1
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Kanis FC, Broude CN, Hellwarth EB, Gibbons WJ, Sen AK, Adams AM, Wang X, Jones JA. Evaluation of TrpM and PsiD substrate promiscuity reveals new biocatalytic capabilities. Biotechnol Prog 2024:e3492. [PMID: 38888046 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
N-methylated tryptamines, such as the hallucinogenic natural products, psilocybin and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), are gaining interest from the medical community due to their potential as next generation treatments for mental health disorders. The clinical relevance of these compounds has driven scientists to develop biosynthetic production routes to a number of tryptamine drug candidates, and efforts are ongoing to expand and further develop these biosynthetic capabilities. To that end, we have further characterized the substrate preferences of two enzymes involved in tryptamine biosynthesis: TrpM, a tryptophan N-methyltransferase from Psilocybe serbica, and PsiD, the gateway decarboxylase of the psilocybin biosynthesis pathway. Here, we show that TrpM can N-methylate the non-native amino acid substrate, 4-hydroxytryptophan, a key intermediate in the Escherichia coli-based recombinant psilocybin biosynthesis pathway. However, the ability to incorporate TrpM into a functional psilocybin biosynthesis pathway was thwarted by PsiD's inability to use N,N-dimethyl-4-hydroxytryptophan as substrate, under the culturing conditions tested, despite demonstrating activity on N-methylated and 4-hydroxylated tryptophan derivatives individually. Taken together, this work expands upon the known substrates for TrpM and PsiD, further increasing the diversity of tryptamine biosynthetic products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona C Kanis
- Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Caroline N Broude
- Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elle B Hellwarth
- Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - William J Gibbons
- Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Abhishek K Sen
- Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Alexandra M Adams
- Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - J Andrew Jones
- Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
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2
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Bradley SA, Hansson FG, Lehka BJ, Rago D, Pinho P, Peng H, Adhikari KB, Haidar AK, Hansen LG, Volkova D, Holtz M, Muyo Abad S, Ma X, Koudounas K, Besseau S, Gautron N, Mélin C, Marc J, Birer Williams C, Courdavault V, Jensen ED, Keasling JD, Zhang J, Jensen MK. Yeast Platforms for Production and Screening of Bioactive Derivatives of Rauwolscine. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:1498-1512. [PMID: 38635307 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00039] [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: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) make up a highly bioactive class of metabolites produced by a range of tropical and subtropical plants. The corynanthe-type MIAs are a stereochemically complex subclass with therapeutic potential against a large number of indications including cancer, psychotic disorders, and erectile dysfunction. Here, we report yeast-based cell factories capable of de novo production of corynanthe-type MIAs rauwolscine, yohimbine, tetrahydroalstonine, and corynanthine. From this, we demonstrate regioselective biosynthesis of 4 fluorinated derivatives of these compounds and de novo biosynthesis of 7-chlororauwolscine by coexpression of a halogenase with the biosynthetic pathway. Finally, we capitalize on the ability of these cell factories to produce derivatives of these bioactive scaffolds to establish a proof-of-principle drug discovery pipeline in which the corynanthe-type MIAs are screened for bioactivity on human drug targets, expressed in yeast. In doing so, we identify antagonistic and agonistic behavior against the human adrenergic G protein-coupled receptors ADRA2A and ADRA2B, and the serotonergic receptor 5HT4b, respectively. This study thus demonstrates a proto-drug discovery pipeline for bioactive plant-inspired small molecules based on one-pot biocatalysis of natural and new-to-nature corynanthe-type MIAs in yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Bradley
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Frederik G Hansson
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Beata J Lehka
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Daniela Rago
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pedro Pinho
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Huadong Peng
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Khem B Adhikari
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ahmad K Haidar
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Lea G Hansen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
- Biomia ApS, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daria Volkova
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Maxence Holtz
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sergi Muyo Abad
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Xin Ma
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Konstantinos Koudounas
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, F-37200 Tours, France
| | - Sébastien Besseau
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, F-37200 Tours, France
| | - Nicolas Gautron
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, F-37200 Tours, France
| | - Céline Mélin
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, F-37200 Tours, France
| | - Jillian Marc
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, F-37200 Tours, France
| | - Caroline Birer Williams
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, F-37200 Tours, France
| | - Vincent Courdavault
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, F-37200 Tours, France
| | - Emil D Jensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jay D Keasling
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608,United States
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720,United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Institute for Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technologies, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
- Biomia ApS, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael K Jensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
- Biomia ApS, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
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3
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Zhang C, Wu J, Sun Q, Ding S, Tao H, He Y, Qiu H, Shu B, Zhu D, Zhu H, Hong K. De novo production of bioactive sesterterpenoid ophiobolins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell factories. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:129. [PMID: 38711040 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02406-0] [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: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sesterterpenoids are rare species among the terpenoids family. Ophiobolins are sesterterpenes with a 5-8-5 tricyclic skeleton. The oxidized ophiobolins exhibit significant cytotoxic activity and potential medicinal value. There is an urgent need for large amounts of ophiobolins supplication for drug development. The synthetic biology approach has been successfully employed in lots of terpene compound production and inspired us to develop a cell factory for ophiobolin biosynthesis. RESULTS We developed a systematic metabolic engineering strategy to construct an ophiobolin biosynthesis chassis based on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The whole-cell biotransformation methods were further combined with metabolic engineering to enhance the expression of key ophiobolin biosynthetic genes and improve the supply of precursors and cofactors. A high yield of 5.1 g/L of ophiobolin F was reached using ethanol and fatty acids as substrates. To accumulate oxidized ophiobolins, we optimized the sources and expression conditions for P450-CPR and alleviated the toxicity of bioactive compounds to cells through PDR engineering. We unexpectedly obtained a novel ophiobolin intermediate with potent cytotoxicity, 5-hydroxy-21-formyl-ophiobolin F, and the known bioactive compound ophiobolin U. Finally, we achieved the ophiobolin U titer of 128.9 mg/L. CONCLUSIONS We established efficient cell factories based on S. cerevisiae, enabling de novo biosynthesis of the ophiobolin skeleton ophiobolin F and oxidized ophiobolins derivatives. This work has filled the gap in the heterologous biosynthesis of sesterterpenoids in S. cerevisiae and provided valuable solutions for new drug development based on sesterterpenoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caizhe Zhang
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Jun Wu
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Qing Sun
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Shuaishuai Ding
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hua Tao
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yuhua He
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hui Qiu
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Bei Shu
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Dongqing Zhu
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hengcheng Zhu
- Department of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 238 Jie-Fang Avenue, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Kui Hong
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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4
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Sang M, Feng P, Chi LP, Zhang W. The biosynthetic logic and enzymatic machinery of approved fungi-derived pharmaceuticals and agricultural biopesticides. Nat Prod Rep 2024; 41:565-603. [PMID: 37990930 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00040k] [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: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Covering: 2000 to 2023The kingdom Fungi has become a remarkably valuable source of structurally complex natural products (NPs) with diverse bioactivities. Since the revolutionary discovery and application of the antibiotic penicillin from Penicillium, a number of fungi-derived NPs have been developed and approved into pharmaceuticals and pesticide agents using traditional "activity-guided" approaches. Although emerging genome mining algorithms and surrogate expression hosts have brought revolutionary approaches to NP discovery, the time and costs involved in developing these into new drugs can still be prohibitively high. Therefore, it is essential to maximize the utility of existing drugs by rational design and systematic production of new chemical structures based on these drugs by synthetic biology. To this purpose, there have been great advances in characterizing the diversified biosynthetic gene clusters associated with the well-known drugs and in understanding the biosynthesis logic mechanisms and enzymatic transformation processes involved in their production. We describe advances made in the heterogeneous reconstruction of complex NP scaffolds using fungal polyketide synthases (PKSs), non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), PKS/NRPS hybrids, terpenoids, and indole alkaloids and also discuss mechanistic insights into metabolic engineering, pathway reprogramming, and cell factory development. Moreover, we suggest pathways for expanding access to the fungal chemical repertoire by biosynthesis of representative family members via common platform intermediates and through the rational manipulation of natural biosynthetic machineries for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moli Sang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China.
| | - Peiyuan Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China.
| | - Lu-Ping Chi
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China.
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266071, China
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5
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Hudspeth J, Rogge K, Dörner S, Müll M, Hoffmeister D, Rupp B, Werten S. Methyl transfer in psilocybin biosynthesis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2709. [PMID: 38548735 PMCID: PMC10978996 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46997-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Psilocybin, the natural hallucinogen produced by Psilocybe ("magic") mushrooms, holds great promise for the treatment of depression and several other mental health conditions. The final step in the psilocybin biosynthetic pathway, dimethylation of the tryptophan-derived intermediate norbaeocystin, is catalysed by PsiM. Here we present atomic resolution (0.9 Å) crystal structures of PsiM trapped at various stages of its reaction cycle, providing detailed insight into the SAM-dependent methylation mechanism. Structural and phylogenetic analyses suggest that PsiM derives from epitranscriptomic N6-methyladenosine writers of the METTL16 family, which is further supported by the observation that bound substrates physicochemically mimic RNA. Inherent limitations of the ancestral monomethyltransferase scaffold hamper the efficiency of psilocybin assembly and leave PsiM incapable of catalysing trimethylation to aeruginascin. The results of our study will support bioengineering efforts aiming to create novel variants of psilocybin with improved therapeutic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Hudspeth
- Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Kai Rogge
- Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Research Group Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Leibniz Institute of Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastian Dörner
- Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Research Group Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Leibniz Institute of Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Maximilian Müll
- Research Group Biosynthetic Design of Natural Products, Leibniz Institute of Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Dirk Hoffmeister
- Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Research Group Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Leibniz Institute of Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Rupp
- Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- k.-k. Hofkristallamt, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Sebastiaan Werten
- Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
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6
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Dong G, Zhao Y, Ding W, Xu S, Zhang Q, Zhao H, Shi S. Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for de novo production of odd-numbered medium-chain fatty acids. Metab Eng 2024; 82:100-109. [PMID: 38325640 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2024.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Odd-numbered fatty acids (FAs) have been widely used in nutrition, agriculture, and chemical industries. Recently, some studies showed that they could be produced from bacteria or yeast, but the products are almost exclusively odd-numbered long-chain FAs. Here we report the design and construction of two biosynthetic pathways in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for de novo production of odd-numbered medium-chain fatty acids (OMFAs) via ricinoleic acid and 10-hydroxystearic acid, respectively. The production of OMFAs was enabled by introducing a hydroxy fatty acid cleavage pathway, including an alcohol dehydrogenase from Micrococcus luteus, a Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase from Pseudomonas putida, and a lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens. These OMFA biosynthetic pathways were optimized by eliminating the rate-limiting step, generating heptanoic acid, 11-hydroxyundec-9-enoic acid, nonanoic acid, and 9-hydroxynonanoic acid at 7.83 mg/L, 9.68 mg/L, 9.43 mg/L and 13.48 mg/L, respectively. This work demonstrates the biological production of OMFAs in a sustainable manner in S. cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genlai Dong
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Products, Henan Academy of Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Ying Zhao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Wentao Ding
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Shijie Xu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| | - Shuobo Shi
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
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7
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Bradshaw AJ, Ramírez-Cruz V, Awan AR, Furci G, Guzmán-Dávalos L, Dentinger BTM. Phylogenomics of the psychoactive mushroom genus Psilocybe and evolution of the psilocybin biosynthetic gene cluster. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2311245121. [PMID: 38194448 PMCID: PMC10801892 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311245121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Psychoactive mushrooms in the genus Psilocybe have immense cultural value and have been used for centuries in Mesoamerica. Despite the recent surge of interest in these mushrooms due to the psychotherapeutic potential of their natural alkaloid psilocybin, their phylogeny and taxonomy remain substantially incomplete. Moreover, the recent elucidation of the psilocybin biosynthetic gene cluster is known for only five of ~165 species of Psilocybe, four of which belong to only one of two major clades. We set out to improve the phylogeny of Psilocybe using shotgun sequencing of fungarium specimens, from which we obtained 71 metagenomes including from 23 types, and conducting phylogenomic analysis of 2,983 single-copy gene families to generate a fully supported phylogeny. Molecular clock analysis suggests the stem lineage of Psilocybe arose ~67 mya and diversified ~56 mya. We also show that psilocybin biosynthesis first arose in Psilocybe, with 4 to 5 possible horizontal transfers to other mushrooms between 40 and 9 mya. Moreover, predicted orthologs of the psilocybin biosynthetic genes revealed two distinct gene orders within the biosynthetic gene cluster that corresponds to a deep split within the genus, possibly a signature of two independent acquisitions of the cluster within Psilocybe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Bradshaw
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84112
- Natural History Museum of Utah, Collections and Research, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84108
| | - Virginia Ramírez-Cruz
- Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías (CONAHCYT), Departamento de Botánica y Zoología, Universidad de Guadalajara, Zapopan45147, Mexico
| | - Ali R. Awan
- Genomics Innovation Unit, Guy’s and St.Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, St Thomas’ Hospital, LondonSE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | | | - Laura Guzmán-Dávalos
- Departamento de Botánica y Zoología, Universidad de Guadalajara, Zapopan45147, Mexico
| | - Bryn T. M. Dentinger
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84112
- Natural History Museum of Utah, Collections and Research, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84108
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8
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Shah FI, Shehzadi S, Akram F, Haq IU, Javed B, Sabir S, Kazim Y, Ashfaq S. Unveiling the Psychedelic Journey: An Appraisal of Psilocybin as a Profound Antidepressant Therapy. Mol Biotechnol 2023:10.1007/s12033-023-00994-7. [PMID: 38117395 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-00994-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Depression, a global health concern with significant implications for suicide rates, remains challenging to treat effectively with conventional pharmacological options. The existing pharmaceutical interventions for these illnesses need daily dosing, are accompanied by various adverse effects, and may exhibit limited efficacy in certain cases. However, hope emerges from an unlikely source-Psilocybin, a natural hallucinogen found in certain mushrooms. Recently, this enigmatic compound has garnered attention for its potential therapeutic benefits in addressing various mental health issues, including depression. Psilocybin alters mood, cognition, and perception by acting on a particular subtype of serotonin receptors in the brain. It's feasible that these shifts in consciousness will promote healing development, offering a novel approach to depression management. This comprehensive review explores psilocybin, derived from specific mushrooms, and its implications in the treatment of depression. The study examines new perspectives and therapeutic possibilities surrounding psilocybin, addressing existing gaps in academic literature. It delves into its biosynthesis, unique mechanisms of action, therapeutic applications, and anti-depressive effects. By uncovering the potential of this mind-altering substance, the review aims to advance psychiatric care, offering hope to those globally affected by depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fatima Akram
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan.
| | - Ikram Ul Haq
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
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9
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Pepe M, Hesami M, de la Cerda KA, Perreault ML, Hsiang T, Jones AMP. A journey with psychedelic mushrooms: From historical relevance to biology, cultivation, medicinal uses, biotechnology, and beyond. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 69:108247. [PMID: 37659744 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Psychedelic mushrooms containing psilocybin and related tryptamines have long been used for ethnomycological purposes, but emerging evidence points to the potential therapeutic value of these mushrooms to address modern neurological, psychiatric health, and related disorders. As a result, psilocybin containing mushrooms represent a re-emerging frontier for mycological, biochemical, neuroscience, and pharmacology research. This work presents crucial information related to traditional use of psychedelic mushrooms, as well as research trends and knowledge gaps related to their diversity and distribution, technologies for quantification of tryptamines and other tryptophan-derived metabolites, as well as biosynthetic mechanisms for their production within mushrooms. In addition, we explore the current state of knowledge for how psilocybin and related tryptamines are metabolized in humans and their pharmacological effects, including beneficial and hazardous human health implications. Finally, we describe opportunities and challenges for investigating the production of psychedelic mushrooms and metabolic engineering approaches to alter secondary metabolite profiles using biotechnology integrated with machine learning. Ultimately, this critical review of all aspects related to psychedelic mushrooms represents a roadmap for future research efforts that will pave the way to new applications and refined protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Pepe
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Guelph, Canada
| | - Mohsen Hesami
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Guelph, Canada
| | - Karla A de la Cerda
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Guelph, Canada
| | - Melissa L Perreault
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tom Hsiang
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Guelph, Canada
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10
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Bradley SA, Lehka BJ, Hansson FG, Adhikari KB, Rago D, Rubaszka P, Haidar AK, Chen L, Hansen LG, Gudich O, Giannakou K, Lengger B, Gill RT, Nakamura Y, de Bernonville TD, Koudounas K, Romero-Suarez D, Ding L, Qiao Y, Frimurer TM, Petersen AA, Besseau S, Kumar S, Gautron N, Melin C, Marc J, Jeanneau R, O'Connor SE, Courdavault V, Keasling JD, Zhang J, Jensen MK. Biosynthesis of natural and halogenated plant monoterpene indole alkaloids in yeast. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:1551-1560. [PMID: 37932529 PMCID: PMC10667104 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01430-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) represent a large class of plant natural products with marketed pharmaceutical activities against a wide range of indications, including cancer, malaria and hypertension. Halogenated MIAs have shown improved pharmaceutical properties; however, synthesis of new-to-nature halogenated MIAs remains a challenge. Here we demonstrate a platform for de novo biosynthesis of two MIAs, serpentine and alstonine, in baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and deploy it to systematically explore the biocatalytic potential of refactored MIA pathways for the production of halogenated MIAs. From this, we demonstrate conversion of individual haloindole derivatives to a total of 19 different new-to-nature haloserpentine and haloalstonine analogs. Furthermore, by process optimization and heterologous expression of a modified halogenase in the microbial MIA platform, we document de novo halogenation and biosynthesis of chloroalstonine. Together, this study highlights a microbial platform for enzymatic exploration and production of complex natural and new-to-nature MIAs with therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Bradley
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Beata J Lehka
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Frederik G Hansson
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Khem B Adhikari
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Daniela Rago
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Paulina Rubaszka
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ahmad K Haidar
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ling Chen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Lea G Hansen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Olga Gudich
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Konstantina Giannakou
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Bettina Lengger
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ryan T Gill
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Yoko Nakamura
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | | | | | - David Romero-Suarez
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ling Ding
- Department of Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Yijun Qiao
- Department of Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Thomas M Frimurer
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anja A Petersen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sébastien Besseau
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Nicolas Gautron
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Celine Melin
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Jillian Marc
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | | | - Sarah E O'Connor
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Vincent Courdavault
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Jay D Keasling
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Institute for Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technologies, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Michael K Jensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
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11
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Yi X, Rasor BJ, Boadi N, Louie K, Northen TR, Karim AS, Jewett MC, Alper HS. Establishing a versatile toolkit of flux enhanced strains and cell extracts for pathway prototyping. Metab Eng 2023; 80:241-253. [PMID: 37890611 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Building and optimizing biosynthetic pathways in engineered cells holds promise to address societal needs in energy, materials, and medicine, but it is often time-consuming. Cell-free synthetic biology has emerged as a powerful tool to accelerate design-build-test-learn cycles for pathway engineering with increased tolerance to toxic compounds. However, most cell-free pathway prototyping to date has been performed in extracts from wildtype cells which often do not have sufficient flux towards the pathways of interest, which can be enhanced by engineering. Here, to address this gap, we create a set of engineered Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains rewired via CRISPR-dCas9 to achieve high-flux toward key metabolic precursors; namely, acetyl-CoA, shikimate, triose-phosphate, oxaloacetate, α-ketoglutarate, and glucose-6-phosphate. Cell-free extracts generated from these strains are used for targeted enzyme screening in vitro. As model systems, we assess in vivo and in vitro production of triacetic acid lactone from acetyl-CoA and muconic acid from the shikimate pathway. The need for these platforms is exemplified by the fact that muconic acid cannot be detected in wildtype extracts provided with the same biosynthetic enzymes. We also perform metabolomic comparison to understand biochemical differences between the cellular and cell-free muconic acid synthesis systems (E. coli and S. cerevisiae cells and cell extracts with and without metabolic rewiring). While any given pathway has different interfaces with metabolism, we anticipate that this set of pre-optimized, flux enhanced cell extracts will enable prototyping efforts for new biosynthetic pathways and the discovery of biochemical functions of enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiunan Yi
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA; McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Blake J Rasor
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Nathalie Boadi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Katherine Louie
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Trent R Northen
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Ashty S Karim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Michael C Jewett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Hal S Alper
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA; McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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12
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Chen X, Li J, Yu L, Maule F, Chang L, Gallant JA, Press DJ, Raithatha SA, Hagel JM, Facchini PJ. A cane toad (Rhinella marina) N-methyltransferase converts primary indolethylamines to tertiary psychedelic amines. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105231. [PMID: 37690691 PMCID: PMC10570959 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychedelic indolethylamines have emerged as potential medicines to treat several psychiatric pathologies. Natural sources of these compounds include 'magic mushrooms' (Psilocybe spp.), plants used to prepare ayahuasca, and toads. The skin and parotid glands of certain toads accumulate a variety of specialized metabolites including toxic guanidine alkaloids, lipophilic alkaloids, poisonous steroids, and hallucinogenic indolethylamines such as DMT, 5-methoxy-DMT, and bufotenin. The occurrence of psychedelics has contributed to the ceremonial use of toads, particularly among Mesoamerican peoples. Yet, the biosynthesis of psychedelic alkaloids has not been elucidated. Herein, we report a novel indolethylamine N-methyltransferase (RmNMT) from cane toad (Rhinella marina). The RmNMT sequence was used to identify a related NMT from the common toad, Bufo bufo. Close homologs from various frog species were inactive, suggesting a role for psychedelic indolethylamine biosynthesis in toads. Enzyme kinetic analyses and comparison with functionally similar enzymes showed that recombinant RmNMT was an effective catalyst and not product inhibited. The substrate promiscuity of RmNMT enabled the bioproduction of a variety of substituted indolethylamines at levels sufficient for purification, pharmacological screening, and metabolic stability assays. Since the therapeutic potential of psychedelics has been linked to activity at serotonergic receptors, we evaluated binding of derivatives at 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors. Primary amines exhibited enhanced affinity at the 5-HT1A receptor compared with tertiary amines. With the exception of 6-substituted derivatives, N,N-dimethylation also protected against catabolism by liver microsomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Chen
- Discovery Group, Enveric Biosciences Inc, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jing Li
- Discovery Group, Enveric Biosciences Inc, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lisa Yu
- Discovery Group, Enveric Biosciences Inc, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Francesca Maule
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Limei Chang
- Discovery Group, Enveric Biosciences Inc, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - David J Press
- Discovery Group, Enveric Biosciences Inc, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Jillian M Hagel
- Discovery Group, Enveric Biosciences Inc, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Peter J Facchini
- Discovery Group, Enveric Biosciences Inc, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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13
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Yuzbashev TV, Yuzbasheva EY, Melkina OE, Patel D, Bubnov D, Dietz H, Ledesma-Amaro R. A DNA assembly toolkit to unlock the CRISPR/Cas9 potential for metabolic engineering. Commun Biol 2023; 6:858. [PMID: 37596335 PMCID: PMC10439232 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05202-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9-based technologies are revolutionising the way we engineer microbial cells. One of the key advantages of CRISPR in strain design is that it enables chromosomal integration of marker-free DNA, eliminating laborious and often inefficient marker recovery procedures. Despite the benefits, assembling CRISPR/Cas9 editing systems is still not a straightforward process, which may prevent its use and applications. In this work, we have identified some of the main limitations of current Cas9 toolkits and designed improvements with the goal of making CRISPR technologies easier to access and implement. These include 1) A system to quickly switch between marker-free and marker-based integration constructs using both a Cre-expressing and standard Escherichia coli strains, 2) the ability to redirect multigene integration cassettes into alternative genomic loci via Golden Gate-based exchange of homology arms, 3) a rapid, simple in-vivo method to assembly guide RNA sequences via recombineering between Cas9-helper plasmids and single oligonucleotides. We combine these methodologies with well-established technologies into a comprehensive toolkit for efficient metabolic engineering using CRISPR/Cas9. As a proof of concept, we developed the YaliCraft toolkit for Yarrowia lipolytica, which is composed of a basic set of 147 plasmids and 7 modules with different purposes. We used the toolkit to generate and characterize a library of 137 promoters and to build a de novo strain synthetizing 373.8 mg/L homogentisic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tigran V Yuzbashev
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
- Plant Sciences and the Bioeconomy, Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK.
| | | | - Olga E Melkina
- NRC 'Kurchatov Institute'-GosNIIgenetika, Kurchatov Genomic Centre, 1-st Dorozhny Pr., 1, Moscow, 117545, Russia
| | - Davina Patel
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Dmitrii Bubnov
- NRC 'Kurchatov Institute'-GosNIIgenetika, Kurchatov Genomic Centre, 1-st Dorozhny Pr., 1, Moscow, 117545, Russia
| | - Heiko Dietz
- Kaesler Research Institute, Kaesler Nutrition GmbH, Fischkai 1, 27572, Bremerhaven, Germany
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14
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Babaei M, Thomsen PT, Dyekjær JD, Glitz CU, Pastor MC, Gockel P, Körner JD, Rago D, Borodina I. Combinatorial engineering of betalain biosynthesis pathway in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2023; 16:128. [PMID: 37592353 PMCID: PMC10436450 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-023-02374-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Betalains, comprising red-violet betacyanins and yellow-orange betaxanthins, are the hydrophilic vacuolar pigments that provide bright coloration to roots, fruits, and flowers of plants of the Caryophyllales order. Betanin extracted from red beets is permitted quantum satis as a natural red food colorant (E162). Due to antioxidant activity, betanin has potential health benefits. RESULTS We applied combinatorial engineering to find the optimal combination of a dozen tyrosine hydroxylase (TyH) and 4,5-dopa-estradiol-dioxygenase (DOD) variants. The best-engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains produced over six-fold higher betaxanthins than previously reported. By genome-resequencing of these strains, we found out that two copies of DOD enzyme from Bougainvillea glabra together with TyH enzymes from Abronia nealleyi, Acleisanthes obtusa, and Cleretum bellidiforme were present in the three high-betaxanthin-producing isolates. Next, we expressed four variants of glucosyltransferases from Beta vulgaris for betanin biosynthesis. The highest titer of betanin (30.8 ± 0.14 mg/L after 48 h from 20 g/L glucose) was obtained when completing the biosynthesis pathway with UGT73A36 glucosyltransferase from Beta vulgaris. Finally, we investigated betalain transport in CEN.PK and S288C strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and identified a possible role of transporter genes QDR2 and APL1 in betanin transport. CONCLUSIONS This study shows the potential of combinatorial engineering of yeast cell factories for the biotechnological production of betanin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Babaei
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 220, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Philip Tinggaard Thomsen
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 220, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jane Dannow Dyekjær
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 220, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Christiane Ursula Glitz
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 220, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marc Cernuda Pastor
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 220, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Peter Gockel
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 220, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Johann Dietmar Körner
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 220, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Daniela Rago
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 220, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Irina Borodina
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet Building 220, 2800 Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark.
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15
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Irvine W, Tyler M, Delgoda R. In silico characterization of the psilocybin biosynthesis pathway. Comput Biol Chem 2023; 104:107854. [PMID: 36990027 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2023.107854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Nearly all mushrooms of the Psilocybe genus contain the natural product psilocybin, which is a psychoactive alkaloid derived from l-tryptophan. Considering their use in ancient times, as well as their psychedelic properties, these mushrooms have re-emerged with psychotherapeutic potential for treating depression, which has triggered increased pharmaceutical interest. However, the psilocybin biosynthesis pathway was only recently defined and, as such, little exists in the way of structural data. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to structurally characterize this pathway by generating homology models for the four Psilocybe cubensis enzymes involved in psilocybin biosynthesis (PsiD, a decarboxylase; PsiH, a monooxygenase; PsiK, a phosphotransferase; PsiM, a methyltransferase). Following initial model generation and alignment with the identified structural templates, repeated refinement of the models was carried out using secondary structure prediction, geometry evaluation, energy minimization, and molecular dynamics simulations in water. The final models were then evaluated using molecular docking interactions with their substrates, i.e., psilocybin precursors (l-tryptophan, tryptamine, 4-hydroxytryptamine, and norbaeocystin/baeocystin), all of which generated feasible binding modes for the expected biotransformation. Further plausibility of the psilocybin → aeruginascin, 4-hydroxytryptamine → norpsilocin, and tryptamine → N,N-dimethyltryptamine conversions, all mediated by the generated model for PsiM, suggests valid routes of formation for these key secondary metabolites. The structural characterization of these enzymes and their binding modes which emerged from this study can lead to a better understanding of psilocybin synthesis, thereby paving the way for the development of novel substrates and selective inhibitors, as well as improved biotechnological manipulation and production of psilocybin in vitro.
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16
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Yan X, Liu X, Zhao C, Chen GQ. Applications of synthetic biology in medical and pharmaceutical fields. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:199. [PMID: 37169742 PMCID: PMC10173249 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01440-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology aims to design or assemble existing bioparts or bio-components for useful bioproperties. During the past decades, progresses have been made to build delicate biocircuits, standardized biological building blocks and to develop various genomic/metabolic engineering tools and approaches. Medical and pharmaceutical demands have also pushed the development of synthetic biology, including integration of heterologous pathways into designer cells to efficiently produce medical agents, enhanced yields of natural products in cell growth media to equal or higher than that of the extracts from plants or fungi, constructions of novel genetic circuits for tumor targeting, controllable releases of therapeutic agents in response to specific biomarkers to fight diseases such as diabetes and cancers. Besides, new strategies are developed to treat complex immune diseases, infectious diseases and metabolic disorders that are hard to cure via traditional approaches. In general, synthetic biology brings new capabilities to medical and pharmaceutical researches. This review summarizes the timeline of synthetic biology developments, the past and present of synthetic biology for microbial productions of pharmaceutics, engineered cells equipped with synthetic DNA circuits for diagnosis and therapies, live and auto-assemblied biomaterials for medical treatments, cell-free synthetic biology in medical and pharmaceutical fields, and DNA engineering approaches with potentials for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Yan
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Liu
- PhaBuilder Biotech Co. Ltd., Shunyi District, Zhaoquan Ying, 101309, Beijing, China
| | - Cuihuan Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Guo-Qiang Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China.
- Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China.
- MOE Key Lab for Industrial Biocatalysis, Dept Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China.
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17
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Li M, Ma M, Wu Z, Liang X, Zheng Q, Li D, An T, Wang G. Advances in the biosynthesis and metabolic engineering of rare ginsenosides. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:3391-3404. [PMID: 37126085 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12549-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Rare ginsenosides are the deglycosylated secondary metabolic derivatives of major ginsenosides, and they are more readily absorbed into the bloodstream and function as active substances. The traditional preparation methods hindered the potential application of these effective components. The continuous elucidation of ginsenoside biosynthesis pathways has rendered the production of rare ginsenosides using synthetic biology techniques effective for their large-scale production. Previously, only the progress in the biosynthesis and biotechnological production of major ginsenosides was highlighted. In this review, we summarized the recent advances in the identification of key enzymes involved in the biosynthetic pathways of rare ginsenosides, especially the glycosyltransferases (GTs). Then the construction of microbial chassis for the production of rare ginsenosides, mainly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was presented. In the future, discovery of more GTs and improving their catalytic efficiencies are essential for the metabolic engineering of rare ginsenosides. This review will give more clues and be helpful for the characterization of the biosynthesis and metabolic engineering of rare ginsenosides. KEY POINTS: • The key enzymes involved in the biosynthetic pathways of rare ginsenosides are summarized. • The recent progress in metabolic engineering of rare ginsenosides is presented. • The discovery of glycosyltransferases is essential for the microbial production of rare ginsenosides in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingkai Li
- Featured Laboratory for Biosynthesis and Target Discovery of Active Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Mengyu Ma
- Featured Laboratory for Biosynthesis and Target Discovery of Active Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Zhenke Wu
- Featured Laboratory for Biosynthesis and Target Discovery of Active Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Xiqin Liang
- Featured Laboratory for Biosynthesis and Target Discovery of Active Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Qiusheng Zheng
- Featured Laboratory for Biosynthesis and Target Discovery of Active Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Defang Li
- Featured Laboratory for Biosynthesis and Target Discovery of Active Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
| | - Tianyue An
- Featured Laboratory for Biosynthesis and Target Discovery of Active Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
| | - Guoli Wang
- Featured Laboratory for Biosynthesis and Target Discovery of Active Components of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
- Yantai Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tumor Metabolism, School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
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18
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Abbas F, Zhou Y, O'Neill Rothenberg D, Alam I, Ke Y, Wang HC. Aroma Components in Horticultural Crops: Chemical Diversity and Usage of Metabolic Engineering for Industrial Applications. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12091748. [PMID: 37176806 PMCID: PMC10180852 DOI: 10.3390/plants12091748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Plants produce an incredible variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that assist the interactions with their environment, such as attracting pollinating insects and seed dispersers and defense against herbivores, pathogens, and parasites. Furthermore, VOCs have a significant economic impact on crop quality, as well as the beverage, food, perfume, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals industries. These VOCs are mainly classified as terpenoids, benzenoids/phenylpropanes, and fatty acid derivates. Fruits and vegetables are rich in minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, while aroma compounds play a major role in flavor and quality management of these horticultural commodities. Subtle shifts in aroma compounds can dramatically alter the flavor and texture of fruits and vegetables, altering their consumer appeal. Rapid innovations in -omics techniques have led to the isolation of genes encoding enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of several volatiles, which has aided to our comprehension of the regulatory molecular pathways involved in VOC production. The present review focuses on the significance of aroma volatiles to the flavor and aroma profile of horticultural crops and addresses the industrial applications of plant-derived volatile terpenoids, particularly in food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and biofuel industries. Additionally, the methodological constraints and complexities that limit the transition from gene selection to host organisms and from laboratories to practical implementation are discussed, along with metabolic engineering's potential for enhancing terpenoids volatile production at the industrial level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhat Abbas
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops-South China/Guangdong Litchi Engineering Research Center, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yiwei Zhou
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Environmental Horticulture Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Dylan O'Neill Rothenberg
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops-South China/Guangdong Litchi Engineering Research Center, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Intikhab Alam
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops-South China/Guangdong Litchi Engineering Research Center, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yanguo Ke
- College of Economics and Management, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Yunnan Urban Agricultural Engineering & Technological Research Center, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, China
| | - Hui-Cong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops-South China/Guangdong Litchi Engineering Research Center, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
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19
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Yuzbashev T, Yuzbasheva E, Melkina O, Patel D, Bubnov D, Dietz H, Ledesma-Amaro R. A DNA assembly toolkit to unlock the CRISPR/Cas9 potential for metabolic engineering. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2738543. [PMID: 37066237 PMCID: PMC10104256 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2738543/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9-based technologies are revolutionising the way we engineer microbial cells. One of the key advantages of CRISPR in strain design is that it enables chromosomal integration of marker-free DNA, eliminating laborious and often inefficient marker recovery procedures. Despite the benefits, assembling CRISPR/Cas9 editing systems is still not a straightforward process, which may prevent its use and applications. In this work, we have identified some of the main limitations of current Cas9 toolkits and designed improvements with the goal of making CRISPR technologies easier to access and implement. These include 1) A system to quickly switch between marker-free and marker-based integration constructs using both a Cre-expressing and standard Escherichia coli strains, 2) the ability to redirect multigene integration cassettes into alternative genomic loci via Golden Gate-based exchange of homology arms, 3) a rapid, simple in-vivo method to assembly guide RNA sequences via recombineering between Cas9-helper plasmids and single oligonucleotides. We combine these methodologies with well-established technologies into a comprehensive toolkit for efficient metabolic engineering using CRISPR/Cas9. As a proof of concept, we generated and characterized a library of 137 promoters and built a de novo Yarrowia lipolytica strain synthetizing 373.8 mg/L homogentisic acid.
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20
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Zou G, Nielsen JB, Wei Y. Harnessing synthetic biology for mushroom farming. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:480-483. [PMID: 36307231 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in synthetic biology have transformed mushroom farming from a focus on traditional cultivation to comprehensive applications based on cutting-edge biotechnologies. Synthetic biology has promising applications in this field, including precision breeding, mining biosynthetic gene clusters, developing mushroom chassis cells, and constructing cell factories for high value-added products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen Zou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 1000 Jinqi Road, Fengxian, 201403, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Jens B Nielsen
- BioInnovation Institute, Ole Maaløes Vej 3, DK2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark; Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Yongjun Wei
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450051, PR China.
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21
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Jones JA, Spigarelli MG. Harnessing synthetic biology to develop novel psychedelic therapies. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:586-587. [PMID: 36567184 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J Andrew Jones
- PsyBio Therapeutics, Sunrise, FL 33351, USA; Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | - Michael G Spigarelli
- PsyBio Therapeutics, Sunrise, FL 33351, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
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22
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Milne N, Sáez-Sáez J, Nielsen AM, Dyekjaer JD, Rago D, Kristensen M, Wulff T, Borodina I. Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the de novo Production of Halogenated Tryptophan and Tryptamine Derivatives. ChemistryOpen 2023; 12:e202200266. [PMID: 36929157 PMCID: PMC10068768 DOI: 10.1002/open.202200266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The indole scaffold is a recurring structure in multiple bioactive heterocycles and natural products. Substituted indoles like the amino acid tryptophan serve as a precursor for a wide range of natural products with pharmaceutical or agrochemical applications. Inspired by the versatility of these compounds, medicinal chemists have for decades exploited indole as a core structure in the drug discovery process. With the aim of tuning the properties of lead drug candidates, regioselective halogenation of the indole scaffold is a common strategy. However, chemical halogenation is generally expensive, has a poor atom economy, lacks regioselectivity, and generates hazardous waste streams. As an alternative, in this work we engineer the industrial workhorse Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the de novo production of halogenated tryptophan and tryptamine derivatives. Functional expression of bacterial tryptophan halogenases together with a partner flavin reductase and a tryptophan decarboxylase resulted in the production of halogenated tryptophan and tryptamine with chlorine or bromine. Furthermore, by combining tryptophan halogenases, production of di-halogenated molecules was also achieved. Overall, this works paves the road for the production of new-to-nature halogenated natural products in yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Milne
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.,Octarine Bio ApS, Lersø Parkallé 42, 1. Sal, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Javier Sáez-Sáez
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Annette Munch Nielsen
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.,Octarine Bio ApS, Lersø Parkallé 42, 1. Sal, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jane Dannow Dyekjaer
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Daniela Rago
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mette Kristensen
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tune Wulff
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Irina Borodina
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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23
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Hu B, Zhao X, Wang E, Zhou J, Li J, Chen J, Du G. Efficient heterologous expression of cytochrome P450 enzymes in microorganisms for the biosynthesis of natural products. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2023; 43:227-241. [PMID: 35129020 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2022.2029344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Natural products, a chemically and structurally diverse class of molecules, possess a wide spectrum of biological activities, have been used therapeutically for millennia, and have provided many lead compounds for the development of synthetic drugs. Cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s, CYP) are widespread in nature and are involved in the biosynthesis of many natural products. P450s are heme-containing enzymes that use molecular oxygen and the hydride donor NAD(P)H (coupled via enzymic redox partners) to catalyze the insertion of oxygen into C-H bonds in a regio- and stereo-selective manner, effecting hydroxylation and several other reactions. With the rapid development of systems biology, numerous novel P450s have been identified for the biosynthesis of natural products, but there are still several challenges to the efficient heterologous expression of active P450s. This review covers recent developments in P450 research and development, including the properties and functions of P450s, discovery and mining of novel P450s, modification and screening of P450 mutants, improved heterologous expression of P450s in microbial hosts, efficient whole-cell transformation with P450s, and current applications of P450s for the biosynthesis of natural products. This resource provides a solid foundation for the application of highly active and stable P450s in microbial cell factories to biosynthesize natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baodong Hu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinrui Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Endao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jingwen Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianghua Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guocheng Du
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
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24
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McTaggart AR, James TY, Slot JC, Barlow C, Fechner N, Shuey LS, Drenth A. Genome sequencing progenies of magic mushrooms (Psilocybe subaeruginosa) identifies tetrapolar mating and gene duplications in the psilocybin pathway. Fungal Genet Biol 2023; 165:103769. [PMID: 36587787 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2022.103769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge of breeding systems and genetic diversity is critical to select and combine desired traits that advance new cultivars in agriculture and horticulture. Mushrooms that produce psilocybin, magic mushrooms, may potentially be used in therapeutic and wellness industries, and stand to benefit from genetic improvement. We studied haploid siblings of Psilocybe subaeruginosa to resolve the genetics behind mating compatibility and advance knowledge of breeding. Our results show that mating in P. subaeruginosa is tetrapolar, with compatibility controlled at a homeodomain locus with one copy each of HD1 and HD2, and a pheromone/receptor locus with four homologs of the receptor gene STE3. An additional two pheromone/receptor loci homologous to STE3 do not appear to regulate mating compatibility. Alleles in the psilocybin gene cluster did not vary among the five siblings and were likely homozygous in the parent. Psilocybe subaeruginosa and its relatives have three copies of PsiH genes but their impact on production of psilocybin and its analogues is unknown. Genetic improvement in Psilocybe will require access to genetic diversity from the centre of origin of different species, identification of genes behind traits, and strategies to avoid inbreeding depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair R McTaggart
- Centre for Horticultural Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Timothy Y James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jason C Slot
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Caine Barlow
- Entheogenesis Australis, PO Box 2046, Belgrave, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nigel Fechner
- Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment and Science, Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha, Toowong, Queensland, Australia
| | - Louise S Shuey
- Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia
| | - André Drenth
- Centre for Horticultural Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia
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25
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Collins L, Ponnazhagan S, Curiel DT. Synthetic Biology Design as a Paradigm Shift toward Manufacturing Affordable Adeno-Associated Virus Gene Therapies. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:17-26. [PMID: 36627108 PMCID: PMC9872172 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Gene therapy has demonstrated enormous potential for changing how we combat disease. By directly engineering the genetic composition of cells, it provides a broad range of options for improving human health. Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) represent a leading gene therapy vector and are expected to address a wide range of conditions in the coming decade. Three AAV therapies have already been approved by the FDA to treat Leber's congenital amaurosis, spinal muscular atrophy, and hemophilia B. Yet these therapies cost around $850,000, $2,100,000, and $3,500,000, respectively. Such prices limit the broad applicability of AAV gene therapy and make it inaccessible to most patients. Much of this problem arises from the high manufacturing costs of AAVs. At the same time, the field of synthetic biology has grown rapidly and has displayed a special aptitude for addressing biomanufacturing problems. Here, we discuss emerging efforts to apply synthetic biology design to decrease the price of AAV production, and we propose that such efforts could play a major role in making gene therapy much more widely accessible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan
Thrasher Collins
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University
in St. Louis, 4950 Childrens Place, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United
States
| | - Selvarangan Ponnazhagan
- Department
of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd., Birmingham, Alabama 35233, United States
| | - David T. Curiel
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University
in St. Louis, 4950 Childrens Place, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United
States,Department
of Radiation Oncology, Washington University
in St. Louis, 4950 Childrens
Place, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States,
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26
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Zhang X, Qi Z, Fan X, Zhang H, Pei J, Zhao L. Biochemical Characterization of a Flavone Synthase I from Daucus carota and its Application for Bioconversion of Flavanones to Flavones. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2023; 195:933-946. [PMID: 36242726 PMCID: PMC9568992 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-022-04176-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we studied the biochemical characterization of flavone synthase I from Daucus carota (DcFNS I) and applied it with flavonoid 6-hydroxylase from Scutellaria baicalensis (SbCYP) to convert flavanones to flavones. The recombinant DcFNS I was expressed in the form of the glutathione-S-transferase fusion protein. Rather than taxifolin, naringenin, pinocembrin, and eriodictyol were accepted as substrates. The optimal temperature and pH for reaction in vitro were 35 °C and 7.5, respectively, and 2-oxoglutarate was essential in the assay system. Co2+, Cu2+, Mn2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+ were not substitutes for Fe2+. EDTA and pyruvic acid inhibited the activity, except for Fe3+. Kinetic analysis revealed that the Vmax and kcat values of the recombinant DcFNS I against naringenin were 0.183 nmol mg-1 s-1 and 0.0121 s-1, and 0.175 nmol mg-1 s-1 and 0.0116 s-1 against pinocembrin. However, the recombinant DcFNS I had a higher affinity for naringenin than pinocembrin, with kM values for each of 0.076 mM and 0.174 mM respectively. Thus, it catalyzed naringenin more efficiently than pinocembrin. Subsequently, using an Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae co-culture system, we successfully converted naringenin and pinocembrin to scutellarein and baicalein respectively. In a synthetic complete medium, the titers of scutellarein and baicalein reached 5.63 mg/L and 0.78 mg/L from 200 mg/L precursors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomeng Zhang
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 China
- College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 China
| | - Zhipeng Qi
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 China
- College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 China
| | - Xianyu Fan
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 China
- College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 China
| | - Haiyan Zhang
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 China
- College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 China
| | - Jianjun Pei
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 China
- College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 China
| | - Linguo Zhao
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 China
- College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 China
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27
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Schäfer T, Kramer K, Werten S, Rupp B, Hoffmeister D. Characterization of the Gateway Decarboxylase for Psilocybin Biosynthesis. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200551. [PMID: 36327140 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The l-tryptophan decarboxylase PsiD catalyzes the initial step of the metabolic cascade to psilocybin, the major indoleethylamine natural product of the "magic" mushrooms and a candidate drug against major depressive disorder. Unlike numerous pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent decarboxylases for natural product biosyntheses, PsiD is PLP-independent and resembles type II phosphatidylserine decarboxylases. Here, we report on the in vitro biochemical characterization of Psilocybe cubensis PsiD along with in silico modeling of the PsiD structure. A non-canonical serine protease triad for autocatalytic cleavage of the pro-protein was predicted and experimentally verified by site-directed mutagenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Schäfer
- Department Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the Hans-Knöll-Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Kristina Kramer
- Department Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the Hans-Knöll-Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastiaan Werten
- Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Schöpfstrasse 41, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Bernhard Rupp
- Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Schöpfstrasse 41, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.,k.-k. Hofkristallamt, 991 Audrey Place, Vista, CA, 92084, USA
| | - Dirk Hoffmeister
- Department Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the Hans-Knöll-Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, Germany
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28
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Strauss D, Ghosh S, Murray Z, Gryzenhout M. Psilocybin containing mushrooms: a rapidly developing biotechnology industry in the psychiatry, biomedical and nutraceutical fields. 3 Biotech 2022; 12:339. [PMID: 36340802 PMCID: PMC9633885 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-022-03355-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have collected and used hallucinogenic mushrooms for ethnic medicinal, recreational, and religious purposes since before recorded history. Currently, the use of these mushrooms is illegal in most countries, but where their use is legal they are applied as self medication. Psilocybin and psilocin, two psychoactive alkaloids, are naturally synthesized by hallucinogenic mushrooms. The chemical structure of these compounds are similar to the neurotransmitter serotonin. Activation of this system by psilocybin and psilocin may produce temporary changes in the brain that induce hallucinations and feelings of euphoria. Adjustment of the serotonin system in this way can moderate symptoms of related mental disorders. This review summarizes relevant and current information regarding the discovery of hallucinogenic mushrooms and their contained psychoactive compounds, the events that lead to their criminalization and decriminilization, and the state of knowledge of psilocybin, psilocin, and derivatives. Last, research on the psychoactive properties of these mushrooms is placed in perspective to possible applications for human dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Strauss
- Department of Genetics, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9301 South Africa
| | - Soumya Ghosh
- Department of Genetics, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9301 South Africa
| | - Zurika Murray
- Department of Genetics, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9301 South Africa
| | - Marieka Gryzenhout
- Department of Genetics, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9301 South Africa
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29
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Kwan AC, Olson DE, Preller KH, Roth BL. The neural basis of psychedelic action. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:1407-1419. [PMID: 36280799 PMCID: PMC9641582 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01177-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Psychedelics are serotonin 2A receptor agonists that can lead to profound changes in perception, cognition and mood. In this review, we focus on the basic neurobiology underlying the action of psychedelic drugs. We first discuss chemistry, highlighting the diversity of psychoactive molecules and the principles that govern their potency and pharmacokinetics. We describe the roles of serotonin receptors and their downstream molecular signaling pathways, emphasizing key elements for drug discovery. We consider the impact of psychedelics on neuronal spiking dynamics in several cortical and subcortical regions, along with transcriptional changes and sustained effects on structural plasticity. Finally, we summarize neuroimaging results that pinpoint effects on association cortices and thalamocortical functional connectivity, which inform current theories of psychedelic action. By synthesizing knowledge across the chemical, molecular, neuronal, and network levels, we hope to provide an integrative perspective on the neural mechanisms responsible for the acute and enduring effects of psychedelics on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex C. Kwan
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,Correspondence: ; ; ;
| | - David E. Olson
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA,Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA,Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA,Correspondence: ; ; ;
| | - Katrin H. Preller
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Correspondence: ; ; ;
| | - Bryan L. Roth
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Psychoactive Drug Screening Program, National Institute of Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Correspondence: ; ; ;
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30
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Tullio V. Yeast Genomics and Its Applications in Biotechnological Processes: What Is Our Present and Near Future? J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8070752. [PMID: 35887507 PMCID: PMC9315801 DOI: 10.3390/jof8070752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Since molecular biology and advanced genetic techniques have become important tools in a variety of fields of interest, including taxonomy, identification, classification, possible production of substances and proteins, applications in pharmacology, medicine, and the food industry, there has been significant progress in studying the yeast genome and its potential applications. Because of this potential, as well as their manageability, safety, ease of cultivation, and reproduction, yeasts are now being extensively researched in order to evaluate a growing number of natural and sustainable applications to provide many benefits to humans. This review will describe what yeasts are, how they are classified, and attempt to provide a rapid overview of the many current and future applications of yeasts. The review will then discuss how yeasts—including those molecularly modified—are used to produce biofuels, proteins such as insulin, vaccines, probiotics, beverage preparations, and food additives and how yeasts could be used in environmental bioremediation and biocontrol for plant infections. This review does not delve into the issues raised during studies and research, but rather presents the positive outcomes that have enabled several industrial, clinical, and agricultural applications in the past and future, including the most recent on cow-free milk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Tullio
- Department Public Health and Pediatrics, Microbiology Division, University of Turin, Via Santena 9, 10126 Torino, Italy
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Baldera-Aguayo PA, Lee A, Cornish VW. High-Titer Production of the Fungal Anhydrotetracycline, TAN-1612, in Engineered Yeasts. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:2429-2444. [PMID: 35699947 PMCID: PMC9480237 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health threat, demanding urgent responses. Tetracyclines, a widely used antibiotic class, are increasingly succumbing to antibiotic resistance; generating novel analogues is therefore a top priority for public health. Fungal tetracyclines provide structural and enzymatic diversity for novel tetracycline analogue production in tractable heterologous hosts, like yeasts, to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Here, we successfully engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) and Saccharomyces boulardii (probiotic yeast) to produce the nonantibiotic fungal anhydrotetracycline, TAN-1612, in synthetic defined media─necessary for clean purifications─through heterologously expressing TAN-1612 genes mined from the fungus, Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015. This was accomplished via (i) a promoter library-based combinatorial pathway optimization of the biosynthetic TAN-1612 genes coexpressed with a putative TAN-1612 efflux pump, reducing TAN-1612 toxicity in yeasts while simultaneously increasing supernatant titers and (ii) the development of a medium-throughput UV-visible spectrophotometric assay that facilitates TAN-1612 combinatorial library screening. Through this multipronged approach, we optimized TAN-1612 production, yielding an over 450-fold increase compared to previously reported S. cerevisiae yields. TAN-1612 is an important tetracycline analogue precursor, and we thus present the first step toward generating novel tetracycline analogue therapeutics to combat current and emerging antibiotic resistance. We also report the first heterologous production of a fungal polyketide, like TAN-1612, in the probiotic S. boulardii. This highlights that engineered S. boulardii can biosynthesize complex natural products like tetracyclines, setting the stage to equip probiotic yeasts with synthetic therapeutic functionalities to generate living therapeutics or biocontrol agents for clinical and agricultural applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro A. Baldera-Aguayo
- Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Studies, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States; Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Arden Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Virginia W. Cornish
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States; Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Cancer Research Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
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Adams AM, Anas NA, Sen AK, Hinegardner-Hendricks JD, O’Dell PJ, Gibbons WJ, Flower JE, McMurray MS, Jones JA. Development of an E. coli-based norbaeocystin production platform and evaluation of behavioral effects in rats. Metab Eng Commun 2022; 14:e00196. [PMID: 35310468 PMCID: PMC8927989 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2022.e00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M. Adams
- Miami University, Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
| | - Nicholas A. Anas
- Miami University, Department of Psychology, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
| | - Abhishek K. Sen
- Miami University, Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
| | | | - Philip J. O’Dell
- Miami University, Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
| | - William J. Gibbons
- Miami University, Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
| | - Jessica E. Flower
- Miami University, Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
| | - Matthew S. McMurray
- Miami University, Department of Psychology, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
- Corresponding author. Miami University, Department of Psychology Center for Neuroscience and Behavior 221 Psychology, Building 90 N Patterson Ave.
| | - J. Andrew Jones
- Miami University, Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
- Corresponding author. Miami University, Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, 64P Engineering Building 650 E. High St, Oxford, OH, 45056.
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Dörner S, Rogge K, Fricke J, Schäfer T, Wurlitzer JM, Gressler M, Pham DNK, Manke DR, Chadeayne AR, Hoffmeister D. Genetic survey of Psilocybe natural products. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200249. [PMID: 35583969 PMCID: PMC9400892 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Psilocybe magic mushrooms are best known for their main natural product, psilocybin, and its dephosphorylated congener, the psychedelic metabolite psilocin. Beyond tryptamines, the secondary metabolome of these fungi is poorly understood. The genomes of five species ( P. azurescens , P. cubensis , P. cyanescens , P. mexicana , and P. serbica ) were browsed to understand more profoundly common and species-specific metabolic capacities. The genomic analyses revealed a much greater and yet unexplored metabolic diversity than evident from parallel chemical analyses. P. cyanescens and P. mexicana were identified as aeruginascin producers. Lumichrome and verpacamide A were also detected as Psilocybe metabolites. The observations concerning the potential secondary metabolome of this fungal genus support pharmacological and toxicological efforts to find a rational basis for yet elusive phenomena, such as paralytic effects, attributed to consumption of some magic mushrooms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Dörner
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, GERMANY
| | - Kai Rogge
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, GERMANY
| | - Janis Fricke
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Pharmaceutical Microbiologie, GERMANY
| | - Tim Schäfer
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, GERMANY
| | - Jacob M Wurlitzer
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, GERMANY
| | - Markus Gressler
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, GERMANY
| | - Duyen N K Pham
- University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UNITED STATES
| | - David R Manke
- University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UNITED STATES
| | | | - Dirk Hoffmeister
- Leibniz-Institut fur Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie eV Hans-Knoll-Institut, Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the Hans-Kn�ll-Institute, Beutenbergstrasse 11a, 07745, Jena, GERMANY
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Yan Y, Wu J, Hu G, Gao C, Guo L, Chen X, Liu L, Song W. Current state and future perspectives of cytochrome P450 enzymes for C–H and C=C oxygenation. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2022; 7:887-899. [PMID: 35601824 PMCID: PMC9112060 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2022.04.009] [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: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) catalyze a series of C–H and C=C oxygenation reactions, including hydroxylation, epoxidation, and ketonization. They are attractive biocatalysts because of their ability to selectively introduce oxygen into inert molecules under mild conditions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the C–H and C=C oxygenation reactions catalyzed by CYPs and the various strategies for achieving higher selectivity and enzymatic activity. Furthermore, we discuss the application of C–H and C=C oxygenation catalyzed by CYPs to obtain the desired chemicals or pharmaceutical intermediates in practical production. The rapid development of protein engineering for CYPs provides excellent biocatalysts for selective C–H and C=C oxygenation reactions, thereby promoting the development of environmentally friendly and sustainable production processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Jing Wu
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Guipeng Hu
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Cong Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Liang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xiulai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Liming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Wei Song
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Corresponding author.
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Misa J, Billingsley JM, Niwa K, Yu RK, Tang Y. Engineered Production of Strictosidine and Analogues in Yeast. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1639-1649. [PMID: 35294193 PMCID: PMC9171786 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) are an expansive class of plant natural products, many of which have been named on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Low production from native plant hosts necessitates a more reliable source of these drugs to meet global demand. Here, we report the development of a yeast-based platform for high-titer production of the universal MIA precursor, strictosidine. Our fed-batch platform produces ∼50 mg/L strictosidine, starting from the commodity chemicals geraniol and tryptamine. The microbially produced strictosidine was purified to homogeneity and characterized by NMR. Additionally, our approach enables the production of halogenated strictosidine analogues through the feeding of modified tryptamines. The MIA platform strain enables rapid access to strictosidine for reconstitution and production of downstream MIA natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Misa
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - John M. Billingsley
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Kanji Niwa
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Rachel K. Yu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Yi Tang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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36
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Della-Felice F, de Andrade Bartolomeu A, Pilli RA. The phosphate ester group in secondary metabolites. Nat Prod Rep 2022; 39:1066-1107. [PMID: 35420073 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00078k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Covering: 2000 to mid-2021The phosphate ester is a versatile, widespread functional group involved in a plethora of biological activities. Its presence in secondary metabolites, however, is relatively rare compared to other functionalities and thus is part of a rather unexplored chemical space. Herein, the chemistry of secondary metabolites containing the phosphate ester group is discussed. The text emphasizes their structural diversity, biological and pharmacological profiles, and synthetic approaches employed in the phosphorylation step during total synthesis campaigns, covering the literature from 2000 to mid-2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franco Della-Felice
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), P.O. Box 6154, CEP 13083-970 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil.,Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Av. Països Catalans 16, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
| | | | - Ronaldo Aloise Pilli
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), P.O. Box 6154, CEP 13083-970 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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37
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Jiang F, Zhou C, Li Y, Deng H, Gong T, Chen J, Chen T, Yang J, Zhu P. Metabolic engineering of yeasts for green and sustainable production of bioactive ginsenosides F2 and 3β,20S-Di-O-Glc-DM. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 12:3167-3176. [PMID: 35865098 PMCID: PMC9293705 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Both natural ginsenoside F2 and unnatural ginsenoside 3β,20S-Di-O-Glc-DM were reported to exhibit anti-tumor activity. Traditional approaches for producing them rely on direct extraction from Panax ginseng, enzymatic catalysis or chemical synthesis, all of which result in low yield and high cost. Metabolic engineering of microbes has been recognized as a green and sustainable biotechnology to produce natural and unnatural products. Hence we engineered the complete biosynthetic pathways of F2 and 3β,20S-Di-O-Glc-DM in Saccharomyces cerevisiae via the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The titers of F2 and 3β,20S-Di-O-Glc-DM were increased from 1.2 to 21.0 mg/L and from 82.0 to 346.1 mg/L at shake flask level, respectively, by multistep metabolic engineering strategies. Additionally, pharmacological evaluation showed that both F2 and 3β,20S-Di-O-Glc-DM exhibited anti-pancreatic cancer activity and the activity of 3β,20S-Di-O-Glc-DM was even better. Furthermore, the titer of 3β,20S-Di-O-Glc-DM reached 2.6 g/L by fed-batch fermentation in a 3 L bioreactor. To our knowledge, this is the first report on demonstrating the anti-pancreatic cancer activity of F2 and 3β,20S-Di-O-Glc-DM, and achieving their de novo biosynthesis by the engineered yeasts. Our work presents an alternative approach to produce F2 and 3β,20S-Di-O-Glc-DM from renewable biomass, which lays a foundation for drug research and development.
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38
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Van Court R, Wiseman M, Meyer K, Ballhorn D, Amses K, Slot J, Dentinger B, Garibay-Orijel R, Uehling J. Diversity, biology, and history of psilocybin-containing fungi: Suggestions for research and technological development. Fungal Biol 2022; 126:308-319. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2022.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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39
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Yao Y, Wang W, Shi W, Yan R, Zhang J, Wei G, Liu L, Che Y, An C, Gao SS. Overproduction of medicinal ergot alkaloids based on a fungal platform. Metab Eng 2021; 69:198-208. [PMID: 34902590 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Privileged ergot alkaloids (EAs) produced by the fungal genus Claviceps are used to treat a wide range of diseases. However, their use and research have been hampered by the challenging genetic engineering of Claviceps. Here we systematically refactored and rationally engineered the EA biosynthetic pathway in heterologous host Aspergillus nidulans by using a Fungal-Yeast-Shuttle-Vector protocol. The obtained strains allowed the production of diverse EAs and related intermediates, including prechanoclavine (PCC, 333.8 mg/L), chanoclavine (CC, 241.0 mg/L), agroclavine (AC, 78.7 mg/L), and festuclavine (FC, 99.2 mg/L), etc. This fungal platform also enabled the access to the methyl-oxidized EAs (MOEAs), including elymoclavine (EC), lysergic acid (LA), dihydroelysergol (DHLG), and dihydrolysergic acid (DHLA), by overexpressing a P450 enzyme CloA. Furthermore, by optimizing the P450 electron transfer (ET) pathway and using multi-copy of cloA, the titers of EC and DHLG have been improved by 17.3- and 9.4-fold, respectively. Beyond our demonstration of A. nidulans as a robust platform for EA overproduction, our study offers a proof of concept for engineering the eukaryotic P450s-contained biosynthetic pathways in a filamentous fungal host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongpeng Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China
| | - Wenyu Shi
- Microbial Resource and Big Data Center, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China
| | - Rui Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China
| | - Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China
| | - Guangzheng Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China
| | - Ling Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China
| | - Yongsheng Che
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, PR China
| | - Chunyan An
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China.
| | - Shu-Shan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China.
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Gibbons WJ, McKinney MG, O'Dell PJ, Bollinger BA, Jones JA. Homebrewed psilocybin: can new routes for pharmaceutical psilocybin production enable recreational use? Bioengineered 2021; 12:8863-8871. [PMID: 34607532 PMCID: PMC8806991 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1987090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Psilocybin, a drug most commonly recognized as a recreational psychedelic, is quickly gaining attention as a promising therapy for an expanding range of neurological conditions, including depression, anxiety, and addiction. This growing interest has led to many recent advancements in psilocybin synthesis strategies, including multiple in vivo fermentation-based approaches catalyzed by recombinant microorganisms. In this work, we show that psilocybin can be produced in biologically relevant quantities using a recombinant E. coli strain in a homebrew style environment. In less than 2 days, we successfully produced approximately 300 mg/L of psilocybin under simple conditions with easily sourced equipment and supplies. This finding raises the question of how this new technology should be regulated as to not facilitate clandestine biosynthesis efforts, while still enabling advancements in psilocybin synthesis technology for pharmaceutical applications. Here, we present our homebrew results, and suggestions on how to address the regulatory concerns accompanying this new technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Gibbons
- Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Madeline G McKinney
- Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Philip J O'Dell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Brooke A Bollinger
- Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - J Andrew Jones
- Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
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41
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Liu T, Huang Y, Jiang L, Dong C, Gou Y, Lian J. Efficient production of vindoline from tabersonine by metabolically engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1089. [PMID: 34531512 PMCID: PMC8446080 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02617-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Vindoline is a plant derived monoterpene indole alkaloid (MIA) with potential therapeutic applications and more importantly serves as the precursor to vinblastine and vincristine. To obtain a yeast strain for high yield production of vindoline from tabersonine, multiple metabolic engineering strategies were employed via the CRISPR/Cas9 mediated multiplex genome integration technology in the present study. Through increasing and tuning the copy numbers of the pathway genes, pairing cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) with appropriate cytochrome P450 reductases (CPRs), engineering the microenvironment for functional expression of CYPs, enhancing cofactor supply, and optimizing fermentation conditions, the production of vindoline was increased to a final titer as high as ∼16.5 mg/L, which is more than 3,800,000-fold higher than the parent strain and the highest tabersonine to vindoline conversion yield ever reported. This work represents a key step of the engineering efforts to establish de novo biosynthetic pathways for vindoline, vinblastine, and vincristine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengfei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Ying Huang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100102, China
| | - Lihong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Chang Dong
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Yuanwei Gou
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Jiazhang Lian
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
- Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
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42
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Production of bioactive plant secondary metabolites through in vitro technologies-status and outlook. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:6649-6668. [PMID: 34468803 PMCID: PMC8408309 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11539-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Medicinal plants have been used by mankind since ancient times, and many bioactive plant secondary metabolites are applied nowadays both directly as drugs, and as raw materials for semi-synthetic modifications. However, the structural complexity often thwarts cost-efficient chemical synthesis, and the usually low content in the native plant necessitates the processing of large amounts of field-cultivated raw material. The biotechnological manufacturing of such compounds offers a number of advantages like predictable, stable, and year-round sustainable production, scalability, and easier extraction and purification. Plant cell and tissue culture represents one possible alternative to the extraction of phytochemicals from plant material. Although a broad commercialization of such processes has not yet occurred, ongoing research indicates that plant in vitro systems such as cell suspension cultures, organ cultures, and transgenic hairy roots hold a promising potential as sources for bioactive compounds. Progress in the areas of biosynthetic pathway elucidation and genetic manipulation has expanded the possibilities to utilize plant metabolic engineering and heterologous production in microorganisms. This review aims to summarize recent advances in the in vitro production of high-value plant secondary metabolites of medicinal importance. Key points • Bioactive plant secondary metabolites are important for current and future use in medicine • In vitro production is a sustainable alternative to extraction from plants or costly chemical synthesis • Current research addresses plant cell and tissue culture, metabolic engineering, and heterologous production
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43
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An integrated in vivo/in vitro framework to enhance cell-free biosynthesis with metabolically rewired yeast extracts. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5139. [PMID: 34446711 PMCID: PMC8390474 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25233-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-free systems using crude cell extracts present appealing opportunities for designing biosynthetic pathways and enabling sustainable chemical synthesis. However, the lack of tools to effectively manipulate the underlying host metabolism in vitro limits the potential of these systems. Here, we create an integrated framework to address this gap that leverages cell extracts from host strains genetically rewired by multiplexed CRISPR-dCas9 modulation and other metabolic engineering techniques. As a model, we explore conversion of glucose to 2,3-butanediol in extracts from flux-enhanced Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. We show that cellular flux rewiring in several strains of S. cerevisiae combined with systematic optimization of the cell-free reaction environment significantly increases 2,3-butanediol titers and volumetric productivities, reaching productivities greater than 0.9 g/L-h. We then show the generalizability of the framework by improving cell-free itaconic acid and glycerol biosynthesis. Our coupled in vivo/in vitro metabolic engineering approach opens opportunities for synthetic biology prototyping efforts and cell-free biomanufacturing.
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De novo biosynthesis and gram-level production of m-cresol in Aspergillus nidulans. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:6333-6343. [PMID: 34423409 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11490-w] [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: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The industrially important meta-cresol (m-cresol, 3-methylphenol) is mainly produced from fossil resources by chemical methods. The microbial production of m-cresol was rarely investigated. Herein, we constructed a platform for the overproduction of m-cresol in a modified fungus Aspergillus nidulans FGSC no. A1145∆ST∆EM, which gave a gram-level titer using starch as carbon resource. For the biosynthesis of m-cresol, the 6-methyl salicylic acid synthase (MSAS)-encoding gene patK and 6-methyl salicylic acid decarboxylase-encoding gene patG from A. clavatus were co-expressed in the host A. nidulans. Multiple strategies, including promotor engineering, gene multiplication, and fed-batch fermentation, were applied to raise the production of m-cresol, which resulted in the titers of 1.29 g/L in shaking flasks and 2.03 g/L in fed-batch culture. The chassis cell A. nidulans A1145∆ST∆EM was proved to possess better tolerance to m-cresol than yeast, as it could grow in the liquid medium containing up to 2.5 g/L of m-cresol. These results showed that A. nidulans has great potential to be further engineered for industrial production of m-cresol.Key points• m-Cresol was de novo biosynthesized by a fungal chassis cell Aspergillus nidulans.• Promoter engineering and gene multiplication implemented the fine-tuned genes expression.• The titer of m-cresol reached 2.03 g/L via fed-batch culture.
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Montaño López J, Duran L, Avalos JL. Physiological limitations and opportunities in microbial metabolic engineering. Nat Rev Microbiol 2021; 20:35-48. [PMID: 34341566 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-021-00600-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic engineering can have a pivotal role in increasing the environmental sustainability of the transportation and chemical manufacturing sectors. The field has already developed engineered microorganisms that are currently being used in industrial-scale processes. However, it is often challenging to achieve the titres, yields and productivities required for commercial viability. The efficiency of microbial chemical production is usually dependent on the physiological traits of the host organism, which may either impose limitations on engineered biosynthetic pathways or, conversely, boost their performance. In this Review, we discuss different aspects of microbial physiology that often create obstacles for metabolic engineering, and present solutions to overcome them. We also describe various instances in which natural or engineered physiological traits in host organisms have been harnessed to benefit engineered metabolic pathways for chemical production.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Montaño López
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Lisset Duran
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - José L Avalos
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. .,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. .,Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. .,Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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Harnessing the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the production of fungal secondary metabolites. Essays Biochem 2021; 65:277-291. [PMID: 34061167 PMCID: PMC8314005 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20200137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Fungal secondary metabolites (FSMs) represent a remarkable array of bioactive compounds, with potential applications as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and agrochemicals. However, these molecules are typically produced only in limited amounts by their native hosts. The native organisms may also be difficult to cultivate and genetically engineer, and some can produce undesirable toxic side-products. Alternatively, recombinant production of fungal bioactives can be engineered into industrial cell factories, such as aspergilli or yeasts, which are well amenable for large-scale manufacturing in submerged fermentations. In this review, we summarize the development of baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce compounds derived from filamentous fungi and mushrooms. These compounds mainly include polyketides, terpenoids, and amino acid derivatives. We also describe how native biosynthetic pathways can be combined or expanded to produce novel derivatives and new-to-nature compounds. We describe some new approaches for cell factory engineering, such as genome-scale engineering, biosensor-based high-throughput screening, and machine learning, and how these tools have been applied for S. cerevisiae strain improvement. Finally, we prospect the challenges and solutions in further development of yeast cell factories to more efficiently produce FSMs.
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Bao SH, Jiang H, Zhu LY, Yao G, Han PG, Wan XK, Wang K, Song TY, Liu CJ, Wang S, Zhang ZY, Zhang DY, Meng E. A dynamic and multilocus metabolic regulation strategy using quorum-sensing-controlled bacterial small RNA. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109413. [PMID: 34289355 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic regulation strategies have been developed to redirect metabolic fluxes to production pathways. However, it is difficult to screen out target genes that, when repressed, improve yield without affecting cell growth. Here, we report a strategy using a quorum-sensing system to control small RNA transcription, allowing cell-density-dependent repression of target genes. This strategy is shown with convenient operation, dynamic repression, and availability for simultaneous regulation of multiple genes. The parameters Ai, Am, and RA (3-oxohexanoyl-homoserine lactone [AHL] concentrations at which half of the maximum repression and the maximum repression were reached and value of the maximum repression when AHL was added manually, respectively) are defined and introduced to characterize repression curves, and the variant LuxRI58N is identified as the most suitable tuning factor for shake flask culture. Moreover, it is shown that dynamic overexpression of the Hfq chaperone is the key to combinatorial repression without disruptions on cell growth. To show a broad applicability, the production titers of pinene, pentalenene, and psilocybin are improved by 365.3%, 79.5%, and 302.9%, respectively, by applying combinatorial dynamic repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Heng Bao
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, PRC
| | - Hui Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, PRC
| | - Ling-Yun Zhu
- College of Arts and Sciences, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, PRC
| | - Ge Yao
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, PRC
| | - Peng-Gang Han
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, PRC
| | - Xiu-Kun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, PRC
| | - Kang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, PRC
| | - Tian-Yu Song
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, PRC
| | - Chang-Jun Liu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Economic Crops, Genetic Improvement, and Integrated Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PRC
| | - Shan Wang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Economic Crops, Genetic Improvement, and Integrated Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PRC
| | - Zhe-Yang Zhang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Economic Crops, Genetic Improvement, and Integrated Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PRC
| | - Dong-Yi Zhang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Economic Crops, Genetic Improvement, and Integrated Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PRC; College of Arts and Sciences, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, PRC.
| | - Er Meng
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Economic Crops, Genetic Improvement, and Integrated Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PRC.
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Jamieson CS, Misa J, Tang Y, Billingsley JM. Biosynthesis and synthetic biology of psychoactive natural products. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:6950-7008. [PMID: 33908526 PMCID: PMC8217322 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00065a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Psychoactive natural products play an integral role in the modern world. The tremendous structural complexity displayed by such molecules confers diverse biological activities of significant medicinal value and sociocultural impact. Accordingly, in the last two centuries, immense effort has been devoted towards establishing how plants, animals, and fungi synthesize complex natural products from simple metabolic precursors. The recent explosion of genomics data and molecular biology tools has enabled the identification of genes encoding proteins that catalyze individual biosynthetic steps. Once fully elucidated, the "biosynthetic pathways" are often comparable to organic syntheses in elegance and yield. Additionally, the discovery of biosynthetic enzymes provides powerful catalysts which may be repurposed for synthetic biology applications, or implemented with chemoenzymatic synthetic approaches. In this review, we discuss the progress that has been made toward biosynthetic pathway elucidation amongst four classes of psychoactive natural products: hallucinogens, stimulants, cannabinoids, and opioids. Compounds of diverse biosynthetic origin - terpene, amino acid, polyketide - are identified, and notable mechanisms of key scaffold transforming steps are highlighted. We also provide a description of subsequent applications of the biosynthetic machinery, with an emphasis placed on the synthetic biology and metabolic engineering strategies enabling heterologous production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cooper S Jamieson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Joshua Misa
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Yi Tang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - John M Billingsley
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. and Invizyne Technologies, Inc., Monrovia, CA, USA
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The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26102948. [PMID: 34063505 PMCID: PMC8156539 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26102948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The psychedelic effects of some plants and fungi have been known and deliberately exploited by humans for thousands of years. Fungi, particularly mushrooms, are the principal source of naturally occurring psychedelics. The mushroom extract, psilocybin has historically been used as a psychedelic agent for religious and spiritual ceremonies, as well as a therapeutic option for neuropsychiatric conditions. Psychedelic use was largely associated with the "hippie" counterculture movement, which, in turn, resulted in a growing, and still lingering, negative stigmatization for psychedelics. As a result, in 1970, the U.S. government rescheduled psychedelics as Schedule 1 drugs, ultimately ending scientific research on psychedelics. This prohibition on psychedelic drug research significantly delayed advances in medical knowledge on the therapeutic uses of agents such as psilocybin. A 2004 pilot study from the University of California, Los Angeles, exploring the potential of psilocybin treatment in patients with advanced-stage cancer managed to reignite interest and significantly renewed efforts in psilocybin research, heralding a new age in exploration for psychedelic therapy. Since then, significant advances have been made in characterizing the chemical properties of psilocybin as well as its therapeutic uses. This review will explore the potential of psilocybin in the treatment of neuropsychiatry-related conditions, examining recent advances as well as current research. This is not a systematic review.
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Xia J, Wang G, Fan M, Chen M, Wang Z, Zhuang Y. Understanding the scale-up of fermentation processes from the viewpoint of the flow field in bioreactors and the physiological response of strains. Chin J Chem Eng 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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