Comprehensive investigations of 2-phenylethanol production by high 2-phenylethanol tolerating Meyerozyma sp. strain YLG18

2-Phenylethanol (2-PE) production through bio-synthesis method has become an appealing option owning to the mild conditions and high product selectivity. However, 2-PE is toxic to cells, which is an important limiting factor for the biosynthesis of 2-PE. In this study, a novel 2-PE generating Meyerozyma sp. strain YLG18 was first isolated, which could produce 2-PE through both Ehrlich and Shikimate pathways. Moreover, the indigenous high 2-PE tolerance makes it a promising candidate for high 2-PE production. Response surface methodology and in situ product recovery technology could improve the final 2-PE production to 3.20 g/L, representing the highest 2-PE production by using Meyerozyma sp. Furthermore, genes involved in 2-PE synthesis were identified and their expression levels between Shikimate pathway and Ehrlich pathway were compared. Based on the genomic and transcriptional analysis, a penta-functional enzyme AroM and an aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) with the potential to convert phenylalanine into phenylpyruvate were identified. These findings would help broaden our knowledge and add the pool of known 2-PE generating microbes and genes.