1
|
Huang X, Men P, Tang S, Lu X. Aspergillus terreus as an industrial filamentous fungus for pharmaceutical biotechnology. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 69:273-280. [PMID: 33713917 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus terreus is an important Aspergillus species, which has been applied in the industrial production of the bio-based chemical itaconic acid and the lipid-lowering drug lovastatin. The excellent fermentation capability has been demonstrated in these industrial applications. The genomic information revealed that the outstanding capacity of natural product synthesis by A. terreus remains to be further explored. With advances of the genome mining strategy, the products of several cryptic biosynthetic gene clusters have been discovered recently. In addition, a series of metabolic engineering studies have been performed in the industrial strains of lovastatin and itaconic acid to further improve the production processes. This review presents the current progress and the future outlook in the field of A. terreus biotechnology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuenian Huang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China; Shandong Energy Institute, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China; Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Ping Men
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shen Tang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Xuefeng Lu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China; Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China; Shandong Energy Institute, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China; Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, No. 189 Songling Road, Qingdao 266101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Marine Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Wenhai Rd 1, Aoshanwei, Qingdao, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Liang Y, Lu X. Structural insights into the catalytic mechanism of lovastatin hydrolase. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:1047-1055. [PMID: 31839596 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.011936] [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: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The lovastatin hydrolase PcEST from the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum exhibits enormous potential for industrial-scale applications in single-step production of monacolin J, the key precursor for synthesis of the cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin. This enzyme specifically and efficiently catalyzes the conversion of lovastatin to monacolin J but cannot hydrolyze simvastatin. Understanding the catalytic mechanism and the structure-function relationship of PcEST is therefore important for further lovastatin hydrolase screening, engineering, and commercial applications. Here, we solved four X-ray crystal structures, including apo PcEST (2.3 Å), PcEST in complex with monacolin J (2.48 Å), PcEST complexed with the substrate analog simvastatin (2.4 Å), and an inactivated PcEST variant (S57A) with the lovastatin substrate (2.3 Å). Structure-based biochemical analyses and mutagenesis assays revealed that the Ser57 (nucleophile)-Tyr170 (general base)-Lys60 (general acid) catalytic triad, the hydrogen-bond network (Trp344 and Tyr127) around the active site, and the specific substrate-binding tunnel together determine efficient and specific lovastatin hydrolysis by PcEST. Moreover, steric effects on nucleophilic attack caused by the 2',2-dimethybutyryl group of simvastatin resulted in no activity of PcEST on simvastatin. On the basis of structural comparisons, we propose several indicators to define lovastatin esterases. Furthermore, using structure-guided enzyme engineering, we developed a PcEST variant, D106A, having improved solubility and thermostability, suggesting a promising application of this variant in industrial processes. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the mechanism and structure-function relationship of lovastatin hydrolase and providing insights that may guide rapid screening and engineering of additional lovastatin esterase variants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yajing Liang
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Xuefeng Lu
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China .,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266003, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
|
4
|
Boruta T, Milczarek I, Bizukojc M. Evaluating the outcomes of submerged co-cultivation: production of lovastatin and other secondary metabolites by Aspergillus terreus in fungal co-cultures. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:5593-5605. [PMID: 31098686 PMCID: PMC6597594 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-09874-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The goal of the study was to compare the production of secondary metabolites by Aspergillus terreus ATCC 20542 under the conditions of submerged mono- and co-cultivation. The suggested experimental scheme encompassed a diverse set of co-culture initiation strategies differing mostly with respect to the development stage of tested fungal strains at the moment of their confrontation. Three species of filamentous fungi exhibiting distinct patterns of morphological evolution under submerged conditions, namely Penicillium rubens, Chaetomium globosum, and Mucor racemosus, were selected as the co-cultivation partners of A. terreus. The choice of the co-cultivated species and the approach of co-culture triggering noticeably influenced the levels of lovastatin (mevinolinic acid), (+)-geodin, asterric acid, and butyrolactone I in the broth. Even though the evaluated co-cultures did not lead to the increased titers of lovastatin relative to standard monocultures, the biosynthesis of the remaining three metabolites was either enhanced or inhibited depending on the experimental variant. The production of butyrolactone I turned out to be particularly affected by the presence of C. globosum. Interestingly, in the A. terreus/C. globosum co-cultures, the decrease of lovastatin concentration was recorded. According to the most probable scenario, lovastatin was in this case converted to monacolin J acid, a polyketide molecule that may be applied as a substrate for the synthesis of statin drugs. The study revealed that the spores of two distinct fungal species, namely A. terreus and C. globosum, co-agglomerate under submerged conditions to form pellets. Finally, the biosynthetic performance of co-cultures involving four fungal species was evaluated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Boruta
- Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, ul. Wolczanska 213, 90-924, Lodz, Poland.
| | - Iwona Milczarek
- Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, ul. Wolczanska 213, 90-924, Lodz, Poland
| | - Marcin Bizukojc
- Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, ul. Wolczanska 213, 90-924, Lodz, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Huang X, Tang S, Zheng L, Teng Y, Yang Y, Zhu J, Lu X. Construction of an Efficient and Robust Aspergillus terreus Cell Factory for Monacolin J Production. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:818-825. [PMID: 30856313 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Monacolin J is a key precursor for the synthesis of the cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin. Industrially, monacolin J is manufactured through the alkaline hydrolysis of the fungal polyketide lovastatin, which is relatively complex and environmentally unfriendly. A cell factory for monacolin J production was created by heterologously introducing lovastatin hydrolase into Aspergillus terreus in our previous study. However, residual lovastatin remained a problem for the downstream product purification. In this study, we used combined metabolic engineering strategies to create a more efficient and robust monacolin J-producing cell factory that completely lacks lovastatin residue. The complete deletion of the key gene lovF blocked the biosynthesis of lovastatin and led to a large accumulation of monacolin J without any lovastatin residue. Additionally, the overexpression of the specific transcription factor lovE under the P gpdAt promoter further increased the titer of monacolin J by 52.5% to 5.5 g L-1. Interestingly, the fermentation robustness was also significantly improved by the expression of lovE. This improvement not only avoids the process of alkaline hydrolysis but also simplifies the downstream separation process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Shen Tang
- College of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Jiangxi Engineering Laboratory for the Development and Utilization of Agricultural Microbial Resources, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
| | - Linghui Zheng
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Antifungal Drugs, Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taizhou 318000, China
| | - Yun Teng
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Antifungal Drugs, Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taizhou 318000, China
| | - Yong Yang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Antifungal Drugs, Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taizhou 318000, China
| | - Jinwei Zhu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Antifungal Drugs, Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taizhou 318000, China
| | - Xuefeng Lu
- Marine Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Wenhai Rd 1, Aoshanwei, Qingdao 266003, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Biocatalyzed Synthesis of Statins: A Sustainable Strategy for the Preparation of Valuable Drugs. Catalysts 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/catal9030260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Statins, inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, are the largest selling class of drugs prescribed for the pharmacological treatment of hypercholesterolemia and dyslipidaemia. Statins also possess other therapeutic effects, called pleiotropic, because the blockade of the conversion of HMG-CoA to (R)-mevalonate produces a concomitant inhibition of the biosynthesis of numerous isoprenoid metabolites (e.g., geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) or farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP)). Thus, the prenylation of several cell signalling proteins (small GTPase family members: Ras, Rac, and Rho) is hampered, so that these molecular switches, controlling multiple pathways and cell functions (maintenance of cell shape, motility, factor secretion, differentiation, and proliferation) are regulated, leading to beneficial effects in cardiovascular health, regulation of the immune system, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties, prevention and treatment of sepsis, treatment of autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis, kidney and neurological disorders, or even in cancer therapy. Thus, there is a growing interest in developing more sustainable protocols for preparation of statins, and the introduction of biocatalyzed steps into the synthetic pathways is highly advantageous—synthetic routes are conducted under mild reaction conditions, at ambient temperature, and can use water as a reaction medium in many cases. Furthermore, their high selectivity avoids the need for functional group activation and protection/deprotection steps usually required in traditional organic synthesis. Therefore, biocatalysis provides shorter processes, produces less waste, and reduces manufacturing costs and environmental impact. In this review, we will comment on the pleiotropic effects of statins and will illustrate some biotransformations nowadays implemented for statin synthesis.
Collapse
|
7
|
Liang B, Huang X, Teng Y, Liang Y, Yang Y, Zheng L, Lu X. Enhanced Single-Step Bioproduction of the Simvastatin Precursor Monacolin J in an Industrial Strain ofAspergillus terreusby Employing the Evolved Lovastatin Hydrolase. Biotechnol J 2018; 13:e1800094. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Liang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology; Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266101 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049 China
| | - Xuenian Huang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology; Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266101 China
| | - Yun Teng
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Antifungal Drugs; Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Taizhou 318000 China
| | - Yajing Liang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology; Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266101 China
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels; Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266101 China
| | - Yong Yang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Antifungal Drugs; Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Taizhou 318000 China
| | - Linghui Zheng
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Antifungal Drugs; Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Taizhou 318000 China
| | - Xuefeng Lu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology; Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266101 China
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels; Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266101 China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kurek W, Koszelewski D, Ostaszewski R, Żądło-Dobrowolska A. Bioreactor for the Continuous Purification of Simvastatin by Lovastatin Esterase. Process Biochem 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2017.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
9
|
Huang X, Liang Y, Yang Y, Lu X. Single-step production of the simvastatin precursor monacolin J by engineering of an industrial strain of Aspergillus terreus. Metab Eng 2017; 42:109-114. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2017.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 05/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
|
10
|
Xie X, Watanabe K, Wojcicki WA, Wang CCC, Tang Y. Biosynthesis of lovastatin analogs with a broadly specific acyltransferase. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 13:1161-9. [PMID: 17113998 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2006.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2006] [Revised: 09/07/2006] [Accepted: 09/19/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The natural product lovastatin and its semisynthetic, more effective derivative, simvastatin, are important drugs for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Here, we report the biochemical characterization of a dedicated acyltransferase, LovD, encoded in the lovastatin biosynthetic pathway. We demonstrate that LovD has broad substrate specificity towards the acyl carrier, the acyl substrate, and the decalin acyl acceptor. LovD can efficiently catalyze the acyl transfer from coenzyme A thioesters or N-acetylcysteamine (SNAC) thioesters to monacolin J. When alpha-dimethylbutyryl-SNAC was used as the acyl donor, LovD was able to convert monacolin J and 6-hydroxyl-6-desmethylmonacolin J into simvastatin and huvastatin, respectively. Using the Escherichia coli LovD overexpression strain as a whole-cell biocatalyst, preparative amounts of simvastatin were synthesized in a single fermentation step. Our results demonstrate LovD is an attractive enzyme for engineered biosynthesis of pharmaceutically important cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinkai Xie
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, 5531 Boelter Hall, 420 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Xie X, Tang Y. Efficient synthesis of simvastatin by use of whole-cell biocatalysis. Appl Environ Microbiol 2007; 73:2054-60. [PMID: 17277201 PMCID: PMC1855665 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02820-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simvastatin is a semisynthetic derivative of the fungal polyketide lovastatin and is an important drug for lowering cholesterol levels in adults. We have developed a one-step, whole-cell biocatalytic process for the synthesis of simvastatin from monacolin J. By using an Escherichia coli strain overexpressing the previously discovered acyltransferase LovD (X. Xie, K. Watanabe, W. A. Wojcicki, C. C. Wang, and Y. Tang, Chem. Biol. 13:1161-1169, 2006), we were able to achieve >99% conversion of monacolin J to simvastatin without the use of any chemical protection steps. The key finding was a membrane-permeable substrate, alpha-dimethylbutyryl-S-methyl-mercaptopropionate, that was efficiently utilized by LovD as the acyl donor. The process was scaled up for gram-scale synthesis of simvastatin. We also demonstrated that simvastatin synthesized via this method can be readily purified from the fermentation broth with >90% recovery and >98% purity as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Bioconversion using high-cell-density, fed-batch fermentation was also examined. The whole-cell biocatalysis can therefore be an attractive alternative to currently used multistep semisynthetic transformations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinkai Xie
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Chen LC, Lai YK, Wu SC, Lin CC, Guo JH. Production by Clonostachys compactiuscula of a lovastatin esterase that converts lovastatin to monacolin J. Enzyme Microb Technol 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2006.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
13
|
Mitsuhashi K, Yamashita M, Hwan YS, Ihara F, Nihira T, Yamada Y. Purification and characterization of a novel extracellular lipase catalyzing hydrolysis of oleyl benzoate from Acinetobacter nov. sp. strain KM109. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 1999; 63:1959-64. [PMID: 10635559 DOI: 10.1271/bbb.63.1959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A new lipase (OBase) which efficiently hydrolyzes oleyl benzoate (OB) was found in the culture supernatant of Acinetobacter nov. sp. strain KM109, a new isolate growing in a minimum medium containing OB as the sole carbon source. OBase was purified to homogeneity with 213-fold purification and 0.8% yield. The molecular weight was estimated to be 62,000 +/- 1,000 by SDS-PAGE under denatured-reduced conditions and to be 50,000 +/- 1,000 by gel-filtration HPLC under native conditions; these findings indicate that OBase is a monomeric enzyme. The optimum temperature and pH of OBase were about 45 degrees C and pH 8. Temperature and pH stabilities were at or lower than 35 degrees C and in a range of pH 6-8, respectively. Purified OBase preferentially hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl benzoate (pNPB) over p-nitrophenyl acetate (pNPA) or p-nitrophenyl caproate (pNPC) [pNPB/pNPA = 20 and pNPB/pNPC = 5.4], indicating that OBase has a high affinity for benzoyl esters. Partial amino-acid sequences of OBase fragments obtained after lysyl endopeptidase treatment showed no similarity with known proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Mitsuhashi
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|