{
  "id": 6772823,
  "title": "Machine-learning-guided enzyme discovery and redox-system engineering for efficient production of the nylon monomer methyl 12-aminododecanoate in Escherichia coli",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/machine-learning-guided-enzyme-discovery-and-redox-system-engineering",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-11T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.10.749670v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Methyl 12-aminododecanoate (ADAME) is a crucial predecessor for Nylon 12 synthesis and an appealing option for environmentally friendly microbial production. However, creating ADAME efficiently demands the collaborative oxidation and transamination of methyl dodecanoate (DAME), and pinpointing compatible enzymes for this multi-step pathway remains difficult. In this study, researchers utilized a machine learning-based bioinformatic screening technique to discover alternative enzymes for DAME-to-ADAME conversion. From a list of 18 distantly related AlkB homologs, AlkBGp01 from Alcanivorax sp. P2S70 demonstrated activity toward DAME, generating 12-hydroxydodecanoic acid methyl ester (HDAME) and 12-oxododecanoic acid methyl ester (ODAME), although with low sequence similarity to Pseudomonas putida AlkB. Additional screening pinpointed compatible redox partners, namely AlkG60 from the same species as AlkBGp01 and AlkTp04, whose partnership with AlkBGp01 led to nearly six times higher ODAME production compared to the P. putida AlkBFGJLT-based system. Enhancing ODAME production by over threefold was achieved by linking these three newly identified proteins together. The refined single-plasmid system incorporating conjugated AlkBGp01, AlkG60, AlkTp04, along with AlaD and a newly discovered omega-transaminase EAV41574, produced 0.28 mM gDCW-1 ADAME. This represents a 5.6-fold boost over the earlier P. putida AlkBFGJLT-based system linked with AlaD-CV2025. These findings illustrate that machine learning-guided enzyme discovery can identify functional distantly related homologs and compatible enzyme combinations for constructing efficient synthetic routes. This study also underscores the significance of enhancing pathway architecture, such as enzyme conjugation and plasmid configuration, to boost microbial production of bio-based monomer precursors.",
  "summary": "Methyl 12-aminododecanoate (ADAME) is a key precursor for Nylon 12 synthesis and an attractive target for sustainable microbial production. However, efficient biosynthesis of ADAME requires the coordinated oxidation and transamination of methyl dodecanoate (DAME), and identifying compatible enzymes for this multistep pathway remains challenging. In this study, we applied a machine learning-based…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}