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Zerbe P. Plants against cancer: towards green Taxol production through pathway discovery and metabolic engineering. ABIOTECH 2024; 5:394-402. [PMID: 39279861 PMCID: PMC11399496 DOI: 10.1007/s42994-024-00170-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Abstract
The diversity of plant natural products presents a rich resource for accelerating drug discovery and addressing pressing human health issues. However, the challenges in accessing and cultivating source species, as well as metabolite structural complexity, and general low abundance present considerable hurdles in developing plant-derived therapeutics. Advances in high-throughput sequencing, genome assembly, gene synthesis, analytical technologies, and synthetic biology approaches, now enable us to efficiently identify and engineer enzymes and metabolic pathways for producing natural and new-to-nature therapeutics and drug candidates. This review highlights challenges and progress in plant natural product discovery and engineering by example of recent breakthroughs in identifying the missing enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the anti-cancer agent Taxol®. These enzyme resources offer new avenues for the bio-manufacture and semi-synthesis of an old blockbuster drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Zerbe
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616 USA
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2
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Xie X, Jaleel A, Zhan J, Ren M. Microalgae: towards human health from urban areas to space missions. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1419157. [PMID: 39220018 PMCID: PMC11361926 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1419157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Space exploration and interstellar migration are important strategies for long-term human survival. However, extreme environmental conditions, such as space radiation and microgravity, can cause adverse effects, including DNA damage, cerebrovascular disease, osteoporosis, and muscle atrophy, which would require prophylactic and remedial treatment en route. Production of oral drugs in situ is therefore critical for interstellar travel and can be achieved through industrial production utilizing microalgae, which offers high production efficiency, edibility, resource minimization, adaptability, stress tolerance, and genetic manipulation ease. Synthetic biological techniques using microalgae as a chassis offer several advantages in producing natural products, including availability of biosynthetic precursors, potential for synthesizing natural metabolites, superior quality and efficiency, environmental protection, and sustainable development. This article explores the advantages of bioproduction from microalgal chassis using synthetic biological techniques, suitability of microalgal bioreactor-based cell factories for producing value-added natural metabolites, and prospects and applications of microalgae in interstellar travel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiulan Xie
- Laboratory of Space Biology, Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Abdul Jaleel
- Department of Integrative Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jiasui Zhan
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maozhi Ren
- Laboratory of Space Biology, Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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3
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Chen Q, Lei J, Li X, Zhang J, Liu D, Cui X, Ge F. Heterologous synthesis of ginsenoside F1 and its precursors in Nicotiana benthamiana. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 299:154276. [PMID: 38801806 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2024.154276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Ginsenoside F1 has high medicinal values, which is a kind of rare triterpene saponin isolated from Panax plants. The extremely low content of ginsenoside F1 in herbs has limited its research and application in medical field. In this work, we constructed a pathway in tobacco for the biosynthesis of ginsenoside F1 by metabolic engineering. Four enzyme genes (PnDDS, CYP716A47, CYP716S1 and UGT71A56) isolated from Panax notoginseng were introduced into tobacco. Thus, a biosynthetic pathway for ginsenoside F1 synthesis was artificially constructed in tobacco cells; moreover, the four exogenous genes could be expressed in the roots, stems and leaves of transgenic plants. Consequently, ginsenoside F1 and its precursors were successfully synthesized in the transgenic tobacco, compared with Panax plants, the content of ginsenoside F1 in transgenic tobacco was doubled. In addition, accumulation of ginsenoside F1 and its precursors in transgenic tobacco shows organ specificity. Based on these results, a new approach was established to produce rare ginsenoside F1; meanwhile, such strategy could also be employed in plant hosts for the heterologous synthesis of other important or rare natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Utilization of Panax Notoginseng Resources of Yunnan Province, Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Jun Lei
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Utilization of Panax Notoginseng Resources of Yunnan Province, Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Xiaolei Li
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Utilization of Panax Notoginseng Resources of Yunnan Province, Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China; Analytical & Testing Research Center, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Jinyu Zhang
- Institute of Medicinal Plants, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, 650205, China
| | - Diqiu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Utilization of Panax Notoginseng Resources of Yunnan Province, Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Xiuming Cui
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Utilization of Panax Notoginseng Resources of Yunnan Province, Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China; State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Feng Ge
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Utilization of Panax Notoginseng Resources of Yunnan Province, Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China; State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Beijing, 100700, China.
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4
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Xie WL, Zhang MF, Huang ZY, Xu M, Li CX, Xu JH. Enhancing the biosynthesis of taxadien-5α-yl-acetate in Escherichia coli by combinatorial metabolic engineering approaches. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2024; 11:50. [PMID: 38753083 PMCID: PMC11098985 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-024-00762-8] [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: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Biosynthesis of paclitaxel (Taxol™) is a hot topic with extensive and durable interests for decades. However, it is severely hindered due to the very low titers of intermediates. In this study, Escherichia coli was employed to de novo synthesize a key intermediate of paclitaxel, taxadien-5α-yl-acetate (T5OAc). Plasmid-based pathway reconstruction and optimization were conducted for T5OAc production. The endogenous methylerythritol phosphate pathway was enhanced to increase the precursor supply. Three taxadien-5α-ol O-acetyltransferases were tested to obtain the best enzyme for the acetylation step. Metabolic burden was relieved to restore cell growth and promote production through optimizing the plasmid production system. In order to achieve metabolic balance, the biosynthesis pathway was regulated precisely by multivariate-modular metabolic engineering. Finally, in a 5-L bioreactor, the T5OAc titer was enhanced to reach 10.9 mg/L. This represents an approximately 272-fold increase in production compared to the original strain, marking the highest yield of T5OAc ever documented in E. coli, which is believed to be helpful for promoting the progress of paclitaxel biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Liang Xie
- Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Synthetic Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Mei-Fang Zhang
- Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Synthetic Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng-Yu Huang
- Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Synthetic Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Man Xu
- Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Synthetic Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun-Xiu Li
- Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Synthetic Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-He Xu
- Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Synthetic Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China.
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5
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Gou Y, Jiang X, Lian J. Intricate Metabolic Network for Paclitaxel Biosynthesis. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2024; 6:0035. [PMID: 38725579 PMCID: PMC11079447 DOI: 10.34133/bdr.0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Paclitaxel is a renowned broad-spectrum anticancer drug. With the establishment of a chromosome-level high-quality reference genome map of Taxus, recent research on paclitaxel biosynthesis has flourished. The oxetane ring is a distinctive chemical moiety of paclitaxel, and three recent studies have proposed different enzymes involved in its formation, reflecting divergent opinions on whether the pathway proceeds via acetylation followed by epoxidation or vice versa. Subsequently, researchers have elucidated gene clusters responsible for the biosynthesis of the key intermediate baccatin III. Despite varying reports, two studies successfully achieved heterologous biosynthesis of baccatin III by transient expression in tobacco. Taxadiene 5α-hydroxylase (T5αH), the first cytochrome P450 in the pathway, exhibited varied product profiles upon heterologous expression systems, contrasting with observations in native Taxus species, probably due to differences in partner proteins or cellular microenvironments. Further elucidation of biosynthesis mechanisms, including the reaction order and the promiscuity of key enzymes, is anticipated through collaborative efforts among botanists, chemists, and synthetic biologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanwei Gou
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Xiaojing Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Jiazhang Lian
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
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Kumari M, Checker VG, Kathpalia R, Srivastava V, Singh IK, Singh A. Metabolic engineering for enhanced terpenoid production: Leveraging new horizons with an old technique. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 210:108511. [PMID: 38593484 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Terpenoids are a vast class of plant specialized metabolites (PSMs) manufactured by plants and are involved in their interactions with environment. In addition, they add health benefits to human nutrition and are widely used as pharmaceutically active compounds. However, native plants produce a limited amount of terpenes restricting metabolite yield of terpene-related metabolites. Exponential growth in the plant metabolome data and the requirement of alternative approaches for producing the desired amount of terpenoids, has redirected plant biotechnology research to plant metabolic engineering, which requires in-depth knowledge and precise expertise about dynamic plant metabolic pathways and cellular physiology. Metabolic engineering is an assuring tool for enhancing the concentration of terpenes by adopting specific strategies such as overexpression of the key genes associated with the biosynthesis of targeted metabolites, controlling the modulation of transcription factors, downregulation of competitive pathways (RNAi), co-expression of the biosynthetic pathway genes in heterologous system and other combinatorial approaches. Microorganisms, fast-growing host plants (such as Nicotiana benthamiana), and cell suspension/callus cultures have provided better means for producing valuable terpenoids. Manipulation in the biosynthetic pathways responsible for synthesis of terpenoids can provide opportunities to enhance the content of desired terpenoids and open up new avenues to enhance their production. This review deliberates the worth of metabolic engineering in medicinal plants to resolve issues associated with terpenoid production at a commercial scale. However, to bring the revolution through metabolic engineering, further implementation of genome editing, elucidation of metabolic pathways using omics approaches, system biology approaches, and synthetic biology tactics are essentially needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Kumari
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi, 110021, India; Department of Botany, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | | | - Renu Kathpalia
- Department of Botany, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Vikas Srivastava
- Department of Botany, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Jammu, Samba, 181143, India
| | - Indrakant Kumar Singh
- Molecular Biology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Kalkaji, New Delhi, 110019, India
| | - Archana Singh
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi, 110021, India; Department of Botany, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India; Delhi School of Climate Change and Sustainability, Institution of Eminence, Maharishi Karnad Bhawan, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
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Garg A, Srivastava P, Verma PC, Ghosh S. ApCPS2 contributes to medicinal diterpenoid biosynthesis and defense against insect herbivore in Andrographis paniculata. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 342:112046. [PMID: 38395069 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata) spatiotemporally produces medicinally-important ent-labdane-related diterpenoids (ent-LRDs); andrographolide (AD), 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide (DDAD), neoandrographolide (NAD). ApCPS1 and ApCPS2, the ent-copalyl pyrophosphate (ent-CPP)-producing class II diterpene synthases (diTPSs) were identified, but their contributions to ent-CPP precursor supply for ent-LRD biosynthesis were not well understood. Here, we characterized ApCPS4, an additional ent-CPP-forming diTPS. Further, we elucidated in planta function of the ent-CPP-producing diTPSs (ApCPS1,2,4) by integrating transcript-metabolite co-profiles, biochemical analysis and gene functional characterization. ApCPS1,2,4 localized to the plastids, where diterpenoid biosynthesis occurs in plants, but ApCPS1,2,4 transcript expression patterns and ent-LRD contents revealed a strong correlation of ApCPS2 expression and ent-LRD accumulation in kalmegh. ApCPS1,2,4 upstream sequences differentially activated β-glucuronidase (GUS) in Arabidopsis and transiently-transformed kalmegh. Similar to higher expression of ApCPS1 in kalmegh stem, ApCPS1 upstream sequence activated GUS in stem/hypocotyl of Arabidopsis and kalmegh. However, ApCPS2,4 upstream sequences weakly activated GUS expression in Arabidopsis, which was not well correlated with ApCPS2,4 transcript expression in kalmegh tissues. Whereas, ApCPS2,4 upstream sequences could activate GUS expression at a considerable level in kalmegh leaf and roots/calyx, respectively, suggesting the involvement of transcriptional regulator(s) of ApCPS2,4 that might participate in kalmegh-specific diterpenoid pathway. Interestingly, ApCPS2-silenced kalmegh showed a drastic reduction in AD, DDAD and NAD contents and compromised defense against insect herbivore Spodoptera litura. However, ent-LRD contents and herbivore defense in ApCPS1 or ApCPS4-silenced plants remained largely unaltered. Overall, these results suggested an important role of ApCPS2 in producing ent-CPP for medicinal ent-LRD biosynthesis and defense against insect herbivore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anchal Garg
- Plant Biotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow 226015, India
| | - Payal Srivastava
- Plant Biotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow 226015, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Praveen Chandra Verma
- Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI), Lucknow 226001, India
| | - Sumit Ghosh
- Plant Biotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow 226015, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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8
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Adico MDW, Bayala B, Zoure AA, Lagarde A, Bazie JTV, Traore L, Buñay J, Yonli AT, Djigma F, Bambara HA, Baron S, Simporé J, Lobaccaro JMA. In vitro activities and mechanisms of action of anti-cancer molecules from African medicinal plants: a systematic review. Am J Cancer Res 2024; 14:1376-1401. [PMID: 38590420 PMCID: PMC10998760 DOI: 10.62347/auhb5811] [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: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In recent years, African countries have been faced with a rapid increase in morbidity and mortality due to this pathology. Management is often complicated by the high treatment costs, side effects and the increasing occurrence of resistance to treatments. The identification of new active ingredients extracted from endemic medicinal plants is definitively an interesting approach for the implementation of new therapeutic strategies: their extraction is often lower cost; their identification is based on an ethnobotanical history and a tradipratic approach; their use by low-income populations is simpler; this can help in the development of new synthetic molecules that are more active, more effective and with fewer side effects. The objective of this review is to document the molecules derived from African medicinal plants whose in vitro anti-cancer activities and the mechanisms of molecular actions have been identified. From the scientific databases Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar, we searched for publications on compounds isolated from African medicinal plants and having activity on cancer cells in culture. The data were analyzed in particular with regard to the cytotoxicity of the compounds and their mode of action. A total of 90 compounds of these African medicinal plants were selected. They come from nine chemical groups: alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, quinones, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, xanthones and organic sulfides. These compounds have been associated with several cellular effects: i) Cytotoxicity, including caspase activation, alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential, and/or induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS); ii) Anti-angiogenesis; iii) Anti-metastatic properties. This review points out that the cited African plants are rich in active ingredients with anticancer properties. It also stresses that screening of these anti-tumor active ingredients should be continued at the continental scale. Altogether, this work provides a rational basis for the selection of phytochemical compounds for use in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc DW Adico
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Génétique (LABIOGENE), Université Joseph KI-ZERBOOuagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni (CERBA)Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Bagora Bayala
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Génétique (LABIOGENE), Université Joseph KI-ZERBOOuagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni (CERBA)Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Ecole Normale SupérieureKoudougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Abdou A Zoure
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Génétique (LABIOGENE), Université Joseph KI-ZERBOOuagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni (CERBA)Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Laboratoire de recherches Biomédicales (LaReBio), Département de santé publique et biomédicale, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS/CNRST)Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Aurélie Lagarde
- Institute Génétique, Reproduction, Développement, UMR CNRS 6293, INSERM U1103, Université Clermont Auvergne28, Place Henri Dunant, BP38, F63001, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Jean TV Bazie
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Génétique (LABIOGENE), Université Joseph KI-ZERBOOuagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni (CERBA)Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Département des Substances Naturelles (DSN), Institut de Recherche en Sciences et Technologies Appliquées (IRSAT)Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Lassina Traore
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Génétique (LABIOGENE), Université Joseph KI-ZERBOOuagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni (CERBA)Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Julio Buñay
- Institute Génétique, Reproduction, Développement, UMR CNRS 6293, INSERM U1103, Université Clermont Auvergne28, Place Henri Dunant, BP38, F63001, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Albert T Yonli
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Génétique (LABIOGENE), Université Joseph KI-ZERBOOuagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni (CERBA)Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Florencia Djigma
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Génétique (LABIOGENE), Université Joseph KI-ZERBOOuagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni (CERBA)Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Hierrhum A Bambara
- Service d’oncologie, Centre hospitalier universitaire BOGODOGO, Université Joseph KI-ZERBOOuagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Silvère Baron
- Institute Génétique, Reproduction, Développement, UMR CNRS 6293, INSERM U1103, Université Clermont Auvergne28, Place Henri Dunant, BP38, F63001, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Jacques Simporé
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Génétique (LABIOGENE), Université Joseph KI-ZERBOOuagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Centre de Recherche Biomoléculaire Pietro Annigoni (CERBA)Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Faculté de médecine, Université Saint Thomas d’Aquin (USTA)Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Jean-Marc A Lobaccaro
- Institute Génétique, Reproduction, Développement, UMR CNRS 6293, INSERM U1103, Université Clermont Auvergne28, Place Henri Dunant, BP38, F63001, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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9
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Yang C, Wang Y, Su Z, Xiong L, Wang P, Lei W, Yan X, Ma D, Zhao G, Zhou Z. Biosynthesis of the highly oxygenated tetracyclic core skeleton of Taxol. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2339. [PMID: 38490987 PMCID: PMC10942993 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46583-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Taxol is a widely-applied anticancer drug that inhibits microtubule dynamics in actively replicating cells. Although a minimum 19-step biosynthetic pathway has been proposed and 16 enzymes likely involved have been characterized, stepwise biosynthetic reactions from the well-characterized di-oxygenated taxoids to Taxol tetracyclic core skeleton are yet to be elucidated. Here, we uncover the biosynthetic pathways for a few tri-oxygenated taxoids via confirming the critical reaction order of the second and third hydroxylation steps, unearth a taxoid 9α-hydroxylase catalyzing the fourth hydroxylation, and identify CYP725A55 catalyzing the oxetane ester formation via a cascade oxidation-concerted acyl rearrangement mechanism. After identifying a acetyltransferase catalyzing the formation of C7-OAc, the pathway producing the highly-oxygenated 1β-dehydroxybaccatin VI with the Taxol tetracyclic core skeleton is elucidated and its complete biosynthesis from taxa-4(20),11(12)-diene-5α-ol is achieved in an engineered yeast. These systematic studies lay the foundation for the complete elucidation of the biosynthetic pathway of Taxol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengshuai Yang
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Su
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lunyi Xiong
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pingping Wang
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen Lei
- Shanghai Research Institute of Chemical Industry, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing Yan
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Dawei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Guoping Zhao
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Zhihua Zhou
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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10
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Xu Z, Zhai Y, Chang H, Yan D, Ge P, Ren G, Zhang L, Yuan Y, Wang R, Li W, Li F, Ren M, Mo H. Heterologous expression of taxane genes confers resistance to fall armyworm in Nicotiana benthamiana. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2024; 43:94. [PMID: 38472660 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-024-03169-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Taxadiene synthase, taxadiene-5α-hydroxylase, and taxane 13α-hydroxylase genes were introduced into Nicotiana benthamiana, and the improved resistance to lepidoptera pest fall armyworm was reported. Fall armyworm (FAW) is a serious agricultural pest. Genetic engineering techniques have been used to create pest-resistant plant varieties for reducing pest damage. Paclitaxel is a diterpenoid natural metabolite with antineoplastic effects in medicine. However, the effects of taxanes on the growth and development of lepidoptera pests, such as the FAW, are unknown. Here, selected paclitaxel precursor biosynthesis pathway genes, taxadiene synthase, taxane 5α-hydroxylase, and taxane 13α-hydroxylase, were engineered in the heterologous host Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Bioassay experiments showed that the transgenic N. benthamiana plants displayed improved resistance to FAW infestation, with degeneration of gut tissues and induced expression of apoptosis-related genes. Cytotoxicity experiment showed that the paclitaxel precursor, 10-deacetylbaccatin III, is cytotoxic to Sf9 cells, causing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and disorder of the cytoskeleton. Metabolome analysis showed that heterologous expression of taxane genes in N. benthamiana affected the digestive system, steroid hormone and purine metabolism pathways of FAW larvae. In summary, this study provides a candidate approach for FAW control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenlu Xu
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Yaohua Zhai
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Huimin Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Da Yan
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Pengliang Ge
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430000, China
| | - Guangming Ren
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Lijun Zhang
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Ye Yuan
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Ruoyan Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450003, China
| | - Wentao Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450003, China
| | - Fuguang Li
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China.
| | - Maozhi Ren
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China.
- Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu, 610000, China.
| | - Huijuan Mo
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China.
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11
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Xiao Z, Yang Q, Lin X, Li FR, Zhang X, Xu HM, Wang Z, Wang J, Dong LB. Cytochrome P450-Mediated Skeleton Rearrangement of Taxadiene in an Engineered Escherichia coli System. Org Lett 2024; 26:1640-1644. [PMID: 38382064 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.4c00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we constructed a taxadiene overproduction platform and identified a cytochrome P450, CYP701A8, that activates the inert C-H bonds in taxadiene to produce three oxidized products (1-3). Compound 1 possesses a newly identified 1 (15→11) abeotaxane skeleton, while 3 features a distinctive 6/10-fused carbocyclic core with an α,β-unsaturated ketone moiety. Our quantum computations suggested a carbocation-driven rearrangement in the formation of 1. These results support CYP701A8 as a promising biocatalyst for the generation of novel taxane diterpenoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixi Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Qian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Xiaoxu Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Fang-Ru Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Hui-Min Xu
- The Public Laboratory Platform, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Zengyuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Jie Wang
- The Public Laboratory Platform, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Liao-Bin Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
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12
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Liu JCT, De La Peña R, Tocol C, Sattely ES. Reconstitution of early paclitaxel biosynthetic network. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1419. [PMID: 38360800 PMCID: PMC10869802 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45574-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Paclitaxel is an anticancer therapeutic produced by the yew tree. Over the last two decades, a significant bottleneck in the reconstitution of early paclitaxel biosynthesis has been the propensity of heterologously expressed pathway cytochromes P450, including taxadiene 5α-hydroxylase (T5αH), to form multiple products. Here, we structurally characterize four new products of T5αH, many of which appear to be over-oxidation of the primary mono-oxidized products. By tuning the promoter strength for T5αH expression in Nicotiana plants, we observe decreased levels of these proposed byproducts with a concomitant increase in the accumulation of taxadien-5α-ol, the paclitaxel precursor, by three-fold. This enables the reconstitution of a six step biosynthetic pathway, which we further show may function as a metabolic network. Our result demonstrates that six previously characterized Taxus genes can coordinatively produce key paclitaxel intermediates and serves as a crucial platform for the discovery of the remaining biosynthetic genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ricardo De La Peña
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christian Tocol
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Sattely
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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13
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Jiang B, Gao L, Wang H, Sun Y, Zhang X, Ke H, Liu S, Ma P, Liao Q, Wang Y, Wang H, Liu Y, Du R, Rogge T, Li W, Shang Y, Houk KN, Xiong X, Xie D, Huang S, Lei X, Yan J. Characterization and heterologous reconstitution of Taxus biosynthetic enzymes leading to baccatin III. Science 2024; 383:622-629. [PMID: 38271490 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj3484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Paclitaxel is a well known anticancer compound. Its biosynthesis involves the formation of a highly functionalized diterpenoid core skeleton (baccatin III) and the subsequent assembly of a phenylisoserinoyl side chain. Despite intensive investigation for half a century, the complete biosynthetic pathway of baccatin III remains unknown. In this work, we identified a bifunctional cytochrome P450 enzyme [taxane oxetanase 1 (TOT1)] in Taxus mairei that catalyzes an oxidative rearrangement in paclitaxel oxetane formation, which represents a previously unknown enzyme mechanism for oxetane ring formation. We created a screening strategy based on the taxusin biosynthesis pathway and uncovered the enzyme responsible for the taxane oxidation of the C9 position (T9αH1). Finally, we artificially reconstituted a biosynthetic pathway for the production of baccatin III in tobacco.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Jiang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lei Gao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Haijun Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yaping Sun
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaolin Zhang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Han Ke
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shengchao Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengchen Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Qinggang Liao
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huan Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yugeng Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ran Du
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Torben Rogge
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yi Shang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Potato Biology, The CAAS-YNNU-YINMORE Joint Academy of Potato Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
| | - K N Houk
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xingyao Xiong
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Daoxin Xie
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Sanwen Huang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaoguang Lei
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Institute for Cancer Research, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianbin Yan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
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14
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Zhao Y, Liang F, Xie Y, Duan YT, Andeadelli A, Pateraki I, Makris AM, Pomorski TG, Staerk D, Kampranis SC. Oxetane Ring Formation in Taxol Biosynthesis Is Catalyzed by a Bifunctional Cytochrome P450 Enzyme. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:801-810. [PMID: 38129385 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c10864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Taxol is a potent drug used in various cancer treatments. Its complex structure has prompted extensive research into its biosynthesis. However, certain critical steps, such as the formation of the oxetane ring, which is essential for its activity, have remained unclear. Previous proposals suggested that oxetane formation follows the acetylation of taxadien-5α-ol. Here, we proposed that the oxetane ring is formed by cytochrome P450-mediated oxidation events that occur prior to C5 acetylation. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the genomic and transcriptomic information for Taxus species to identify cytochrome P450 candidates and employed two independent systems, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and plant (Nicotiana benthamiana), for their characterization. We revealed that a single enzyme, CYP725A4, catalyzes two successive epoxidation events, leading to the formation of the oxetane ring. We further showed that both taxa-4(5)-11(12)-diene (endotaxadiene) and taxa-4(20)-11(12)-diene (exotaxadiene) are precursors to the key intermediate, taxologenic oxetane, indicating the potential existence of multiple routes in the Taxol pathway. Thus, we unveiled a long-elusive step in Taxol biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zhao
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
| | - Feiyan Liang
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
| | - Yuman Xie
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
| | - Yao-Tao Duan
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
| | - Aggeliki Andeadelli
- Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research & Technology, Hellas (CERTH), Thessaloniki 57001, Greece
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, Myrina 81100, Lemnos, Greece
| | - Irini Pateraki
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
| | - Antonios M Makris
- Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research & Technology, Hellas (CERTH), Thessaloniki 57001, Greece
| | - Thomas G Pomorski
- Transport Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
| | - Dan Staerk
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Sotirios C Kampranis
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
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15
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Ren X, Lin C, Huang Y, Su T, Guo J, Yang L. Miltiradiene Production by Cytoplasmic Metabolic Engineering in Nicotiana benthamiana. Metabolites 2023; 13:1188. [PMID: 38132870 PMCID: PMC10745046 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13121188] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant natural products are important sources of innovative drugs, but the extraction and isolation of medicinal natural products from plants is challenging as these compounds have complex structures that are difficult to synthesize chemically. Therefore, utilizing heterologous expression systems to produce medicinal natural products in plants is a novel, environmentally friendly, and sustainable method. In this study, Nicotiana benthamiana was used as the plant platform to successfully produce miltiradiene, the key intermediate of tanshinones, which are the bioactive constituents of the Chinese medicinal plant Salvia miltiorrhiza. The yield of miltiradiene was increased through cytoplasmic engineering strategies combined with the enhancement of isoprenoid precursors. Additionally, we discovered that overexpressing SmHMGR alone accelerated apoptosis in tobacco leaves. Due to the richer membrane systems and cofactors in tobacco compared to yeast, tobacco is more conducive to the expression of plant enzymes. Therefore, this study lays the foundation for dissecting the tanshinone biosynthetic pathway in tobacco, which is essential for subsequent research. Additionally, it highlights the potential of N. benthamiana as an alternative platform for the production of natural products in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangxiang Ren
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; (X.R.); (T.S.)
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai 201602, China; (C.L.); (Y.H.)
| | - Chuhang Lin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai 201602, China; (C.L.); (Y.H.)
| | - Yanbo Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai 201602, China; (C.L.); (Y.H.)
| | - Tao Su
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; (X.R.); (T.S.)
| | - Juan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-Di Herbs, Beijing 100700, China;
| | - Lei Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai 201602, China; (C.L.); (Y.H.)
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16
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Zhang Y, Wiese L, Fang H, Alseekh S, Perez de Souza L, Scossa F, Molloy J, Christmann M, Fernie AR. Synthetic biology identifies the minimal gene set required for paclitaxel biosynthesis in a plant chassis. MOLECULAR PLANT 2023; 16:1951-1961. [PMID: 37897038 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
The diterpenoid paclitaxel (Taxol) is a chemotherapy medication widely used as a first-line treatment against several types of solid cancers. The supply of paclitaxel from natural sources is limited. However, missing knowledge about the genes involved in several specific metabolic steps of paclitaxel biosynthesis has rendered it difficult to engineer the full pathway. In this study, we used a combination of transcriptomics, cell biology, metabolomics, and pathway reconstitution to identify the complete gene set required for the heterologous production of paclitaxel. We identified the missing steps from the current model of paclitaxel biosynthesis and confirmed the activity of most of the missing enzymes via heterologous expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. Notably, we identified a new C4β-C20 epoxidase that could overcome the first bottleneck of metabolic engineering. We used both previously characterized and newly identified oxomutases/epoxidases, taxane 1β-hydroxylase, taxane 9α-hydroxylase, taxane 9α-dioxygenase, and phenylalanine-CoA ligase, to successfully biosynthesize the key intermediate baccatin III and to convert baccatin III into paclitaxel in N. benthamiana. In combination, these approaches establish a metabolic route to taxoid biosynthesis and provide insights into the unique chemistry that plants use to generate complex bioactive metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjun Zhang
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
| | - Lorenz Wiese
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hao Fang
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Saleh Alseekh
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Leonardo Perez de Souza
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Federico Scossa
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Research Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics (CREA-GB), Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
| | - John Molloy
- Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Mathias Christmann
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
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17
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Yao L, Wu X, Jiang X, Shan M, Zhang Z, Li Y, Yang A, Li Y, Yang C. Subcellular compartmentalization in the biosynthesis and engineering of plant natural products. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 69:108258. [PMID: 37722606 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Plant natural products (PNPs) are specialized metabolites with diverse bioactivities. They are extensively used in the pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical and food industries. PNPs are synthesized in plant cells by enzymes that are distributed in different subcellular compartments with unique microenvironments, such as ions, co-factors and substrates. Plant metabolic engineering is an emerging and promising approach for the sustainable production of PNPs, for which the knowledge of the subcellular compartmentalization of their biosynthesis is instrumental. In this review we describe the state of the art on the role of subcellular compartments in the biosynthesis of major types of PNPs, including terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids and glucosinolates, and highlight the efforts to target biosynthetic pathways to subcellular compartments in plants. In addition, we will discuss the challenges and strategies in the field of plant synthetic biology and subcellular engineering. We expect that newly developed methods and tools, together with the knowledge gained from the microbial chassis, will greatly advance plant metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Yao
- Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266100, China
| | - Xiuming Wu
- Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266100, China
| | - Xun Jiang
- Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266100, China
| | - Muhammad Shan
- Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266100, China
| | - Zhuoxiang Zhang
- Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266100, China
| | - Yiting Li
- Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266100, China
| | - Aiguo Yang
- Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266100, China
| | - Yu Li
- Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Changqing Yang
- Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266100, China.
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18
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Li C, Qi Y, Sun Z, Jiang M, Li C. Way to efficient microbial paclitaxel mass production. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:673-681. [PMID: 37954482 PMCID: PMC10632112 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbial synthesis of paclitaxel is attractive for its short-cycle, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability. However, low paclitaxel productivity, depleted capacity during subculture and storage, and unclear biosynthesis mechanisms restrain industrial microbial synthesis. Along with the isolation of various paclitaxel-producing microorganisms and the development of versatile molecular tools, tremendous promises for microbial paclitaxel synthesis have become increasingly prominent. In this review, we summarize the progress of microbial synthesis of paclitaxel in recent years, focusing on paclitaxel-producing endophytes and representative engineering microorganism hosts that were used as chassis for paclitaxel precursor synthesis. Numerous wide-type microbes can manufacture paclitaxel, and fermentation process optimization and strain improvement can greatly enhance the productivity. Engineered microbes can efficiently synthesize precursors of paclitaxel by introducing exogenous synthetic pathway. Mining paclitaxel synthetic pathways and genetic manipulation of endophytes will accelerate the construction of microbial cell factories, indefinitely contributing to paclitaxel mass production by microbes. This review emphasizes the potential and provides solutions for efficient microbial paclitaxel mass production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyue Li
- School of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Yanli Qi
- School of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Zhongke Sun
- School of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
- Nanyang Institute of Medical Plant Technology and Industry, Nanyang, 473005, China
| | - Mengwan Jiang
- School of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Chengwei Li
- School of Biological Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
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19
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Lin J, Yin X, Zeng Y, Hong X, Zhang S, Cui B, Zhu Q, Liang Z, Xue Z, Yang D. Progress and prospect: Biosynthesis of plant natural products based on plant chassis. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 69:108266. [PMID: 37778531 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Plant-derived natural products are a specific class of active substances with numerous applications in the medical, energy, and industrial fields. Many of these substances are in high demand and have become the fundamental materials for various purposes. Recently, the use of synthetic biology to produce plant-derived natural products has become a significant trend. Plant chassis, in particular, offer unique advantages over microbial chassis in terms of cell structure, product affinity, safety, and storage. The development of the plant hairy root tissue culture system has accelerated the commercialization and industrialization of synthetic biology in the production of plant-derived natural products. This paper will present recent progress in the synthesis of various plant natural products using plant chassis, organized by the types of different structures. Additionally, we will summarize the four primary types of plant chassis used for synthesizing natural products from plant sources and review the enabling technologies that have contributed to the development of synthetic biology in recent years. Finally, we will present the role of isolated and combined use of different optimization strategies in breaking the upper limit of natural product production in plant chassis. This review aims to provide practical references for synthetic biologists and highlight the great commercial potential of plant chassis biosynthesis, such as hairy roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Lin
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation in Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Xue Yin
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Youran Zeng
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation in Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Xinyu Hong
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation in Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Shuncang Zhang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Beimi Cui
- Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - Qinlong Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zongsuo Liang
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation in Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Zheyong Xue
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China..
| | - Dongfeng Yang
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation in Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China; Shaoxing Biomedical Research Institute of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University Co., Ltd, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for the Development Technology of Medicinal and Edible Homologous Health Food, Shaoxing 312075, China.
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20
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Wang Q, Zhao X, Jiang Y, Jin B, Wang L. Functions of Representative Terpenoids and Their Biosynthesis Mechanisms in Medicinal Plants. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1725. [PMID: 38136596 PMCID: PMC10741589 DOI: 10.3390/biom13121725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Terpenoids are the broadest and richest group of chemicals obtained from plants. These plant-derived terpenoids have been extensively utilized in various industries, including food and pharmaceuticals. Several specific terpenoids have been identified and isolated from medicinal plants, emphasizing the diversity of biosynthesis and specific functionality of terpenoids. With advances in the technology of sequencing, the genomes of certain important medicinal plants have been assembled. This has improved our knowledge of the biosynthesis and regulatory molecular functions of terpenoids with medicinal functions. In this review, we introduce several notable medicinal plants that produce distinct terpenoids (e.g., Cannabis sativa, Artemisia annua, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Ginkgo biloba, and Taxus media). We summarize the specialized roles of these terpenoids in plant-environment interactions as well as their significance in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Additionally, we highlight recent findings in the fields of molecular regulation mechanisms involved in these distinct terpenoids biosynthesis, and propose future opportunities in terpenoid research, including biology seeding, and genetic engineering in medicinal plants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Li Wang
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Q.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.J.); (B.J.)
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21
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Zhang Z, Huang L, Zhang ZJ, Xu JH, Yu HL. Rational Design of Taxadiene Hydroxylase by Ancestral Enzyme Construction and the Elucidation of Key Amino Acids. Biochemistry 2023; 62:3214-3221. [PMID: 37902563 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00411] [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: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP450s) play an important role in the biosynthesis of natural products by activating inert C-H bonds and inserting hydroxyl groups. However, the activities of most plant-derived CYP450s are extremely low, limiting the heterologous biosynthesis of natural products. Traditional enzyme engineering methods, either rational or screening-based, are not suitable for CYP450s because of the lack of crystal structures and high-throughput screening methods for this class of enzymes. CYP725A4 is the first hydroxylase involved in the biosynthesis pathway of Taxol. Its low activity, promiscuity, and multispecificity make it a bottleneck in Taxol biosynthesis. Here, we identified key amino acids that affect the in vivo activity of CYP725A4 by constructing the ancestral enzymes of CYP725A4. We obtained positive mutants that showed an improved yield of hydroxylated products based on the key amino acids identified, providing guidance for the modification of other CYP450s involved in the biosynthesis of natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Longhao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jian-He Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Hui-Lei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
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22
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Yu J, Wang X, Yuan Q, Shi J, Cai J, Li Z, Ma H. Elucidating the impact of in vitro cultivation on Nicotiana tabacum metabolism through combined in silico modeling and multiomics analysis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1281348. [PMID: 38023876 PMCID: PMC10655011 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1281348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The systematical characterization and understanding of the metabolic behaviors are the basis of the efficient plant metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. Genome-scale metabolic networks (GSMNs) are indispensable tools for the comprehensive characterization of overall metabolic profile. Here we first constructed a GSMN of tobacco, which is one of the most widely used plant chassis, and then combined the tobacco GSMN and multiomics analysis to systematically elucidate the impact of in-vitro cultivation on the tobacco metabolic network. In-vitro cultivation is a widely used technique for plant cultivation, not only in the field of basic research but also for the rapid propagation of valuable horticultural and pharmaceutical plants. However, the systemic effects of in-vitro cultivation on overall plant metabolism could easily be overlooked and are still poorly understood. We found that in-vitro tobacco showed slower growth, less biomass and suppressed photosynthesis than soil-grown tobacco. Many changes of metabolites and metabolic pathways between in-vitro and soil-grown tobacco plants were identified, which notably revealed a significant increase of the amino acids content under in-vitro condition. The in silico investigation showed that in-vitro tobacco downregulated photosynthesis and primary carbon metabolism, while significantly upregulated the GS/GOGAT cycle, as well as producing more energy and less NADH/NADPH to acclimate in-vitro growth demands. Altogether, the combination of experimental and in silico analyses offers an unprecedented view of tobacco metabolism, with valuable insights into the impact of in-vitro cultivation, enabling more efficient utilization of in-vitro techniques for plant propagation and metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yu
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- Biodesign Center, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Qianqian Yuan
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- Biodesign Center, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiaxin Shi
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Jingyi Cai
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- Biodesign Center, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhichao Li
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Hongwu Ma
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- Biodesign Center, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
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23
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Wang HT, Wang ZL, Chen K, Yao MJ, Zhang M, Wang RS, Zhang JH, Ågren H, Li FD, Li J, Qiao X, Ye M. Insights into the missing apiosylation step in flavonoid apiosides biosynthesis of Leguminosae plants. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6658. [PMID: 37863881 PMCID: PMC10589286 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42393-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Apiose is a natural pentose containing an unusual branched-chain structure. Apiosides are bioactive natural products widely present in the plant kingdom. However, little is known on the key apiosylation reaction in the biosynthetic pathways of apiosides. In this work, we discover an apiosyltransferase GuApiGT from Glycyrrhiza uralensis. GuApiGT could efficiently catalyze 2″-O-apiosylation of flavonoid glycosides, and exhibits strict selectivity towards UDP-apiose. We further solve the crystal structure of GuApiGT, determine a key sugar-binding motif (RLGSDH) through structural analysis and theoretical calculations, and obtain mutants with altered sugar selectivity through protein engineering. Moreover, we discover 121 candidate apiosyltransferase genes from Leguminosae plants, and identify the functions of 4 enzymes. Finally, we introduce GuApiGT and its upstream genes into Nicotiana benthamiana, and complete de novo biosynthesis of a series of flavonoid apiosides. This work reports an efficient phenolic apiosyltransferase, and reveals mechanisms for its sugar donor selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Tian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Zi-Long Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Kuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ming-Ju Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Rong-Shen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jia-He Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Hans Ågren
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, SE-751 20, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fu-Dong Li
- National Science Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale Division of Molecular & Cell Biophysics and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Junhao Li
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, SE-751 20, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Xue Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Min Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
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24
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Shelake RM, Jadhav AM, Bhosale PB, Kim JY. Unlocking secrets of nature's chemists: Potential of CRISPR/Cas-based tools in plant metabolic engineering for customized nutraceutical and medicinal profiles. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 203:108070. [PMID: 37816270 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.108070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Plant species have evolved diverse metabolic pathways to effectively respond to internal and external signals throughout their life cycle, allowing adaptation to their sessile and phototropic nature. These pathways selectively activate specific metabolic processes, producing plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) governed by genetic and environmental factors. Humans have utilized PSM-enriched plant sources for millennia in medicine and nutraceuticals. Recent technological advances have significantly contributed to discovering metabolic pathways and related genes involved in the biosynthesis of specific PSM in different food crops and medicinal plants. Consequently, there is a growing demand for plant materials rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, marketed as "superfoods". To meet the industrial demand for superfoods and therapeutic PSMs, modern methods such as system biology, omics, synthetic biology, and genome editing (GE) play a crucial role in identifying the molecular players, limiting steps, and regulatory circuitry involved in PSM production. Among these methods, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR associated protein (CRISPR/Cas) is the most widely used system for plant GE due to its simple design, flexibility, precision, and multiplexing capabilities. Utilizing the CRISPR-based toolbox for metabolic engineering (ME) offers an ideal solution for developing plants with tailored preventive (nutraceuticals) and curative (therapeutic) metabolic profiles in an ecofriendly way. This review discusses recent advances in understanding the multifactorial regulation of metabolic pathways, the application of CRISPR-based tools for plant ME, and the potential research areas for enhancing plant metabolic profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Mahadev Shelake
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four Program), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea.
| | - Amol Maruti Jadhav
- Research Institute of Green Energy Convergence Technology (RIGET), Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Pritam Bhagwan Bhosale
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Yean Kim
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four Program), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea; Division of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea; Nulla Bio Inc, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea.
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25
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Chun-Ting Liu J, De La Pena R, Tocol C, Sattely ES. Reconstitution of Early Paclitaxel Biosynthetic Network. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.27.559859. [PMID: 37808792 PMCID: PMC10557666 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.27.559859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Paclitaxel is an anticancer therapeutic produced by the yew tree. Over the last two decades, a significant bottleneck in the reconstitution of early paclitaxel biosynthesis has been the propensity of heterologously expressed pathway cytochromes P450, including taxadiene 5α-hydroxylase (T5αH), to form multiple products. This diverts metabolic flux away from the paclitaxel precursor, taxadien-5α-ol, thus previous attempts of reconstitution have not yielded sufficient material for characterization, regardless of the heterologous host. Here, we structurally characterized four new products of T5αH, many of which appear to be over-oxidation of the primary mono-oxidized products. By tuning the promoter strength for T5αH expression, levels of these proposed byproducts decrease with a concomitant increase in the accumulation of taxadien-5α-ol by four-fold. This engineered system enabled the reconstitution of a six step biosynthetic pathway to produce isolatable 5α,10β-diacetoxy-taxadien-13α-ol. Furthermore, we showed that this pathway may function as a metabolic network rather than a linear pathway. The engineering of the paclitaxel biosynthetic network demonstrates that Taxus genes can coordinatively function for the biosynthetic production of key early stage paclitaxel intermediates and serves as a crucial platform for the discovery of the remaining biosynthetic genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Chun-Ting Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Ricardo De La Pena
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Christian Tocol
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Elizabeth S Sattely
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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26
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Zhang XE, Liu C, Dai J, Yuan Y, Gao C, Feng Y, Wu B, Wei P, You C, Wang X, Si T. Enabling technology and core theory of synthetic biology. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023; 66:1742-1785. [PMID: 36753021 PMCID: PMC9907219 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2214-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology provides a new paradigm for life science research ("build to learn") and opens the future journey of biotechnology ("build to use"). Here, we discuss advances of various principles and technologies in the mainstream of the enabling technology of synthetic biology, including synthesis and assembly of a genome, DNA storage, gene editing, molecular evolution and de novo design of function proteins, cell and gene circuit engineering, cell-free synthetic biology, artificial intelligence (AI)-aided synthetic biology, as well as biofoundries. We also introduce the concept of quantitative synthetic biology, which is guiding synthetic biology towards increased accuracy and predictability or the real rational design. We conclude that synthetic biology will establish its disciplinary system with the iterative development of enabling technologies and the maturity of the core theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian-En Zhang
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Chenli Liu
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Junbiao Dai
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Yingjin Yuan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
| | - Caixia Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Yan Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Bian Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Ping Wei
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Chun You
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.
| | - Xiaowo Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics; Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology; Bioinformatics Division, Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology; Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Tong Si
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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27
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Xu M, Xie W, Luo Z, Li CX, Hua Q, Xu J. Improving solubility and copy number of taxadiene synthase to enhance the titer of taxadiene in Yarrowia lipolytica. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:331-338. [PMID: 37215159 PMCID: PMC10196790 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Taxadiene is an important precursor for the biosynthesis of highly effective anticancer drug paclitaxel, but its microbial biosynthesis yield is very low. In this study, we employed Yarrowia lipolytica as a microbial host to produce taxadiene. First, a "push-pull" strategy was adopted to increase taxadiene production by 234%. Then taxadiene synthase was fused with five solubilizing tags respectively, leading a maximum increase of 62.3% in taxadiene production when fused with SUMO. Subsequently, a multi-copy iterative integration method was used to further increase taxadiene titer, achieving the maximum titer of 23.7 mg/L in shake flask culture after three rounds of integration. Finally, the taxadiene titer was increased to 101.4 mg/L by optimization of the fed-batch fermentation conditions. This is the first report of taxadiene biosynthesis accomplished in Y. lipolytica, serving as a good example for the sustainable production of taxadiene and other terpenoids in this oleaginous yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing and School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Wenliang Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing and School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Zhen Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing and School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Chun-Xiu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing and School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Qiang Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing and School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Jianhe Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing and School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China
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28
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Zhao N, Song Y, Xie X, Zhu Z, Duan C, Nong C, Wang H, Bao R. Synthetic biology-inspired cell engineering in diagnosis, treatment, and drug development. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:112. [PMID: 36906608 PMCID: PMC10007681 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01375-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The fast-developing synthetic biology (SB) has provided many genetic tools to reprogram and engineer cells for improved performance, novel functions, and diverse applications. Such cell engineering resources can play a critical role in the research and development of novel therapeutics. However, there are certain limitations and challenges in applying genetically engineered cells in clinical practice. This literature review updates the recent advances in biomedical applications, including diagnosis, treatment, and drug development, of SB-inspired cell engineering. It describes technologies and relevant examples in a clinical and experimental setup that may significantly impact the biomedicine field. At last, this review concludes the results with future directions to optimize the performances of synthetic gene circuits to regulate the therapeutic activities of cell-based tools in specific diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ninglin Zhao
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yingjie Song
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiangqian Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center of Nanjing University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ziqi Zhu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chenxi Duan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Cheng Nong
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Huan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center of Nanjing University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Rui Bao
- Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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29
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Chen J, Tan J, Duan X, Wang Y, Wen J, Li W, Li Z, Wang G, Xu H. Plastidial engineering with coupled farnesyl diphosphate pool reconstitution and enhancement for sesquiterpene biosynthesis in tomato fruit. Metab Eng 2023; 77:41-52. [PMID: 36893914 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Sesquiterpenes represent a large class of terpene compounds found in plants with broad applications such as pharmaceuticals and biofuels. The plastidial MEP pathway in ripening tomato fruit is naturally optimized to provide the 5-carbon isoprene building blocks of all terpenes for production of the tetraterpene pigment lycopene and other carotenoids, making it an excellent plant system to be engineered for production of high-value terpenoids. We reconstituted and enhanced the pool of sesquiterpene precursor farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) in plastids of tomato fruit by overexpressing the fusion gene DXS-FPPS encoding a fusion protein of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXS) linked with farnesyl diphosphate synthase (originally called farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, and abbreviated as FPPS) under the control of fruit-ripening specific polygalacturonase (PG) promoter concomitant with substantial reduction in lycopene content and large production of FPP-derived squalene. The supply of precursors achieved by the fusion gene expression can be harnessed by an engineered sesquiterpene synthase that is retargeted to plastid to engineer high-yield sesquiterpene production in tomato fruit, offering an effective production system for high-value sesquiterpene ingredients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
| | - Jing Tan
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
| | - Xinyu Duan
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
| | - Ying Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
| | - Jing Wen
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
| | - Wei Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Agricultural Synthetic Biology, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518120, China; Kunpeng Institute of Modern Agriculture at Foshan, Foshan, 528200, China.
| | - Zhengguo Li
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
| | - Guodong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Haiyang Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
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30
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Yin X, Liu J, Kou C, Lu J, Zhang H, Song W, Li Y, Xue Z, Hua X. Deciphering the network of cholesterol biosynthesis in Paris polyphylla laid a base for efficient diosgenin production in plant chassis. Metab Eng 2023; 76:232-246. [PMID: 36849090 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.02.009] [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: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Cholesterol serves as a key precursor for many high-value chemicals such as plant-derived steroidal saponins and steroidal alkaloids, but a plant chassis for effective biosynthesis of high levels of cholesterol has not been established. Plant chassis have significant advantages over microbial chassis in terms of membrane protein expression, precursor supply, product tolerance, and regionalization synthesis. Here, using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient expression technology, Nicotiana benthamiana, and a step-by-step screening approach, we identified nine enzymes (SSR1-3, SMO1-3, CPI-5, CYP51G, SMO2-2, C14-R-2, 8,7SI-4, C5-SD1, and 7-DR1-1) from the medicinal plant Paris polyphylla and established detailed biosynthetic routes from cycloartenol to cholesterol. Specfically, we optimized HMGR, a key gene of the mevalonate pathway, and co-expressed it with the PpOSC1 gene to achieve a high level of cycloartenol (28.79 mg/g dry weight, which is a sufficient amount of precursor for cholesterol biosynthesis) synthesis in the leaves of N. benthamiana. Subsequently, using a one-by-one elimination method we found that six of these enzymes (SSR1-3, SMO1-3, CPI-5, CYP51G, SMO2-2, and C5-SD1) were crucial for cholesterol production in N. benthamiana, and we establihed a high-efficiency cholesterol synthesis system with a yield of 5.63 mg/g dry weight. Using this strategy, we also discovered the biosynthetic metabolic network responsible for the synthesis of a common aglycon of steroidal saponin, diosgenin, using cholesterol as a substrate, obtaining a yield of 2.12 mg/g dry weight in N. benthamiana. Our study provides an effective strategy to characterize the metabolic pathways of medicinal plants that lack a system for in vivo functional verification, and also lays a foundation for the synthesis of active steroid saponins in plant chassis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Yin
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Chengxi Kou
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Jiaojiao Lu
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - He Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Wei Song
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
| | - Yuhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
| | - Zheyong Xue
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
| | - Xin Hua
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
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31
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MYC2: A Master Switch for Plant Physiological Processes and Specialized Metabolite Synthesis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043511. [PMID: 36834921 PMCID: PMC9963318 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway plays important roles in plant defenses, development, and the synthesis of specialized metabolites synthesis. Transcription factor MYC2 is a major regulator of the JA signaling pathway and is involved in the regulation of plant physiological processes and specialized metabolite synthesis. Based on our understanding of the mechanism underlying the regulation of specialized metabolite synthesis in plants by the transcription factor MYC2, the use of synthetic biology approaches to design MYC2-driven chassis cells for the synthesis of specialized metabolites with high medicinal value, such as paclitaxel, vincristine, and artemisinin, seems to be a promising strategy. In this review, the regulatory role of MYC2 in JA signal transduction of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses, plant growth, development and specialized metabolite synthesis is described in detail, which will provide valuable reference for the use of MYC2 molecular switches to regulate plant specialized metabolite biosynthesis.
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32
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Zhang Y, Ma L, Su P, Huang L, Gao W. Cytochrome P450s in plant terpenoid biosynthesis: discovery, characterization and metabolic engineering. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2023; 43:1-21. [PMID: 34865579 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2021.2003292] [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] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
As the largest family of natural products, terpenoids play valuable roles in medicine, agriculture, cosmetics and food. However, the traditional methods that rely on direct extraction from the original plants not only produce low yields, but also result in waste of resources, and are not applicable at all to endangered species. Modern heterologous biosynthesis is considered a promising, efficient, and sustainable production method, but it relies on the premise of a complete analysis of the biosynthetic pathway of terpenoids, especially the functionalization processes involving downstream cytochrome P450s. In this review, we systematically introduce the biotech approaches used to discover and characterize plant terpenoid-related P450s in recent years. In addition, we propose corresponding metabolic engineering approaches to increase the effective expression of P450 and improve the yield of terpenoids, and also elaborate on metabolic engineering strategies and examples of heterologous biosynthesis of terpenoids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and plant hosts. Finally, we provide perspectives for the biotech approaches to be developed for future research on terpenoid-related P450.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Zhang
- Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Ma
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ping Su
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, USA
| | - Luqi Huang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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33
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Liu X, Zhang P, Zhao Q, Huang AC. Making small molecules in plants: A chassis for synthetic biology-based production of plant natural products. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 65:417-443. [PMID: 35852486 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant natural products have been extensively exploited in food, medicine, flavor, cosmetic, renewable fuel, and other industrial sectors. Synthetic biology has recently emerged as a promising means for the cost-effective and sustainable production of natural products. Compared with engineering microbes for the production of plant natural products, the potential of plants as chassis for producing these compounds is underestimated, largely due to challenges encountered in engineering plants. Knowledge in plant engineering is instrumental for enabling the effective and efficient production of valuable phytochemicals in plants, and also paves the way for a more sustainable future agriculture. In this manuscript, we briefly recap the biosynthesis of plant natural products, focusing primarily on industrially important terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenylpropanoids. We further summarize the plant hosts and strategies that have been used to engineer the production of natural products. The challenges and opportunities of using plant synthetic biology to achieve rapid and scalable production of high-value plant natural products are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, SUSTech-PKU Institute of Plant and Food Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Peijun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, SUSTech-PKU Institute of Plant and Food Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Qiao Zhao
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Ancheng C Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, SUSTech-PKU Institute of Plant and Food Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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34
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Perez-Matas E, Hidalgo-Martinez D, Escrich A, Alcalde MA, Moyano E, Bonfill M, Palazon J. Genetic approaches in improving biotechnological production of taxanes: An update. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1100228. [PMID: 36778697 PMCID: PMC9909606 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1100228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Paclitaxel (PTX) and its derivatives are diterpene alkaloids widely used as chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of various types of cancer. Due to the scarcity of PTX in nature, its production in cell cultures and plant organs is a major challenge for plant biotechnology. Although significant advances have been made in this field through the development of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology techniques, production levels remain insufficient to meet the current market demand for these powerful anticancer drugs. A key stumbling block is the difficulty of genetically transforming the gymnosperm Taxus spp. This review focuses on the progress made in improving taxane production through genetic engineering techniques. These include the overexpression of limiting genes in the taxane biosynthetic pathway and transcription factors involved in its regulation in Taxus spp. cell cultures and transformed roots, as well as the development and optimization of transformation techniques. Attempts to produce taxanes in heterologous organisms such as bacteria and yeasts are also described. Although promising results have been reported, the transfer of the entire PTX metabolic route has not been possible to date, and taxane biosynthesis is still restricted to Taxus cells and some endophytic fungi. The development of a synthetic organism other than Taxus cells capable of biotechnologically producing PTX will probably have to wait until the complete elucidation of its metabolic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Perez-Matas
- Department of Biology, Healthcare and the Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diego Hidalgo-Martinez
- Department of Biology, Healthcare and the Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ainoa Escrich
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida (MELIS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Angel Alcalde
- Department of Biology, Healthcare and the Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisabeth Moyano
- Departament de Medicina i Ciències de la Vida (MELIS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mercedes Bonfill
- Department of Biology, Healthcare and the Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Palazon
- Department of Biology, Healthcare and the Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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35
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Mellor SB, Behrendorff JBYH, Ipsen JØ, Crocoll C, Laursen T, Gillam EMJ, Pribil M. Exploiting photosynthesis-driven P450 activity to produce indican in tobacco chloroplasts. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 13:1049177. [PMID: 36743583 PMCID: PMC9890960 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1049177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic organelles offer attractive features for engineering small molecule bioproduction by their ability to convert solar energy into chemical energy required for metabolism. The possibility to couple biochemical production directly to photosynthetic assimilation as a source of energy and substrates has intrigued metabolic engineers. Specifically, the chemical diversity found in plants often relies on cytochrome P450-mediated hydroxylations that depend on reductant supply for catalysis and which often lead to metabolic bottlenecks for heterologous production of complex molecules. By directing P450 enzymes to plant chloroplasts one can elegantly deal with such redox prerequisites. In this study, we explore the capacity of the plant photosynthetic machinery to drive P450-dependent formation of the indigo precursor indoxyl-β-D-glucoside (indican) by targeting an engineered indican biosynthetic pathway to tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) chloroplasts. We show that both native and engineered variants belonging to the human CYP2 family are catalytically active in chloroplasts when driven by photosynthetic reducing power and optimize construct designs to improve productivity. However, while increasing supply of tryptophan leads to an increase in indole accumulation, it does not improve indican productivity, suggesting that P450 activity limits overall productivity. Co-expression of different redox partners also does not improve productivity, indicating that supply of reducing power is not a bottleneck. Finally, in vitro kinetic measurements showed that the different redox partners were efficiently reduced by photosystem I but plant ferredoxin provided the highest light-dependent P450 activity. This study demonstrates the inherent ability of photosynthesis to support P450-dependent metabolic pathways. Plants and photosynthetic microbes are therefore uniquely suited for engineering P450-dependent metabolic pathways regardless of enzyme origin. Our findings have implications for metabolic engineering in photosynthetic hosts for production of high-value chemicals or drug metabolites for pharmacological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silas B. Mellor
- Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - James B. Y. H. Behrendorff
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Johan Ø. Ipsen
- Section for Forest, Nature and Biomass, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Christoph Crocoll
- DynaMo Center, Section for Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Tomas Laursen
- Section for Plant Biochemistry, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Elizabeth M. J. Gillam
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Mathias Pribil
- Section for Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
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36
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Chen L, Xiao W, Yao M, Wang Y, Yuan Y. Compartmentalization engineering of yeasts to overcome precursor limitations and cytotoxicity in terpenoid production. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1132244. [PMID: 36911190 PMCID: PMC9997727 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1132244] [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: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic engineering strategies for terpenoid production have mainly focused on bottlenecks in the supply of precursor molecules and cytotoxicity to terpenoids. In recent years, the strategies involving compartmentalization in eukaryotic cells has rapidly developed and have provided several advantages in the supply of precursors, cofactors and a suitable physiochemical environment for product storage. In this review, we provide a comprehensive analysis of organelle compartmentalization for terpenoid production, which can guide the rewiring of subcellular metabolism to make full use of precursors, reduce metabolite toxicity, as well as provide suitable storage capacity and environment. Additionally, the strategies that can enhance the efficiency of a relocated pathway by increasing the number and size of organelles, expanding the cell membrane and targeting metabolic pathways in several organelles are also discussed. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of this approach for the terpenoid biosynthesis are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifei Chen
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenhai Xiao
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.,Georgia Tech Shenzhen Institute, Tianjin University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mingdong Yao
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yingjin Yuan
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
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37
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Zhang C, Chen W, Dong T, Wang Y, Yao M, Xiao W, Li B. Elimination of enzymes catalysis compartmentalization enhancing taxadiene production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1141272. [PMID: 36890913 PMCID: PMC9986319 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1141272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Taxadiene is an important precursor in taxol biosynthesis pathway, but its biosynthesis in eukaryotic cell factories is limited, which seriously hinders the biosynthesis of taxol. In this study, it is found that there was the catalysis compartmentalization between two key exogenous enzymes of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase and taxadiene synthase (TS) for taxadiene synthesis progress, due to their different subcellular localization. Firstly, the enzyme-catalysis compartmentalization was overcome by means of the intracellular relocation strategies of taxadiene synthase, including N-terminal truncation of taxadiene synthase and enzyme fusion of GGPPS-TS. With the help of two strategies for enzyme relocation, the taxadiene yield was increased by 21% and 54% respectively, among them the GGPPS-TS fusion enzyme is more effective. Further, the expression of GGPPS-TS fusion enzyme was improved via the multi-copy plasmid, resulting that the taxadiene titer was increased by 38% to 21.8 mg/L at shake-flask level. Finally, the maximum taxadiene titer of 184.2 mg/L was achieved by optimization of the fed-batch fermentation conditions in 3 L bioreactor, which is the highest reported titer of taxadiene biosynthesis accomplished in eukaryotic microbes. This study provides a successful example for improving biosynthesis of complex natural products by solving the critical problem of multistep enzymes catalysis compartmentalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglong Zhang
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wang Chen
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Tianyu Dong
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mingdong Yao
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenhai Xiao
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.,Georgia Tech Shenzhen Institute, Tianjin University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bingzhi Li
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
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38
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Volk MJ, Tran VG, Tan SI, Mishra S, Fatma Z, Boob A, Li H, Xue P, Martin TA, Zhao H. Metabolic Engineering: Methodologies and Applications. Chem Rev 2022; 123:5521-5570. [PMID: 36584306 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic engineering aims to improve the production of economically valuable molecules through the genetic manipulation of microbial metabolism. While the discipline is a little over 30 years old, advancements in metabolic engineering have given way to industrial-level molecule production benefitting multiple industries such as chemical, agriculture, food, pharmaceutical, and energy industries. This review describes the design, build, test, and learn steps necessary for leading a successful metabolic engineering campaign. Moreover, we highlight major applications of metabolic engineering, including synthesizing chemicals and fuels, broadening substrate utilization, and improving host robustness with a focus on specific case studies. Finally, we conclude with a discussion on perspectives and future challenges related to metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Volk
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Vinh G Tran
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Shih-I Tan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Shekhar Mishra
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zia Fatma
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Aashutosh Boob
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Hongxiang Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Pu Xue
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Teresa A Martin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,DOE Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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Yang Y, Chaffin TA, Ahkami AH, Blumwald E, Stewart CN. Plant synthetic biology innovations for biofuels and bioproducts. Trends Biotechnol 2022; 40:1454-1468. [PMID: 36241578 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Plant-based biosynthesis of fuels, chemicals, and materials promotes environmental sustainability, which includes decreases in greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Advances in plant synthetic biology (synbio) should improve precision and efficacy of genetic engineering for sustainability. Applicable synbio innovations include genome editing, gene circuit design, synthetic promoter development, gene stacking technologies, and the design of environmental sensors. Moreover, recent advancements in developing spatially resolved and single-cell omics contribute to the discovery and characterization of cell-type-specific mechanisms and spatiotemporal gene regulations in distinct plant tissues for the expression of cell- and tissue-specific genes, resulting in improved bioproduction. This review highlights recent plant synbio progress and new single-cell molecular profiling towards sustainable biofuel and biomaterial production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongil Yang
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN, USA; Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Timothy Alexander Chaffin
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN, USA; Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Amir H Ahkami
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA, USA
| | - Eduardo Blumwald
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Charles Neal Stewart
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN, USA; Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA; Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.
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Transcriptome Level Reveals the Triterpenoid Saponin Biosynthesis Pathway of Bupleurum falcatum L. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13122237. [PMID: 36553505 PMCID: PMC9777608 DOI: 10.3390/genes13122237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Bupleurum falcatum L. is frequently used in traditional herbal medicine in Asia. Saikosaponins (SSs) are the main bioactive ingredients of B. falcatum, but the biosynthetic pathway of SSs is unclear, and the biosynthesis of species-specific phytometabolites is little known. Here we resolved the transcriptome profiles of B. falcatum to identify candidate genes that might be involved in the biosynthesis of SSs. By isoform sequencing (Iso-Seq) analyses of the whole plant, a total of 26.98 Gb of nucleotides were obtained and 124,188 unigenes were identified, and 81,594 unigenes were successfully annotated. A total of 1033 unigenes of 20 families related to the mevalonate (MVA) pathway and methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway of the SS biosynthetic pathway were identified. The WGCNA (weighted gene co-expression network analysis) of these unigenes revealed that only the co-expression module of MEmagenta, which contained 343 unigenes, was highly correlated with the biosynthesis of SSs. Comparing differentially expressed gene analysis and the WGCNA indicated that 130 out of 343 genes of the MEmagenta module exhibited differential expression levels, and genes with the most "hubness" within this module were predicted. Manipulation of these genes might improve the biosynthesis of SSs.
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Juteršek M, Petek M, Ramšak Ž, Moreno-Giménez E, Gianoglio S, Mateos-Fernández R, Orzáez D, Gruden K, Baebler Š. Transcriptional deregulation of stress-growth balance in Nicotiana benthamiana biofactories producing insect sex pheromones. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:941338. [PMID: 36388501 PMCID: PMC9645294 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.941338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Plant biofactories are a promising platform for sustainable production of high-value compounds, among which are insect sex pheromones, a green alternative to conventional insecticides in agriculture. Recently, we have constructed transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants ("Sexy Plants", SxP) that successfully produce a blend of moth (Lepidoptera) sex pheromone compounds (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-ol and (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate. However, efficient biosynthesis of sex pheromones resulted in growth and developmental penalty, diminishing the potential for commercial use of SxP in biomanufacturing. To gain insight into the underlying molecular responses, we analysed the whole-genome transcriptome and evaluated it in relation to growth and pheromone production in low- and high-producing transgenic plants of v1.0 and v1.2 SxP lines. In our study, high-producing SxPv1.2 plants accumulated the highest amounts of pheromones but still maintained better growth compared to v1.0 high producers. For an in-depth biological interpretation of the transcriptomic data, we have prepared a comprehensive functional N. benthamiana genome annotation as well as gene translations to Arabidopsis thaliana, enabling functional information transfer by using Arabidopsis knowledge networks. Differential gene expression analysis, contrasting pheromone producers to wild-type plants, revealed that while only a few genes were differentially regulated in low-producing plants, high-producing plants exhibited vast transcriptional reprogramming. They showed signs of stress-like response, manifested as downregulation of photosynthesis-related genes and significant differences in expression of hormonal signalling and secondary metabolism-related genes, the latter presumably leading to previously reported volatilome changes. Further network analyses confirmed stress-like response with activation of jasmonic acid and downregulation of gibberellic acid signalling, illuminating the possibility that the observed growth penalty was not solely a consequence of a higher metabolic burden imposed upon constitutive expression of a heterologous biosynthetic pathway, but rather the result of signalling pathway perturbation. Our work presents an example of comprehensive transcriptomic analyses of disadvantageous stress signalling in N. benthamiana biofactory that could be applied to other bioproduction systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojca Juteršek
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marko Petek
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Živa Ramšak
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Elena Moreno-Giménez
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Silvia Gianoglio
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Rubén Mateos-Fernández
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Diego Orzáez
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Kristina Gruden
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Špela Baebler
- Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Guo L, Zhao W, Wang Y, Yang Y, Wei C, Guo J, Dai J, Hirai MY, Bao A, Yang Z, Chen H, Li Y. Heterologous biosynthesis of isobavachalcone in tobacco based on in planta screening of prenyltransferases. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1034625. [PMID: 36275607 PMCID: PMC9582842 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1034625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Isobavachalcone (IBC) is a prenylated chalcone mainly distributed in some Fabaceae and Moraceae species. IBC exhibits a wide range of pharmacological properties, including anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activities. In this study, we attempted to construct the heterologous biosynthesis pathway of IBC in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Four previously reported prenyltransferases, including GuILDT from Glycyrrhiza uralensis, HlPT1 from Humulus lupulus, and SfILDT and SfFPT from Sophora flavescens, were subjected to an in planta screening to verify their activities for the biosynthesis of IBC, by using tobacco transient expression with exogenous isoliquiritigenin as the substrate. Only SfFPT and HlPT1 could convert isoliquiritigenin to IBC, and the activity of SfFPT was higher than that of HlPT1. By co-expression of GmCHS8 and GmCHR5 from Glycine max, endogenous isoliquiritigenin was generated in tobacco leaves (21.0 μg/g dry weight). After transformation with a multigene vector carrying GmCHS8, GmCHR5, and SfFPT, de novo biosynthesis of IBC was achieved in transgenic tobacco T0 lines, in which the highest amount of IBC was 0.56 μg/g dry weight. The yield of IBC in transgenic plants was nearly equal to that in SfFPT transient expression experiments, in which substrate supplement was sufficient, indicating that low IBC yield was not attributed to the substrate supplement. Our research provided a prospect to produce valuable prenylflavonoids using plant-based metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lirong Guo
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yan Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yu Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Cuimei Wei
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jian Guo
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jianye Dai
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | | | - Aike Bao
- College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhigang Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Haijuan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Animal and Plant Resources of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China
| | - Yimeng Li
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Animal and Plant Resources of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China
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Vasilev N. Medicinal Plants: Guests and Hosts in the Heterologous Expression of High-Value Products. PLANTA MEDICA 2022; 88:1175-1189. [PMID: 34521134 DOI: 10.1055/a-1576-4148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Medicinal plants play an important dual role in the context of the heterologous expression of high-value pharmaceutical products. On the one hand, the classical biochemical and modern omics approaches allowed for the discovery of various genes encoding biosynthetic pathways in medicinal plants. Recombinant DNA technology enabled introducing these genes and regulatory elements into host organisms and enhancing the heterologous production of the corresponding secondary metabolites. On the other hand, the transient expression of foreign DNA in plants facilitated the production of numerous proteins of pharmaceutical importance. This review summarizes several success stories of the engineering of plant metabolic pathways in heterologous hosts. Likewise, a few examples of recombinant protein expression in plants for therapeutic purposes are also highlighted. Therefore, the importance of medicinal plants has grown immensely as sources for valuable products of low and high molecular weight. The next step ahead for bioengineering is to achieve more success stories of industrial-scale production of secondary plant metabolites in microbial systems and to fully exploit plant cell factories' commercial potential for recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Vasilev
- TU Dortmund University, Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Technical Biochemistry, Dortmund, Germany
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Guo L, Yao H, Chen W, Wang X, Ye P, Xu Z, Zhang S, Wu H. Natural products of medicinal plants: biosynthesis and bioengineering in post-genomic era. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2022; 9:uhac223. [PMID: 36479585 PMCID: PMC9720450 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Globally, medicinal plant natural products (PNPs) are a major source of substances used in traditional and modern medicine. As we human race face the tremendous public health challenge posed by emerging infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance and surging drug prices etc., harnessing the healing power of medicinal plants gifted from mother nature is more urgent than ever in helping us survive future challenge in a sustainable way. PNP research efforts in the pre-genomic era focus on discovering bioactive molecules with pharmaceutical activities, and identifying individual genes responsible for biosynthesis. Critically, systemic biological, multi- and inter-disciplinary approaches integrating and interrogating all accessible data from genomics, metabolomics, structural biology, and chemical informatics are necessary to accelerate the full characterization of biosynthetic and regulatory circuitry for producing PNPs in medicinal plants. In this review, we attempt to provide a brief update on the current research of PNPs in medicinal plants by focusing on how different state-of-the-art biotechnologies facilitate their discovery, the molecular basis of their biosynthesis, as well as synthetic biology. Finally, we humbly provide a foresight of the research trend for understanding the biology of medicinal plants in the coming decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Guo
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, Shandong 261000, China
| | - Hui Yao
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Weikai Chen
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, Shandong 261000, China
| | - Xumei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
| | - Peng Ye
- State Key laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory For Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhichao Xu
- College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Sisheng Zhang
- State Key laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory For Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Hong Wu
- State Key laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory For Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
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Nowrouzi B, Lungang L, Rios-Solis L. Exploring optimal Taxol® CYP725A4 activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:197. [PMID: 36123694 PMCID: PMC9484169 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01922-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background CYP725A4 catalyses the conversion of the first Taxol® precursor, taxadiene, to taxadiene-5α-ol (T5α-ol) and a range of other mono- and di-hydroxylated side products (oxygenated taxanes). Initially known to undergo a radical rebound mechanism, the recent studies have revealed that an intermediate epoxide mediates the formation of the main characterised products of the enzyme, being T5α-ol, 5(12)-oxa-3(11)-cyclotaxane (OCT) and its isomer, 5(11)-oxa-3(11)-cyclotaxane (iso-OCT) as well as taxadienediols. Besides the high side product: main product ratio and the low main product titre, CYP725A4 is also known for its slow enzymatic activity, massively hindering further progress in heterologous production of Taxol® precursors. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically explore the key parameters for improving the regioselectivity and activity of eukaryotic CYP725A4 enzyme in a whole-cell eukaryotic biocatalyst, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Results Investigating the impact of CYP725A4 and reductase gene dosages along with construction of self-sufficient proteins with strong prokaryotic reductases showed that a potential uncoupling event accelerates the formation of oxygenated taxane products of this enzyme, particularly the side products OCT and iso-OCT. Due to the harmful effect of uncoupling products and the reactive metabolites on the enzyme, the impact of flavins and irons, existing as prosthetic groups in CYP725A4 and reductase, were examined in both their precursor and ready forms, and to investigate the changes in product distribution. We observed that the flavin adenine dinucleotide improved the diterpenoids titres and biomass accumulation. Hemin was found to decrease the titre of iso-OCT and T5α-ol, without impacting the side product OCT, suggesting the latter being the major product of CYP725A4. The interaction between this iron and the iron precursor, δ-Aminolevulinic acid, seemed to improve the production of these diterpenoids, further denoting that iso-OCT and T5α-ol were the later products. While no direct correlation between cellular-level oxidative stress and oxygenated taxanes was observed, investigating the impact of salt and antioxidant on CYP725A4 further showed the significant drop in OCT titre, highlighting the possibility of enzymatic-level uncoupling event and reactivity as the major mechanism behind the enzyme activity. To characterise the product spectrum and production capacity of CYP725A4 in the absence of cell growth, resting cell assays with optimal neutral pH revealed an array of novel diterpenoids along with higher quantities of characterised diterpenoids and independence of the oxygenated product spectra from the acidity effect. Besides reporting on the full product ranges of CYP725A4 in yeast for the first time, the highest total taxanes of around 361.4 ± 52.4 mg/L including 38.1 ± 8.4 mg/L of T5α-ol was produced herein at a small, 10-mL scale by resting cell assay, where the formation of some novel diterpenoids relied on the prior existence of other diterpenes/diterpenoids as shown by statistical analyses. Conclusions This study shows how rational strain engineering combined with an efficient design of experiment approach systematically uncovered the promoting effect of uncoupling for optimising the formation of the early oxygenated taxane precursors of Taxol®. The provided strategies can effectively accelerate the design of more efficient Taxol®-producing yeast strains. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12934-022-01922-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behnaz Nowrouzi
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK.,Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BD, UK
| | - Liang Lungang
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK.,Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BD, UK
| | - Leonardo Rios-Solis
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, UK. .,Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BD, UK. .,School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
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Dudley QM, Jo S, Guerrero DAS, Chhetry M, Smedley MA, Harwood WA, Sherden NH, O'Connor SE, Caputi L, Patron NJ. Reconstitution of monoterpene indole alkaloid biosynthesis in genome engineered Nicotiana benthamiana. Commun Biol 2022; 5:949. [PMID: 36088516 PMCID: PMC9464250 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03904-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) are a diverse class of plant natural products that include a number of medicinally important compounds. We set out to reconstitute the pathway for strictosidine, a key intermediate of all MIAs, from central metabolism in Nicotiana benthamiana. A disadvantage of this host is that its rich background metabolism results in the derivatization of some heterologously produced molecules. Here we use transcriptomic analysis to identify glycosyltransferases that are upregulated in response to biosynthetic intermediates and produce plant lines with targeted mutations in the genes encoding them. Expression of the early MIA pathway in these lines produces a more favorable product profile. Strictosidine biosynthesis was successfully reconstituted, with the best yields obtained by the co-expression of 14 enzymes, of which a major latex protein-like enzyme (MLPL) from Nepeta (catmint) is critical for improving flux through the iridoid pathway. The removal of endogenous glycosyltransferases does not impact the yields of strictosidine, highlighting that the metabolic flux of the pathway enzymes to a stable biosynthetic intermediate minimizes the need to engineer the endogenous metabolism of the host. The production of strictosidine in planta expands the range of MIA products amenable to biological synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin M Dudley
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Seohyun Jo
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Delia Ayled Serna Guerrero
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Monika Chhetry
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Mark A Smedley
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Wendy A Harwood
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Nathaniel H Sherden
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
- Octagon Therapeutics Ltd, 700 Main Street, North Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Sarah E O'Connor
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Lorenzo Caputi
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany.
| | - Nicola J Patron
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7UZ, UK.
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Liao J, Liu T, Xie L, Mo C, Huang X, Cui S, Jia X, Lan F, Luo Z, Ma X. Plant Metabolic Engineering by Multigene Stacking: Synthesis of Diverse Mogrosides. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810422. [PMID: 36142335 PMCID: PMC9499096 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mogrosides are a group of health-promoting natural products that extracted from Siraitia grosvenorii fruit (Luo-han-guo or monk fruit), which exhibited a promising practical application in natural sweeteners and pharmaceutical development. However, the production of mogrosides is inadequate to meet the need worldwide, and uneconomical synthetic chemistry methods are not generally recommended for structural complexity. To address this issue, an in-fusion based gene stacking strategy (IGS) for multigene stacking has been developed to assemble 6 mogrosides synthase genes in pCAMBIA1300. Metabolic engineering of Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis thaliana to produce mogrosides from 2,3-oxidosqualene was carried out. Moreover, a validated HPLC-MS/MS method was used for the quantitative analysis of mogrosides in transgenic plants. Herein, engineered Arabidopsis thaliana produced siamenoside I ranging from 29.65 to 1036.96 ng/g FW, and the content of mogroside III at 202.75 ng/g FW, respectively. The production of mogroside III was from 148.30 to 252.73 ng/g FW, and mogroside II-E with concentration between 339.27 and 5663.55 ng/g FW in the engineered tobacco, respectively. This study provides information potentially applicable to develop a powerful and green toolkit for the production of mogrosides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Liao
- The Artemisinin Research Center, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Tingyao Liu
- College of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Lei Xie
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Changming Mo
- Guangxi Crop Genetic Improvement and Biotechnology Lab, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Xiyang Huang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Phytochemicals and Sustainable Utilization, Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin 541006, China
| | - Shengrong Cui
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xunli Jia
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Fusheng Lan
- Guilin GFS Monk Fruit Corp, Guilin 541006, China
| | - Zuliang Luo
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
- Correspondence: (Z.L.); (X.M.); Tel.: +86-(010)-57833155 (X.M.)
| | - Xiaojun Ma
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
- Correspondence: (Z.L.); (X.M.); Tel.: +86-(010)-57833155 (X.M.)
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Bamneshin M, Mirjalili MH, Naghavi MR, Cusido RM, Palazón J. Gene expression pattern and taxane biosynthesis in a cell suspension culture of Taxus baccata L. subjected to light and a phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) inhibitor. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY. B, BIOLOGY 2022; 234:112532. [PMID: 35908357 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2022.112532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Taxus baccata L. cell culture is a promising commercial method for the production of taxanes with anti-cancer activities. In the present study, a T. baccata cell suspension culture was exposed to white light and 2-aminoindan-2-phosphonic acid (AIP), a phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) inhibitor, and the effects of this treatment on cell growth, PAL activity, total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), taxane production and the expression of some key taxane biosynthetic genes (DXS, GGPPS, T13OH, BAPT, DBTNBT) as well as the PAL were studied. Light reduced cell growth, whereas AIP slightly improved it. Light increased PAL activity up to 2.7-fold relative to darkness. The highest TPC (24.89 mg GAE/g DW) and TFC (66.94 mg RUE/g DW) were observed in cultures treated with light and AIP. Light treatment also resulted in the maximum content of total taxanes (154.78 μg/g DW), increasing extracellular paclitaxel and cephalomannin (3.3-fold) and intracellular 10-deacetyl paclitaxel (2.5-fold). Light significantly increased the expression level of PAL, DBTNBT, BAPT, and T13αOH genes, whereas it had no effect on the expression of DXS, a gene active at the beginning of the taxane biosynthetic pathway. AIP had no significant effect on the expression of the target genes. In conclusion, the light-induced activation of PAL transcription and altered expression of relevant biosynthetic genes reduced cell growth and increased the content of total phenolic compounds and taxanes. These findings can be applied to improve taxane production in controlled cultures and bioreactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Bamneshin
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Mirjalili
- Department of Agriculture, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983969411 Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Reza Naghavi
- Division of Biotechnology, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, College of Agricultural and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Rosa M Cusido
- Laboratorio de Fisiologia Vegetal, Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Palazón
- Laboratorio de Fisiologia Vegetal, Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Yang S, Deng Y, Li S. Advances in plastid transformation for metabolic engineering in higher plants. ABIOTECH 2022; 3:224-232. [PMID: 36313931 PMCID: PMC9590572 DOI: 10.1007/s42994-022-00083-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
The plastid (chloroplast) genome of higher plants is an appealing target for metabolic engineering via genetic transformation. Although the bacterial-type plastid genome is small compared with the nuclear genome, it can accommodate large quantities of foreign genes that precisely integrate through homologous recombination. Engineering complex metabolic pathways in plants often requires simultaneous and concerted expression of multiple transgenes, the possibility of stacking several transgenes in synthetic operons makes the transplastomic approach amazing. The potential for extraordinarily high-level transgene expression, absence of epigenetic gene silencing and transgene containment due to the exclusion of plastids from pollen transmission in most angiosperm species further add to the attractiveness of plastid transformation technology. This minireview describes recent advances in expanding the toolboxes for plastid genome engineering, and highlights selected high-value metabolites produced using transplastomic plants, including artemisinin, astaxanthin and paclitaxel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Yi Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Shengchun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062 China
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Yao L, Zhang H, Liu Y, Ji Q, Xie J, Zhang R, Huang L, Mei K, Wang J, Gao W. Engineering of triterpene metabolism and overexpression of the lignin biosynthesis gene PAL promotes ginsenoside Rg 3 accumulation in ginseng plant chassis. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 64:1739-1754. [PMID: 35731022 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The ginsenoside Rg3 found in Panax species has extensive pharmacological properties, in particular anti-cancer effects. However, its natural yield in Panax plants is limited. Here, we report a multi-modular strategy to improve yields of Rg3 in a Panax ginseng chassis, combining engineering of triterpene metabolism and overexpression of a lignin biosynthesis gene, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL). We first performed semi-rational design and site mutagenesis to improve the enzymatic efficiency of Pq3-O-UGT2, a glycosyltransferase that directly catalyzes the biosynthesis of Rg3 from Rh2 . Next, we used clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) gene editing to knock down the branch pathway of protopanaxatriol-type ginsenoside biosynthesis to enhance the metabolic flux of the protopanaxadiol-type ginsenoside Rg3 . Overexpression of PAL accelerated the formation of the xylem structure, significantly improving ginsenoside Rg3 accumulation (to 6.19-fold higher than in the control). We combined overexpression of the ginsenoside aglycon synthetic genes squalene epoxidase, Pq3-O-UGT2, and PAL with CRISPR/Cas9-based knockdown of CYP716A53v2 to improve ginsenoside Rg3 accumulation. Finally, we produced ginsenoside Rg3 at a yield of 83.6 mg/L in a shake flask (7.0 mg/g dry weight, 21.12-fold higher than with wild-type cultures). The high-production system established in this study could be a potential platform to produce the ginsenoside Rg3 commercially for pharmaceutical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Yao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Wenzhou Safety (Emergency) Institute of Tianjin University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Huanyu Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Wenzhou Safety (Emergency) Institute of Tianjin University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Yirong Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Qiushuang Ji
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Jing Xie
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Ru Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Luqi Huang
- National Resource Center for Chinese Meteria Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Kunrong Mei
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Juan Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Wenzhou Safety (Emergency) Institute of Tianjin University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Wenyuan Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Wenzhou Safety (Emergency) Institute of Tianjin University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
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