Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Rhamnolipids (RLs) are biosurfactants with significant industrial and environmental potential, which physicochemical properties depend greatly on their fatty acyl chain composition. This study investigated the impact of genetically modulating the fatty acid synthesis genes fabA and fabZ on RL composition and functionality in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using temperature-sensitive mutants and suppressor strains for these essential genes, we successfully engineered RLs with altered fatty acyl chain lengths and saturation levels. LC-MS/MS analyses showed that deletion and overexpression of fabA and fabZ significantly shifted RL fatty acid profiles. Functional analyses indicated that these structural changes markedly influenced RL emulsification activity and critical micelle concentration (CMC). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate the feasibility of optimizing RL properties through targeted genetic manipulation, offering valuable insights for designing customized biosurfactants for diverse industrial and environmental applications.