Redesigning glycolaldehyde synthase for the synthesis of biorefinery feedstock D-xylulose from C1 compounds

Global climate deterioration intensifies the demand for exploiting efficient CO₂ utilization approaches. Converting CO₂ to biorefinery feedstock affords an alternative strategy for third-generation biorefineries. However, upcycling CO₂ into complex chiral carbohydrates remains a major challenge. Previous attempts at sugar synthesis from CO₂ either produce mixtures with poor stereoselectivity or require ATP as a cofactor. Here, by redesigning glycolaldehyde synthase, the authors constructed a synthetic pathway for biorefinery feedstock D-xylulose from CO₂ that does not require ATP as a cofactor. The artificial D-xylulose pathway only requires a three-step enzyme cascade reaction to achieve the stereoselective synthesis of D-xylulose at a concentration of 1.2 g L⁻¹. Our research opens up an alternative route toward future production of chemicals and fuels from CO₂.