1
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Guan A, He Z, Wang X, Jia ZJ, Qin J. Engineering the next-generation synthetic cell factory driven by protein engineering. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 73:108366. [PMID: 38663492 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic cell factory offers substantial advantages in economically efficient production of biofuels, chemicals, and pharmaceutical compounds. However, to create a high-performance synthetic cell factory, precise regulation of cellular material and energy flux is essential. In this context, protein components including enzymes, transcription factor-based biosensors and transporters play pivotal roles. Protein engineering aims to create novel protein variants with desired properties by modifying or designing protein sequences. This review focuses on summarizing the latest advancements of protein engineering in optimizing various aspects of synthetic cell factory, including: enhancing enzyme activity to eliminate production bottlenecks, altering enzyme selectivity to steer metabolic pathways towards desired products, modifying enzyme promiscuity to explore innovative routes, and improving the efficiency of transporters. Furthermore, the utilization of protein engineering to modify protein-based biosensors accelerates evolutionary process and optimizes the regulation of metabolic pathways. The remaining challenges and future opportunities in this field are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailin Guan
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Zixi He
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Xin Wang
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Jia
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jiufu Qin
- College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
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2
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Konzock O, Nielsen J. TRYing to evaluate production costs in microbial biotechnology. Trends Biotechnol 2024:S0167-7799(24)00119-7. [PMID: 38806369 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Microbial fermentations offer the opportunity to produce a wide range of chemicals in a sustainable fashion, but it is important to carefully evaluate the production costs. This can be done on the basis of evaluation of the titer, rate, and yield (TRY) of the fermentation process. Here we describe how the three TRY metrics impact the technoeconomics of a microbial fermentation process, and we illustrate the use of these for evaluation of different processes in the production of two commodity chemicals, 1,3-propanediol (PDO) and ethanol, as well as for the fine chemical penicillin. On the basis of our discussions, we provide some recommendations on how the TRY metrics should be reported when new processes are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Konzock
- Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, SE41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jens Nielsen
- Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, SE41296 Gothenburg, Sweden; BioInnovation Institute, Ole Maaløes Vej 3, DK2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
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3
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Tiwari P, Thakkar S, Dufossé L. Antimicrobials from endophytes as novel therapeutics to counter drug-resistant pathogens. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2024:1-27. [PMID: 38710617 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2024.2342979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The rapid increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) projects a "global emergency" and necessitates a need to discover alternative resources for combating drug-resistant pathogens or "superbugs." One of the key themes in "One Health Concept" is based on the fact that the interconnected network of humans, the environment, and animal habitats majorly contribute to the rapid selection and spread of AMR. Moreover, the injudicious and overuse of antibiotics in healthcare, the environment, and associated disciplines, further aggravates the concern. The prevalence and persistence of AMR contribute to the global economic burden and are constantly witnessing an upsurge due to fewer therapeutic options, rising mortality statistics, and expensive healthcare. The present decade has witnessed the extensive exploration and utilization of bio-based resources in harnessing antibiotics of potential efficacies. The discovery and characterization of diverse chemical entities from endophytes as potent antimicrobials define an important yet less-explored area in natural product-mediated drug discovery. Endophytes-produced antimicrobials show potent efficacies in targeting microbial pathogens and synthetic biology (SB) mediated engineering of endophytes for yield enhancement, forms a prospective area of research. In keeping with the urgent requirements for new/novel antibiotics and growing concerns about pathogenic microbes and AMR, this paper comprehensively reviews emerging trends, prospects, and challenges of antimicrobials from endophytes and their effective production via SB. This literature review would serve as the platform for further exploration of novel bioactive entities from biological organisms as "novel therapeutics" to address AMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Tiwari
- Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Shreya Thakkar
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research, Gandhinagar, India
| | - Laurent Dufossé
- Laboratoire CHEMBIOPRO (Chimie et Biotechnologie des Produits Naturels), ESIROI Département agroalimentaire, Université de La Réunion, Saint-Denis, France
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4
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Nett R. Vaccine-enhancing plant extract could be mass produced in yeast. Nature 2024; 629:760-761. [PMID: 38719958 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-024-01210-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
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5
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Yan R, Xie B, Xie K, Liu Q, Sui S, Wang S, Chen D, Liu J, Chen R, Dai J, Yang L. Unravelling and reconstructing the biosynthetic pathway of bergenin. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3539. [PMID: 38670975 PMCID: PMC11053098 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47502-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Bergenin, a rare C-glycoside of 4-O-methyl gallic acid with pharmacological properties of antitussive and expectorant, is widely used in clinics to treat chronic tracheitis in China. However, its low abundance in nature and structural specificity hampers the accessibility through traditional crop-based manufacturing or chemical synthesis. In the present work, we elucidate the biosynthetic pathway of bergenin in Ardisia japonica by identifying the highly regio- and/or stereoselective 2-C-glycosyltransferases and 4-O-methyltransferases. Then, in Escherichia coli, we reconstruct the de novo biosynthetic pathway of 4-O-methyl gallic acid 2-C-β-D-glycoside, which is the direct precursor of bergenin and is conveniently esterified into bergenin by in situ acid treatment. Moreover, further metabolic engineering improves the production of bergenin to 1.41 g L-1 in a 3-L bioreactor. Our work provides a foundation for sustainable supply of bergenin and alleviates its resource shortage via a synthetic biology approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqi Yan
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (National Ethnic Affairs Commission), College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Binghan Xie
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (National Ethnic Affairs Commission), College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Kebo Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, Beijing, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, Beijing, China.
| | - Qi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (National Ethnic Affairs Commission), College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Songyang Sui
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, Beijing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, Beijing, China
| | - Shuqi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (National Ethnic Affairs Commission), College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Dawei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, Beijing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, Beijing, China
| | - Jimei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, Beijing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, Beijing, China
| | - Ridao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, Beijing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, Beijing, China
| | - Jungui Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
- CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, Beijing, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, Beijing, China.
| | - Lin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (National Ethnic Affairs Commission), College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China.
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6
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Rothschild LJ, Averesch NJH, Strychalski EA, Moser F, Glass JI, Cruz Perez R, Yekinni IO, Rothschild-Mancinelli B, Roberts Kingman GA, Wu F, Waeterschoot J, Ioannou IA, Jewett MC, Liu AP, Noireaux V, Sorenson C, Adamala KP. Building Synthetic Cells─From the Technology Infrastructure to Cellular Entities. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:974-997. [PMID: 38530077 PMCID: PMC11037263 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
The de novo construction of a living organism is a compelling vision. Despite the astonishing technologies developed to modify living cells, building a functioning cell "from scratch" has yet to be accomplished. The pursuit of this goal alone has─and will─yield scientific insights affecting fields as diverse as cell biology, biotechnology, medicine, and astrobiology. Multiple approaches have aimed to create biochemical systems manifesting common characteristics of life, such as compartmentalization, metabolism, and replication and the derived features, evolution, responsiveness to stimuli, and directed movement. Significant achievements in synthesizing each of these criteria have been made, individually and in limited combinations. Here, we review these efforts, distinguish different approaches, and highlight bottlenecks in the current research. We look ahead at what work remains to be accomplished and propose a "roadmap" with key milestones to achieve the vision of building cells from molecular parts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn J. Rothschild
- Space Science
& Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research
Center, Moffett
Field, California 94035-1000, United States
- Department
of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
| | - Nils J. H. Averesch
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | | | - Felix Moser
- Synlife, One Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-1661, United States
| | - John I. Glass
- J.
Craig
Venter Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Rolando Cruz Perez
- Department
of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Blue
Marble
Space Institute of Science at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035-1000, United
States
| | - Ibrahim O. Yekinni
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Brooke Rothschild-Mancinelli
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute
of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0150, United States
| | | | - Feilun Wu
- J. Craig
Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Jorik Waeterschoot
- Mechatronics,
Biostatistics and Sensors (MeBioS), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Ion A. Ioannou
- Department
of Chemistry, MSRH, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - Michael C. Jewett
- Department
of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Allen P. Liu
- Mechanical
Engineering & Biomedical Engineering, Cellular and Molecular Biology,
Biophysics, Applied Physics, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Vincent Noireaux
- Physics
and Nanotechnology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Carlise Sorenson
- Department
of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Katarzyna P. Adamala
- Department
of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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7
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Zhang Y, He W, Wang L, Su W, Chen H, Li A, Chen J. Penetrating the ultra-tough yeast cell wall with finite element analysis model-aided design of microtools. iScience 2024; 27:109503. [PMID: 38591007 PMCID: PMC11000014 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Microinjecting yeast cells has been challenging for decades with no significant breakthrough due to the ultra-tough cell wall and low stiffness of the traditional injector tip at the micro-scale. Penetrating this protection wall is the key step for artificially bringing foreign substance into the yeast. In this paper, a yeast cell model was built by using finite element analysis (FEA) method to analyze the penetrating process. The key parameters of the yeast cell wall in the model (the Young's modulus, the shear modulus, and the Lame constant) were calibrated according to a general nanoindentation experiment. Then by employing the calibrated model, the injection parameters were optimized to minimize the cell damage (the maximum cell deformation at the critical stress of the cell wall). Key guidelines were suggested for penetrating the cell wall during microinjection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfei Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China
- Shandong Institute of Mechanical Design and Research, Jinan 250353, China
| | - Wende He
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China
- Shandong Institute of Mechanical Design and Research, Jinan 250353, China
| | - Li Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China
- Shandong Institute of Mechanical Design and Research, Jinan 250353, China
| | - Weiguang Su
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China
- Shandong Institute of Mechanical Design and Research, Jinan 250353, China
| | - Hao Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China
- Shandong Institute of Mechanical Design and Research, Jinan 250353, China
| | - Anqing Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China
- Shandong Institute of Mechanical Design and Research, Jinan 250353, China
| | - Jun Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China
- Shandong Institute of Mechanical Design and Research, Jinan 250353, China
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8
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Ma Y, Su S, Fu Z, Zhou C, Qiao B, Wu Y, Yuan YJ. Convenient synthesis and delivery of a megabase-scale designer accessory chromosome empower biosynthetic capacity. Cell Res 2024; 34:309-322. [PMID: 38332200 PMCID: PMC10978979 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-024-00934-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology confers new functions to hosts by introducing exogenous genetic elements, yet rebuilding complex traits that are based on large-scale genetic information remains challenging. Here, we developed a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated haploidization method that bypasses the natural process of meiosis. Based on the programmed haploidization in yeast, we further developed an easy-to-use method designated HAnDy (Haploidization-based DNA Assembly and Delivery in yeast) that enables efficient assembly and delivery of large DNA, with no need for any fussy in vitro manipulations. Using HAnDy, a de novo designed 1.024 Mb synthetic accessory chromosome (synAC) encoding 542 exogenous genes was parallelly assembled and then directly transferred to six phylogenetically diverse yeasts. The synAC significantly promotes hosts' adaptations and increases the scope of the metabolic network, which allows the emergence of valuable compounds. Our approach should facilitate the assembly and delivery of large-scale DNA for expanding and deciphering complex biological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Ma
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuxin Su
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zongheng Fu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chu Zhou
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Bin Qiao
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Ying-Jin Yuan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
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9
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Holtz M, Acevedo-Rocha CG, Jensen MK. Combining enzyme and metabolic engineering for microbial supply of therapeutic phytochemicals. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103110. [PMID: 38503222 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The history of pharmacology is deeply intertwined with plant-derived compounds, which continue to be crucial in drug development. However, their complex structures and limited availability in plants challenge drug discovery, optimization, development, and industrial production via chemical synthesis or natural extraction. This review delves into the integration of metabolic and enzyme engineering to leverage micro-organisms as platforms for the sustainable and reliable production of therapeutic phytochemicals. We argue that engineered microbes can serve a triple role in this paradigm: facilitating pathway discovery, acting as cell factories for scalable manufacturing, and functioning as platforms for chemical derivatization. Analyzing recent progress and outlining future directions, the review highlights microbial biotechnology's transformative potential in expanding plant-derived human therapeutics' discovery and supply chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxence Holtz
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Carlos G Acevedo-Rocha
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Michael K Jensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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10
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Etit D, Meramo S, Ögmundarson Ó, Jensen MK, Sukumara S. Can biotechnology lead the way toward a sustainable pharmaceutical industry? Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103100. [PMID: 38471403 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The impact-intensive and rapidly growing pharmaceutical industry must ensure its sustainability. This study reveals that environmental sustainability assessments have been conducted for only around 0.2% of pharmaceuticals, environmental impacts have significant variations among the assessed products, and different impact categories have not been consistently studied. Highly varied impacts require assessing more products to understand the industry's sustainability status. Reporting all impact categories will be crucial, especially when comparing production technologies. Biological production of (semi)synthetic pharmaceuticals could reduce their environmental costs, though the high impacts of biologically produced monoclonal antibodies should also be optimized. Considering the sustainability potential of biopharmaceuticals from economic, environmental, and social perspectives, collaboratively guiding their immense market growth would lead to the industry's sustainability transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Etit
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Samir Meramo
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ólafur Ögmundarson
- Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Nýi Garður, Sæmundargata 2, 102 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Michael K Jensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sumesh Sukumara
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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11
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Ehrmann AK, Wronska AK, Perli T, de Hulster EAF, Luttik MAH, van den Broek M, Carqueija Cardoso C, Pronk JT, Daran JM. Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae for fast vitamin-independent aerobic growth. Metab Eng 2024; 82:201-215. [PMID: 38364997 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2024.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Chemically defined media for cultivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains are commonly supplemented with a mixture of multiple Class-B vitamins, whose omission leads to strongly reduced growth rates. Fast growth without vitamin supplementation is interesting for industrial applications, as it reduces costs and complexity of medium preparation and may decrease susceptibility to contamination by auxotrophic microbes. In this study, suboptimal growth rates of S. cerevisiae CEN.PK113-7D in the absence of pantothenic acid, para-aminobenzoic acid (pABA), pyridoxine, inositol and/or biotin were corrected by single or combined overexpression of ScFMS1, ScABZ1/ScABZ2, ScSNZ1/ScSNO1, ScINO1 and Cyberlindnera fabianii BIO1, respectively. Several strategies were explored to improve growth of S. cerevisiae CEN.PK113-7D in thiamine-free medium. Overexpression of ScTHI4 and/or ScTHI5 enabled thiamine-independent growth at 83% of the maximum specific growth rate of the reference strain in vitamin-supplemented medium. Combined overexpression of seven native S. cerevisiae genes and CfBIO1 enabled a maximum specific growth rate of 0.33 ± 0.01 h-1 in vitamin-free synthetic medium. This growth rate was only 17 % lower than that of a congenic reference strain in vitamin-supplemented medium. Physiological parameters of the engineered vitamin-independent strain in aerobic glucose-limited chemostat cultures (dilution rate 0.10 h-1) grown on vitamin-free synthetic medium were similar to those of similar cultures of the parental strain grown on vitamin-supplemented medium. Transcriptome analysis revealed only few differences in gene expression between these cultures, which primarily involved genes with roles in Class-B vitamin metabolism. These results pave the way for development of fast-growing vitamin-independent industrial strains of S. cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja K Ehrmann
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 220, 2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anna K Wronska
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Perli
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Erik A F de Hulster
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Marijke A H Luttik
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel van den Broek
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Clara Carqueija Cardoso
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Jack T Pronk
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Jean-Marc Daran
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, the Netherlands.
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12
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Davis CC, Choisy P. Medicinal plants meet modern biodiversity science. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R158-R173. [PMID: 38412829 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Plants have been an essential source of human medicine for millennia. In this review, we argue that a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to the study of medicinal plants that combines methods and insights from three key disciplines - evolutionary ecology, molecular biology/biochemistry, and ethnopharmacology - is poised to facilitate new breakthroughs in science, including pharmacological discoveries and rapid advancements in human health and well-being. Such interdisciplinary research leverages data and methods spanning space, time, and species associated with medicinal plant species evolution, ecology, genomics, and metabolomic trait diversity, all of which build heavily on traditional Indigenous knowledge. Such an interdisciplinary approach contrasts sharply with most well-funded and successful medicinal plant research during the last half-century, which, despite notable advancements, has greatly oversimplified the dynamic relationships between plants and humans, kept hidden the larger human narratives about these relationships, and overlooked potentially important research and discoveries into life-saving medicines. We suggest that medicinal plants and people should be viewed as partners whose relationship involves a complicated and poorly explored set of (socio-)ecological interactions including not only domestication but also commensalisms and mutualisms. In short, medicinal plant species are not just chemical factories for extraction and exploitation. Rather, they may be symbiotic partners that have shaped modern societies, improved human health, and extended human lifespans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles C Davis
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Patrick Choisy
- LVMH Research, 185 Avenue de Verdun, 45804 Saint Jean de Braye CEDEX, France
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13
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Fang H, Zhao J, Zhao X, Dong N, Zhao Y, Zhang D. Standardized Iterative Genome Editing Method for Escherichia coli Based on CRISPR-Cas9. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:613-623. [PMID: 38243901 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
The introduction of complex biosynthetic pathways into the hosts' chromosomes is gaining attention with the development of synthetic biology. While CRISPR-Cas9 has been widely employed for gene knock-in, the process of multigene insertion remains cumbersome due to laborious and empirical gene cloning procedures. To address this, we devised a standardized iterative genome editing system for Escherichia coli, harnessing the power of CRISPR-Cas9 and MetClo assembly. This comprehensive toolkit comprises two fundamental elements based on the Golden Gate standard for modular assembly of sgRNA or CRISPR arrays and donor DNAs. We achieved a gene insertion efficiency of up to 100%, targeting a single locus. Expression of tracrRNA using a strong promoter enhances multiplex genomic insertion efficiency to 7.3%, compared with 0.76% when a native promoter is used. To demonstrate the robust capabilities of this genome editing toolbox, we successfully integrated 5-10 genes from the coenzyme B12 biosynthetic pathway ranging from 5.3 to 8 Kb in length into the chromosome of E. coli chassis cells, resulting in 14 antibiotic-free, plasmid-free producers. Following an extensive screening process involving genes from diverse sources, cistronic design modifications, and chromosome repositioning, we obtained a recombinant strain yielding 1.49 mg L-1 coenzyme B12, the highest known titer achieved by using E. coli as the producer. Illuminating its user-friendliness, this genome editing system is an exceedingly versatile tool for expediently integrating complex biosynthetic pathway genes into hosts' genomes, thus facilitating pathway optimization for chemical production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Fang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Jianghua Zhao
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xinfang Zhao
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Ning Dong
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Ying Zhao
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Dawei Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
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14
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Liu JCT, De La Peña R, Tocol C, Sattely ES. Reconstitution of early paclitaxel biosynthetic network. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1419. [PMID: 38360800 PMCID: PMC10869802 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45574-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Paclitaxel is an anticancer therapeutic produced by the yew tree. Over the last two decades, a significant bottleneck in the reconstitution of early paclitaxel biosynthesis has been the propensity of heterologously expressed pathway cytochromes P450, including taxadiene 5α-hydroxylase (T5αH), to form multiple products. Here, we structurally characterize four new products of T5αH, many of which appear to be over-oxidation of the primary mono-oxidized products. By tuning the promoter strength for T5αH expression in Nicotiana plants, we observe decreased levels of these proposed byproducts with a concomitant increase in the accumulation of taxadien-5α-ol, the paclitaxel precursor, by three-fold. This enables the reconstitution of a six step biosynthetic pathway, which we further show may function as a metabolic network. Our result demonstrates that six previously characterized Taxus genes can coordinatively produce key paclitaxel intermediates and serves as a crucial platform for the discovery of the remaining biosynthetic genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ricardo De La Peña
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christian Tocol
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Sattely
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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15
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Long Y, Han X, Meng X, Xu P, Tao F. A robust yeast chassis: comprehensive characterization of a fast-growing Saccharomyces cerevisiae. mBio 2024; 15:e0319623. [PMID: 38214535 PMCID: PMC10865977 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03196-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Robust chassis are critical to facilitate advances in synthetic biology. This study describes a comprehensive characterization of a new yeast isolate Saccharomyces cerevisiae XP that grows faster than commonly used research and industrial S. cerevisiae strains. The genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses suggest that the fast growth rate is, in part, due to the efficient electron transport chain and key growth factor synthesis. A toolbox for genetic manipulation of the yeast was developed; we used it to construct l-lactic acid producers for high lactate production. The development of genetically malleable yeast strains that grow faster than currently used strains may significantly enhance the uses of S. cerevisiae in biotechnology.IMPORTANCEYeast is known as an outstanding starting strain for constructing microbial cell factories. However, its growth rate restricts its application. A yeast strain XP, which grows fast in high concentrations of sugar and acidic environments, is revealed to demonstrate the potential in industrial applications. A toolbox was also built for its genetic manipulation including gene insertion, deletion, and ploidy transformation. The knowledge of its metabolism, which could guide the designing of genetic experiments, was generated with multi-omics analyses. This novel strain along with its toolbox was then tested by constructing an l-lactic acid efficient producer, which is conducive to the development of degradable plastics. This study highlights the remarkable competence of nonconventional yeast for applications in biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangdanyu Long
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Han
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuanlin Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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16
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Lei W, Zhu H, Cao M, Zhang F, Lai Q, Lu S, Dong W, Sun J, Ru D. From genomics to metabolomics: Deciphering sanguinarine biosynthesis in Dicranostigma leptopodum. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 257:128727. [PMID: 38092109 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Dicranostigma leptopodum (Maxim) Fedde (DLF) is a renowned medicinal plant in China, known to be rich in alkaloids. However, the unavailability of a reference genome has impeded investigation into its plant metabolism and genetic breeding potential. Here we present a high-quality chromosomal-level genome assembly for DLF, derived using a combination of Nanopore long-read sequencing, Illumina short-read sequencing and Hi-C technologies. Our assembly genome spans a size of 621.81 Mb with an impressive contig N50 of 93.04 Mb. We show that the species-specific whole-genome duplication (WGD) of DLF and Papaver somniferum corresponded to two rounds of WGDs of Papaver setigerum. Furthermore, we integrated comprehensive homology searching, gene family analyses and construction of a gene-to-metabolite network. These efforts led to the discovery of co-expressed transcription factors, including NAC and bZIP, alongside sanguinarine (SAN) pathway genes CYP719 (CFS and SPS). Notably, we identified P6H as a promising gene for enhancing SAN production. By providing the first reference genome for Dicranostigma, our study confirms the genomic underpinning of SAN biosynthesis and establishes a foundation for advancing functional genomic research on Papaveraceae species. Our findings underscore the pivotal role of high-quality genome assemblies in elucidating genetic variations underlying the evolutionary origin of secondary metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixiao Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Hui Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Man Cao
- Gansu Pharmacovigilance Center, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Qing Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shengming Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wenpan Dong
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Jiahui Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Dafu Ru
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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17
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Dror MJ, Misa J, Yee DA, Chu AM, Yu RK, Chan BB, Aoyama LS, Chaparala AP, O'Connor SE, Tang Y. Engineered biosynthesis of plant heteroyohimbine and corynantheine alkaloids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 51:kuad047. [PMID: 38140980 PMCID: PMC10995622 DOI: 10.1093/jimb/kuad047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) are a class of natural products comprised of thousands of structurally unique bioactive compounds with significant therapeutic values. Due to difficulties associated with isolation from native plant species and organic synthesis of these structurally complex molecules, microbial production of MIAs using engineered hosts are highly desired. In this work, we report the engineering of fully integrated Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains that allow de novo access to strictosidine, the universal precursor to thousands of MIAs at 30-40 mg/L. The optimization efforts were based on a previously reported yeast strain that is engineered to produce high titers of the monoterpene precursor geraniol through compartmentalization of mevalonate pathway in the mitochondria. Our approaches here included the use of CRISPR-dCas9 interference to identify mitochondria diphosphate transporters that negatively impact the titer of the monoterpene, followed by genetic inactivation; the overexpression of transcriptional regulators that increase cellular respiration and mitochondria biogenesis. Strain construction included the strategic integration of genes encoding both MIA biosynthetic and accessory enzymes into the genome under a variety of constitutive and inducible promoters. Following successful de novo production of strictosidine, complex alkaloids belonging to heteroyohimbine and corynantheine families were reconstituted in the host with introduction of additional downstream enzymes. We demonstrate that the serpentine/alstonine pair can be produced at ∼5 mg/L titer, while corynantheidine, the precursor to mitragynine can be produced at ∼1 mg/L titer. Feeding of halogenated tryptamine led to the biosynthesis of analogs of alkaloids in both families. Collectively, our yeast strain represents an excellent starting point to further engineer biosynthetic bottlenecks in this pathway and to access additional MIAs and analogs through microbial fermentation. ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY An Saccharomyces cerevisiae-based microbial platform was developed for the biosynthesis of monoterpene indole alkaloids, including the universal precursor strictosidine and further modified heteroyohimbine and corynantheidine alkaloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moriel J Dror
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Joshua Misa
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Danielle A Yee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Angela M Chu
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Rachel K Yu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Bradley B Chan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lauren S Aoyama
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Anjali P Chaparala
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Sarah E O'Connor
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Yi Tang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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18
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Mo Q, Yuan J. Minimal aromatic aldehyde reduction (MARE) yeast platform for engineering vanillin production. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2024; 17:4. [PMID: 38184607 PMCID: PMC10771647 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-023-02454-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vanillin represents one of the most widely used flavoring agents in the world. However, microbial synthesis of vanillin is hindered by the host native metabolism that could rapidly degrade vanillin to the byproducts. RESULTS Here, we report that the industrial workhorse Saccharomyces cerevisiae was engineered by systematic deletion of oxidoreductases to improve the vanillin accumulation. Subsequently, we harnessed the minimal aromatic aldehyde reduction (MARE) yeast platform for de novo synthesis of vanillin from glucose. We investigated multiple coenzyme-A free pathways to improve vanillin production in yeast. The vanillin productivity in yeast was enhanced by multidimensional engineering to optimize the supply of cofactors (NADPH and S-adenosylmethionine) together with metabolic reconfiguration of yeast central metabolism. The final yeast strain with overall 24 genetic modifications produced 365.55 ± 7.42 mg l-1 vanillin in shake-flasks, which represents the best reported vanillin titer from glucose in yeast. CONCLUSIONS The success of vanillin overproduction in budding yeast showcases the great potential of synthetic biology for the creation of suitable biocatalysts to meet the requirement in industry. Our work lays a foundation for the future implementation of microbial production of aromatic aldehydes in budding yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwen Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian, 361102, China
| | - Jifeng Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian, 361102, China.
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19
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Yang S, Chen R, Cao X, Wang G, Zhou YJ. De novo biosynthesis of the hops bioactive flavonoid xanthohumol in yeast. Nat Commun 2024; 15:253. [PMID: 38177132 PMCID: PMC10766616 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44654-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The flavonoid xanthohumol is an important flavor substance in the brewing industry that has a wide variety of bioactivities. However, its unstable structure results in its low content in beer. Microbial biosynthesis is considered a sustainable and economically viable alternative. Here, we harness the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the de novo biosynthesis of xanthohumol from glucose by balancing the three parallel biosynthetic pathways, prenyltransferase engineering, enhancing precursor supply, constructing enzyme fusion, and peroxisomal engineering. These strategies improve the production of the key xanthohumol precursor demethylxanthohumol (DMX) by 83-fold and achieve the de novo biosynthesis of xanthohumol in yeast. We also reveal that prenylation is the key limiting step in DMX biosynthesis and develop tailored metabolic regulation strategies to enhance the DMAPP availability and prenylation efficiency. Our work provides feasible approaches for systematically engineering yeast cell factories for the de novo biosynthesis of complex natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Yang
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ruibing Chen
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Xuan Cao
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Guodong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yongjin J Zhou
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China.
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Energy Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China.
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20
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Gaikani HK, Stolar M, Kriti D, Nislow C, Giaever G. From beer to breadboards: yeast as a force for biological innovation. Genome Biol 2024; 25:10. [PMID: 38178179 PMCID: PMC10768129 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03156-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The history of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, aka brewer's or baker's yeast, is intertwined with our own. Initially domesticated 8,000 years ago to provide sustenance to our ancestors, for the past 150 years, yeast has served as a model research subject and a platform for technology. In this review, we highlight many ways in which yeast has served to catalyze the fields of functional genomics, genome editing, gene-environment interaction investigation, proteomics, and bioinformatics-emphasizing how yeast has served as a catalyst for innovation. Several possible futures for this model organism in synthetic biology, drug personalization, and multi-omics research are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Kian Gaikani
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Monika Stolar
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Divya Kriti
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Corey Nislow
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Guri Giaever
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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21
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Gao Y, Li F, Luo Z, Deng Z, Zhang Y, Yuan Z, Liu C, Rao Y. Modular assembly of an artificially concise biocatalytic cascade for the manufacture of phenethylisoquinoline alkaloids. Nat Commun 2024; 15:30. [PMID: 38167860 PMCID: PMC10761944 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44420-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant-derived alkaloids are an important class of pharmaceuticals. However, they still rely on phytoextraction to meet their diverse market demands. Since multistep biocatalytic cascades have begun to revolutionize the manufacture of natural or unnatural products, to address the synthetic challenges of alkaloids, herein we establish an artificially concise four-enzyme biocatalytic cascade with avoiding plant-derived P450 modification for synthesizing phenethylisoquinoline alkaloids (PEIAs) after enzyme discovery and enzyme engineering. Efficient biosynthesis of diverse natural and unnatural PEIAs is realized from readily available substrates. Most importantly, the scale-up preparation of the colchicine precursor (S)-autumnaline with a high titer is achieved after replacing the rate-limiting O-methylation by the plug-and-play strategy. This study not only streamlines future engineering endeavors for colchicine biosynthesis, but also provides a paradigm for constructing more artificial biocatalytic cascades for the manufacture of diverse alkaloids through synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Gao
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Fei Li
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Zhengshan Luo
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Zhiwei Deng
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Yan Zhang
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Zhenbo Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Changmei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China
| | - Yijian Rao
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, PR China.
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22
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Chen N, Xie R, Chen JP, Zhong YL, Zhang XW, Gui QW, Guo C, Yang H. Proposal for the classification of sinomenine alkaloids. Fitoterapia 2024; 172:105713. [PMID: 37949304 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2023.105713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The chemical structure of sinoacutine is formed by a phenanthrene nucleus and an ethylamine bridge. Because it has a similar parent structure to morphine, it is subdivided into morphinane. At present, all reports have pointed out that the basic skeleton of morphine alkaloids is salutaridine (the isomer of sinoacutine), which is generated by the phenol coupling reaction of (R)-reticuline. This study shows that the biosynthetic precursors of sinoacutine and salutaridine are different. In this paper, the sinoacutine synthetase (SinSyn) gene was cloned from Sinomenium acutum and expressed SinSyn protein. Sinoacutine was produced by SinSyn catalyzed (S)-reticuline, according to the results of enzyme-catalyzed experiments. The optical activity, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectrum of sinoacutine and salutaridine were analyzed. The classification and pharmacological action of isoquinoline alkaloids were discussed. It was suggested that sinoacutine should be separated from morphinane and classified as sinomenine alkaloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Chen
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, PR China
| | - Rui Xie
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, PR China
| | - Jia-Pei Chen
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, PR China
| | - Ying-Li Zhong
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, PR China
| | - Xian-Wen Zhang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, PR China
| | - Qing-Wen Gui
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, PR China
| | - Chun Guo
- First Affiliated Hospital, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410007, PR China.
| | - Hua Yang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, PR China.
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23
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Li X, Liu H, Lin Z, Richardson JJ, Xie W, Chen F, Lin W, Caruso F, Zhou J, Liu B. Cytoprotective Metal-Phenolic Network Sporulation to Modulate Microalgal Mobility and Division. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2308026. [PMID: 38014599 PMCID: PMC10797472 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202308026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic cell exoskeletons created from abiotic materials have attracted interest in materials science and biotechnology, as they can regulate cell behavior and create new functionalities. Here, a facile strategy is reported to mimic microalgal sporulation with on-demand germination and locomotion via responsive metal-phenolic networks (MPNs). Specifically, MPNs with tunable thickness and composition are deposited on the surface of microalgae cells via one-step coordination, without any loss of cell viability or intrinsic cell photosynthetic properties. The MPN coating keeps the cells in a dormant state, but can be disassembled on-demand in response to environmental pH or chemical stimulus, thereby reviving the microalgae within 1 min. Moreover, the artificial sporulation of microalgae resulted in resistance to environmental stresses (e.g., metal ions and antibiotics) akin to the function of natural sporulation. This strategy can regulate the life cycle of complex cells, providing a synthetic strategy for designing hybrid microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome EngineeringShenzhen Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and HealthInstitute for Advanced StudyCollege of Chemistry and Environmental EngineeringShenzhen UniversityShenzhen518060China
| | - Hai Liu
- College of Biomass Science and EngineeringKey Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering of Ministry of EducationNational Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather ManufactureSichuan UniversityChengdu610065China
| | - Zhixing Lin
- Department of Chemical EngineeringThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoria3010Australia
| | - Joseph J. Richardson
- Department of Chemical and Environmental EngineeringRMIT UniversityMelbourneVictoria3000Australia
| | - Weiying Xie
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome EngineeringShenzhen Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and HealthInstitute for Advanced StudyCollege of Chemistry and Environmental EngineeringShenzhen UniversityShenzhen518060China
| | - Feng Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome EngineeringShenzhen Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and HealthInstitute for Advanced StudyCollege of Chemistry and Environmental EngineeringShenzhen UniversityShenzhen518060China
| | - Wei Lin
- College of Biomass Science and EngineeringKey Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering of Ministry of EducationNational Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather ManufactureSichuan UniversityChengdu610065China
| | - Frank Caruso
- Department of Chemical EngineeringThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoria3010Australia
| | - Jiajing Zhou
- College of Biomass Science and EngineeringKey Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering of Ministry of EducationNational Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather ManufactureSichuan UniversityChengdu610065China
| | - Bin Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome EngineeringShenzhen Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and HealthInstitute for Advanced StudyCollege of Chemistry and Environmental EngineeringShenzhen UniversityShenzhen518060China
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24
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Boob AG, Chen J, Zhao H. Enabling pathway design by multiplex experimentation and machine learning. Metab Eng 2024; 81:70-87. [PMID: 38040110 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
The remarkable metabolic diversity observed in nature has provided a foundation for sustainable production of a wide array of valuable molecules. However, transferring the biosynthetic pathway to the desired host often runs into inherent failures that arise from intermediate accumulation and reduced flux resulting from competing pathways within the host cell. Moreover, the conventional trial and error methods utilized in pathway optimization struggle to fully grasp the intricacies of installed pathways, leading to time-consuming and labor-intensive experiments, ultimately resulting in suboptimal yields. Considering these obstacles, there is a pressing need to explore the enzyme expression landscape and identify the optimal pathway configuration for enhanced production of molecules. This review delves into recent advancements in pathway engineering, with a focus on multiplex experimentation and machine learning techniques. These approaches play a pivotal role in overcoming the limitations of traditional methods, enabling exploration of a broader design space and increasing the likelihood of discovering optimal pathway configurations for enhanced production of molecules. We discuss several tools and strategies for pathway design, construction, and optimization for sustainable and cost-effective microbial production of molecules ranging from bulk to fine chemicals. We also highlight major successes in academia and industry through compelling case studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aashutosh Girish Boob
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Junyu Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States; DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
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25
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Zhou P, Gao C, Song W, Wei W, Wu J, Liu L, Chen X. Engineering status of protein for improving microbial cell factories. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 70:108282. [PMID: 37939975 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
With the development of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, microbial cell factories (MCFs) have provided an efficient and sustainable method to synthesize a series of chemicals from renewable feedstocks. However, the efficiency of MCFs is usually limited by the inappropriate status of protein. Thus, engineering status of protein is essential to achieve efficient bioproduction with high titer, yield and productivity. In this review, we summarize the engineering strategies for metabolic protein status, including protein engineering for boosting microbial catalytic efficiency, protein modification for regulating microbial metabolic capacity, and protein assembly for enhancing microbial synthetic capacity. Finally, we highlight future challenges and prospects of improving microbial cell factories by engineering status of protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Cong Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Wei Song
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Wanqing Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Jing Wu
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Liming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xiulai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
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26
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Guo L, Yang G. Pioneering DNA assembling techniques and their applications in eukaryotic microalgae. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 70:108301. [PMID: 38101551 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Assembling DNA fragments is a fundamental manipulation of cloning microalgal genes and carrying out microalgal synthetic biological studies. From the earliest DNA recombination to current trait and metabolic pathway engineering, we are always accompanied by homology-based DNA assembling. The improvement and modification of pioneering DNA assembling techniques and the combinational applications of the available assembling techniques have diversified and complicated the literature environment and aggravated our identification of the core and pioneering methodologies. Identifying the core assembling methodologies and using them appropriately and flourishing them even are important for researchers. A group of microalgae have been evolving as the models for both industrial applications and biological studies. DNA assembling requires researchers to know the methods available and their improvements and evolvements. In this review, we summarized the pioneering (core; leading) DNA assembling techniques developed previously, extended these techniques to their modifications, improvements and their combinations, and highlighted their applications in eukaryotic microalgae. We predicted that the gene(s) will be assembled into a functional cluster (e.g., those involving in a metabolic pathway, and stacked on normal microalgal chromosomes, their artificial episomes and looming artificial chromosomes. It should be particularly pointed out that the techniques mentioned in this review are classified according to the strategy used to assemble the final construct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Guo
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Guanpin Yang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China; Institutes of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China; MoE Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China; Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
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27
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Diaz-Bárcena A, Fernandez-Pacios L, Giraldo P. Structural Characterization and Molecular Dynamics Study of the REPI Fusion Protein from Papaver somniferum L. Biomolecules 2023; 14:2. [PMID: 38275743 PMCID: PMC10813097 DOI: 10.3390/biom14010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
REPI is a pivotal point enzyme in plant benzylisoquinoline alkaloid metabolism as it promotes the evolution of the biosynthetic branch of morphinan alkaloids. Experimental studies of its activity led to the identification of two modules (DRS and DRR) that catalyze two sequential steps of the epimerization of (S)- to (R)-reticuline. Recently, special attention has been paid to its genetic characterization and evolutionary history, but no structural analyses of the REPI protein have been conducted to date. We present here a computational structural characterization of REPI with heme and NADP cofactors in the apo state and in three complexes with substrate (S)-reticuline in DRS and intermediate 1,2-dehydroreticuline in DRS and in DRR. Since no experimental structure exists for REPI, we used its AlphaFold model as a scaffold to build up these four systems, which were submitted to all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. A comparison of MD results for the four systems revealed key dynamic changes associated with cofactor and ligand binding and provided a dynamic picture of the evolution of their structures and interactions. We also explored the possible dynamic occurrence of tunnels and electrostatic highways potentially involved in alternative mechanisms for channeling the intermediate from DRS to DRR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Diaz-Bárcena
- Department of Biotechnology-Plant Biology, School of Agricultural, Food and Biosystems Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (L.F.-P.); (P.G.)
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28
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Jia ZC, Liu D, Ma HD, Cui YH, Li HM, Li X, Yuan YJ. Yeast Metabolic Engineering for Biosynthesis of Caffeic Acid-Derived Phenethyl Ester and Phenethyl Amide. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:3635-3645. [PMID: 38016187 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Caffeic acid (CA)-derived phenethyl ester (CAPE) and phenethyl amide (CAPA) are extensively investigated bioactive compounds with therapeutic applications such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties. To construct microbial cell factories for production of CAPE or CAPA is a promising option given the limitation of natural sources for product extraction and the environmental toxicity of the agents used in chemical synthesis. We reported the successful biosynthesis of caffeic acid in yeast previously. Here in this work, we further constructed the downstream synthetic pathways in yeast for biosynthesis of CAPE and CAPA. After combinatorial engineering of yeast chassis based on the rational pathway engineering method and library-based SCRaMbLE method, we finally obtained the optimal strains that respectively produced 417 μg/L CAPE and 1081 μg/L CAPA. Two screened gene targets of ΔHAM1 and ΔYJL028W were discovered to help improve the product synthesis capacity. This is the first report of the de novo synthesis of CAPA from glucose in an engineered yeast chassis. Future work on enzyme and chassis engineering will further support improving the microbial cell factories for the production of CA derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Chen Jia
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Duo Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Hai-Di Ma
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yu-Hui Cui
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Hui-Min Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Xia Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Ying-Jin Yuan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Research Institute for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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29
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Aghaali Z, Naghavi MR. Engineering of CYP82Y1, a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase: a key enzyme in noscapine biosynthesis in opium poppy. Biochem J 2023; 480:2009-2022. [PMID: 38063234 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20230243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Protein engineering provides a powerful base for the circumvention of challenges tied with characteristics accountable for enzyme functions. CYP82Y1 introduces a hydroxyl group (-OH) into C1 of N-methylcanadine as the substrate to yield 1-hydroxy-N-methylcanadine. This chemical process has been found to be the gateway to noscapine biosynthesis. Owning to the importance of CYP82Y1 in this biosynthetic pathway, it has been selected as a target for enzyme engineering. The insertion of tags to the N- and C-terminal of CYP82Y1 was assessed for their efficiencies for improvement of the physiological performances of CYP82Y1. Although these attempts achieved some positive results, further strategies are required to dramatically enhance the CYP82Y1 activity. Here methods that have been adopted to achieve a functionally improved CYP82Y1 will be reviewed. In addition, the possibility of recruitment of other techniques having not yet been implemented in CYP82Y1 engineering, including the substitution of the residues located in the substrate recognition site, formation of the synthetic fusion proteins, and construction of the artificial lipid-based scaffold will be discussed. Given the fact that the pace of noscapine synthesis is constrained by the CYP82Y1-catalyzing step, the methods proposed here are capable of accelerating the rate of reaction performed by CYP82Y1 through improving its properties, resulting in the enhancement of noscapine accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Aghaali
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Naghavi
- Division of Plant Biotechnology, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Agricultural and Natural Resources College, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
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30
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Verdú-Navarro F, Moreno-Cid JA, Weiss J, Egea-Cortines M. The advent of plant cells in bioreactors. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1310405. [PMID: 38148861 PMCID: PMC10749943 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1310405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Ever since agriculture started, plants have been bred to obtain better yields, better fruits, or sustainable products under uncertain biotic and abiotic conditions. However, a new way to obtain products from plant cells emerged with the development of recombinant DNA technologies. This led to the possibility of producing exogenous molecules in plants. Furthermore, plant chemodiversity has been the main source of pharmacological molecules, opening a field of plant biotechnology directed to produce high quality plant metabolites. The need for different products by the pharma, cosmetics agriculture and food industry has pushed again to develop new procedures. These include cell production in bioreactors. While plant tissue and cell culture are an established technology, beginning over a hundred years ago, plant cell cultures have shown little impact in biotechnology projects, compared to bacterial, yeasts or animal cells. In this review we address the different types of bioreactors that are currently used for plant cell production and their usage for quality biomolecule production. We make an overview of Nicotiana tabacum, Nicotiana benthamiana, Oryza sativa, Daucus carota, Vitis vinifera and Physcomitrium patens as well-established models for plant cell culture, and some species used to obtain important metabolites, with an insight into the type of bioreactor and production protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuensanta Verdú-Navarro
- Bioprocessing R&D Department, Bionet, Parque Tecnológico Fuente Álamo, Fuente Álamo, Spain
- Genética Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología Vegetal, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
| | - Juan A. Moreno-Cid
- Bioprocessing R&D Department, Bionet, Parque Tecnológico Fuente Álamo, Fuente Álamo, Spain
| | - Julia Weiss
- Genética Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología Vegetal, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
| | - Marcos Egea-Cortines
- Genética Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología Vegetal, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
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31
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Zhang Y, Liu WQ, Li J. Constructing an artificial short route for cell-free biosynthesis of the phenethylisoquinoline scaffold. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:610-617. [PMID: 37781172 PMCID: PMC10534260 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant-originated natural products are important drug sources. However, total biosynthesis of these compounds is often not achievable due to their uncharacterized, lengthy biosynthetic pathways. In nature, phenethylisoquinoline alkaloids (PIAs) such as colchicine are biosynthesized via a common precursor 6,7-dihydroxy-1-(4-hydroxyphenylethyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (i.e., phenethylisoquinoline scaffold, PIAS). PIAS is naturally synthesized in plants by using two upstream substrates (l-phenylalanine and l-tyrosine) catalyzed by eight enzymes. To shorten this native pathway, here we designed an artificial route to synthesize PIAS with two enzymatic steps from two alternative substrates of 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propanol (4-HPP) and dopamine. In the two-step bioconversion, an alcohol dehydrogenase selected from yeast (i.e., ADH7) was able to oxidize its non-native alcohol substrate 4-HPP to form the corresponding aldehyde product, which was then condensed with dopamine by the (S)-norcoclaurine synthase (NCS) to synthesize PIAS. After optimization, the final enzymatic reaction system was successfully scaled up by 200 times from 50 μL to 10 mL, generating 5.4 mM of PIAS. We envision that this study will provide an easy and sustainable approach to produce PIAS and thus lay the foundation for large-scale production of PIAS-derived natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhao Zhang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Wan-Qiu Liu
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jian Li
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
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32
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Fan D, Tang H, Yang X, Zhao F, Han S. Improving statins production: From non-genetic strategies to genetic strategies. Biotechnol J 2023; 18:e2300229. [PMID: 37563745 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Statins are lipid-lowering drugs that selectively inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, effectively reducing cholesterol synthesis. With improved nutritional conditions, the demand for statins is increasing in the global market. The use of microbial cell factories for statin biosynthesis has become advantageous due to the rapid advancements in biotechnology. These approaches offer simple operation and easy separation of products. This review provides an overview the strategies for statins production via microbial cell factories, including both traditional fermentation culture (non-genetic) and modern synthetic biology manufacture (genetic). Firstly, the complex fermentation parameters and process control technology on submerged fermentation (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF) are introduced in detail. The potential use of recoverable agricultural wastes/(biomass) as a fermentation substrate in SSF for statin production is emphasized. Additionally, metabolic engineering strategies for constructing robust engineering strains and directed evolution are also discussed. The review highlights the potential and challenges of using microbial cell factories for statin production, and aims to promote greener production modes for statins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dexun Fan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huayang Tang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaorong Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fengguang Zhao
- School of Light Industry and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuangyan Han
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
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33
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Bradley SA, Lehka BJ, Hansson FG, Adhikari KB, Rago D, Rubaszka P, Haidar AK, Chen L, Hansen LG, Gudich O, Giannakou K, Lengger B, Gill RT, Nakamura Y, de Bernonville TD, Koudounas K, Romero-Suarez D, Ding L, Qiao Y, Frimurer TM, Petersen AA, Besseau S, Kumar S, Gautron N, Melin C, Marc J, Jeanneau R, O'Connor SE, Courdavault V, Keasling JD, Zhang J, Jensen MK. Biosynthesis of natural and halogenated plant monoterpene indole alkaloids in yeast. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:1551-1560. [PMID: 37932529 PMCID: PMC10667104 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01430-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) represent a large class of plant natural products with marketed pharmaceutical activities against a wide range of indications, including cancer, malaria and hypertension. Halogenated MIAs have shown improved pharmaceutical properties; however, synthesis of new-to-nature halogenated MIAs remains a challenge. Here we demonstrate a platform for de novo biosynthesis of two MIAs, serpentine and alstonine, in baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and deploy it to systematically explore the biocatalytic potential of refactored MIA pathways for the production of halogenated MIAs. From this, we demonstrate conversion of individual haloindole derivatives to a total of 19 different new-to-nature haloserpentine and haloalstonine analogs. Furthermore, by process optimization and heterologous expression of a modified halogenase in the microbial MIA platform, we document de novo halogenation and biosynthesis of chloroalstonine. Together, this study highlights a microbial platform for enzymatic exploration and production of complex natural and new-to-nature MIAs with therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Bradley
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Beata J Lehka
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Frederik G Hansson
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Khem B Adhikari
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Daniela Rago
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Paulina Rubaszka
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ahmad K Haidar
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ling Chen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Lea G Hansen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Olga Gudich
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Konstantina Giannakou
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Bettina Lengger
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ryan T Gill
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Yoko Nakamura
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | | | | | - David Romero-Suarez
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ling Ding
- Department of Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Yijun Qiao
- Department of Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Thomas M Frimurer
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anja A Petersen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sébastien Besseau
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Nicolas Gautron
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Celine Melin
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Jillian Marc
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | | | - Sarah E O'Connor
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Vincent Courdavault
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Jay D Keasling
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Institute for Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technologies, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Michael K Jensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
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34
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Zhang Y, Yuan M, Wu X, Zhang Q, Wang Y, Zheng L, Chiu T, Zhang H, Lan L, Wang F, Liao Y, Gong X, Yan S, Wang Y, Shen Y, Fu X. The construction and optimization of engineered yeast chassis for efficient biosynthesis of 8-hydroxygeraniol. MLIFE 2023; 2:438-449. [PMID: 38818263 PMCID: PMC10989129 DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.12099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Microbial production of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) provides a sustainable and eco-friendly means to obtain compounds with high pharmaceutical values. However, efficient biosynthesis of MIAs in heterologous microorganisms is hindered due to low supply of key precursors such as geraniol and its derivative 8-hydroxygeraniol catalyzed by geraniol 8-hydroxylase (G8H). In this study, we developed a facile evolution platform to screen strains with improved yield of geraniol by using the SCRaMbLE system embedded in the Sc2.0 synthetic yeast and confirmed the causal role of relevant genomic targets. Through genome mining, we identified several G8H enzymes that perform much better than the commonly used CrG8H for 8-hydroxygeraniol production in vivo. We further showed that the N-terminus of these G8H enzymes plays an important role in cellular activity by swapping experiments. Finally, the combination of the engineered chassis, optimized biosynthesis pathway, and utilization of G8H led to the final strain with more than 30-fold improvement in producing 8-hydroxygeraniol compared with the starting strain. Overall, this study will provide insights into the construction and optimization of yeast cells for efficient biosynthesis of 8-hydroxygeraniol and its derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- BGI ResearchShenzhenChina
- BGI ResearchHangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI ResearchShenzhenChina
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Xuemei Gong
- BGI ResearchShenzhenChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI ResearchShenzhenChina
| | - Shirui Yan
- BGI ResearchShenzhenChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI ResearchShenzhenChina
- BGI ResearchChangzhouChina
| | - Yun Wang
- BGI ResearchShenzhenChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI ResearchShenzhenChina
- BGI ResearchChangzhouChina
| | - Yue Shen
- BGI ResearchShenzhenChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI ResearchShenzhenChina
- BGI ResearchChangzhouChina
| | - Xian Fu
- BGI ResearchShenzhenChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI ResearchShenzhenChina
- BGI ResearchChangzhouChina
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35
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Gao M, Zhao Y, Yao Z, Su Q, Van Beek P, Shao Z. Xylose and shikimate transporters facilitates microbial consortium as a chassis for benzylisoquinoline alkaloid production. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7797. [PMID: 38016984 PMCID: PMC10684500 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43049-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant-sourced aromatic amino acid (AAA) derivatives are a vast group of compounds with broad applications. Here, we present the development of a yeast consortium for efficient production of (S)-norcoclaurine, the key precursor for benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis. A xylose transporter enables the concurrent mixed-sugar utilization in Scheffersomyces stipitis, which plays a crucial role in enhancing the flux entering the highly regulated shikimate pathway located upstream of AAA biosynthesis. Two quinate permeases isolated from Aspergillus niger facilitates shikimate translocation to the co-cultured Saccharomyces cerevisiae that converts shikimate to (S)-norcoclaurine, resulting in the maximal titer (11.5 mg/L), nearly 110-fold higher than the titer reported for an S. cerevisiae monoculture. Our findings magnify the potential of microbial consortium platforms for the economical de novo synthesis of complex compounds, where pathway modularization and compartmentalization in distinct specialty strains enable effective fine-tuning of long biosynthetic pathways and diminish intermediate buildup, thereby leading to increases in production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meirong Gao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Yuxin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Zhanyi Yao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Qianhe Su
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Payton Van Beek
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Zengyi Shao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
- NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
- Bioeconomy Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
- The Ames Laboratory, Ames, IA, USA.
- DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
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36
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Grandi E, Feyza Özgen F, Schmidt S, Poelarends GJ. Enzymatic Oxy- and Amino-Functionalization in Biocatalytic Cascade Synthesis: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202309012. [PMID: 37639631 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202309012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Biocatalytic cascades are a powerful tool for building complex molecules containing oxygen and nitrogen functionalities. Moreover, the combination of multiple enzymes in one pot offers the possibility to minimize downstream processing and waste production. In this review, we illustrate various recent efforts in the development of multi-step syntheses involving C-O and C-N bond-forming enzymes to produce high value-added compounds, such as pharmaceuticals and polymer precursors. Both in vitro and in vivo examples are discussed, revealing the respective advantages and drawbacks. The use of engineered enzymes to boost the cascades outcome is also addressed and current co-substrate and cofactor recycling strategies are presented, highlighting the importance of atom economy. Finally, tools to overcome current challenges for multi-enzymatic oxy- and amino-functionalization reactions are discussed, including flow systems with immobilized biocatalysts and cascades in confined nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Grandi
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Fatma Feyza Özgen
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sandy Schmidt
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Gerrit J Poelarends
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands
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37
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Lu J. Genome-Wide Comparative Profiles of Triterpenoid Biosynthesis Genes in Ginseng and Pseudo Ginseng Medicinal Plants. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2227. [PMID: 38004367 PMCID: PMC10672587 DOI: 10.3390/life13112227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Saponin-rich medicinal plants, particularly ginseng and Pseudo ginseng, are valuable in traditional medical practice due to the presence of different saponins. These plants benefit from natural saponins/triterpenoids drugs, such as Ginsenosides, Gypenosides, Platycodins, and Lancemasides. Ginsenosides are highly required for research and functional materials preparation in industrial practices, and some compounds, like Compound-K, have been taken to human trials for various therapeutic applications. To elucidate the genes/transcripts profiles responsible for secondary metabolites and ginsenoside biosynthesis in Ginseng and Pseudo ginseng plant genomes, a comparative analysis was conducted in this study. Nine plant genomes with a 99% BUSCO completeness score were used, resulting in 49 KEGG secondary metabolite pathways, 571 cytochromes genes with 42 families, and 3529 carbohydrate genes with 103 superfamilies. The comparative analysis revealed 24 genes/transcripts belonging to the CYP716 family, which is involved in the ginsenoside biosynthesis pathway. Additionally, it found that various ginsenosides demonstrated strong binding affinity with twelve targets, with ginsenoside Rg3, Rg2, Rh1, Rh5, F3, Rh9, Panaxadione, Protopanaxatriol, Floral ginsenoside C, and Floral ginsenoside E exhibiting the highest binding affinities with the tested enzymes. Since these groups of enzymes are not yet fully characterized for Pseudo ginseng plants in the interconversion of triterpenoids, this comparative bioinformatics analysis could aid experimentalists in selecting and conducting characterization with practical knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Lu
- Division of General Education, Seokyeong University, Seoul 02173, Republic of Korea
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38
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Stephenson A, Lastra L, Nguyen B, Chen YJ, Nivala J, Ceze L, Strauss K. Physical Laboratory Automation in Synthetic Biology. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:3156-3169. [PMID: 37935025 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic Biology has overcome many of the early challenges facing the field and is entering a systems era characterized by adoption of Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) approaches. The need for automation and standardization to enable reproducible, scalable, and translatable research has become increasingly accepted in recent years, and many of the hardware and software tools needed to address these challenges are now in place or under development. However, the lack of connectivity between DBTL modules and barriers to access and adoption remain significant challenges to realizing the full potential of lab automation. In this review, we characterize and classify the state of automation in synthetic biology with a focus on the physical automation of experimental workflows. Though fully autonomous scientific discovery is likely a long way off, impressive progress has been made toward automating critical elements of experimentation by combining intelligent hardware and software tools. It is worth questioning whether total automation that removes humans entirely from the loop should be the ultimate goal, and considerations for appropriate automation versus total automation are discussed in this light while emphasizing areas where further development is needed in both contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Stephenson
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington 98052, United States
| | - Lauren Lastra
- Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington 98052, United States
| | - Bichlien Nguyen
- Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington 98052, United States
| | - Yuan-Jyue Chen
- Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington 98052, United States
| | - Jeff Nivala
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Luis Ceze
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Karin Strauss
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington 98052, United States
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39
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Yi X, Rasor BJ, Boadi N, Louie K, Northen TR, Karim AS, Jewett MC, Alper HS. Establishing a versatile toolkit of flux enhanced strains and cell extracts for pathway prototyping. Metab Eng 2023; 80:241-253. [PMID: 37890611 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Building and optimizing biosynthetic pathways in engineered cells holds promise to address societal needs in energy, materials, and medicine, but it is often time-consuming. Cell-free synthetic biology has emerged as a powerful tool to accelerate design-build-test-learn cycles for pathway engineering with increased tolerance to toxic compounds. However, most cell-free pathway prototyping to date has been performed in extracts from wildtype cells which often do not have sufficient flux towards the pathways of interest, which can be enhanced by engineering. Here, to address this gap, we create a set of engineered Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains rewired via CRISPR-dCas9 to achieve high-flux toward key metabolic precursors; namely, acetyl-CoA, shikimate, triose-phosphate, oxaloacetate, α-ketoglutarate, and glucose-6-phosphate. Cell-free extracts generated from these strains are used for targeted enzyme screening in vitro. As model systems, we assess in vivo and in vitro production of triacetic acid lactone from acetyl-CoA and muconic acid from the shikimate pathway. The need for these platforms is exemplified by the fact that muconic acid cannot be detected in wildtype extracts provided with the same biosynthetic enzymes. We also perform metabolomic comparison to understand biochemical differences between the cellular and cell-free muconic acid synthesis systems (E. coli and S. cerevisiae cells and cell extracts with and without metabolic rewiring). While any given pathway has different interfaces with metabolism, we anticipate that this set of pre-optimized, flux enhanced cell extracts will enable prototyping efforts for new biosynthetic pathways and the discovery of biochemical functions of enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiunan Yi
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA; McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Blake J Rasor
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Nathalie Boadi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Katherine Louie
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Trent R Northen
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Ashty S Karim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Michael C Jewett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Hal S Alper
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA; McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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40
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Poborsky M, Crocoll C, Motawie MS, Halkier BA. Systematic engineering pinpoints a versatile strategy for the expression of functional cytochrome P450 enzymes in Escherichia coli cell factories. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:219. [PMID: 37880718 PMCID: PMC10601251 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02219-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Production of plant secondary metabolites in engineered microorganisms provides a scalable and sustainable alternative to their sourcing from nature or through chemical synthesis. However, the biosynthesis of many valuable plant-derived products relies on cytochromes P450 - enzymes notoriously difficult to express in microbes. To improve their expression in Escherichia coli, an arsenal of engineering strategies was developed, often paired with an extensive screening of enzyme variants. Here, attempting to identify a broadly applicable strategy, we systematically evaluated six common cytochrome P450 N-terminal modifications and their effect on in vivo activity of enzymes from the CYP79 and CYP83 families. We found that transmembrane domain truncation was the only modification with a significantly positive effect for all seven tested enzymes, increasing their product titres by 2- to 170-fold. Furthermore, when comparing the changes in the protein titre and product generation, we show that higher protein expression does not directly translate to higher in vivo activity, thus making the protein titre an unreliable screening target in the context of cell factories. We propose the transmembrane domain truncation as a first-line approach that enables the expression of wide range of highly active P450 enzymes in E. coli and circumvents the time-consuming screening process. Our results challenge the notion that the engineering strategy must be tailored for each individual cytochrome P450 enzyme and have the potential to simplify and accelerate the future design of E. coli cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Poborsky
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, DynaMo Center of Excellence, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C, 1871, Denmark
| | - Christoph Crocoll
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, DynaMo Center of Excellence, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C, 1871, Denmark
| | - Mohammed Saddik Motawie
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Section for Plant Biochemistry, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C, 1871, Denmark
| | - Barbara Ann Halkier
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, DynaMo Center of Excellence, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C, 1871, Denmark.
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41
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Ou Y, Guo S. Safety risks and ethical governance of biomedical applications of synthetic biology. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1292029. [PMID: 37941726 PMCID: PMC10628459 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1292029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: In recent years, biomedicine has witnessed rapid advancements in applying synthetic biology. While these advancements have brought numerous benefits to patients, they have also given rise to a series of safety concerns. Methods: This article provides a succinct overview of the current research on synthetic biology's application in biomedicine and systematically analyzes the safety risks associated with this field. Based on this analysis, the article proposes fundamental principles for addressing these issues and presents practical recommendations for ethical governance. Results: This article contends that the primary safety risks associated with the application of synthetic biology in biomedicine include participant safety, biosafety risks, and biosecurity risks. In order to effectively address these risks, it is essential to adhere to the principles of human-centeredness, non-maleficence, sustainability, and reasonable risk control. Guided by these fundamental principles and taking into account China's specific circumstances, this article presents practical recommendations for ethical governance, which include strengthening ethical review, promoting the development and implementation of relevant policies, improving legal safeguards through top-level design, and enhancing technical capabilities for biocontainment. Conclusion: As an emerging field of scientific technology, synthetic biology presents numerous safety risks and challenges in its application within biomedicine. In order to address these risks and challenges, it is imperative that appropriate measures be implemented. From a Chinese perspective, the solutions we propose serve not only to advance the domestic development of synthetic biology but also to contribute to its global progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yakun Ou
- School of Marxism, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Center for Bioethics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shengjia Guo
- School of Marxism, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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42
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Zhang X, Tang B, Wen S, Wang Y, Pan C, Qu L, Yin Y, Wei Y. Advancements in the Biotransformation and Biosynthesis of the Primary Active Flavonoids Derived from Epimedium. Molecules 2023; 28:7173. [PMID: 37894651 PMCID: PMC10609448 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28207173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Epimedium is a classical Chinese herbal medicine, which has been used extensively to treat various diseases, such as sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and brain diseases. Flavonoids, such as icariin, baohuoside I, icaritin, and epimedin C, are the main active ingredients with diverse pharmacological activities. Currently, most Epimedium flavonoids are extracted from Epimedium plants, but this method cannot meet the increasing market demand. Biotransformation strategies promised huge potential for increasing the contents of high-value Epimedium flavonoids, which would promote the full use of the Epimedium herb. Complete biosynthesis of major Epimedium flavonoids by microbial cell factories would enable industrial-scale production of Epimedium flavonoids. This review summarizes the structures, pharmacological activities, and biosynthesis pathways in the Epimedium plant, as well as the extraction methods of major Epimedium flavonoids, and advancements in the biotransformation and complete microbial synthesis of Epimedium flavonoids, which would provide valuable insights for future studies on Epimedium herb usage and the production of Epimedium flavonoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Key Laboratory of Food Safety Quick Testing and Smart Supervision Technology for State Market Regulation, Zhengzhou 450003, China
| | - Bingling Tang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Sijie Wen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Yitong Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Chengxue Pan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Lingbo Qu
- College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Yulong Yin
- Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Yongjun Wei
- Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
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Shoji T, Sugawara S, Mori T, Kobayashi M, Kusano M, Saito K. Induced production of specialized steroids by transcriptional reprogramming in Petunia hybrida. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad326. [PMID: 37920550 PMCID: PMC10619512 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Plants produce specialized metabolites with defensive properties that are often synthesized through the coordinated regulation of metabolic genes by transcription factors in various biological contexts. In this study, we investigated the regulatory function of the transcription factor PhERF1 from petunia (Petunia hybrida), which belongs to a small group of ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (ERF) family members that regulate the biosynthesis of bioactive alkaloids and terpenoids in various plant lineages. We examined the effects of transiently overexpressing PhERF1 in petunia leaves on the transcriptome and metabolome, demonstrating the production of a class of specialized steroids, petuniolides, and petuniasterones in these leaves. We also observed the activation of many metabolic genes, including those involved in sterol biosynthesis, as well as clustered genes that encode new metabolic enzymes, such as cytochrome P450 oxidoreductases, 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases, and BAHD acyltransferases. Furthermore, we determined that PhERF1 transcriptionally induces downstream metabolic genes by recognizing specific cis-regulatory elements in their promoters. This study highlights the potential of evolutionarily conserved transcriptional regulators to induce the production of specialized products through transcriptional reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsubasa Shoji
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Satoko Sugawara
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Mori
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Makoto Kobayashi
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Miyako Kusano
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
- Tsukuba-Plant Innovation Research Center (T-PIRC), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Kazuki Saito
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
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Chun-Ting Liu J, De La Pena R, Tocol C, Sattely ES. Reconstitution of Early Paclitaxel Biosynthetic Network. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.27.559859. [PMID: 37808792 PMCID: PMC10557666 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.27.559859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Paclitaxel is an anticancer therapeutic produced by the yew tree. Over the last two decades, a significant bottleneck in the reconstitution of early paclitaxel biosynthesis has been the propensity of heterologously expressed pathway cytochromes P450, including taxadiene 5α-hydroxylase (T5αH), to form multiple products. This diverts metabolic flux away from the paclitaxel precursor, taxadien-5α-ol, thus previous attempts of reconstitution have not yielded sufficient material for characterization, regardless of the heterologous host. Here, we structurally characterized four new products of T5αH, many of which appear to be over-oxidation of the primary mono-oxidized products. By tuning the promoter strength for T5αH expression, levels of these proposed byproducts decrease with a concomitant increase in the accumulation of taxadien-5α-ol by four-fold. This engineered system enabled the reconstitution of a six step biosynthetic pathway to produce isolatable 5α,10β-diacetoxy-taxadien-13α-ol. Furthermore, we showed that this pathway may function as a metabolic network rather than a linear pathway. The engineering of the paclitaxel biosynthetic network demonstrates that Taxus genes can coordinatively function for the biosynthetic production of key early stage paclitaxel intermediates and serves as a crucial platform for the discovery of the remaining biosynthetic genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Chun-Ting Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Ricardo De La Pena
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Christian Tocol
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Elizabeth S Sattely
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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45
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Cigan E, Pletz J, Berger SA, Hierzberger B, Grilec-Zlamal M, Steiner A, Oroz-Guinea I, Kroutil W. Concise synthesis of ( R)-reticuline and (+)-salutaridine by combining early-stage organic synthesis and late-stage biocatalysis. Chem Sci 2023; 14:9863-9871. [PMID: 37736642 PMCID: PMC10510765 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc02304d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient access to the morphinan scaffold remains a major challenge in both synthetic chemistry and biotechnology. Here, a biomimetic chemo-enzymatic strategy to synthesize the natural promorphinan intermediate (+)-salutaridine is demonstrated. By combining early-stage organic synthesis with enzymatic asymmetric key step transformations, the prochiral natural intermediate 1,2-dehydroreticuline was prepared and subsequently stereoselectively reduced by the enzyme 1,2-dehydroreticuline reductase obtaining (R)-reticuline in high ee and yield (>99% ee, up to quant. conversion, 92% isol. yield). In the final step, membrane-bound salutaridine synthase was used to perform the selective ortho-para phenol coupling to give (+)-salutaridine. The synthetic route shows the potential of combining early-stage advanced organic chemistry to minimize protecting group techniques with late-stage multi-step biocatalysis to provide an unprecedented access to the medicinally important compound class of promorphinans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Cigan
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed Graz Heinrichstrasse 28/II 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Jakob Pletz
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed Graz Heinrichstrasse 28/II 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Sarah A Berger
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed Graz Heinrichstrasse 28/II 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Bettina Hierzberger
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed Graz Heinrichstrasse 28/II 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Michael Grilec-Zlamal
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed Graz Heinrichstrasse 28/II 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Alexander Steiner
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed Graz Heinrichstrasse 28/II 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Isabel Oroz-Guinea
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed Graz Heinrichstrasse 28/II 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Wolfgang Kroutil
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, NAWI Graz, BioTechMed Graz Heinrichstrasse 28/II 8010 Graz Austria
- Field of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz 8010 Graz Austria
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46
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Chen L, Li K, Chen H, Li Z. Reviewing the Source, Physiological Characteristics, and Aroma Production Mechanisms of Aroma-Producing Yeasts. Foods 2023; 12:3501. [PMID: 37761210 PMCID: PMC10529235 DOI: 10.3390/foods12183501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Flavor is an essential element of food quality. Flavor can be improved by adding flavoring substances or via microbial fermentation to impart aroma. Aroma-producing yeasts are a group of microorganisms that can produce aroma compounds, providing a strong aroma to foods and thus playing a great role in the modern fermentation industry. The physiological characteristics of aroma-producing yeast, including alcohol tolerance, acid tolerance, and salt tolerance, are introduced in this article, beginning with their origins and biological properties. The main mechanism of aroma-producing yeast is then analyzed based on its physiological roles in the fermentation process. Functional enzymes such as proteases, lipases, and glycosidase are released by yeast during the fermentation process. Sugars, fats, and proteins in the environment can be degraded by these enzymes via pathways such as glycolysis, methoxylation, the Ehrlich pathway, and esterification, resulting in the production of various aromatic esters (such as ethyl acetate and ethyl caproate), alcohols (such as phenethyl alcohol), and terpenes (such as monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and squalene). Furthermore, yeast cells can serve as cell synthesis factories, wherein specific synthesis pathways can be introduced into cells using synthetic biology techniques to achieve high-throughput production. In addition, the applications of aroma yeast in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries are summarized, and the future development trends of aroma yeasts are discussed to provide a theoretical basis for their application in the food fermentation industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Chen
- College of Food Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (L.C.); (K.L.)
| | - Ke Li
- College of Food Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (L.C.); (K.L.)
| | - Huitai Chen
- Hunan Guoyuan Liquor Industry Co., Ltd., Yueyang 414000, China;
| | - Zongjun Li
- College of Food Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (L.C.); (K.L.)
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47
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Zhao Y, Hansen NL, Duan YT, Prasad M, Motawia MS, Møller BL, Pateraki I, Staerk D, Bak S, Miettinen K, Kampranis SC. Biosynthesis and biotechnological production of the anti-obesity agent celastrol. Nat Chem 2023; 15:1236-1246. [PMID: 37365337 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01245-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Obesity is a major health risk still lacking effective pharmacological treatment. A potent anti-obesity agent, celastrol, has been identified in the roots of Tripterygium wilfordii. However, an efficient synthetic method is required to better explore its biological utility. Here we elucidate the 11 missing steps for the celastrol biosynthetic route to enable its de novo biosynthesis in yeast. First, we reveal the cytochrome P450 enzymes that catalyse the four oxidation steps that produce the key intermediate celastrogenic acid. Subsequently, we show that non-enzymatic decarboxylation-triggered activation of celastrogenic acid leads to a cascade of tandem catechol oxidation-driven double-bond extension events that generate the characteristic quinone methide moiety of celastrol. Using this acquired knowledge, we have developed a method for producing celastrol starting from table sugar. This work highlights the effectiveness of combining plant biochemistry with metabolic engineering and chemistry for the scalable synthesis of complex specialized metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zhao
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Nikolaj L Hansen
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Yao-Tao Duan
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Meera Prasad
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Mohammed S Motawia
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Birger L Møller
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Irini Pateraki
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Dan Staerk
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren Bak
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | - Karel Miettinen
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | - Sotirios C Kampranis
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
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48
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Xu Q, Du Q, Gao J, Chen L, Dong X, Li J. A robust genetic toolbox for fine-tuning gene expression in the CO 2-Fixing methanogenic archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis. Metab Eng 2023; 79:130-145. [PMID: 37495072 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Libraries of well-characterized genetic elements for fine-tuning gene expression are essential for biological and biotechnological research and applications. The fast-growing and genetically tractable methanogen, Methanococcus maripaludis, is a promising host organism for biotechnological conversion of carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen into fuels and value-added products, as well as fundamental biological studies of archaea. However, the lack of molecular tools for gene expression has hindered its application as a workhorse to fine-tune gene and metabolic pathway expressions. In this study, we developed a genetic toolbox, including libraries of promoters, ribosome binding sites (RBS), and neutral sites for chromosomal integration, to facilitate precise gene expression in M. maripaludis. We generated a promoter library consisting of 81 constitutive promoters with expression strengths spanning a ∼104-fold dynamic range. Importantly, we identified a base composition rule for strong archaeal promoters and successfully remodeled weak promoters, enhancing their activities by up to 120-fold. We also established an RBS library containing 42 diverse RBS sequences with translation strengths covering a ∼100-fold dynamic range. Additionally, we identified eight neutral sites and developed a one-step, Cas9-based marker-less knock-in approach for chromosomal integration. We successfully applied the characterized promoter and RBS elements to significantly improve recombinant protein expression by 41-fold and modulate essential gene expression to generate corresponding physiological changes in M. maripaludis. Therefore, this work establishes a solid foundation for utilizing this autotrophic methanogen as an ideal workhorse for archaeal biology and biotechnological studies and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Xu
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qing Du
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jian Gao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and School of Biomedical Engineering, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xiuzhu Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China.
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49
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Nielsen J. Engineering yeast to produce plant-derived anti-obesity agent. Nat Chem 2023; 15:1204-1205. [PMID: 37640851 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01292-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jens Nielsen
- BioInnovation Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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50
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Salim V, Jarecki SA, Vick M, Miller R. Advances in Metabolic Engineering of Plant Monoterpene Indole Alkaloids. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1056. [PMID: 37626942 PMCID: PMC10452178 DOI: 10.3390/biology12081056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) encompass a diverse family of over 3000 plant natural products with a wide range of medical applications. Further utilizations of these compounds, however, are hampered due to low levels of abundance in their natural sources, causing difficult isolation and complex multi-steps in uneconomical chemical syntheses. Metabolic engineering of MIA biosynthesis in heterologous hosts is attractive, particularly for increasing the yield of natural products of interest and expanding their chemical diversity. Here, we review recent advances and strategies which have been adopted to engineer microbial and plant systems for the purpose of generating MIAs and discuss the current issues and future developments of manufacturing MIAs by synthetic biology approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vonny Salim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA; (S.-A.J.); (M.V.)
| | - Sara-Alexis Jarecki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA; (S.-A.J.); (M.V.)
| | - Marshall Vick
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA; (S.-A.J.); (M.V.)
| | - Ryan Miller
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA;
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