Rewiring the methanol assimilation pathway in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris for high-level production of erythritol

Abstract

Methanol, which is non-food competing, abundant, inexpensive, and potentially renewable, serves as an ideal alternative feedstock for biomanufacturing. Although engineered methylotrophic yeasts have successfully achieved gram-scale production of C2 (acetyl-CoA), C3 (pyruvate), and C6 (fructose-6-phosphate) building blocks from methanol, the production of C4-based (i.e. erythrose-4-phosphate) chemicals remains unexplored.