Green strategy from waste to value-added-chemical production: efficient biosynthesis of 6-hydroxy-3-succinoyl-pyridine by an engineered biocatalyst

Value-added intermediates produced by microorganisms during the catabolism of N-heterocycles are potential building blocks for agrochemical synthesis and pharmaceutical production. 6-Hydroxy-3-succinoyl-pyridine (HSP), an intermediate in nicotine degradation, is an important precursor for the synthesis of drugs and compounds with biological activities. In the present study, we show that an engineered biocatalyst, Pseudomonas putida P-HSP, efficiently produced HSP from the renewable raw material of tobacco-waste that contains a high concentration of nicotine. The genetically constructed strain P-HSP realized a high accumulation of HSP, and HSP production was 3.7-fold higher than the non-engineered strain S16. Under optimal conditions, HSP was produced at high concentrations of 6.8 g l(−1) and 16.3 g l(−1) from tobacco-waste and nicotine, respectively. This work demonstrates a green strategy to block the catabolic pathway of N-heterocycles, which is a promising approach for the mutasynthesis of valuable compounds.