1
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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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2
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Wang D, Qin L, Jing C, Wang G, Zhou H, Deng P, Zhang S, Wang Y, Ding Y, Zhang Z, Wu Z, Liu Y. Biologically active isoquinoline alkaloids covering 2019-2022. Bioorg Chem 2024; 145:107252. [PMID: 38437763 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107252] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Isoquinoline alkaloids are an important class of natural products that are abundant in the plant kingdom and exhibit a wide range of structural diversity and biological activities. With the deepening of research in recent years, more and more isoquinoline alkaloids have been isolated and identified and proved to contain a variety of biological activities and pharmacological effects. In this review, we introduce the research progress of isoquinoline alkaloids from 2019 to 2022, mainly in the part of biological activities, including antitumor, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, analgesic, and other activities. This study provides a clear direction for the rational development and utilization of isoquinoline alkaloids, suggesting that these alkaloids have great potential in the field of drug research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dengtuo Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Science, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Lulu Qin
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Chenxin Jing
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Guanghan Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Han Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Peng Deng
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shaoyong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Science, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Yirong Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yanyan Ding
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Zhijun Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Zhengrong Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yingqian Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Science, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China; State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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3
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Hao C, Yu Y, Liu Y, Liu A, Chen S. The CYP80A and CYP80G Are Involved in the Biosynthesis of Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids in the Sacred Lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera). Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:702. [PMID: 38255776 PMCID: PMC10815925 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020702] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Bisbenzylisoquinoline and aporphine alkaloids are the two main pharmacological compounds in the ancient sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). The biosynthesis of bisbenzylisoquinoline and aporphine alkaloids has attracted extensive attention because bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids have been reported as potential therapeutic agents for COVID-19. Our study showed that NnCYP80A can catalyze C-O coupling in both (R)-N-methylcoclaurine and (S)-N-methylcoclaurine to produce bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids with three different linkages. In addition, NnCYP80G catalyzed C-C coupling in aporphine alkaloids with extensive substrate selectivity, specifically using (R)-N-methylcoclaurine, (S)-N-methylcoclaurine, coclaurine and reticuline as substrates, but the synthesis of C-ring alkaloids without hydroxyl groups in the lotus remains to be elucidated. The key residues of NnCYP80G were also studied using the 3D structure of the protein predicted using Alphafold 2, and six key amino acids (G39, G69, A211, P288, R425 and C427) were identified. The R425A mutation significantly decreased the catalysis of (R)-N-methylcoclaurine and coclaurine inactivation, which might play important role in the biosynthesis of alkaloids with new configurations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - An Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei, Beijing 100700, China; (C.H.); (Y.Y.); (Y.L.)
| | - Sha Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei, Beijing 100700, China; (C.H.); (Y.Y.); (Y.L.)
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4
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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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5
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Zhao W, Liu M, Liu K, Liu H, Liu X, Liu J. An Enzymatic Strategy for the Selective Methylation of High-Value-Added Tetrahydroprotoberberine Alkaloids. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15214. [PMID: 37894895 PMCID: PMC10607743 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015214] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Tetrahydroprotoberberines (THPBs) are plant-specific alkaloids with significant medicinal value. They are present in trace amounts in plants and are difficult to chemically synthesize due to stereoselectivity and an unfavorable environment. In this study, a selective methylation strategy was developed for the biocatalysis of seven high-value-added THPB compounds using 4'-O-methyltransferase (Cj4'OMT), norcoclaurine 6-O-methyltransferase (Cj6OMT), and (S)-scoulerine 9-O-methyltransferase (SiSOMT and PsSOMT) in engineered E. coli. The methyltransferases Cj4'OMT, Cj6OMT, PsSOMT, and SiSOMT were expressed heterologously in E. coli. Compound 1 (10-methoxy-2,3,9-tetrahydroxyberbine) was synthesized using the recombinant E. coli strain Cj4'OMT and the substrate 2,3,9,10-tetrahydroxyberbine. Compound 2 (9-methoxy-2,3,10-tetrahydroxyberbine) was produced in the recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain PsSOMT, and compounds 2 and 3 (discretamine) were produced in the recombinant E. coli strain SiSOMT. Compounds 4 (9,10-methoxy-2,3-tetrahydroxyberbine) and 5 (corypalmine) were obtained by co-culturing the recombinant strains Cj4'OMT and SiSOMT with substrate. Compounds 6 (scoulerine) and 7 (isoscoulerine) were produced by co-culturing the substrate with the recombinant strains Cj4'OMT and Cj6OMT. To increase the yield of novel compound 2, the flask culture conditions of the engineered SiSOMT strain were optimized, resulting in the production of 165.74 mg/L of this compound. This study thus presents an enzymatic approach to the synthesis of high-value-added THPBs with minimum environmental wastage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanli Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China; (W.Z.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Manyu Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China; (W.Z.)
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Kemeng Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China; (W.Z.)
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Hanqing Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China; (W.Z.)
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Xiufeng Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China; (W.Z.)
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Jihua Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China; (W.Z.)
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
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6
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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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7
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Bui VH, Rodríguez-López CE, Dang TTT. Integration of discovery and engineering in plant alkaloid research: Recent developments in elucidation, reconstruction, and repurposing biosynthetic pathways. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 74:102379. [PMID: 37182414 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Plants synthesize tens of thousands of bioactive nitrogen-containing compounds called alkaloids, including some clinically important drugs in modern medicine. The discovery of new alkaloid structures and their metabolism in plants have provided ways to access these rich sources of bioactivities including new-to-nature compounds relevant to therapeutic and industrial applications. This review discusses recent advances in alkaloid biosynthesis discovery, including complete pathway elucidations. Additionally, the latest developments in the production of new and established plant alkaloids based on either biosynthesis or semisynthesis are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Van-Hung Bui
- Department of Chemistry, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Carlos Eduardo Rodríguez-López
- Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey, N.L. 64849, Mexico.
| | - Thu-Thuy T Dang
- Department of Chemistry, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada.
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8
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Ozber N, Yu L, Hagel JM, Facchini PJ. Strong Feedback Inhibition of Key Enzymes in the Morphine Biosynthetic Pathway from Opium Poppy Detectable in Engineered Yeast. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:419-430. [PMID: 36735832 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00873] [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: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Systematic screening of morphine pathway intermediates in engineered yeast revealed key biosynthetic enzymes displaying potent feedback inhibition: 3'-hydroxy-N-methylcoclaurine 4'-methyltransferase (4'OMT), which yields (S)-reticuline, and the coupled salutaridinol-7-O-acetyltransferase (SalAT) and thebaine synthase (THS2) enzyme system that produces thebaine. The addition of deuterated reticuline-d1 to a yeast strain able to convert (S)-norcoclaurine to (S)-reticuline showed reduced product accumulation in response to the feeding of all four successive pathway intermediates. Similarly, the addition of deuterated thebaine-d3 to a yeast strain able to convert salutaridine to thebaine showed reduced product accumulation from exogenous salutaridine or salutaridinol. In vitro analysis showed that reticuline is a noncompetitive inhibitor of 4'OMT, whereas thebaine exerts mixed inhibition on SalAT/THS2. In a yeast strain capable of de novo morphine biosynthesis, the addition of reticuline and thebaine resulted in the accumulation of several pathway intermediates. In contrast, morphine had no effect, suggesting that circumventing the interaction of reticuline and thebaine with 4'OMT and SalAT/THS2, respectively, could substantially increase opiate alkaloid titers in engineered yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natali Ozber
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Lisa Yu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Jillian M Hagel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Peter J Facchini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
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9
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Han J, Li S. De novo biosynthesis of berberine and halogenated benzylisoquinoline alkaloids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Commun Chem 2023; 6:27. [PMID: 36759716 PMCID: PMC9911778 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-00821-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Berberine is an extensively used pharmaceutical benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA) derived from plants. Microbial manufacturing has emerged as a promising approach to source valuable BIAs. Here, we demonstrated the complete biosynthesis of berberine in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by engineering 19 genes including 12 heterologous genes from plants and bacteria. Overexpressing bottleneck enzymes, fermentation scale-up, and heating treatment after fermentation increased berberine titer by 643-fold to 1.08 mg L-1. This pathway also showed high efficiency to incorporate halogenated tyrosine for the synthesis of unnatural BIA derivatives that have higher therapeutical potentials. We firstly demonstrate the in vivo biosynthesis of 11-fluoro-tetrahydrocolumbamine via nine enzymatic reactions. The efficiency and promiscuity of our pathway also allow for the simultaneous incorporation of two fluorine-substituted tyrosine derivatives to 8, 3'-di-fluoro-coclaurine. This work highlights the potential of yeast as a versatile microbial biosynthetic platform to strengthen current pharmaceutical supply chain and to advance drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianing Han
- Robert F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Sijin Li
- Robert F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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10
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Vasilev N. Medicinal Plants: Guests and Hosts in the Heterologous Expression of High-Value Products. PLANTA MEDICA 2022; 88:1175-1189. [PMID: 34521134 DOI: 10.1055/a-1576-4148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Medicinal plants play an important dual role in the context of the heterologous expression of high-value pharmaceutical products. On the one hand, the classical biochemical and modern omics approaches allowed for the discovery of various genes encoding biosynthetic pathways in medicinal plants. Recombinant DNA technology enabled introducing these genes and regulatory elements into host organisms and enhancing the heterologous production of the corresponding secondary metabolites. On the other hand, the transient expression of foreign DNA in plants facilitated the production of numerous proteins of pharmaceutical importance. This review summarizes several success stories of the engineering of plant metabolic pathways in heterologous hosts. Likewise, a few examples of recombinant protein expression in plants for therapeutic purposes are also highlighted. Therefore, the importance of medicinal plants has grown immensely as sources for valuable products of low and high molecular weight. The next step ahead for bioengineering is to achieve more success stories of industrial-scale production of secondary plant metabolites in microbial systems and to fully exploit plant cell factories' commercial potential for recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Vasilev
- TU Dortmund University, Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Technical Biochemistry, Dortmund, Germany
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11
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Wang Y, Subrizi F, Carter EM, Sheppard TD, Ward JM, Hailes HC. Enzymatic synthesis of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids using a parallel cascade strategy and tyrosinase variants. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5436. [PMID: 36114194 PMCID: PMC9481557 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33122-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Benzylisoquinoline alkaloid derived pharmaceuticals are widely applied in modern medicines. Recent studies on the microbial production of benzylisoquinolines have highlighted key biological syntheses towards these natural products. Routes to non-natural benzylisoquinolines have been less explored, particularly halogenated compounds which are more challenging. Here, we show the use of a tyrosinase, tyrosine decarboxylase, transaminase, and norcoclaurine synthase which are combined in a parallel cascade design, in order to generate halogenated benzylisoquinoline alkaloids in high enantiomeric excess. Notably, mutagenesis studies are applied to generate tyrosinase mutants, which enhance the acceptance of halogenated tyrosines for use in the biocatalytic cascades developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Christopher Ingold Building, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Fabiana Subrizi
- Department of Chemistry, Christopher Ingold Building, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Eve M Carter
- Department of Chemistry, Christopher Ingold Building, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Tom D Sheppard
- Department of Chemistry, Christopher Ingold Building, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - John M Ward
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, Bernard Katz Building, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Helen C Hailes
- Department of Chemistry, Christopher Ingold Building, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK.
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12
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Abstract
Tetrahydropapaverine (THP) and papaverine are plant natural products with clinically significant roles. THP is a precursor in the production of the drugs atracurium and cisatracurium, and papaverine is used as an antispasmodic during vascular surgery. In recent years, metabolic engineering advances have enabled the production of natural products through heterologous expression of pathway enzymes in yeast. Heterologous biosynthesis of THP and papaverine could play a role in ensuring a stable supply of these clinically significant products. Biosynthesis of THP and papaverine has not been achieved to date, in part because multiple pathway enzymes have not been elucidated. Here, we describe the development of an engineered yeast strain for de novo biosynthesis of THP. The production of THP is achieved through heterologous expression of two enzyme variants with activity on nonnative substrates. Through protein engineering, we developed a variant of N-methylcoclaurine hydroxylase with activity on coclaurine, enabling de novo norreticuline biosynthesis. Similarly, we developed a variant of scoulerine 9-O-methyltransferase capable of O-methylating 1-benzylisoquinoline alkaloids at the 3' position, enabling de novo THP biosynthesis. Flux through the heterologous pathway was improved by knocking out yeast multidrug resistance transporters and optimization of media conditions. Overall, strain engineering increased the concentration of biosynthesized THP 600-fold to 121 µg/L. Finally, we demonstrate a strategy for papaverine semisynthesis using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent. Through optimizing pH, temperature, reaction time, and oxidizing agent concentration, we demonstrated the ability to produce semisynthesized papaverine through oxidation of biosynthesized THP.
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13
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Using genome and transcriptome analysis to elucidate biosynthetic pathways. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 75:102708. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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14
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Biotechnological production of specialty aromatic and aromatic-derivative compounds. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 38:80. [PMID: 35338395 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03263-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Aromatic compounds are an important class of chemicals with different industrial applications. They are usually produced by chemical synthesis from petroleum-derived feedstocks, such as toluene, xylene and benzene. However, we are now facing threats from the excessive use of fossil fuels causing environmental problems such as global warming. Furthermore, fossil resources are not infinite, and will ultimately be depleted. To cope with these problems, the sustainable production of aromatic chemicals from renewable non-food biomass is urgent. With this in mind, the search for alternative methodologies to produce aromatic compounds using low-cost and environmentally friendly processes is becoming more and more important. Microorganisms are able to produce aromatic and aromatic-derivative compounds from sugar-based carbon sources. Metabolic engineering strategies as well as bioprocess optimization enable the development of microbial cell factories capable of efficiently producing aromatic compounds. This review presents current breakthroughs in microbial production of specialty aromatic and aromatic-derivative products, providing an overview on the general strategies and methodologies applied to build microbial cell factories for the production of these compounds. We present and describe some of the current challenges and gaps that must be overcome in order to render the biotechnological production of specialty aromatic and aromatic-derivative attractive and economically feasible at industrial scale.
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15
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De novo biosynthesis of diverse plant-derived styrylpyrones in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Metab Eng Commun 2022; 14:e00195. [PMID: 35287355 PMCID: PMC8917298 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2022.e00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant styrylpyrones exerting well-established neuroprotective properties have attracted increasing attention in recent years. The ability to synthesize each individual styrylpyrone in engineered microorganisms is important to understanding the biological activity of medicinal plants and the complex mixtures they produce. Microbial biomanufacturing of diverse plant-derived styrylpyrones also provides a sustainable and efficient approach for the production of valuable plant styrylpyrones as daily supplements or potential drugs complementary to the prevalent agriculture-based approach. In this study, we firstly demonstrated the heterogenous biosynthesis of two 7,8-saturated styrylpyrones (7,8-dihydro-5,6-dehydrokavain (DDK) and 7,8-dihydroyangonin (DHY)) and two 7,8-unsaturated styrylpyrones (desmethoxyyangonin (DMY) and yangonin (Y)), in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although plant styrylpyrone biosynthetic pathways have not been fully elucidated, we functionally reconstructed the recently discovered kava styrylpyrone biosynthetic pathway that has high substrate promiscuity in yeast, and combined it with upstream hydroxycinnamic acid biosynthetic pathways to produce diverse plant-derived styrylpyrones without the native plant enzymes. We optimized the de novo pathways by engineering yeast endogenous aromatic amino acid metabolism and endogenous double bond reductases and by CRISPR-mediated δ-integration to overexpress the rate-limiting pathway genes. These combinatorial engineering efforts led to the first three yeast strains that can produce diverse plant-derived styrylpyrones de novo, with the titers of DDK, DMY and Y at 4.40 μM, 1.28 μM and 0.10 μM, respectively. This work has laid the foundation for larger-scale styrylpyrone biomanufacturing and the complete biosynthesis of more complicated plant styrylpyrones. Complete biosynthesis of plant styrylpyrones was firstly achieved in yeast. Yeast enzyme replaces unknown plant enzymes to produce 7,8-saturated styrylpyrones. CRISPR-based δ-integration led to stable styrylpyrone overproduction in rich medium.
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16
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Fidan O, Zhan J, Ren J. Engineered production of bioactive natural products from medicinal plants. WORLD JOURNAL OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/wjtcm.wjtcm_66_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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17
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Fidan O, Zhan J, Ren J. Engineered production of bioactive natural products from medicinal plants. WORLD JOURNAL OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/2311-8571.336839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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18
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Liu H, Tian Y, Zhou Y, Kan Y, Wu T, Xiao W, Luo Y. Multi-modular engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for high-titre production of tyrosol and salidroside. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:2605-2616. [PMID: 32990403 PMCID: PMC8601180 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tyrosol and its glycosylated product salidroside are important ingredients in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and cosmetics. Despite the ability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to naturally synthesize tyrosol, high yield from de novo synthesis remains a challenge. Here, we used metabolic engineering strategies to construct S. cerevisiae strains for high-level production of tyrosol and salidroside from glucose. First, tyrosol production was unlocked from feedback inhibition. Then, transketolase and ribose-5-phosphate ketol-isomerase were overexpressed to balance the supply of precursors. Next, chorismate synthase and chorismate mutase were overexpressed to maximize the aromatic amino acid flux towards tyrosol synthesis. Finally, the competing pathway was knocked out to further direct the carbon flux into tyrosol synthesis. Through a combination of these interventions, tyrosol titres reached 702.30 ± 0.41 mg l-1 in shake flasks, which were approximately 26-fold greater than that of the WT strain. RrU8GT33 from Rhodiola rosea was also applied to cells and maximized salidroside production from tyrosol in S. cerevisiae. Salidroside titres of 1575.45 ± 19.35 mg l-1 were accomplished in shake flasks. Furthermore, titres of 9.90 ± 0.06 g l-1 of tyrosol and 26.55 ± 0.43 g l-1 of salidroside were achieved in 5 l bioreactors, both are the highest titres reported to date. The synergistic engineering strategies presented in this study could be further applied to increase the production of high value-added aromatic compounds derived from the aromatic amino acid biosynthesis pathway in S. cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huayi Liu
- Department of GastroenterologyState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Yujuan Tian
- Department of GastroenterologyState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Yi Zhou
- Department of GastroenterologyState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Yeyi Kan
- Department of GastroenterologyState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Tingting Wu
- Department of GastroenterologyState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Wenhai Xiao
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education)Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin)School of Chemical Engineering and TechnologyTianjin UniversityTianjin300072China
| | - Yunzi Luo
- Department of GastroenterologyState Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education)Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin)School of Chemical Engineering and TechnologyTianjin UniversityTianjin300072China
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19
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Liu X, Bu J, Ma Y, Chen Y, Li Q, Jiao X, Hu Z, Cui G, Tang J, Guo J, Huang L. Functional characterization of (S)-N-methylcoclaurine 3'-hydroxylase (NMCH) involved in the biosynthesis of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids in Corydalis yanhusuo. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2021; 168:507-515. [PMID: 34757301 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.09.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are compounds naturally found in plants and can have significant value in clinical settings. Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology are both promising approaches for the heterologous acquisition of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids. (S)-N-methylcoclaurine 3'-hydroxylase (NMCH), a member of the CYP80 family of CYP450, is the penultimate catalytic enzyme that forms the central branch-point intermediate (S)-reticuline and plays a key role in the biosynthesis of BIAs. In this study, an NMCH gene was cloned from Corydalis yanhusuo, while in vitro reactions demonstrated that CyNMCH can catalyze (S)-N-methylcoclaurine to produce (S)-3'-hydroxy-N-methylcoclaurine. The Km and Kcat of CyNMCH were estimated and compared with those identified in Eschscholzia californica and Coptis japonica. This newly discovered CyNMCH will provide alternative genetic resources for the synthetic biological production of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids and provides a foundation to help analyze the biosynthetic pathway of BIAs biosynthesis in C. yanhusuo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuyu Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 156 Jinshuidong Road, Zhengzhou, 450008, China; State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, NO.16 Neinanxiaojie, Dongcheng district, Beijing, China.
| | - Junling Bu
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, NO.16 Neinanxiaojie, Dongcheng district, Beijing, China.
| | - Ying Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, NO.16 Neinanxiaojie, Dongcheng district, Beijing, China.
| | - Yun Chen
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, SE41296, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Qishuang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, NO.16 Neinanxiaojie, Dongcheng district, Beijing, China.
| | - Xiang Jiao
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, SE41296, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Zhimin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, NO.16 Neinanxiaojie, Dongcheng district, Beijing, China.
| | - Guanghong Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, NO.16 Neinanxiaojie, Dongcheng district, Beijing, China.
| | - Jinfu Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, NO.16 Neinanxiaojie, Dongcheng district, Beijing, China.
| | - Juan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, NO.16 Neinanxiaojie, Dongcheng district, Beijing, China.
| | - Luqi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, NO.16 Neinanxiaojie, Dongcheng district, Beijing, China.
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20
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Bisquert R, Planells-Cárcel A, Valera-García E, Guillamón JM, Muñiz-Calvo S. Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for hydroxytyrosol overproduction directly from glucose. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 15:1499-1510. [PMID: 34689412 PMCID: PMC9049601 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is one of the most powerful dietary antioxidants with numerous applications in different areas, including cosmetics, nutraceuticals and food. In the present work, heterologous hydroxylase complex HpaBC from Escherichia coli was integrated into the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome in multiple copies. HT productivity was increased by redirecting the metabolic flux towards tyrosol synthesis to avoid exogenous tyrosol or tyrosine supplementation. After evaluating the potential of our selected strain as an HT producer from glucose, we adjusted the medium composition for HT production. The combination of the selected modifications in our engineered strain, combined with culture conditions optimization, resulted in a titre of approximately 375 mg l−1 of HT obtained from shake‐flask fermentation using a minimal synthetic‐defined medium with 160 g l−1 glucose as the sole carbon source. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest HT concentration produced by an engineered S. cerevisiae strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Bisquert
- Departamento de Biotecnología de Alimentos, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, IATA-CSIC, Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain
| | - Andrés Planells-Cárcel
- Departamento de Biotecnología de Alimentos, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, IATA-CSIC, Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain
| | - Elena Valera-García
- Departamento de Biotecnología de Alimentos, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, IATA-CSIC, Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain
| | - José Manuel Guillamón
- Departamento de Biotecnología de Alimentos, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, IATA-CSIC, Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain
| | - Sara Muñiz-Calvo
- Departamento de Biotecnología de Alimentos, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, IATA-CSIC, Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain
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21
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Recent advances in biocatalysis of nitrogen-containing heterocycles. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 54:107813. [PMID: 34450199 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Nitrogen-containing heterocycles (N-heterocycles) are ubiquitous in both organisms and pharmaceutical products. Biocatalysts are providing green approaches for synthesizing various N-heterocycles under mild reaction conditions. This review summarizes the recent advances in the biocatalysis of N-heterocycles through the discovery and engineering of natural N-heterocycle synthetic pathway, and the design of artificial synthetic routes, with an emphasis on biocatalysts applied in retrosynthetic design for preparing complex N-heterocycles. Furthermore, this review discusses the future prospects and challenges of biocatalysts involved in the synthesis of N-heterocycles.
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22
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Gupta D, Sharma G, Saraswat P, Ranjan R. Synthetic Biology in Plants, a Boon for Coming Decades. Mol Biotechnol 2021; 63:1138-1154. [PMID: 34420149 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-021-00386-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Recently an enormous expansion of knowledge is seen in various disciplines of science. This surge of information has given rise to concept of interdisciplinary fields, which has resulted in emergence of newer research domains, one of them is 'Synthetic Biology' (SynBio). It captures basics from core biology and integrates it with concepts from the other areas of study such as chemical, electrical, and computational sciences. The essence of synthetic biology is to rewire, re-program, and re-create natural biological pathways, which are carried through genetic circuits. A genetic circuit is a functional assembly of basic biological entities (DNA, RNA, proteins), created using typical design, built, and test cycles. These circuits allow scientists to engineer nearly all biological systems for various useful purposes. The development of sophisticated molecular tools, techniques, genomic programs, and ease of nucleic acid synthesis have further fueled several innovative application of synthetic biology in areas like molecular medicines, pharmaceuticals, biofuels, drug discovery, metabolomics, developing plant biosensors, utilization of prokaryotic systems for metabolite production, and CRISPR/Cas9 in the crop improvement. These applications have largely been dominated by utilization of prokaryotic systems. However, newer researches have indicated positive growth of SynBio for the eukaryotic systems as well. This paper explores advances of synthetic biology in the plant field by elaborating on its core components and potential applications. Here, we have given a comprehensive idea of designing, development, and utilization of synthetic biology in the improvement of the present research state of plant system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipinte Gupta
- Plant Biotechnology Lab, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh, Agra, 282005, India
| | - Gauri Sharma
- Plant Biotechnology Lab, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh, Agra, 282005, India
| | - Pooja Saraswat
- Plant Biotechnology Lab, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh, Agra, 282005, India
| | - Rajiv Ranjan
- Plant Biotechnology Lab, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed to be University), Dayalbagh, Agra, 282005, India.
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23
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Roddan R, Subrizi F, Broomfield J, Ward JM, Keep NH, Hailes HC. Chemoenzymatic Cascades toward Methylated Tetrahydroprotoberberine and Protoberberine Alkaloids. Org Lett 2021; 23:6342-6347. [PMID: 34355910 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.1c02110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Tetrahydroprotoberberine and protoberberine alkaloids are a group of biologically active natural products with complex molecular scaffolds. Isolation from plants is challenging and stereoselective synthetic routes, particularly of methylated compounds are limited, reducing the potential use of these compounds. In this work, we describe chemoenzymatic cascades toward various 13-methyl-tetrahydroprotoberberbine scaffolds using a stereoselective Pictet-Spenglerase, regioselective catechol O-methyltransferases and selective chemical Pictet-Spengler reactions. All reactions could be performed sequentially, without the workup or purification of any synthetic intermediates. Moreover, the naturally occurring alkaloids have the (+)-configuration and importantly here, a strategy to the (-)-isomers was developed. A methyl group at C-8 was also introduced with some stereocontrol, influenced by the stereochemistry at C-13. Furthermore, a single step reaction was found to convert tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids into the analogous protoberberine scaffold, avoiding the use of harsh oxidizing conditions or a selective oxidase. This work provides facile, selective routes toward novel analogues of bioactive alkaloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Roddan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, U.K.,Department of Chemistry, Christopher Ingold Building, University College London, London WC1H 0AJ, U.K
| | - Fabiana Subrizi
- Department of Chemistry, Christopher Ingold Building, University College London, London WC1H 0AJ, U.K
| | - Joseph Broomfield
- Department of Chemistry, Christopher Ingold Building, University College London, London WC1H 0AJ, U.K
| | - John M Ward
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, Bernard Katz Building, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Nicholas H Keep
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, London WC1E 7HX, U.K
| | - Helen C Hailes
- Department of Chemistry, Christopher Ingold Building, University College London, London WC1H 0AJ, U.K
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24
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Nakagawa A, Nakamura S, Matsumura E, Yashima Y, Takao M, Aburatani S, Yaoi K, Katayama T, Minami H. Selection of the optimal tyrosine hydroxylation enzyme for (S)-reticuline production in Escherichia coli. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:5433-5447. [PMID: 34181032 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11401-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
We have constructed an Escherichia coli-based platform producing (S)-reticuline, an important intermediate of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), using up to 14 genes. (S)-reticuline was produced from a simple carbon source such as glucose and glycerol via L-DOPA, which is synthesized by hydroxylation of L-tyrosine, one of the rate-limiting steps of the reaction. There are three kinds of enzymes catalyzing tyrosine hydroxylation: tyrosinase (TYR), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and 4-hydroxyphenylacetate 3-monooxygenase (HpaBC). Here, to further improve (S)-reticuline production, we chose eight from these three kinds of tyrosine hydroxylation enzymes (two TYRs, four THs, and two HpaBCs) derived from various organisms, and examined which enzyme was optimal for (S)-reticuline production in E. coli. TH from Drosophila melanogaster was the most suitable for (S)-reticuline production under the experimental conditions tested. We improved the productivity by genome integration of a gene set for L-tyrosine overproduction, introducing the regeneration pathway of BH4, a cofactor of TH, and methionine addition to enhance the S-adenosylmethionine supply. As a result, the yield of (S)-reticuline reached up to 384 μM from glucose in laboratory-scale shake flask. Furthermore, we found three inconsistent phenomena: an inhibitory effect due to additional gene expression, conflicts among the experimental conditions, and interference of an upstream enzyme from an additional downstream enzyme. Based on these results, we discuss future perspectives and challenges of integrating multiple enzyme genes for material production using microbes. Graphical abstract The optimal tyrosine hydroxylation enzyme for (S)-reticuline production in Escherichia coli KEY POINTS: • There are three types of enzymes catalyzing tyrosine hydroxylation reaction: tyrosinase, tyrosine hydroxylase, and 4-hydroxyphenylacetate 3-monooxygenase. • Tyrosine hydroxylase from Drosophila melanogaster exhibited the highest activity and was suitable for (S)-reticuline production in E. coli. • New insights were provided on constructing an alkaloid production system with multi-step reactions in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Nakagawa
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, 1-308 Suematsu, Nonoichi-shi, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Shinya Nakamura
- TechnoPro, Inc., Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 35th floor, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minatoku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eitaro Matsumura
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, 1-308 Suematsu, Nonoichi-shi, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Yurino Yashima
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, 1-308 Suematsu, Nonoichi-shi, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Mizuki Takao
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, 1-308 Suematsu, Nonoichi-shi, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Sachiyo Aburatani
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Katsuro Yaoi
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takane Katayama
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Minami
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, 1-308 Suematsu, Nonoichi-shi, Ishikawa, Japan.
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25
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Pereira R, Ishchuk OP, Li X, Liu Q, Liu Y, Otto M, Chen Y, Siewers V, Nielsen J. Metabolic Engineering of Yeast. Metab Eng 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/9783527823468.ch18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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26
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Portable bacterial CRISPR transcriptional activation enables metabolic engineering in Pseudomonas putida. Metab Eng 2021; 66:283-295. [PMID: 33930546 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas transcriptional programming in bacteria is an emerging tool to regulate gene expression for metabolic pathway engineering. Here we implement CRISPR-Cas transcriptional activation (CRISPRa) in P. putida using a system previously developed in E. coli. We provide a methodology to transfer CRISPRa to a new host by first optimizing expression levels for the CRISPRa system components, and then applying rules for effective CRISPRa based on a systematic characterization of promoter features. Using this optimized system, we regulate biosynthesis in the biopterin and mevalonate pathways. We demonstrate that multiple genes can be activated simultaneously by targeting multiple promoters or by targeting a single promoter in a multi-gene operon. This work will enable new metabolic engineering strategies in P. putida and pave the way for CRISPR-Cas transcriptional programming in other bacterial species.
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27
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Townshend B, Xiang JS, Manzanarez G, Hayden EJ, Smolke CD. A multiplexed, automated evolution pipeline enables scalable discovery and characterization of biosensors. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1437. [PMID: 33664255 PMCID: PMC7933316 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21716-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Biosensors are key components in engineered biological systems, providing a means of measuring and acting upon the large biochemical space in living cells. However, generating small molecule sensing elements and integrating them into in vivo biosensors have been challenging. Here, using aptamer-coupled ribozyme libraries and a ribozyme regeneration method, de novo rapid in vitro evolution of RNA biosensors (DRIVER) enables multiplexed discovery of biosensors. With DRIVER and high-throughput characterization (CleaveSeq) fully automated on liquid-handling systems, we identify and validate biosensors against six small molecules, including five for which no aptamers were previously found. DRIVER-evolved biosensors are applied directly to regulate gene expression in yeast, displaying activation ratios up to 33-fold. DRIVER biosensors are also applied in detecting metabolite production from a multi-enzyme biosynthetic pathway. This work demonstrates DRIVER as a scalable pipeline for engineering de novo biosensors with wide-ranging applications in biomanufacturing, diagnostics, therapeutics, and synthetic biology. Biosensors are key to engineered biological systems. Here the authors demonstrate rapid de novo in vitro evolution of RNA biosensors of small molecules in a fully automated system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent Townshend
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Joy S Xiang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Eric J Hayden
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Biological Science, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA
| | - Christina D Smolke
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Han J, Wu Y, Zhou Y, Li S. Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce plant benzylisoquinoline alkaloids. ABIOTECH 2021; 2:264-275. [PMID: 34377581 PMCID: PMC8286646 DOI: 10.1007/s42994-021-00055-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are a diverse family of plant natural products with extensive pharmacological properties, but the yield of BIAs from plant is limited. The understanding of BIA biosynthetic mechanism in plant and the development of synthetic biology enable the possibility to produce BIAs through microbial fermentation, as an alternative to agriculture-based supply chains. In this review, we discussed the engineering strategies to synthesize BIAs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) and improve BIA production level, including heterologous pathway reconstruction, enzyme engineering, expression regulation, host engineering and fermentation engineering. We also highlight recent metabolic engineering advances in the production of BIAs in yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianing Han
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 230A Olin Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Yinan Wu
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 230A Olin Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Yilun Zhou
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 230A Olin Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Sijin Li
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 230A Olin Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
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29
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Bioprospecting for Biomolecules from Different Fungal Communities: An Introduction. Fungal Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-85603-8_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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30
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Morris JS, Caldo KMP, Liang S, Facchini PJ. PR10/Bet v1-like Proteins as Novel Contributors to Plant Biochemical Diversity. Chembiochem 2020; 22:264-287. [PMID: 32700448 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins constitute a broad class of plant proteins with analogues found throughout nature from bacteria to higher eukaryotes. PR proteins were first noted in plants as part of the hypersensitive response, but have since been assigned an array of biological roles. The PR10/Bet v1-like proteins are a subset of PR proteins characterized by an ability to bind a wide range of lipophilic ligands, uniquely positioning them as contributors to specialized biosynthetic pathways. PR10/Bet v1-like proteins participate in the production of plant alkaloids and phenolics including flavonoids, both as general binding proteins and in special cases as catalysts. Owing initially to the perceived allergenic properties of PR10/Bet v1-like proteins, many were studied at the structural level to elucidate the basis for ligand binding. These studies provided a foundation for more recent efforts to understand higher-level structural order and how PR10/Bet v1-like proteins catalyse key reactions in plant pathways. Synthetic biology aimed at reconstituting plant-specialized metabolism in microorganisms uses knowledge of these proteins to fine-tune performance in new systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S Morris
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2N N4, Canada
| | - Kristian Mark P Caldo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2N N4, Canada
| | - Siyu Liang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2N N4, Canada
| | - Peter J Facchini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2N N4, Canada
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31
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Back to the plant: overcoming roadblocks to the microbial production of pharmaceutically important plant natural products. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 47:815-828. [PMID: 32772209 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-020-02300-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Microbial fermentation platforms offer a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to plant cultivation and chemical synthesis for the production of many plant-derived pharmaceuticals. Plant alkaloids, particularly benzylisoquinoline alkaloids and monoterpene indole alkaloids, and recently cannabinoids have become attractive targets for microbial biosynthesis owing to their medicinal importance. Recent advances in the discovery of pathway components, together with the application of synthetic biology tools, have facilitated the assembly of plant alkaloid and cannabinoid pathways in the microbial hosts Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This review highlights key aspects of these pathways in the framework of overcoming bottlenecks in microbial production to further improve end-product titers. We discuss the opportunities that emerge from a better understanding of the pathway components by further study of the plant, and strategies for generation of new and advanced medicinal compounds.
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32
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Zhao Y, Yao Z, Ploessl D, Ghosh S, Monti M, Schindler D, Gao M, Cai Y, Qiao M, Yang C, Cao M, Shao Z. Leveraging the Hermes Transposon to Accelerate the Development of Nonconventional Yeast-based Microbial Cell Factories. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:1736-1752. [PMID: 32396718 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
We broadened the usage of DNA transposon technology by demonstrating its capacity for the rapid creation of expression libraries for long biochemical pathways, which is beyond the classical application of building genome-scale knockout libraries in yeasts. This strategy efficiently leverages the readily available fine-tuning impact provided by the diverse transcriptional environment surrounding each random integration locus. We benchmark the transposon-mediated integration against the nonhomologous end joining-mediated strategy. The latter strategy was demonstrated for achieving pathway random integration in other yeasts but is associated with a high false-positive rate in the absence of a high-throughput screening method. Our key innovation of a nonreplicable circular DNA platform increased the possibility of identifying top-producing variants to 97%. Compared to the classical DNA transposition protocol, the design of a nonreplicable circular DNA skipped the step of counter-selection for plasmid removal and thus not only reduced the time required for the step of library creation from 10 to 5 d but also efficiently removed the "transposition escapers", which undesirably represented almost 80% of the entire population as false positives. Using one endogenous product (i.e., shikimate) and one heterologous product (i.e., (S)-norcoclaurine) as examples, we presented a streamlined procedure to rapidly identify high-producing variants with titers significantly higher than the reported data in the literature. We selected Scheffersomyces stipitis, a representative nonconventional yeast, as a demo, but the strategy can be generalized to other nonconventional yeasts. This new exploration of transposon technology, therefore, adds a highly versatile tool to accelerate the development of novel species as microbial cell factories for producing value-added chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Zhao
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
| | - Zhanyi Yao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
| | - Deon Ploessl
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
| | - Saptarshi Ghosh
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
| | - Marco Monti
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology and School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K
| | - Daniel Schindler
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology and School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K
| | - Meirong Gao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
| | - Yizhi Cai
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology and School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K
| | - Mingqiang Qiao
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chao Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mingfeng Cao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
| | - Zengyi Shao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
- NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
- Bioeconomy Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
- The Ames Laboratory, Ames, Iowa, United States
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33
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Pyne ME, Kevvai K, Grewal PS, Narcross L, Choi B, Bourgeois L, Dueber JE, Martin VJJ. A yeast platform for high-level synthesis of tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3337. [PMID: 32620756 PMCID: PMC7335070 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17172-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) moiety is a privileged substructure of many bioactive natural products and semi-synthetic analogs. Plants manufacture more than 3,000 THIQ alkaloids, including the opioids morphine and codeine. While microbial species have been engineered to synthesize a few compounds from the benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA) family of THIQs, low product titers impede industrial viability and limit access to the full chemical space. Here we report a yeast THIQ platform by increasing production of the central BIA intermediate (S)-reticuline to 4.6 g L−1, a 57,000-fold improvement over our first-generation strain. We show that gains in BIA output coincide with the formation of several substituted THIQs derived from amino acid catabolism. We use these insights to repurpose the Ehrlich pathway and synthesize an array of THIQ structures. This work provides a blueprint for building diverse alkaloid scaffolds and enables the targeted overproduction of thousands of THIQ products, including natural and semi-synthetic opioids. Plants synthesize more than 3000 tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) alkaloids, but only a few of them have been produced by engineered microbes and titers are very low. Here, the authors increase (S)-reticuline titer to 4.6 g/L and repurpose the yeast Ehrlich pathway to synthesize a diverse array of THIQ scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Pyne
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Kaspar Kevvai
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Parbir S Grewal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lauren Narcross
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Brian Choi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Leanne Bourgeois
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - John E Dueber
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vincent J J Martin
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada. .,Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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34
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Liu X, Zhu X, Wang H, Liu T, Cheng J, Jiang H. Discovery and modification of cytochrome P450 for plant natural products biosynthesis. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2020; 5:187-199. [PMID: 32637672 PMCID: PMC7332504 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2020.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytochrome P450s are widespread in nature and play key roles in the diversification and functional modification of plant natural products. Over the last few years, there has been remarkable progress in plant P450s identification with the rapid development of sequencing technology, "omics" analysis and synthetic biology. However, challenges still persist in respect of crystal structure, heterologous expression and enzyme engineering. Here, we reviewed several research hotspots of P450 enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of plant natural products, including P450 databases, gene mining, heterologous expression and protein engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaoxi Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hui Wang
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Tian Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, China.,Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Jian Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Huifeng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
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35
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Shen YP, Niu FX, Yan ZB, Fong LS, Huang YB, Liu JZ. Recent Advances in Metabolically Engineered Microorganisms for the Production of Aromatic Chemicals Derived From Aromatic Amino Acids. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:407. [PMID: 32432104 PMCID: PMC7214760 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Aromatic compounds derived from aromatic amino acids are an important class of diverse chemicals with a wide range of industrial and commercial applications. They are currently produced via petrochemical processes, which are not sustainable and eco-friendly. In the past decades, significant progress has been made in the construction of microbial cell factories capable of effectively converting renewable carbon sources into value-added aromatics. Here, we systematically and comprehensively review the recent advancements in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology in the microbial production of aromatic amino acid derivatives, stilbenes, and benzylisoquinoline alkaloids. The future outlook concerning the engineering of microbial cell factories for the production of aromatic compounds is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ping Shen
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Improved Variety Reproduction in Aquatic Economic Animals, Biomedical Center, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Synthetic Biology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fu-Xing Niu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Improved Variety Reproduction in Aquatic Economic Animals, Biomedical Center, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Synthetic Biology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Bo Yan
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Improved Variety Reproduction in Aquatic Economic Animals, Biomedical Center, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Synthetic Biology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lai San Fong
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Improved Variety Reproduction in Aquatic Economic Animals, Biomedical Center, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Synthetic Biology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuan-Bin Huang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Improved Variety Reproduction in Aquatic Economic Animals, Biomedical Center, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Synthetic Biology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Zhong Liu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Improved Variety Reproduction in Aquatic Economic Animals, Biomedical Center, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Synthetic Biology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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36
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Rahmat E, Kang Y. Yeast metabolic engineering for the production of pharmaceutically important secondary metabolites. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:4659-4674. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10587-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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37
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Valentic TR, Payne JT, Smolke CD. Structure-Guided Engineering of a Scoulerine 9-O-Methyltransferase Enables the Biosynthesis of Tetrahydropalmatrubine and Tetrahydropalmatine in Yeast. ACS Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.9b05417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy R. Valentic
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, MC 4245, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - James T. Payne
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, MC 4245, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Christina D. Smolke
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, MC 4245, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
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38
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Cao M, Gao M, Suástegui M, Mei Y, Shao Z. Building microbial factories for the production of aromatic amino acid pathway derivatives: From commodity chemicals to plant-sourced natural products. Metab Eng 2020; 58:94-132. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2019.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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39
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Chen R, Yang S, Zhang L, Zhou YJ. Advanced Strategies for Production of Natural Products in Yeast. iScience 2020; 23:100879. [PMID: 32087574 PMCID: PMC7033514 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.100879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural products account for more than 50% of all small-molecule pharmaceutical agents currently in clinical use. However, low availability often becomes problematic when a bioactive natural product is promising to become a pharmaceutical or leading compound. Advances in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering provide a feasible solution for sustainable supply of these compounds. In this review, we have summarized current progress in engineering yeast cell factories for production of natural products, including terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenylpropanoids. We then discuss advanced strategies in metabolic engineering at three different dimensions, including point, line, and plane (corresponding to the individual enzymes and cofactors, metabolic pathways, and the global cellular network). In particular, we comprehensively discuss how to engineer cofactor biosynthesis for enhancing the biosynthesis efficiency, other than the enzyme activity. Finally, current challenges and perspective are also discussed for future engineering direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruibing Chen
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China; Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Shan Yang
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; Biomedical Innovation R&D Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yongjin J Zhou
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, 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, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China.
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40
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Roddan R, Ward JM, Keep NH, Hailes HC. Pictet-Spenglerases in alkaloid biosynthesis: Future applications in biocatalysis. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2020; 55:69-76. [PMID: 31978651 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2019.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Pictet-Spenglerases provide a key role in the biosynthesis of many biologically active alkaloids. There is increasing use of these biocatalysts as an alternative to traditional organic synthetic methods as they provide stereoselective and regioselective control under mild conditions. Products from these enzymes also contain privileged drug scaffolds (such as tetrahydroisoquinoline or β-carboline moieties), so there is interest in the characterization and use of these enzymes as versatile biocatalysts to synthesize analogs of the corresponding natural products for drug discovery. This review discusses all known Pictet-Spenglerase enzymes and their applications as biocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Roddan
- Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 8HX, UK; Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - John M Ward
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nicholas H Keep
- Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 8HX, UK
| | - Helen C Hailes
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK.
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41
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Yang L, Zhu J, Sun C, Deng Z, Qu X. Biosynthesis of plant tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids through an imine reductase route. Chem Sci 2020; 11:364-371. [PMID: 32190259 PMCID: PMC7067268 DOI: 10.1039/c9sc03773j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Herein, we report a biocatalytic approach to synthesize plant tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids (THIQAs) from dihydroisoquinoline (DHIQ) precursors using imine reductases and N-methyltransferase (NMT). The imine reductase IR45 was engineered to significantly expand its substrate specificity, enabling efficient and stereoselective conversion of 1-phenyl and 1-benzyl 6,7-dimethoxy-DHIQs into the corresponding (S)-tetrahydroisoquinolines (S-THIQs). Coclaurine N-methyltransferase (CNMT) was able to further efficiently convert these (S)-THIQ intermediates into (S)-THIQAs. By assembling IRED, CNMT, and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) in one reaction, we effectively constituted two artificial biosynthetic pathways in Escherichia coli and successfully applied them to the production of five (S)-THIQAs. This highly efficient (100% yield from DHIQs) and easily tailorable (adding other genes) biosynthetic approach will be useful for producing a variety of plant THIQAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism , School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology , Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240 , China .
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education , School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan 430071 , China
| | - Jinmei Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education , School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan 430071 , China
| | - Chenghai Sun
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education , School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan 430071 , China
| | - Zixin Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism , School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology , Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240 , China .
| | - Xudong Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism , School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology , Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240 , China .
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education , School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Wuhan University , Wuhan 430071 , China
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42
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Recent trends in metabolic engineering of microbial chemical factories. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 60:188-197. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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43
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Dastmalchi M, Chang L, Chen R, Yu L, Chen X, Hagel JM, Facchini PJ. Purine Permease-Type Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloid Transporters in Opium Poppy. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 181:916-933. [PMID: 31467164 PMCID: PMC6836811 DOI: 10.1104/pp.19.00565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Although opiate biosynthesis has been largely elucidated, and cell-to-cell transport has been long postulated, benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA) transporters from opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) have not been reported. Investigation of a purine permease-type sequence within a recently discovered opiate biosynthetic gene cluster led to the discovery of a family of nine homologs designated as BIA uptake permeases (BUPs). Initial expression studies in engineered yeast hosting segments of the opiate pathway showed that six of the nine BUP homologs facilitated dramatic increases in alkaloid yields. Closer examination revealed the ability to uptake a variety of BIAs and certain pathway precursors (e.g. dopamine), with each BUP displaying a unique substrate acceptance profile. Improvements in uptake for yeast expressing specific BUPs versus those devoid of the heterologous transporters were high for early intermediates (300- and 25-fold for dopamine and norcoclaurine, respectively), central pathway metabolites [10-fold for (S)-reticuline], and end products (30-fold for codeine). A coculture of three yeast strains, each harboring a different consecutive segment of the opiate pathway and BUP1, was able to convert exogenous Levodopa to 3 ± 4 mg/L codeine via a 14-step bioconversion process involving over a dozen enzymes. BUP1 is highly expressed in opium poppy latex and is localized to the plasma membrane. The discovery of the BUP transporter family expands the role of purine permease-type transporters in specialized metabolism, and provides key insight into the cellular mechanisms involved in opiate alkaloid biosynthesis in opium poppy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehran Dastmalchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
- Willow Biosciences, Calgary, Alberta T2L 1Y8, Canada
| | - Limei Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
- Willow Biosciences, Calgary, Alberta T2L 1Y8, Canada
| | - Rongji Chen
- Willow Biosciences, Calgary, Alberta T2L 1Y8, Canada
| | - Lisa Yu
- Willow Biosciences, Calgary, Alberta T2L 1Y8, Canada
| | - Xue Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
- Willow Biosciences, Calgary, Alberta T2L 1Y8, Canada
| | - Jillian M Hagel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
- Willow Biosciences, Calgary, Alberta T2L 1Y8, Canada
| | - Peter J Facchini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
- Willow Biosciences, Calgary, Alberta T2L 1Y8, Canada
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44
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Yuan J, Lukito BR, Li Z. De Novo Biosynthesis of ( S)- and ( R)-Phenylethanediol in Yeast via Artificial Enzyme Cascades. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:1801-1808. [PMID: 31339686 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Due to oil depletion and global climate change, sustainable manufacturing of fine chemicals from renewable feedstocks has gained increasing attention in the scientific community. In the present study, we attempted to engineer Saccharomyces cerevisiae toward de novo synthesis of (S)- or (R)-phenylethanediol, an important pharmaceutical intermediate. More specifically, the biocatalytic cascades contain the following: l-phenylalanine undergoes deamination/decarboxylation to styrene by using phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and ferulic acid decarboxylase (FDC), followed by S-selective epoxidation of styrene to give (S)-styrene oxide with styrene monooxygenase (SMO); regioselective hydrolysis of (S)-styrene oxide with epoxide hydrolase from Sphingomonas HXN-200 (SpEH) or from potato (StEH) gives rise to (S)- or (R)-phenylethanediol. In this work, we found that the artificial enzyme cascades could be functionally expressed in the heterologous host of S. cerevisiae. Small-scale shake flask studies revealed that the engineered yeast cell factories produced approximately 100-120 mg/L of (S)- or (R)-phenylethanediol after 96 h cultivation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to explore an artificial route with styrene as an intermediate for producing phenylethanediol in S. cerevisiae. We envision that our engineering strategy will open a new research field for synthesizing other vicinal diol derived chemicals in yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jifeng Yuan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, 117585 Singapore
| | - Benedict Ryan Lukito
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, 117585 Singapore
| | - Zhi Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, 117585 Singapore
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Wang Y, Tappertzhofen N, Méndez‐Sánchez D, Bawn M, Lyu B, Ward JM, Hailes HC. Design and Use of de novo Cascades for the Biosynthesis of New Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201902761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London 20 Gordon Street London WC1H 0AJ UK
| | - Nadine Tappertzhofen
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London 20 Gordon Street London WC1H 0AJ UK
| | - Daniel Méndez‐Sánchez
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London 20 Gordon Street London WC1H 0AJ UK
| | - Maria Bawn
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College London London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Boyu Lyu
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College London London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - John M. Ward
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College London London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Helen C. Hailes
- Department of ChemistryUniversity College London 20 Gordon Street London WC1H 0AJ UK
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46
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Wang Y, Tappertzhofen N, Méndez-Sánchez D, Bawn M, Lyu B, Ward JM, Hailes HC. Design and Use of de novo Cascades for the Biosynthesis of New Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:10120-10125. [PMID: 31100182 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201902761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are an important group of secondary metabolites from higher plants and have been reported to show significant biological activities. The production of BIAs through synthetic biology approaches provides a higher-yielding strategy than traditional synthetic methods or isolation from plant material. However, the reconstruction of BIA pathways in microorganisms by combining heterologous enzymes can also give access to BIAs through cascade reactions. Most importantly, non-natural BIAs can be generated through such artificial pathways. In the current study, we describe the use of tyrosinases and decarboxylases and combine these with a transaminase enzyme and norcoclaurine synthase for the efficient synthesis of several BIAs, including six non-natural alkaloids, in cascades from l-tyrosine and analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Nadine Tappertzhofen
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Daniel Méndez-Sánchez
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Maria Bawn
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Boyu Lyu
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - John M Ward
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Helen C Hailes
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK
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47
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Cravens A, Payne J, Smolke CD. Synthetic biology strategies for microbial biosynthesis of plant natural products. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2142. [PMID: 31086174 PMCID: PMC6513858 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09848-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic engineers endeavor to create a bio-based manufacturing industry using microbes to produce fuels, chemicals, and medicines. Plant natural products (PNPs) are historically challenging to produce and are ubiquitous in medicines, flavors, and fragrances. Engineering PNP pathways into new hosts requires finding or modifying a suitable host to accommodate the pathway, planning and implementing a biosynthetic route to the compound, and discovering or engineering enzymes for missing steps. In this review, we describe recent developments in metabolic engineering at the level of host, pathway, and enzyme, and discuss how the field is approaching ever more complex biosynthetic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Cravens
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, MC 4245, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - James Payne
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, MC 4245, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Christina D Smolke
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, MC 4245, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. .,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, 499 Illinois St, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
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48
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Production of the cyanogenic glycoside dhurrin in yeast. Metab Eng Commun 2019; 9:e00092. [PMID: 31110942 PMCID: PMC6512747 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2019.e00092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Revised: 04/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanogenic glycosides are defense compounds found in a wide range of plant species, including many crops. We demonstrate that the cyanogenic glucoside dhurrin, naturally found in sorghum, can be produced at high titers in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, constituting the first report of cyanogenic glycoside production in a microbe. Genetic modifications to increase the supply of the dhurrin precursor tyrosine enabled dhurrin production in excess of 80 mg/L. The dhurrin-producing yeast strain was used as a chassis to investigate previously uncharacterized enzymes identified close to the biosynthetic gene cluster containing the dhurrin pathway enzymes. This work shows the potential of heterologous expression in yeast to facilitate investigations of plant cyanogenic glycoside pathways. First production of cyanogenic glycosides in a microbe. Strategies for optimizing production of cyanogenic glycosides. Platform for rapidly characterizing the enzymes which constitute cyanogenic glycoside biosynthetic pathways.
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49
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Savitskaya J, Protzko RJ, Li FZ, Arkin AP, Dueber JE. Iterative screening methodology enables isolation of strains with improved properties for a FACS-based screen and increased L-DOPA production. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5815. [PMID: 30967567 PMCID: PMC6456618 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41759-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Optimizing microbial hosts for the large-scale production of valuable metabolites often requires multiple mutations and modifications to the host's genome. We describe a three-round screen for increased L-DOPA production in S. cerevisiae using FACS enrichment of an enzyme-coupled biosensor for L-DOPA. Multiple rounds of screening were enabled by a single build of a barcoded in vitro transposon-mediated disruption library. New background strains for screening were built for each iteration using results from previous iterations. The same in vitro transposon-mediated disruption library was integrated by homologous recombination into new background strains in each round of screening. Compared with creating new transposon insertions in each round, this method takes less time and saves the cost of additional sequencing to characterize transposon insertion sites. In the first two rounds of screening, we identified deletions that improved biosensor compartmentalization and, consequently, improved our ability to screen for L-DOPA production. In a final round, we discovered that deletion of heme oxygenase (HMX1) increases total heme concentration and increases L-DOPA production, using dopamine measurement as a proxy. We further demonstrated that deleting HMX1 may represent a general strategy for P450 function improvement by improving activity of a second P450 enzyme, BM3, which performs a distinct reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy Savitskaya
- University of California, Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Ryan J Protzko
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Francesca-Zhoufan Li
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Adam P Arkin
- University of California, Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA. .,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA. .,Environmental Genomics & System Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, California, USA.
| | - John E Dueber
- University of California, Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA. .,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA. .,Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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50
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Bourgeois L, Pyne ME, Martin VJJ. A Highly Characterized Synthetic Landing Pad System for Precise Multicopy Gene Integration in Yeast. ACS Synth Biol 2018; 7:2675-2685. [PMID: 30372609 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental undertaking of metabolic engineering involves identifying and troubleshooting metabolic bottlenecks that arise from imbalances in pathway flux. To expedite the systematic screening of enzyme orthologs in conjunction with DNA copy number tuning, here we develop a simple and highly characterized CRISPR-Cas9 integration system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Our engineering strategy introduces a series of synthetic DNA landing pads (LP) into the S. cerevisiae genome to act as sites for high-level gene integration. LPs facilitate multicopy gene integration of one, two, three, or four DNA copies in a single transformation, thus providing precise control of DNA copy number. We applied our LP system to norcoclaurine synthase (NCS), an enzyme with poor kinetic properties involved in the first committed step of the production of high-value benzylisoquinoline alkaloids. The platform enabled rapid construction of a 40-strain NCS library by integrating ten NCS orthologs in four gene copies each. Six active NCS variants were identified, whereby production of ( S)-norcoclaurine could be further enhanced by increasing NCS copy number. We anticipate the LP system will aid in metabolic engineering efforts by providing strict control of gene copy number and expediting strain and pathway engineering campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanne Bourgeois
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Michael E. Pyne
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Vincent J. J. Martin
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
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