Research Article | Open Access

Volume 2026 |Article ID 100045 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bidere.2025.100045

Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for de novo production of lauryl glucoside

Kasimaporn Promubon,^1,2 Chaiwat Arjin,³ Chayakorn Pumas,¹ Aussara Panya,^1,4 Patrik R. Jones,⁵ Pachara Sattayawat ^1,4

¹Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
²Doctor of Philosophy Program in Applied Microbiology (International Program) in Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
³Department of Animal and Aquatic Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
⁴Cell Engineering for Cancer Therapy Research Group, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
⁵Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, London, United Kingdom

Abstract

Lauryl glucoside, a non-ionic surfactant used in various cosmetic products, is valued for its biodegradability and gentleness on the skin. However, its current production through chemical synthesis is considered unsustainable, necessitating the search for alternative methods. In this work, we engineered Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) with a novel lauryl glucoside biosynthetic pathway. Optimisation of 1-dodecanol, a lauryl glucoside precursor, was first implemented. Under optimised conditions, the strain produced 1-dodecanol at a titre of 185.39 ± 3.62 mg/L and a yield of 11.60 ± 0.29 mg/g glucose. These conditions were subsequently used to identify UDP-glycosyltransferases capable of converting 1-dodecanol to lauryl glucoside. Among six UDP-glycosyltransferases, MtH2 from Medicago truncatula showed the highest activity, with a titre and a yield of 0.72 ± 0.07 mg/L and 0.06 ± 0.004 mg/g glucose, respectively. The lauryl glucoside biosynthesis by MtH2 was confirmed using HPLC and targeted LC-MS. Moreover, the limited availability of 1-dodecanol was primarily identified as the bottleneck in this pathway. Supplementing the cells with twice the amount of 1-dodecanol led to an increase in lauryl glucoside production, achieving a titre of 13.44 ± 0.21 mg/L and a yield of 1.35 ± 0.04 mg/g glucose. Fermentation products of all strains were also monitored and suggested the redirection of carbon flux from acetate to the desired products. These findings demonstrate the successful characterisation of a newly designed lauryl glucoside biosynthetic pathway in engineered E. coli and highlight substrate limitation as a bottleneck in the pathway offering a sustainable alternative to traditional production methods.