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Liu Y, Zhao X, Gan F, Chen X, Deng K, Crowe SA, Hudson GA, Belcher MS, Schmidt M, Astolfi MCT, Kosina SM, Pang B, Shao M, Yin J, Sirirungruang S, Iavarone AT, Reed J, Martin LBB, El-Demerdash A, Kikuchi S, Misra RC, Liang X, Cronce MJ, Chen X, Zhan C, Kakumanu R, Baidoo EEK, Chen Y, Petzold CJ, Northen TR, Osbourn A, Scheller H, Keasling JD. Complete biosynthesis of QS-21 in engineered yeast. Nature 2024; 629:937-944. [PMID: 38720067 PMCID: PMC11111400 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07345-9] [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: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
QS-21 is a potent vaccine adjuvant and remains the only saponin-based adjuvant that has been clinically approved for use in humans1,2. However, owing to the complex structure of QS-21, its availability is limited. Today, the supply depends on laborious extraction from the Chilean soapbark tree or on low-yielding total chemical synthesis3,4. Here we demonstrate the complete biosynthesis of QS-21 and its precursors, as well as structural derivatives, in engineered yeast strains. The successful biosynthesis in yeast requires fine-tuning of the host's native pathway fluxes, as well as the functional and balanced expression of 38 heterologous enzymes. The required biosynthetic pathway spans seven enzyme families-a terpene synthase, P450s, nucleotide sugar synthases, glycosyltransferases, a coenzyme A ligase, acyl transferases and polyketide synthases-from six organisms, and mimics in yeast the subcellular compartmentalization of plants from the endoplasmic reticulum membrane to the cytosol. Finally, by taking advantage of the promiscuity of certain pathway enzymes, we produced structural analogues of QS-21 using this biosynthetic platform. This microbial production scheme will allow for the future establishment of a structure-activity relationship, and will thus enable the rational design of potent vaccine adjuvants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhong Liu
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Xixi Zhao
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Fei Gan
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Xiaoyue Chen
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kai Deng
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Department of Biomaterials and Biomanufacturing, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Samantha A Crowe
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Graham A Hudson
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Michael S Belcher
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Matthias Schmidt
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Maria C T Astolfi
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Suzanne M Kosina
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Bo Pang
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Minglong Shao
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jing Yin
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Sasilada Sirirungruang
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Structure, Function and Application, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Anthony T Iavarone
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - James Reed
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Amr El-Demerdash
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | | | | | - Xiaomeng Liang
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Michael J Cronce
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Xiulai Chen
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Chunjun Zhan
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ramu Kakumanu
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Edward E K Baidoo
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Yan Chen
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Christopher J Petzold
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Trent R Northen
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Anne Osbourn
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Henrik Scheller
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jay D Keasling
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Center for Biosustainability, Danish Technical University, Lyngby, Denmark.
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2
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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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3
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Bureau JA, Oliva ME, Dong Y, Ignea C. Engineering yeast for the production of plant terpenoids using synthetic biology approaches. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:1822-1848. [PMID: 37523210 DOI: 10.1039/d3np00005b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Covering: 2011-2022The low amounts of terpenoids produced in plants and the difficulty in synthesizing these complex structures have stimulated the production of terpenoid compounds in microbial hosts by metabolic engineering and synthetic biology approaches. Advances in engineering yeast for terpenoid production will be covered in this review focusing on four directions: (1) manipulation of host metabolism, (2) rewiring and reconstructing metabolic pathways, (3) engineering the catalytic activity, substrate selectivity and product specificity of biosynthetic enzymes, and (4) localizing terpenoid production via enzymatic fusions and scaffolds, or subcellular compartmentalization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yueming Dong
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C3, Canada.
| | - Codruta Ignea
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C3, Canada.
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4
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Jin Z, Vighi A, Dong Y, Bureau JA, Ignea C. Engineering membrane architecture for biotechnological applications. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 64:108118. [PMID: 36773706 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Cellular membranes, predominantly described as a dynamic bilayer, are composed of different lipids, transmembrane proteins, and carbohydrates. Most research on biological membranes focuses on the identification, characterization, and mechanistic aspects of their different components. These studies provide a fundamental understanding of membrane structure, function, and dynamics, establishing a basis for the development of membrane engineering strategies. To date, approaches in this field concentrate on membrane adaptation to harsh conditions during industrial fermentation, which can be caused by temperature, osmotic, or organic solvent stress. With advances in the field of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, recent breakthroughs include proof of concept microbial production of essential medicines, such as cannabinoids and vinblastine. However, long pathways, low yields, and host adaptation continue to pose challenges to the efficient scale up production of many important compounds. The lipid bilayer is profoundly linked to the activity of heterologous membrane-bound enzymes and transport of metabolites. Therefore, strategies for improving enzyme performance, facilitating pathway reconstruction, and enabling storage of products to increase the yields directly involve cellular membranes. At the forefront of membrane engineering research are re-emerging approaches in lipid research and synthetic biology that manipulate membrane size and composition and target lipid profiles across species. This review summarizes engineering strategies applied to cellular membranes and discusses the challenges and future perspectives, particularly with regards to their applications in host engineering and bioproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zimo Jin
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0E9, Canada
| | - Asia Vighi
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0E9, Canada
| | - Yueming Dong
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0E9, Canada
| | | | - Codruta Ignea
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0E9, Canada.
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5
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Lim PK, Julca I, Mutwil M. Redesigning plant specialized metabolism with supervised machine learning using publicly available reactome data. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:1639-1650. [PMID: 36874159 PMCID: PMC9976193 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The immense structural diversity of products and intermediates of plant specialized metabolism (specialized metabolites) makes them rich sources of therapeutic medicine, nutrients, and other useful materials. With the rapid accumulation of reactome data that can be accessible on biological and chemical databases, along with recent advances in machine learning, this review sets out to outline how supervised machine learning can be used to design new compounds and pathways by exploiting the wealth of said data. We will first examine the various sources from which reactome data can be obtained, followed by explaining the different machine learning encoding methods for reactome data. We then discuss current supervised machine learning developments that can be employed in various aspects to help redesign plant specialized metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Ken Lim
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Irene Julca
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Marek Mutwil
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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6
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Einhaus A, Steube J, Freudenberg RA, Barczyk J, Baier T, Kruse O. Engineering a powerful green cell factory for robust photoautotrophic diterpenoid production. Metab Eng 2022; 73:82-90. [PMID: 35717002 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2022.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Diterpenoids display a large and structurally diverse class of natural compounds mainly found as specialized plant metabolites. Due to their diverse biological functions they represent an essential source for various industrially relevant applications as biopharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and fragrances. However, commercial production utilizing their native hosts is inhibited by low abundances, limited cultivability, and challenging extraction, while the precise stereochemistry displays a particular challenge for chemical synthesis. Due to a high carbon flux through their native 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway towards photosynthetically active pigments, green microalgae hold great potential as efficient and sustainable heterologous chassis for sustainable biosynthesis of plant-derived diterpenoids. In this study, innovative synthetic biology and efficient metabolic engineering strategies were systematically combined to re-direct the metabolic flux through the MEP pathway for efficient heterologous diterpenoid synthesis in C. reinhardtii. Engineering of the 1-Deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXS) as the main rate-limiting enzyme of the MEP pathway and overexpression of diterpene synthase fusion proteins increased the production of high-value diterpenoids. Applying fully photoautotrophic high cell density cultivations demonstrate potent and sustainable production of the high-value diterpenoid sclareol up to 656 mg L-1 with a maximal productivity of 78 mg L-1 day-1 in a 2.5 L scale photobioreactor, which is comparable to sclareol titers reached by highly engineered yeast. Consequently, this work represents a breakthrough in establishing a powerful phototrophic green cell factory for the competetive use in industrial biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Einhaus
- Bielefeld University, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Jasmin Steube
- Bielefeld University, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Robert Ansgar Freudenberg
- Bielefeld University, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Jonas Barczyk
- Bielefeld University, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Thomas Baier
- Bielefeld University, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Olaf Kruse
- Bielefeld University, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
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7
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Wei P, Zhang C, Bian X, Lu W. Metabolic Engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Heterologous Carnosic Acid Production. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:916605. [PMID: 35721856 PMCID: PMC9201568 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.916605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Carnosic acid (CA), a phenolic tricyclic diterpene, has many biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiobesity, and antidiabetic activities. In this study, an efficient biosynthetic pathway was constructed to produce CA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. First, the CA precursor miltiradiene was synthesized, after which the CA production strain was constructed by integrating the genes encoding cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s) and cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) SmCPR. The CA titer was further increased by the coexpression of CYP76AH1 and SmCPR ∼t28SpCytb5 fusion proteins and the overexpression of different catalases to detoxify the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Finally, engineering of the endoplasmic reticulum and cofactor supply increased the CA titer to 24.65 mg/L in shake flasks and 75.18 mg/L in 5 L fed-batch fermentation. This study demonstrates that the ability of engineered yeast cells to synthesize CA can be improved through metabolic engineering and synthetic biology strategies, providing a theoretical basis for microbial synthesis of other diterpenoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panpan Wei
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chuanbo Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xueke Bian
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenyu Lu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- SynBio Research Platform, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Wenyu Lu,
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8
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Hurgobin B, Lewsey MG. Applications of cell- and tissue-specific 'omics to improve plant productivity. Emerg Top Life Sci 2022; 6:163-173. [PMID: 35293572 PMCID: PMC9023014 DOI: 10.1042/etls20210286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The individual tissues and cell types of plants each have characteristic properties that contribute to the function of the plant as a whole. These are reflected by unique patterns of gene expression, protein and metabolite content, which enable cell-type-specific patterns of growth, development and physiology. Gene regulatory networks act within the cell types to govern the production and activity of these components. For the broader organism to grow and reproduce successfully, cell-type-specific activity must also function within the context of surrounding cell types, which is achieved by coordination of signalling pathways. We can investigate how gene regulatory networks are constructed and function using integrative 'omics technologies. Historically such experiments in plant biological research have been performed at the bulk tissue level, to organ resolution at best. In this review, we describe recent advances in cell- and tissue-specific 'omics technologies that allow investigation at much improved resolution. We discuss the advantages of these approaches for fundamental and translational plant biology, illustrated through the examples of specialised metabolism in medicinal plants and seed germination. We also discuss the challenges that must be overcome for such approaches to be adopted widely by the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavna Hurgobin
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and Food, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, AgriBio Building, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
- Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, La Trobe University, AgriBio Building, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Mathew G. Lewsey
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and Food, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, AgriBio Building, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
- Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, La Trobe University, AgriBio Building, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
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9
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Ma LT, Lee YR, Tsao NW, Wang SY, Zerbe P, Chu FH. Biochemical characterization of diterpene synthases of Taiwania cryptomerioides expands the known functional space of specialized diterpene metabolism in gymnosperms. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 100:1254-1272. [PMID: 31448467 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Taiwania cryptomerioides is a monotypic gymnosperm species, valued for the high decay resistance of its wood. This durability has been attributed to the abundance of terpenoids, especially the major diterpenoid metabolite ferruginol, with antifungal and antitermite activity. Specialized diterpenoid metabolism in gymnosperms primarily recruits bifunctional class-I/II diterpene synthases (diTPSs), whereas monofunctional class-II and class-I enzymes operate in angiosperms. In this study, we identified a previously unrecognized group of monofunctional diTPSs in T. cryptomerioides, which suggests a distinct evolutionary divergence of the diTPS family in this species. Specifically, five monofunctional diTPS functions not previously observed in gymnosperms were characterized, including monofunctional class-II enzymes forming labda-13-en-8-ol diphosphate (LPP, TcCPS2) and (+)-copalyl diphosphate (CPP, TcCPS4), and three class-I diTPSs producing biformene (TcKSL1), levopimaradiene (TcKSL3) and phyllocladanol (TcKSL5), respectively. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) elicited the accumulation of levopimaradiene and the corresponding biosynthetic diTPS genes, TcCPS4 and TcKSL3, is consistent with a possible role in plant defense. Furthermore, TcCPS4 and TcKSL3 are likely to contribute to abietatriene biosynthesis via levopimaradiene as an intermediate in ferruginol biosynthesis in Taiwania. In conclusion, this study provides deeper insight into the functional landscape and molecular evolution of specialized diterpenoid metabolism in gymnosperms as a basis to better understand the role of these metabolites in tree chemical defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ting Ma
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ru Lee
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Nai-Wen Tsao
- Department of Forestry, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Yang Wang
- Department of Forestry, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan
| | - Philipp Zerbe
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Fang-Hua Chu
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
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10
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Orthogonal monoterpenoid biosynthesis in yeast constructed on an isomeric substrate. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3799. [PMID: 31444322 PMCID: PMC6707142 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11290-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology efforts for the production of valuable chemicals are frequently hindered by the structure and regulation of the native metabolic pathways of the chassis. This is particularly evident in the case of monoterpenoid production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, where the canonical terpene precursor geranyl diphosphate is tightly coupled to the biosynthesis of isoprenoid compounds essential for yeast viability. Here, we establish a synthetic orthogonal monoterpenoid pathway based on an alternative precursor, neryl diphosphate. We identify structural determinants of isomeric substrate selectivity in monoterpene synthases and engineer five different enzymes to accept the alternative substrate with improved efficiency and specificity. We combine the engineered enzymes with dynamic regulation of metabolic flux to harness the potential of the orthogonal substrate and improve the production of industrially-relevant monoterpenes by several-fold compared to the canonical pathway. This approach highlights the introduction of synthetic metabolism as an effective strategy for high-value compound production.
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11
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Nacher JC, Ishitsuka M, Miyazaki S, Akutsu T. Finding and analysing the minimum set of driver nodes required to control multilayer networks. Sci Rep 2019; 9:576. [PMID: 30679639 PMCID: PMC6345816 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37046-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
It is difficult to control multilayer networks in situations with real-world complexity. Here, we first define the multilayer control problem in terms of the minimum dominating set (MDS) controllability framework and mathematically demonstrate that simple formulas can be used to estimate the size of the minimum dominating set in multilayer (MDSM) complex networks. Second, we develop a new algorithm that efficiently identifies the MDSM in up to 6 layers, with several thousand nodes in each layer network. Interestingly, the findings reveal that the MDSM size for similar networks does not significantly differ from that required to control a single network. This result opens future directions for controlling, for example, multiple species by identifying a common set of enzymes or proteins for drug targeting. We apply our methods to 70 genome-wide metabolic networks across major plant lineages, unveiling some relationships between controllability in multilayer networks and metabolic functions at the genome scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose C Nacher
- Department of Information Science, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan.
| | - Masayuki Ishitsuka
- Department of Information Science, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan
| | - Shuichi Miyazaki
- Academic Center for Computing Media Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Akutsu
- Bioinformatics Center, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, 611-0011, Japan.
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12
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Gold ND, Fossati E, Hansen CC, DiFalco M, Douchin V, Martin VJJ. A Combinatorial Approach To Study Cytochrome P450 Enzymes for De Novo Production of Steviol Glucosides in Baker's Yeast. ACS Synth Biol 2018; 7:2918-2929. [PMID: 30474973 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Biosynthesis of steviol glycosides in planta proceeds via two cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs): kaurene oxidase (KO) and kaurenoic acid hydroxylase (KAH). KO and KAH function in succession with the support of a NADPH-dependent cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) to convert kaurene to steviol. This work describes a platform for recombinant production of steviol glucosides (SGs) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, demonstrating the full reconstituted pathway from the simple sugar glucose to the SG precursor steviol. With a focus on optimization of the KO-KAH activities, combinations of functional homologues were tested in batch growth. Among the CYPs, novel KO75 (CYP701) and novel KAH82 (CYP72) outperformed their respective functional homologues from Stevia rebaudiana, SrKO (CYP701A5) and SrKAH (CYP81), in assays where substrate was supplemented to culture broth. With kaurene produced from glucose in the cell, SrCPR1 from S. rebaudiana supported highest turnover for KO-KAH combinations, besting two other CPRs isolated from S. rebaudiana, the Arabidopsis thaliana ATR2, and a new class I CPR12. Some coexpressions of ATR2 with a second CPR were found to diminish KAH activity, showing that coexpression of CPRs can lead to competition for CYPs with possibly adverse effects on catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D. Gold
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Elena Fossati
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Cecilie Cetti Hansen
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Marcos DiFalco
- Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | | | - Vincent J. J. Martin
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
- Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
- Department of Biology, Centre for Structural and Functional Genomic, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
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13
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Walker RSK, Pretorius IS. Applications of Yeast Synthetic Biology Geared towards the Production of Biopharmaceuticals. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:E340. [PMID: 29986380 PMCID: PMC6070867 DOI: 10.3390/genes9070340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineered yeast are an important production platform for the biosynthesis of high-value compounds with medical applications. Recent years have witnessed several new developments in this area, largely spurred by advances in the field of synthetic biology and the elucidation of natural metabolic pathways. This minireview presents an overview of synthetic biology applications for the heterologous biosynthesis of biopharmaceuticals in yeast and demonstrates the power and potential of yeast cell factories by highlighting several recent examples. In addition, an outline of emerging trends in this rapidly-developing area is discussed, hinting upon the potential state-of-the-art in the years ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy S K Walker
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, Australia.
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