Bacterium.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Article
  6. Review
  7. EngineeredmSphere · 2025
    Article
  8. Advancing lignocellulosic conversion though biosensor-enabled metabolic engineering.Green chemistry : an international journal and green chemistry resource : GC · 2025
    Review
  9. Data-driven synthetic microbes for sustainable future.NPJ systems biology and applications · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Yiquan Zhao *Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Le Xue *Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Zhiyi HuangDepartment of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Zixian LeiDepartment of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Shiyu XieDepartment of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Zhenzhen CaiDepartment of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Xinran RaoDepartment of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Ze ZhengDepartment of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Ning XiaoNational key Laboratory of Non-food Biomass Energy Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Xiaoyu ZhangDepartment of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Fuying MaDepartment of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Hongbo YuDepartment of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Shangxian XieDepartment of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China. shangxian_xie@hust.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0001-9448-8542

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) Nos. 32170122
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Exploring microorganisms with downstream synthetic advantages in lignin valorization is an effective strategy to increase target product diversity and yield. This study ingeniously engineers the non-lignin-degrading bacterium Ralstonia eutropha H16 (also known as Cupriavidus necator H16) to convert lignin, a typically underutilized by-product of biorefinery, into valuable bioplastic polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). The aromatic metabolism capacities of R. eutropha H16 for different lignin-derived aromatics (LDAs) are systematically characterized and complemented by integrating robust functional modules including O-demethylation, aromatic aldehyde metabolism and the mitigation of by-product inhibition. A pivotal discovery is the regulatory element PcaQ, which is highly responsive to the aromatic hub metabolite protocatechuic acid during lignin degradation. Based on the computer-aided design of PcaQ, we develop a hub metabolite-based autoregulation (HMA) system. This system can control the functional genes expression in response to heterologous LDAs and enhance metabolism efficiency. Multi-module genome integration and directed evolution further fortify the strain's stability and lignin conversion capacities, leading to PHB production titer of 2.38 g/L using heterologous LDAs as sole carbon source. This work not only marks a leap in bioplastic production from lignin components but also provides a strategy to redesign the non-LDAs-degrading microbes for efficient lignin valorization.

Indexed as

Cupriavidus necatorLigninBiodegradable PlasticsGene Expression Regulation, BacterialHomeostasisHydroxybenzoatesHydroxybutyratesMetabolic EngineeringPolyestersBiodegradable PlasticsHydroxybenzoatesHydroxybutyratesLigninPolyestersprotocatechuic acid

Identifiers

PMID39468081
PMCPMC11519575

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.