Establishing an Artificial Old Yellow Enzyme (OYE)-Mediated Pathway in Escherichia coli for Efficient Synthesis of 3-Phenyl-1-propanol

The compound 3-phenyl-1-propanol is an important fragrance ingredient widely used in various industries, including food, beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. However, its production mainly relies on chemical synthesis, which poses environmental concerns. Herein, we developed a sustainable and efficient method for 3-phenyl-1-propanol synthesis by constructing an artificial old yellow enzyme (OYE)-mediated pathway in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). This pathway contained phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Rhodotorula glutinis, carboxylate reductase from Segniliparus rugosus (SruCAR), and OYE from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (OYE3). Using the optimized strain, 1543.2 mg/L 3-phenyl-1-propanol was produced from 2500 mg/L l-phenylalanine via whole-cell bioconversion in a 5 mL reaction system, with a conversion of 74.9%. Microbial fermentation of 10 g/L glucose yielded 307.4 mg/L 3-phenyl-1-propanol. Additionally, enhanced synthesis of 3-phenyl-1-propanol (901.1 mg/L) from glucose was achieved by combining fermentation with bioconversion in shake flasks. This study demonstrates a potential strategy for the sustainable synthesis of 3-phenyl-1-propanol.