Engineering CRISPR interference system to enhance the production of pyrroloquinoline quinone in Klebsiella pneumonia

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a cofactor of glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) and thus participates in glucose utilization. In Klebsiella pneumoniae, glucose utilization involves PQQ‐dependent direct oxidation pathway (DOP) and phosphoenolpyruvate‐dependent transport system (PTS). It is challenging to overproduce PQQ, as its biosynthesis remains unclear. Here, we report that PQQ production can be enhanced by stimulating the metabolic demand for it. First, we developed CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system to block PTS and thereby intensify DOP. In shake‐flask cultivation, the strain with CRISPRi system (simultaneously inhibiting four PTS‐related genes) produced 225·65 nmol l−1 PQQ, which was 2·14 times that of wild type. In parallel, an exogenous soluble glucose dehydrogenase (sGDH) was overexpressed in K. pneumoniae. In the shake‐flask cultivation, this sGDH‐overexpressing strain accumulated 140·05 nmol l−1 PQQ, which was 1·33 times that of wild type. To combine the above two strategies, we engineered a strain harbouring both CRISPRi vector and sGDH‐overexpressing vector. In the shake‐flask cultivation, this two‐plasmid strain generated 287·01 nmol l−1 PQQ, which was 2·72 times that of wild type. In bioreactor cultivation, this two‐plasmid strain produced 2206·1 nmol l−1 PQQ in 57 h, which was 7·69 times that in shake‐flask cultivation. These results indicate that PQQ production can be enhanced by intensifying DOP, as the apo‐enzyme GDH is intrinsically coupled with cofactor PQQ. This study provides a strategy for the production of cofactors whose biosynthesis mechanisms remain ambiguous. Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is an economically important chemical, which typically serves as a cofactor of glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) and thus participates in glucose metabolism. Klebsiella pneumoniae can naturally synthesize PQQ, but current yield constrains its commercialization. In this study, the PQQ level was improved by stimulating metabolic demand for PQQ, instead of overexpressing PQQ synthetic genes, as the synthetic mechanism remains ambiguous.