Multi-Step Enzymatic Synthesis of 1,9-Nonanedioic Acid from a Renewable Fatty Acid and Its Application for the Enzymatic Production of Biopolyesters

1,9-Nonanedioic acid is one of the valuable building blocks for producing polyesters and polyamides. Thereby, whole-cell biosynthesis of 1,9-nonanedioic acid from oleic acid has been investigated. A recombinant Corynebacterium glutamicum, expressing the alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogenases (ChnDE) of Acinetobacter sp. NCIMB 9871, was constructed and used for the production of 1,9-nonanedioic acid from 9-hydroxynonanoic acid, which had been produced from oleic acid. When 9-hydroxynonanoic acid was added to a concentration of 20 mM in the reaction medium, 1,9-nonanedioic acid was produced to 16 mM within 8 h by the recombinant C. glutamicum. The dicarboxylic acid was isolated via crystallization and then used for the production of biopolyester by a lipase. For instance, the polyesterification of 1,9-nonanedioic acid and 1,8-octanediol in diphenyl ether by the immobilized lipase B from Candida antarctica led to formation of the polymer product with the number-average molecular weight (M(n)) of approximately 21,000. Thereby, this study will contribute to biological synthesis of long chain dicarboxylic acids and their application for the enzymatic production of long chain biopolyesters.