[Overexpressing 3-ketosteroid-Δ1-dehydrogenase for degrading phytosterols into androst-1,4-diene-3,17-dione].

We constructed plasmid pMTac to overexpress 3-ketosteroid-Δ1-dehydrogenase (KSDD) in Mycobacterium neoaurum JC-12 for improving androst-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD) production. To construct pMTac, pACE promoter on pMF41 was replaced by tac promoter, and then four recombinants were constructed, which were M. neoaurum JC-12/pMF41-gfp, M. neoaurum JC-12/pMTac-gfp, M. neoaurum JC-12/pMF41-ksdd and M. neoaurum JC-12/pMTac-ksdd. Fluorescence detection results show that much more green fluorescent protein (GFP) was expressed in M. neoaurum JC-12/pMTac-ksdd than M. neoaurum JC-12/pMF41-ksdd. The activity of KSDD was 2.41 U/mg in M. neoaurum JC-12/pMTac-ksdd, 6.53-fold as that of M. neoaurum JC-12 and 4.36-fold as that of M. neoaurum JC-12/pMF41-ksdd. In shake flask fermentation, ADD production of M. neoaurum JC-12/pMTac-ksdd was 5.94 g/L, increased about 22.2% compared to the original strain M. neoaurum JC-12 and 12.7% to M. neoaurum JC-12/pMF41-ksdd. AD (4-androstene-3,17-dione) production of JC-12/pMTac-ksdd was 0.17 g/L, decreased 81.5% compared to M. neoaurum JC-12 and 71.2% to M neoaurum JC-12/pMF41-ksdd. In the 5 L fermenter, 20 g/L phytosterols was used as substrate, ADD production of M. neoaurum JC-12/pMTac-ksdd was improved to 10.28 g/L. pMTac is favorable for expressing KSDD in M. neoaurum JC-12, and overexpression of KSDD has beneficial effect on ADD producing, and it is the highest level ever reported using fermentation method in M. neoaurum.