Improving acetyl-CoA biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae via the overexpression of pantothenate kinase and PDH bypass

Recent Advances and Multiple Strategies of Monoterpenoid Overproduction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica

Monoterpenoids are an important subclass of terpenoids that play important roles in the energy, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and fragrances fields. With the development of biotechnology, microbial synthesis of monoterpenoids has received great attention. Yeasts such Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica are emerging as potential hosts for monoterpenoids production because of unique advantages including rapid growth cycles, mature gene editing tools, and clear genetic background. Recently, advancements in metabolic engineering and fermentation engineering have significantly enhanced the accumulation of monoterpenoids in cell factories. First, this review introduces the biosynthetic pathway of monoterpenoids and comprehensively summarizes the latest production strategies, which encompass enhancing precursor flux, modulating the expression of rate-limited enzymes, suppressing competitive pathway flux, mitigating cytotoxicity, optimizing substrate utilization, and refining the fermentation process. Subsequently, this review introduces four representative monoterpenoids. Finally, we outline the future prospects for efficient construction cell factories tailored for the production of monoterpenoids and other terpenoids.

Combinatorial Metabolic Engineering for Improving Betulinic Acid Biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Betulinic acid (BA) is a lupane-type triterpenoid with potent anticancer and anti-HIV activities. Its great potential in clinical applications necessitates the development of an efficient strategy for BA synthesis. This study attempted to achieve efficient BA biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using systematic metabolic engineering strategies. First, a de novo BA biosynthesis pathway in S. cerevisiae was constructed, which yielded a titer of 14.01 ± 0.21 mg/L. Then, by enhancing the BA synthesis pathway and dynamic inhibition of the competitive pathway, a greater proportion of the metabolic flow was directed toward BA synthesis, achieving a titer of 88.07 ± 5.83 mg/L. Next, acetyl-CoA and NADPH supply was enhanced, which increased the BA titer to 166.43 ± 1.83 mg/L. Finally, another BA synthesis pathway in the peroxisome was constructed. Dual regulation of the peroxisome and cytoplasmic metabolism increased the BA titer to 210.88 ± 4.76 mg/L. Following fed-batch fermentation process modification, the BA titer reached 682.29 ± 8.16 mg/L. Overall, this work offers a guide for building microbial cell factories that are capable of producing terpenoids with efficiency.

An Integrated Strategy Based on 10-DAB Extraction and In Situ Whole-Cell Biotransformation of Renewable Taxus Needles to Produce Baccatin III

Baccatin III is a crucial precursor in the biosynthesis pathway of paclitaxel. Its main sources are extraction from Taxus or chemical synthesis using 10-deacetylbaccatin III (10-DAB) as substrate. However, these preparation approaches exhibit serious limitations, including the low content of baccatin III in Taxus and the complicated steps of chemical synthesis. Heterologous expression of 10-deacetylbaccatin III-10-O-acetyltransferase (TcDBAT) in microbial strains for biotransformation of 10-DAB is a promising alternative strategy for baccatin III production. Here, the promotion effects of glycerol supply and slightly acidic conditions with a low-temperature on the catalysis of recombinant TcDBAT strain were clarified using 10-DAB as substrate. Taxus needles is renewable and the content of 10-DAB is relatively high, it can be used as an effective source of the catalytic substrate 10-DAB. Baccatin III was synthesized by integrating the extraction of 10-DAB from renewable Taxus needles and in situ whole-cell catalysis in this study. 40 g/L needles were converted into 20.66 mg/L baccatin III by optimizing and establishing a whole-cell catalytic bioprocess. The method used in this study can shorten the production process of Taxus extraction for baccatin III synthesis and provide a reliable strategy for the efficient production of baccatin III by recombinant strains and the improvement of resource utilization rate of Taxus needles.

Efficient Plant Triterpenoids Synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: from Mechanisms to Engineering Strategies

Triterpenoids possess a range of biological activities and are extensively utilized in the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and chemical industries. Traditionally, they are acquired through chemical synthesis and plant extraction. However, these methods have drawbacks, including high energy consumption, environmental pollution, and being time-consuming. Recently, the de novo synthesis of triterpenoids in microbial cell factories has been achieved. This represents a promising and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional supply methods. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, known for its robustness, safety, and ample precursor supply, stands out as an ideal candidate for triterpenoid biosynthesis. However, challenges persist in industrial production and economic feasibility of triterpenoid biosynthesis. Consequently, metabolic engineering approaches have been applied to improve the triterpenoid yield, leading to substantial progress. This review explores triterpenoids biosynthesis mechanisms in S. cerevisiae and strategies for efficient production. Finally, the review also discusses current challenges and proposes potential solutions, offering insights for future engineering.

Reprogramming the Metabolism of Yeast for High-Level Production of Miltiradiene

Miltiradiene serves as a crucial precursor in the synthesis of various high-value abietane-type diterpenes, exhibiting diverse pharmacological activities. Previous efforts to enhance miltiradiene production have primarily focused on the mevalonate acetate (MVA) pathway. However, limited emphasis has been placed on optimizing the supply of acetyl-CoA and NADPH. In this study, we constructed a platform yeast strain for miltiradiene production by reinforcing the biosynthetic pathway of geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) and acetyl-CoA, and addressing the imbalance between the supply and demand of the redox cofactor NADPH within the cytoplasm, resulting in an increase in miltiradiene yield to 1.31 g/L. Furthermore, we conducted modifications to the miltiradiene synthase fusion protein tSmKSL1-CfTPS1. Finally, the comprehensive engineering strategies and protein modification strategies culminated in 1.43 g/L miltiradiene in the engineered yeast under shake flask culture conditions. Overall, our work established efficient yeast cell factories for miltiradiene production, providing a foothold for heterologous biosynthesis of abietane-type diterpenes.

De Novo Synthesis of Chrysin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Chrysin, a flavonoid, has been found to have been widely used in the health food field. But at present, chrysin production is hindered by the low availability of precursors and the lack of catalytic enzymes with high activity. Therefore, ZmPAL was initially screened to synthesize trans-cinnamic acid with high catalytic activity and specificity. To enhance the supply of precursors, the shikimic acid and chorismic acid pathway genes were overexpressed. Besides, the expression of the intracellular and mitochondrial carbon metabolism genes CIT, MAC1/3, CTP1, YHM2, RtME, and MDH was enhanced to increase the intracellular acetyl-CoA content. Chrysin was synthesized through a novel gene combination of ScCPR-EbFNSI-1 and PcFNSI. Finally, de novo synthesis of chrysin was achieved, reaching 41.9 mg/L, which is the highest reported concentration to date. In summary, we identified efficient enzymes for chrysin production and increased it by regulating acetyl-CoA metabolism in mitochondria and the cytoplasm, laying a foundation for future large-scale production.

Enhancing (2S)-naringenin production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by high-throughput screening method based on ARTP mutagenesis

(2S)-Naringenin, a dihydro-flavonoid, serves as a crucial precursor for flavonoid synthesis due to its extensive medicinal values and physiological functions. A pathway for the synthesis of (2S)-naringenin from glucose has previously been constructed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae through metabolic engineering. However, this synthetic pathway of (2S)-naringenin is lengthy, and the genes involved in the competitive pathway remain unknown, posing challenges in significantly enhancing (2S)-naringenin production through metabolic modification. To address this issue, a novel high-throughput screening (HTS) method based on color reaction combined with a random mutagenesis method called atmospheric room temperature plasma (ARTP), was established in this study. Through this approach, a mutant (B7-D9) with a higher titer of (2S)-naringenin was obtained from 9600 mutants. Notably, the titer was enhanced by 52.3% and 19.8% in shake flask and 5 L bioreactor respectively. This study demonstrates the successful establishment of an efficient HTS method that can be applied to screen for high-titer producers of (2S)-naringenin, thereby greatly improving screening efficiency and providing new insights and solutions for similar product screenings.

A genetically-encoded fluorescent biosensor for visualization of acetyl-CoA in live cells

Acetyl-coenzyme A is a central metabolite that participates in many cellular pathways. Evidence suggests that acetyl-CoA production and consumption are highly compartmentalized in mammalian cells. Yet methods to measure acetyl-CoA in living cells are lacking. In this work, we engineer an acetyl-CoA biosensor from the bacterial protein PanZ and circularly permuted green fluorescent protein (cpGFP). We biochemically characterize the sensor and demonstrate its selectivity for acetyl-CoA over other CoA species. We then deploy the biosensor in E. coli and HeLa cells to demonstrate its utility in living cells. In E. coli, we show that the biosensor enables detection of rapid changes in acetyl-CoA levels. In human cells, we show that the biosensor enables subcellular detection and reveals the compartmentalization of acetyl-CoA metabolism.

Mitochondrial Metabolism in the Spotlight: Maintaining Balanced RNAP III Activity Ensures Cellular Homeostasis

RNA polymerase III (RNAP III) holoenzyme activity and the processing of its products have been linked to several metabolic dysfunctions in lower and higher eukaryotes. Alterations in the activity of RNAP III-driven synthesis of non-coding RNA cause extensive changes in glucose metabolism. Increased RNAP III activity in the S. cerevisiae maf1Δ strain is lethal when grown on a non-fermentable carbon source. This lethal phenotype is suppressed by reducing tRNA synthesis. Neither the cause of the lack of growth nor the underlying molecular mechanism have been deciphered, and this area has been awaiting scientific explanation for a decade. Our previous proteomics data suggested mitochondrial dysfunction in the strain. Using model mutant strains maf1Δ (with increased tRNA abundance) and rpc128-1007 (with reduced tRNA abundance), we collected data showing major changes in the TCA cycle metabolism of the mutants that explain the phenotypic observations. Based on 13C flux data and analysis of TCA enzyme activities, the present study identifies the flux constraints in the mitochondrial metabolic network. The lack of growth is associated with a decrease in TCA cycle activity and downregulation of the flux towards glutamate, aspartate and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), the metabolic intermediate feeding the gluconeogenic pathway. rpc128-1007, the strain that is unable to increase tRNA synthesis due to a mutation in the C128 subunit, has increased TCA cycle activity under non-fermentable conditions. To summarize, cells with non-optimal activity of RNAP III undergo substantial adaptation to a new metabolic state, which makes them vulnerable under specific growth conditions. Our results strongly suggest that balanced, non-coding RNA synthesis that is coupled to glucose signaling is a fundamental requirement to sustain a cell's intracellular homeostasis and flexibility under changing growth conditions. The presented results provide insight into the possible role of RNAP III in the mitochondrial metabolism of other cell types.

Widely Targeted Metabolomic Profiling Combined with Transcriptome Analysis Provides New Insights into Lipid Biosynthesis in Seed Kernels of Pinus koraiensis

Lipid-rich Pinus koraiensis seed kernels are highly regarded for their nutritional and health benefits. To ascertain the molecular mechanism of lipid synthesis, we conducted widely targeted metabolomic profiling together with a transcriptome analysis of the kernels in P. koraiensis cones at various developmental stages. The findings reveal that 148 different types of lipid metabolites, or 29.6% of total metabolites, are present in kernels. Among those metabolites, the concentrations of linoleic acid, palmitic acid, and α-linolenic acid were higher, and they steadily rose as the kernels developed. An additional 10 hub genes implicated in kernel lipid synthesis were discovered using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), gene interaction network analysis, oil body biosynthesis, and transcriptome analysis. This study used lipid metabolome and transcriptome analyses to investigate the mechanisms of key regulatory genes and lipid synthesis molecules during kernel development, which served as a solid foundation for future research on lipid metabolism and the creation of P. koraiensis kernel food.

Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae YPH499 for Overproduction of Geranylgeraniol

Optimization of supply and conversion efficiency of geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) is important for enhancing geranylgeraniol (GGOH) production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, first, a strain producing 26.92 ± 1.59 mg/g of dry cell weight squalene was constructed with overexpression of all genes of the mevalonate (MVA) pathway, and an engineered strain producing 597.12 mg/L GGOH at the shake flask level was obtained. Second, through additional expression of PaGGPPs-ERG20 and PaGGPPs-DPP1, and downregulating expression of ERG9, the GGOH titer was increased to 1221.96 mg/L. Then, a NADH HMG-CoA reductase from Silicibacter pomeroyi (SpHMGR) was introduced to alleviate the high dependence of the strain upon NADPH, and the GGOH production was further increased to 1271.14 mg/L. Finally, the GGOH titer reached 6.33 g/L after optimizing the fed-batch fermentation method in a 5 L bioreactor, with a 24.9% improvement from the previous report. This study might accelerate the process of developing S. cerevisiae cell factories for diterpenoid and tetraterpenoid production.

Efficient Synthesis of Limonene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Using Combinatorial Metabolic Engineering Strategies

Limonene is a volatile monoterpene compound that is widely used in food additives, pharmaceutical products, fragrances, and toiletries. We herein attempted to perform efficient biosynthesis of limonene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using systematic metabolic engineering strategies. First, we conducted de novo synthesis of limonene in S. cerevisiae and achieved a titer of 46.96 mg/L. Next, by dynamic inhibition of the competitive bypass of key metabolic branches regulated by ERG20 and optimization of the copy number of tLimS, a greater proportion of the metabolic flow was directed toward limonene synthesis, achieving a titer of 640.87 mg/L. Subsequently, we enhanced the acetyl-CoA and NADPH supply, which increased the limonene titer to 1097.43 mg/L. Then, we reconstructed the limonene synthesis pathway in the mitochondria. Dual regulation of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial metabolism further increased the limonene titer to 1586 mg/L. After optimization of the process of fed-batch fermentation, the limonene titer reached 2.63 g/L, the highest ever reported in S. cerevisiae.

Comparison of developmental toxicity of benzophenone-3 and its metabolite benzophenone-8 in zebrafish

Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) as one of frequently used organic UV filters has been considered an emerging pollutant due to its toxicities. Benzophenone-8 (BP-8) is one of the main metabolites of BP-3 in organisms. Current reports show that BP-8 may be more toxic than BP-3. However, difference of their toxicities on embryonic development has rarely been reported. In this study, zebrafish embryos were chosen as the target organism to explore the developmental toxicities of BP-3 and BP-8. Non-targeted metabolomic analysis was performed to compare their modes of action. Results showed that BP-8 exposures led to higher bioaccumulation and lower hatching rate of zebrafish larvae than BP-3. Both BP-8 and BP-3 exposures caused behavioral abnormalities of zebrafish larvae, but no significant difference was found between them. At the metabolome level, 1 μg/L BP-3 and 1 μg/L BP-8 exposures altered neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway and FoxO signaling pathway, respectively, which might be involved in the abnormal behaviors in zebrafish larvae. For higher exposure groups (30 and 300 μg/L), both BP-3 and BP-8 exposures changed metabolism of cofactors and vitamins of zebrafish larvae. Exposure of BP-3 altered the metabolism by pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis pathway, while BP-8 exposure changed riboflavin metabolism and folate biosynthesis. The above results indicated different modes of action of BP-3 and BP-8 in zebrafish embryonic development. This study sheds new light to biological hazards of BP-3 due to its metabolism in aquatic organisms.

Engineering caveolin-mediated endocytosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

As a potential substitute for fatty acids, common low-cost oils could be used to produce acetyl-CoA derivatives, which meet the needs of low-cost industrial production. However, oils are hydrophobic macromolecules and cannot be directly transported into cells. In this study, caveolin was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to absorb exogenous oils. The expression of caveolin fused with green fluorescent protein showed that caveolin mediated the formation of microvesicles in S. cerevisiae and the addition of 5,6-carboxyfluorescein showed that caveolae had the ability to transport exogenous substances into cells. The intracellular and extracellular triacylglycerol levels were then detected after the addition of soybean oil pre-stained with Nile Red, which proved that caveolae had the ability to absorb the exogenous oils. Lastly, caveolin for oils absorption and lipase from Bacillus pumilus for oil hydrolysis were co-expressed in the naringenin-producing Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, resulting in naringenin production increasing from 222 mg/g DCW (dry cell weight) (231 mg/L) to 269 mg/g DCW (241 mg/L). These results suggested that the caveolin-mediated transporter independent oil transport system would provide a promising strategy for the transport of hydrophobic substrates.

Synthesis of pinene in the industrial strain Candida glycerinogenes by modification of its mevalonate pathway

Terpenes have many applications and are widely found in nature, but recent progress in synthetic biology has enabled the use of microorganisms as chassis cells for the synthesis of these compounds. Candida glycerinogenes (C. glycerinogenes) is an industrial strain that may be developed as a chassis for the synthesis of terpenes since it has a tolerance to hyperosmolality and high sugar, and has a complete mevalonate (MVA) pathway. However, monoterpenes such as pinene are highly toxic, and the tolerance of C. glycerinogenes to pinene was investigated. We also measured the content of mevalonate and squalene to evaluate the strength of the MVA pathway. To determine terpene synthesis capacity, a pathway for the synthesis of pinene was constructed in C. glycerinogenes. Pinene production was improved by overexpression, gene knockdown and antisense RNA inhibition. Pinene production was mainly enhanced by strengthening the upstream MVA pathway and inhibiting the production of by-products from the downstream pathway. With these strategies, yield could be increased by almost 16 times, to 6.0 mg/L. Overall, we successfully constructed a pinene synthesis pathway in C. glycerinogenes and enhanced pinene production through metabolic modification.

Spermidine and 1,3-Diaminopropane Have Opposite Effects on the Final Stage of Cephalosporin C Biosynthesis in High-Yielding Acremonium chrysogenum Strain

The addition of exogenous polyamines increases the production of antibiotic cephalosporin C (CPC) in Acremonium chrysogenum high-yielding (HY) strain during fermentation on a complex medium. However, the molecular basis of this phenomenon is still unknown. In the current study, we developed a special synthetic medium on which we revealed the opposite effect of polyamines. The addition of 1,3-diaminopropane resulted in an increase in the yield of CPC by 12-15%. However, the addition of spermidine resulted in a decrease in the yield of CPC by 14-15% and accumulation of its metabolic pathway precursor, deacetylcephalosporin C (DAC); the total amount of cephems (DAC and CPC) was the same as after the addition of DAP. This indicates that spermidine, but not 1,3-diaminopropane, affects the final stage of CPC biosynthesis, associated with the acetylation of its precursor. In both cases, upregulation of biosynthetic genes from beta-lactam BGCs occurred at the same level as compared to the control; expression of transport genes was at the control level. The opposite effect may be due to the fact that N¹-acetylation is much more efficient during spermidine catabolism than for 1,3-diaminopropane. The addition of spermidine, but not 1,3-diaminopropane, depleted the pool of acetyl coenzyme A by more than two-fold compared to control, which could lead to the accumulation of DAC.

Application of Multiple Strategies To Debottleneck the Biosynthesis of Longifolene by Engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Longifolene as an important sesquiterpene had enormous biological benefits. However, the low productivity of longifolene relying on chemical catalysis and plant extraction limited its wide application. Herein, the longifolene biosynthetic pathway was introduced into Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and multiple genetic strategies were applied to debottleneck the synthesis of longifolene, including the regulation of the rate-limiting enzymes, the elimination of the competitive pathways, the screening of the molecular chaperone to improve synthase activity, and the enhancement of the precursor supply. After combinationally applying these optimum strategies, the production of longifolene reached 27.30 mg/L in shake flasks and 1249 mg/L in fed-batch fermentation, respectively, which was the highest yield of longifolene reported thus far. It was demonstrated that the strategies applied in our work were effective in promoting the biosynthesis of longifolene, which not only laid a significant foundation for its industrial production but also provided a platform for the synthesis of other terpenoids.

Microbial cell factories for the production of flavonoids-barriers and opportunities

Flavonoids are natural plant products with important nutritional value, health-promoting benefits, and therapeutic potential. The use of microbial cell factories to generate flavonoids is an appealing option. The microbial biosynthesis of flavonoids is compared to the classic plant extract approach in this review, and the pharmaceutical applications were presented. This paper summarize approaches for effective flavonoid biosynthesis from microorganisms, and discuss the challenges and prospects of microbial flavonoid biosynthesis. Finally, the barriers and strategies for industrial bio-production of flavonoids are highlighted. This review offers guidance on how to create robust microbial cell factories for producing flavonoids and other relevant chemicals.

Plant Flavonoid Production in Bacteria and Yeasts

Flavonoids, a major group of secondary metabolites in plants, are promising for use as pharmaceuticals and food supplements due to their health-promoting biological activities. Industrial flavonoid production primarily depends on isolation from plants or organic synthesis, but neither is a cost-effective or sustainable process. In contrast, recombinant microorganisms have significant potential for the cost-effective, sustainable, environmentally friendly, and selective industrial production of flavonoids, making this an attractive alternative to plant-based production or chemical synthesis. Structurally and functionally diverse flavonoids are derived from flavanones such as naringenin, pinocembrin and eriodictyol, the major basic skeletons for flavonoids, by various modifications. The establishment of flavanone-producing microorganisms can therefore be used as a platform for producing various flavonoids. This review summarizes metabolic engineering and synthetic biology strategies for the microbial production of flavanones. In addition, we describe directed evolution strategies based on recently-developed high-throughput screening technologies for the further improvement of flavanone production. We also describe recent progress in the microbial production of structurally and functionally complicated flavonoids via the flavanone modifications. Strategies based on synthetic biology will aid more sophisticated and controlled microbial production of various flavonoids.

The Effects of Carbon Source and Growth Temperature on the Fatty Acid Profiles of Thermobifida fusca

The aerobic, thermophilic Actinobacterium, Thermobifida fusca has been proposed as an organism to be used for the efficient conversion of plant biomass to fatty acid-derived precursors of biofuels or biorenewable chemicals. Despite the potential of T. fusca to catabolize plant biomass, there is remarkably little data available concerning the natural ability of this organism to produce fatty acids. Therefore, we determined the fatty acids that T. fusca produces when it is grown on different carbon sources (i.e., glucose, cellobiose, cellulose and avicel) and at two different growth temperatures, namely at the optimal growth temperature of 50°C and at a suboptimal temperature of 37°C. These analyses establish that T. fusca produces a combination of linear and branched chain fatty acids (BCFAs), including iso-, anteiso-, and 10-methyl BCFAs that range between 14- and 18-carbons in length. Although different carbon sources and growth temperatures both quantitatively and qualitatively affect the fatty acid profiles produced by T. fusca, growth temperature is the greater modifier of these traits. Additionally, genome scanning enabled the identification of many of the fatty acid biosynthetic genes encoded by T. fusca.

AfCHIL, a Type IV Chalcone Isomerase, Enhances the Biosynthesis of Naringenin in Metabolic Engineering

Naringenin is an essential precursor for all flavonoids, and effectively promoting naringenin production is crucial in metabolic engineering. The interaction between plant metabolic enzymes ensures metabolic flux. The effect can effectively improve the natural product synthesis of engineering microbial systems. In this study, chalcone isomerase genes in Allium fistulosum have been identified. The expression of AfCHIL is closely related to the accumulation of anthocyanins, and the expression of AfCHIL and AfCHS was highly synchronized. Yeast two-hybrid and firefly luciferase complementation imaging assay further confirmed AfCHIL physically interacted with AfCHS/AfCHI. The bioconversion experiment confirmed that AfCHIL reduced the derailment produced by AfCHS and increased the yield of naringenin. In addition, a system of biosynthesis naringenin involved in AfCHS was constructed, and these results suggested that the potential function between CHS with CHIL advanced naringenin production effectively. In conclusion, this study illustrated the function of AfCHIs in Allium fistulosum and provided new insight into improving the synthesis efficiency of naringenin.

Enhancing fluxes through the mevalonate pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by engineering the HMGR and β‐alanine metabolism

Mevalonate (MVA) pathway is the core for terpene and sterol biosynthesis, whose metabolic flux influences the synthesis efficiency of such compounds. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an attractive chassis for the native active MVA pathway. Here, the truncated form of Enterococcus faecalis MvaE with only 3‐Hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) activity was found to be the most effective enzyme for MVA pathway flux using squalene as the metabolic marker, resulting in 431‐fold and 9‐fold increases of squalene content in haploid and industrial yeast strains respectively. Furthermore, a positive correlation between MVA metabolic flux and β‐alanine metabolic activity was found based on a metabolomic analysis. An industrial strain SQ3‐4 with high MVA metabolic flux was constructed by combined engineering HMGR activity, NADPH regeneration, cytosolic acetyl‐CoA supply and β‐alanine metabolism. The strain was further evaluated as the chassis for terpenoids production. Strain SQ3‐4‐CPS generated from expressing β‐caryophyllene synthase in SQ3‐4 produced 11.86 ± 0.09 mg l⁻¹ β‐caryophyllene, while strain SQ3‐5 resulted from down‐regulation of ERG1 in SQ3‐4 produced 408.88 ± 0.09 mg l⁻¹ squalene in shake flask cultivations. Strain SQ3‐5 produced 4.94 g l⁻¹ squalene in fed‐batch fermentation in cane molasses medium, indicating the promising potential for cost‐effective production of squalene.

Comparative Molecular Mechanisms of Biosynthesis of Naringenin and Related Chalcones in Actinobacteria and Plants: Relevance for the Obtention of Potent Bioactive Metabolites

Naringenin and its glycosylated derivative naringin are flavonoids that are synthesized by the phenylpropanoid pathway in plants. We found that naringenin is also formed by the actinobacterium Streptomyces clavuligerus, a well-known microorganism used to industrially produce clavulanic acid. The production of naringenin in S. clavuligerus involves a chalcone synthase that uses p-coumaric as a starter unit and a P₄₅₀ monoxygenase, encoded by two adjacent genes (ncs-ncyP). The p-coumaric acid starter unit is formed by a tyrosine ammonia lyase encoded by an unlinked, tal, gene. Deletion and complementation studies demonstrate that these three genes are required for biosynthesis of naringenin in S. clavuligerus. Other actinobacteria chalcone synthases use caffeic acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid or benzoic acid as starter units in the formation of different antibiotics and antitumor agents. The biosynthesis of naringenin is restricted to a few Streptomycess species and the encoding gene cluster is present also in some Saccharotrix and Kitasatospora species. Phylogenetic comparison of S. clavuligerus naringenin chalcone synthase with homologous proteins of other actinobacteria reveal that this protein is closely related to chalcone synthases that use malonyl-CoA as a starter unit for the formation of red-brown pigment. The function of the core enzymes in the pathway, such as the chalcone synthase and the tyrosine ammonia lyase, is conserved in plants and actinobacteria. However, S. clavuligerus use a P₄₅₀ monooxygenase proposed to complete the cyclization step of the naringenin chalcone, whereas this reaction in plants is performed by a chalcone isomerase. Comparison of the plant and S. clavuligerus chalcone synthases indicates that they have not been transmitted between these organisms by a recent horizontal gene transfer phenomenon. We provide a comprehensive view of the molecular genetics and biochemistry of chalcone synthases and their impact on the development of antibacterial and antitumor compounds. These advances allow new bioactive compounds to be obtained using combinatorial strategies. In addition, processes of heterologous expression and bioconversion for the production of naringenin and naringenin-derived compounds in yeasts are described.

Expression of Yarrowia lipolytica acetyl-CoA carboxylase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its effect on in-vivo accumulation of Malonyl-CoA

•

Novel S. cerevisiae strain with tetracycline repressible ACC1 promoter.

•

Functional expression of Y. lipolytica ACC1 in S. cerevisiae.

•

Higher malonyl-CoA concentration achieved with Y. lipolytica ACC1 gene.

•

S. cerevisiae Acc1p seems to interact with the heterologous Y. lipolytica Acc1p.

Malonyl-CoA is an energy-rich molecule formed by the ATP-dependent carboxylation of acetyl coenzyme A catalyzed by acetyl-CoA carboxylase. This molecule is an important precursor for many biotechnologically interesting compounds such as flavonoids, polyketides, and fatty acids. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae remains one of the preferred cell factories, but has a limited capacity to produce malonyl-CoA compared to oleaginous organisms. We developed a new S. cerevisiae strain with a conditional allele of ACC1, the essential acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) gene, as a tool to test heterologous genes for complementation. Yarrowia lipolytica is an oleaginous yeast with a higher capacity for lipid production than S. cerevisiae, possibly due to a higher capacity to produce malonyl-CoA. Measuring relative intracellular malonyl-CoA levels with an in-vivo biosensor confirmed that expression of Y. lipolytica ACC in S. cerevisiae leads to a higher accumulation of malonyl-CoA compared with overexpression of the native gene from an otherwise identical vector. The higher accumulation was generally accompanied by a decreased growth rate. Concomitant expression of both the homologous and heterologous ACC1 genes eliminated the growth defect, with a marginal reduction of malonyl-CoA accumulation.

Metabolism and strategies for enhanced supply of acetyl-CoA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Acetyl-CoA is a kind of important cofactor that is involved in many metabolic pathways. It serves as the precursor for many interesting commercial products, such as terpenes, flavonoids and anthraquinones. However, the insufficient supply of acetyl-CoA limits biosynthesis of its derived compounds in the intracellular. In this review, we outlined metabolic pathways involved in the catabolism and anabolism of acetyl-CoA, as well as some important derived products. We examined several strategies for the enhanced supply of acetyl-CoA, and provided insight into pathways that generate acetyl-CoA to balance metabolism, which can be harnessed to improve the titer, yield and productivities of interesting products in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other eukaryotic microorganisms. We believe that peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation could be an attractive strategy for enhancing the supply of acetyl-CoA.

John PC, Kumar N. Bayesian Inference for Integrating Yarrowia lipolytica Multiomics Datasets with Metabolic Modeling

Optimizing the metabolism of microbial cell factories for yields and titers is a critical step for economically viable production of bioproducts and biofuels. In this process, tuning the expression of individual enzymes to obtain the desired pathway flux is a challenging step, in which data from separate multiomics techniques must be integrated with existing biological knowledge to determine where changes should be made. Following a design-build-test-learn strategy, building on recent advances in Bayesian metabolic control analysis, we identify key enzymes in the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica that correlate with the production of itaconate by integrating a metabolic model with multiomics measurements. To this extent, we quantify the uncertainty for a variety of key parameters, known as flux control coefficients (FCCs), needed to improve the bioproduction of target metabolites and statistically obtain key correlations between the measured enzymes and boundary flux. Based on the top five significant FCCs and five correlated enzymes, our results show phosphoglycerate mutase, acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACSm), carbonic anhydrase (HCO3E), pyrophosphatase (PPAm), and homoserine dehydrogenase (HSDxi) enzymes in rate-limiting reactions that can lead to increased itaconic acid production.

n-Butanol production by Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) release in the atmosphere from fossil fuel combustion has inspired scientists to study CO₂ to biofuel conversion. Oxygenic phototrophs such as cyanobacteria have been used to produce biofuels using CO₂. However, oxygen generation during oxygenic photosynthesis adversely affects biofuel production efficiency. To produce n-butanol (biofuel) from CO₂, here we introduce an n-butanol biosynthesis pathway into an anoxygenic (non-oxygen evolving) photoautotroph, Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1 (TIE-1). Using different carbon, nitrogen, and electron sources, we achieve n-butanol production in wild-type TIE-1 and mutants lacking electron-consuming (nitrogen-fixing) or acetyl-CoA-consuming (polyhydroxybutyrate and glycogen synthesis) pathways. The mutant lacking the nitrogen-fixing pathway produce the highest n-butanol. Coupled with novel hybrid bioelectrochemical platforms, this mutant produces n-butanol using CO₂, solar panel-generated electricity, and light with high electrical energy conversion efficiency. Overall, this approach showcases TIE-1 as an attractive microbial chassis for carbon-neutral n-butanol bioproduction using sustainable, renewable, and abundant resources.

Construction of acetyl-CoA and DBAT hybrid metabolic pathway for acetylation of 10-deacetylbaccatin III to baccatin III

10-Deacetylbaccatin III (10-DAB) C10 acetylation is an indispensable procedure for Taxol semi-synthesis, which often requires harsh conditions. 10-Deacetylbaccatin III-10-β-O-acetyltransferase (DBAT) catalyzes the acetylation but acetyl-CoA supply remains a key limiting factor. Here we refactored the innate biosynthetic pathway of acetyl-CoA in Escherichia coli and obtained a chassis with acetyl-CoA productivity over three times higher than that of the host cell. Then, we constructed a microbial cell factory by introducing DBAT gene into this chassis for efficiently converting 10-DAB into baccatin III. We found that baccatin III could be efficiently deacetylated into 10-DAB by DBAT with CoASH and K⁺ under alkaline condition. Thus, we fed acetic acid to the engineered strain both for serving as a substrate of acetyl-CoA biosynthesis and for alleviating the deacetylation of baccatin III. The fermentation conditions were optimized and the baccatin III titers reached 2, 3 and 4.6 g/L, respectively, in a 3-L bioreactor culture when 2, 3 and 6 g/L of 10-DAB were supplied. Our study provides an environment-friendly approach for the large scale 10-DAB acetylation without addition of acetyl-CoA in the industrial Taxol semi-synthesis. The finding of DBAT deacetylase activity may broaden its application in the structural modification of pharmaceutically important lead compounds.

Engineering acetyl-CoA supply and ERG9 repression to enhance mevalonate production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Mevalonate is a key precursor in isoprenoid biosynthesis and a promising commodity chemical. Although mevalonate is a native metabolite in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, its production is challenged by the relatively low flux toward acetyl-CoA in this yeast. In this study we explore different approaches to increase acetyl-CoA supply in S. cerevisiae to boost mevalonate production. Stable integration of a feedback-insensitive acetyl-CoA synthetase (Se-acs^L641P) from Salmonella enterica and the mevalonate pathway from Enterococcus faecalis results in the production of 1,390 ± 10 mg/l of mevalonate from glucose. While bifid shunt enzymes failed to improve titers in high-producing strains, inhibition of squalene synthase (ERG9) results in a significant enhancement. Finally, increasing coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis by overexpression of pantothenate kinase (CAB1) and pantothenate supplementation further increased production to 3,830 ± 120 mg/l. Using strains that combine these strategies in lab-scale bioreactors results in the production of 13.3 ± 0.5 g/l, which is ∼360-fold higher than previously reported mevalonate titers in yeast. This study demonstrates the feasibility of engineering S. cerevisiae for high-level mevalonate production.

Critical parameters and procedures for anaerobic cultivation of yeasts in bioreactors and anaerobic chambers

All known facultatively fermentative yeasts require molecular oxygen for growth. Only in a small number of yeast species, these requirements can be circumvented by supplementation of known anaerobic growth factors such as nicotinate, sterols and unsaturated fatty acids. Biosynthetic oxygen requirements of yeasts are typically small and, unless extensive precautions are taken to minimize inadvertent entry of trace amounts of oxygen, easily go unnoticed in small-scale laboratory cultivation systems. This paper discusses critical points in the design of anaerobic yeast cultivation experiments in anaerobic chambers and laboratory bioreactors. Serial transfer or continuous cultivation to dilute growth factors present in anaerobically pre-grown inocula, systematic inclusion of control strains and minimizing the impact of oxygen diffusion through tubing are identified as key elements in experimental design. Basic protocols are presented for anaerobic-chamber and bioreactor experiments.

Enhancing Geranylgeraniol Production by Metabolic Engineering and Utilization of Isoprenol as a Substrate in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The amount of geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) is vital for microbial production of geranylgeraniol (GGOH) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, a GGPP synthase with stronger catalytic ability was used to increase the supply of GGPP, and an engineered strain producing 374.02 mg/L GGOH at the shake flask level was constructed. Then, by increasing the metabolic flux of the mevalonate (MVA) pathway and the supply of isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP), the titer was further increased to 772.98 mg/L at the shake flask level, and we achieved the highest GGOH titer to date of 5.07 g/L in a 5 L bioreactor. This is the first report on the utilization of isoprenol for increasing the amount of IPP and enhancing GGOH production in S. cerevisiae. In the future, these strategies and engineered strains can be used to enhance the production of other terpenoids in S. cerevisiae.

Transcriptional Regulatory Networks Involved in C3-C4 Alcohol Stress Response and Tolerance in Yeast

Alcohol toxicity significantly impacts the titer and productivity of industrially produced biofuels. To overcome this limitation, we must find and use strategies to improve stress tolerance in production strains. Previously, we developed a multiplex navigation of a global regulatory network (MINR) library that targeted 25 regulatory genes that are predicted to modify global regulation in yeast under different stress conditions. In this study, we expanded this concept to target the active sites of 47 transcriptional regulators using a saturation mutagenesis library. The 47 targeted regulators interact with more than half of all yeast genes. We then screened and selected for C3-C4 alcohol tolerance. We identified specific mutants that have resistance to isopropanol and isobutanol. Notably, the WAR1_K110N variant improved tolerance to both isopropanol and isobutanol. In addition, we investigated the mechanisms for improvement of isopropanol and isobutanol stress tolerance and found that genes related to glycolysis play a role in tolerance to isobutanol, while changes in ATP synthesis and mitochondrial respiration play a role in tolerance to both isobutanol and isopropanol. Overall, this work sheds light on basic mechanisms for isopropanol and isobutanol toxicity and demonstrates a promising strategy to improve tolerance to C3-C4 alcohols by perturbing the transcriptional regulatory network.

Rewiring Central Carbon Metabolism Ensures Increased Provision of Acetyl-CoA and NADPH Required for 3-OH-Propionic Acid Production

The central carbon metabolite acetyl-CoA and the cofactor NADPH are important for the synthesis of a wide array of biobased products. Here, we constructed a platform yeast strain for improved provision of acetyl-CoA and NADPH, and used the production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) as a case study. We first demonstrated that the integration of phosphoketolase and phosphotransacetylase improved 3-HP production by 41.9% and decreased glycerol production by 48.1% compared with that of the control strain. Then, to direct more carbon flux toward the pentose phosphate pathway, we reduced the expression of phosphoglucose isomerase by replacing its native promoter with a weaker promoter, and increased the expression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase by replacing their native promoters with stronger promoters. This further improved 3-HP production by 26.4%. Furthermore, to increase the NADPH supply we overexpressed cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase, and improved 3-HP production by another 10.5%. Together with optimizing enzyme expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and malonyl-CoA reductase, the final strain is able to produce 3-HP with a final titer of 864.5 mg/L, which is a more than 24-fold improvement compared with that of the starting strain. Our strategy combines the PK pathway with the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway for the efficient provision of acetyl-CoA and NADPH, which provides both a higher theoretical yield and overall yield than the reported yeast-based 3-HP production strategies via the malonyl-CoA reductase-dependent pathway and sheds light on the construction of efficient platform cell factories for other products.

Large-Scale Screening of Thiol and Fermentative Aroma Production during Wine Alcoholic Fermentation: Exploring the Effects of Assimilable Nitrogen and Peptides

In alcoholic fermentation, under oenological conditions, the environmental parameters impacting fermentation kinetics and aroma production have been widely studied. The nitrogen content of grape must was found to be one of the most important parameters for both of these aspects of fermentation. Many studies have been performed on the effect of mineral nitrogen addition. However, it has increasingly been observed that the nature of the nitrogen added leads to different results. Our work focused on the effects of peptide addition on both fermentation kinetics and aroma production. Peptides are one of the less well understood sources of assimilable nitrogen, as their incorporation by yeast remains unclear. In this study, we compared the effect of the addition of a “classic” assimilable nitrogen source (ammonium + amino acids) with that of peptide addition in both white and red must fermentation by screening 18 Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains in total. Our data show that peptide addition enhances fermentation kinetics and leads to specific changes in the production of fermentative aromas. The impact of peptides on thiol synthesis is rather limited.

UPLC-MS-based urine nontargeted metabolic profiling identifies dysregulation of pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis pathway in diabetic kidney disease

AIMS

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a major prevalent chronic microvascular complication of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the present diagnostic indicators have limitations in the early diagnosis of DKD. This study concentrated on the sensitive and specific biomarkers in early diagnosis of DKD by metabolomics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, we performed a UPLC-MS based nontargeted metabolomics assay to profile the urinary metabolites in patients with DKD. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used for screening out the metabolomic variables.

KEY FINDINGS

A total of 147 urinary metabolites were identified and 5 metabolic pathways were correlated with DKD pathophysiology. Pantothenate and coenzyme A biosynthesis pathway alteration was found the most prominent in DKD subjects. 4 metabolites, including dihydrouracil, ureidopropionic acid, pantothenic acid (PA), and adenosine 3',5'-diphosphate involved in pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis were significantly down-regulated.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our finding indicates that PA would be served as a novel predictive biomarker associated with DKD development and progression. Furthermore, our results provide a promising prospect that PA and CoA biosynthesis pathway can be potential therapeutic targets for DKD treatment.

Coenzyme A thioester-mediated carbon chain elongation as a paintbrush to draw colorful chemical compounds

The biosynthesis of various useful chemicals from simple substrates using industrial microorganisms is becoming increasingly crucial to address the challenge of dwindling non-renewable resources. As the most common intermediate substrates in organisms, Coenzyme A (CoA) thioesters play a central role in the carbon chain elongation process of their products. As a result, numerous of chemicals can be synthesized by the iterative addition of various CoA thioester extender units at a given CoA thioester primer backbone. However, these elongation reactions and the product yields are still restricted due to the low enzymatic performance and supply of CoA thioesters. This review highlights the current protein and metabolic engineering strategies used to enhance the diversity and product yield by coupling different primers, extender units, enzymes, and termination pathways, in an attempt to provide a road map for producing a more diverse range of industrial chemicals.

Metabolic Engineering Design Strategies for Increasing Acetyl-CoA Flux

Acetyl-CoA is a key metabolite precursor for the biosynthesis of lipids, polyketides, isoprenoids, amino acids, and numerous other bioproducts which are used in various industries. Metabolic engineering efforts aim to increase carbon flux towards acetyl-CoA in order to achieve higher productivities of its downstream products. In this review, we summarize the strategies that have been implemented for increasing acetyl-CoA flux and concentration, and discuss their effects. Furthermore, recent works have developed synthetic acetyl-CoA biosynthesis routes that achieve higher stoichiometric yield of acetyl-CoA from glycolytic substrates.

Metabolic engineering for efficient supply of acetyl-CoA from different carbon sources in Escherichia coli

Background

Acetyl-CoA is an important metabolic intermediate and serves as an acetylation precursor for the biosynthesis of various value-added acetyl-chemicals. Acetyl-CoA can be produced from glucose, acetate, or fatty acids via metabolic pathways in Escherichia coli. Although glucose is an efficient carbon source for acetyl-CoA production, the pathway from acetate to acetyl-CoA is the shortest and fatty acids can produce acetyl-CoA through fatty acid oxidation along with abundant NADH and FADH₂. In this study, metabolically engineered E. coli strains for efficiently supplying acetyl-CoA from glucose, acetate, and fatty acid were constructed and applied in one-step biosynthesis of N-acetylglutamate (NAG) from glutamate and acetyl-CoA.

Results

A metabolically engineered E. coli strain for NAG production was constructed by overexpressing N-acetylglutamate synthase from Kitasatospora setae in E. coli BW25113 with argB and argA knockout. The strain was further engineered to utilize glucose, acetate, and fatty acid to produce acetyl-CoA. When glucose was used as a carbon source, the combined mutants of ∆ptsG::glk, ∆galR::zglf, ∆poxB::acs, ∆ldhA, and ∆pta were more efficient for supplying acetyl-CoA. The acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) pathway and acetate kinase-phosphate acetyltransferase (ACK-PTA) pathway from acetate to acetyl-CoA were investigated, and the ACK-PTA pathway showed to be more efficient for supplying acetyl-CoA. When fatty acid was used as a carbon source, acetyl-CoA supply was improved by deletion of fadR and constitutive expression of fadD under the strong promoter CPA1. Comparison of acetyl-CoA supply from glucose, acetate and palmitic acid revealed that a higher conversion rate of glutamate (98.2%) and productivity (an average of 6.25 mmol/L/h) were obtained when using glucose as a carbon source. The results also demonstrated the great potential of acetate and fatty acid to supply acetyl-CoA, as the molar conversion rate of glutamate was more than 80%.

Conclusions

Metabolically engineered E. coli strains were developed for NAG production. The metabolic pathways of acetyl-CoA from glucose, acetate, or fatty acid were optimized for efficient acetyl-CoA supply to enhance NAG production. The metabolic strategies for efficient acetyl-CoA supply used in this study can be exploited for other chemicals that use acetyl-CoA as a precursor or when acetylation is involved.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12934-019-1177-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Physiologic and metabolic characterization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals limitations in the synthesis of the triterpene squalene

Heterologous synthesis of triterpenoids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae from its native metabolite squalene has been reported to offer an alternative to chemical synthesis and extraction from plant material if productivities can be increased.Here, we physiologically characterized a squalene overproducing S. cerevisiae CEN.PK strain to elucidate the effect of cultivation conditions on the production of this central triterpenoid precursor. The maximum achievable squalene concentration was substantially influenced by nutritional conditions, medium composition and cultivation mode. Batch growth on glucose resulted in minimal squalene accumulation, while squalene only significantly accumulated during ethanol consumption (up to 59 mg/gCDW), probably due to increased acetyl-CoA supply on this carbon source. Likewise, low squalene concentrations were observed in glucose-limited chemostat cultivations and improved up to 8-fold upon increasing the ethanol fraction in the feed. In those experiments, a constant, growth-rate-independent specific squalene accumulation rate (2.2 mg/gCDW/h) was recorded resulting in a maximal squalene loading of 30 mg/gCDW at low dilution rates with longer residence times. Coenzyme A availability was identified as possible bottleneck as increased vitamin concentrations, including the Coenzyme A precursor pantothenate, improved squalene titers in batch and chemostat cultivations. This analysis demonstrates that thorough physiologic characterization of production strains is valuable for the identification of bottlenecks already in early stages of strain development and for guiding further optimization efforts.

Enhanced β-Amyrin Synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by Coupling An Optimal Acetyl-CoA Supply Pathway

β-Amyrin is a plant-derived triterpenoid skeleton with wide applications in food and medical industry. β-Amyrin biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is derived from the mevalonate pathway with cytosolic acetyl-CoA as a precursor. In this work, endogenous and several heterologous acetyl-CoA synthesis pathways were coupled to β-amyrin production and a combinational acetyl-CoA supply route was demonstrated to be optimal due to more balanced redox cofactors, much lower energy consumption, and glucose utilization as well as significantly enhanced β-amyrin production (a 200% increase compared to the original β-amyrin-producing strain). Further disruption of an acetyl-CoA competing pathway led to a 330% increase in β-amyrin production as compared to the original strain. Finally, the engineered strain harboring the optimal pathway configuration achieved a final β-amyrin production of 279.0 ± 13.0 mg/L in glucose fed-batch fermentation, which is the highest as ever reported. This work provides an efficient platform for triterpenoid biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Engineering Plant Secondary Metabolism in Microbial Systems

An overview of common challenges and strategies underlying efforts to reconstruct plant isoprenoid, alkaloid, phenylpropanoid, and polyketide biosynthetic pathways in microbial systems.

The Role of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Yeast and Lactic Acid Bacteria in the Formation of 2-Propanol from Acetone during Fermentation of Rye Mashes Obtained Using Thermal-Pressure Method of Starch Liberation

This study set out to assess the acetone content in rye sweet mashes prepared using the thermal-pressure method of starch liberation, and to investigate the formation of 2-propanol during the fermentation process. In the first set of experiments, we evaluated the correlation between the color and the content of acetone and furfural in industrially produced sweet mashes (n = 37). The L * value was negatively correlated with the content of both acetone and furfural, while chromatic parameters a * and b * and the yellowness index (YI) had strong positive correlations with acetone (r > 0.9) and furfural (r > 0.8 for a * and r > 0.9 for b * and YI). In the second set of experiments, we assessed the concentration of acetone and 2-propanol in distillery rye mashes, fermented by S. cerevisiae yeast and lactic acid bacteria. The influence of fermentation temperature on the formation of 2-propanol was also evaluated. The presence of 2-propanol in the post-fermentation media was confirmed, while a decrease in acetone content was observed. Fermentation temperature (27 °C or 35 °C) was found to have a significant effect on the concentration of 2-propanol in trials inoculated with lactic bacteria. The content of 2-propanol was more than 11 times higher in trials fermented at the higher temperature. In the case of yeast-fermented mashes, the temperature did not affect 2-propanol content. The acetone in the sweet mash was assumed to be a precursor of 2-propanol, which was found in the fermented mashes.

Enhancing 3-hydroxypropionic acid production in combination with sugar supply engineering by cell surface-display and metabolic engineering of Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Background

Economical production of value-added chemicals from renewable biomass is a promising path to sustainability. 3-Hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) is an important chemical for building a bio-sustainable society. Establishment of 3-HP production from renewable resources such as glucose would provide a bio-sustainable alternative to the production of acrylic acid from fossil resources.

Results

Here, we describe metabolic engineering of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe to enhance 3-HP production from glucose and cellobiose via the malonyl-CoA pathway. The mcr gene, encoding the malonyl-CoA reductase of Chloroflexus aurantiacus, was dissected into two functionally distinct fragments, and the activities of the encoded protein were balanced. To increase the cellular supply of malonyl-CoA and acetyl-CoA, we introduced genes encoding endogenous aldehyde dehydrogenase, acetyl-CoA synthase from Salmonella enterica, and endogenous pantothenate kinase. The resulting strain produced 3-HP at 1.0 g/L from a culture starting at a glucose concentration of 50 g/L. We also engineered the sugar supply by displaying beta-glucosidase (BGL) on the yeast cell surface. When grown on 50 g/L cellobiose, the beta-glucosidase-displaying strain consumed cellobiose efficiently and produced 3-HP at 3.5 g/L. Under fed-batch conditions starting from cellobiose, this strain produced 3-HP at up to 11.4 g/L, corresponding to a yield of 11.2% (g-3-HP/g-glucose; given that 1 g cellobiose corresponds to 1.1 g glucose upon digestion).

Conclusions

In this study, we constructed a series of S. pombe strains that produced 3-HP via the malonyl-CoA pathway. Our study also demonstrated that BGL display using cellobiose and/or cello-oligosaccharides as a carbon source has the potential to improve the titer and yield of malonyl-CoA- and acetyl-CoA-derived compounds.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12934-018-1025-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Engineering yeast for the production of breviscapine by genomic analysis and synthetic biology approaches

The flavonoid extract from Erigeron breviscapus, breviscapine, has increasingly been used to treat cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases in China for more than 30 years, and plant supply of E. breviscapus is becoming insufficient to satisfy the growing market demand. Here we report an alternative strategy for the supply of breviscapine by building a yeast cell factory using synthetic biology. We identify two key enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway (flavonoid-7-O-glucuronosyltransferase and flavone-6-hydroxylase) from E. breviscapus genome and engineer yeast to produce breviscapine from glucose. After metabolic engineering and optimization of fed-batch fermentation, scutellarin and apigenin-7-O-glucuronide, two major active ingredients of breviscapine, reach to 108 and 185 mg l^-1, respectively. Our study not only introduces an alternative source of these valuable compounds, but also provides an example of integrating genomics and synthetic biology knowledge for metabolic engineering of natural compounds.