2,3-Butanediol synthesis from glucose supplies NADH for elimination of toxic acetate produced during overflow metabolism

Overflow metabolism-caused acetate accumulation is a major problem that restricts industrial applications of various bacteria. 2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BD) synthesis in microorganisms is an ancient metabolic process with unidentified functions. We demonstrate here that acetate increases and then decreases during the growth of a bacterium Enterobacter cloacae subsp. dissolvens SDM. Both bifunctional acetaldehyde/ethanol dehydrogenase AdhE-catalyzed ethanol production and acetate-induced 2,3-BD biosynthesis are indispensable for the elimination of acetate generated during overflow metabolism. 2,3-BD biosynthesis from glucose supplies NADH required for acetate elimination via AdhE-catalyzed ethanol production. The coupling strategy involving 2,3-BD biosynthesis and ethanol production is widely distributed in bacteria and is important for toxic acetate elimination. Finally, we realized the co-production of ethanol and acetoin from chitin, the second most abundant natural biopolymer whose catabolism involves inevitable acetate production through the coupling acetate elimination strategy. The synthesis of a non-toxic chemical such as 2,3-BD may be viewed as a unique overflow metabolism with desirable metabolic functions.