Application to Photocatalytic H2 Production of a Whole-Cell Reaction by Recombinant Escherichia coli Cells Expressing [FeFe]-Hydrogenase and Maturases Genes

A photocatalytic H-2 production system using an inorganic-bio hybrid photocatalyst could contribute to the efficient utilization of solar energy, but would require the development of a new approach for preparing a H-2-forming biocatalyst. In the present study, we constructed a recombinant strain of Escherichia coli expressing the genes encoding the [FeFe]-hydrogenase and relevant maturases from Clostridium acetobutylicum NBRC 13948 for use as a biocatalyst. We investigated the direct application of a whole-cell of the recombinant E. coli. The combination of TiO2, methylviologen, and the recombinant E. coli formed H-2 under light irradiation, demonstrating that whole cells of the recombinant E. coli could be employed for photocatalytic H-2 production without any time-consuming and costly manipulations (for example, enzyme purification). This is the first report of the direct application of a whole-cell reaction of recombinant E. coli to photocatalytic H-2 production.