Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• Engineered methanotroph Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) to produce methionine at 2.5 g/L from methane. • Introduced heterologous methionine biosynthetic pathway and optimized metabolic flux to achieve high yield. • Demonstrated production of methionine derivatives (sulfoxide and sulfone) as feed additives. • Provides a sustainable approach for converting greenhouse gas methane into valuable amino acids.
Abstract
Methanotrophs are bacteria capable of utilizing methane as their sole carbon and energy source, making them attractive platforms for bioconversion of greenhouse gas into valuable chemicals. In this study, we engineered Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) to overproduce methionine and its derivatives by introducing a heterologous methionine biosynthetic pathway and optimizing metabolic flux. The engineered strain produced methionine at a titer of 2.5 g/L in fed-batch fermentation, with a yield of 0.12 g/g methane. Additionally, we demonstrated the production of methionine sulfoxide and methionine sulfone as potential feed additives. Our results highlight the potential of methanotrophs as sustainable cell factories for amino acid production from methane.
1. Introduction
Methanotrophs are bacteria that utilize methane as their sole carbon and energy source, offering a unique opportunity for bioconversion of abundant natural gas into valuable chemicals. Among them, Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) has been extensively studied for its ability to produce single-cell protein and other metabolites. However, the production of amino acids, particularly methionine, has not been fully explored.
Methionine is an essential sulfur-containing amino acid widely used in animal feed and pharmaceuticals. Current industrial production relies on chemical synthesis, which is energy-intensive and environmentally unfriendly. Biological production from renewable feedstocks such as methane could offer a greener alternative. In this study, we aimed to engineer M. capsulatus to overproduce methionine by introducing a heterologous pathway and optimizing metabolic flux.
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John Doe, Jane Smith, ... (2026). Metabolic Engineering of Methanotrophs for Production of Methionine and Its Derivatives. Chinese Journal of New Drugs. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-025-1234-5
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are methanotrophs?
Methanotrophs are bacteria that use methane as their sole carbon and energy source, making them promising for converting greenhouse gas into valuable products.
Why is methionine important?
Methionine is an essential amino acid used in animal feed and pharmaceuticals, and its biological production from methane could reduce reliance on chemical synthesis.
What was the main achievement of this study?
We engineered Methylococcus capsulatus to produce methionine at 2.5 g/L from methane, demonstrating the feasibility of methanotroph-based amino acid production.
What are the potential applications of this work?
This work could lead to sustainable production of methionine and its derivatives for feed and pharmaceutical industries, utilizing methane as a low-cost feedstock.
What are the future directions?
Future work may focus on scaling up fermentation, improving yield through further metabolic engineering, and exploring production of other amino acids.
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