Meyer A, Pellaux R, Panke S. Bioengineering novel in vitro metabolic pathways using synthetic biology.
Curr Opin Microbiol 2007;
10:246-53. [PMID:
17548240 DOI:
10.1016/j.mib.2007.05.009]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2007] [Accepted: 05/23/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Huge numbers of enzymes have evolved in nature to function in aqueous environments at moderate temperatures and neutral pH. This gives us, in principle, the unique opportunity to construct multistep reaction systems of considerable catalytic complexity in vitro. However, this opportunity is rarely exploited beyond research scale, because such systems are difficult to assemble and to operate productively. Recent advances in DNA synthesis, genome engineering, high-throughput analytics, model-based analysis of biochemical systems and (semi-)rational protein engineering suggest that we have all the tools available to rationally design and efficiently operate such systems of enzymes, and finally harvest their potential for preparative syntheses.
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