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Journal ArticleDOI

Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for limonene and perillyl alcohol production

TL;DR: A strain containing all mevalonate pathway genes in a single plasmid produced limonene at titers over 400mg/L from glucose, substantially higher than has been achieved in the past.
About: This article is published in Metabolic Engineering.The article was published on 2013-09-01. It has received 328 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Perillyl alcohol & Limonene.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Stable co-culture in the same bioreactor was achieved by designing a mutualistic relationship between the two species in which a metabolic intermediate produced by E. coli was used and functionalized by yeast.
Abstract: Metabolic engineering of microorganisms such as Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce high-value natural metabolites is often done through functional reconstitution of long metabolic pathways. Problems arise when parts of pathways require specialized environments or compartments for optimal function. Here we solve this problem through co-culture of engineered organisms, each of which contains the part of the pathway that it is best suited to hosting. In one example, we divided the synthetic pathway for the acetylated diol paclitaxel precursor into two modules, expressed in either S. cerevisiae or E. coli, neither of which can produce the paclitaxel precursor on their own. Stable co-culture in the same bioreactor was achieved by designing a mutualistic relationship between the two species in which a metabolic intermediate produced by E. coli was used and functionalized by yeast. This synthetic consortium produced 33 mg/L oxygenated taxanes, including a monoacetylated dioxygenated taxane. The same method was also used to produce tanshinone precursors and functionalized sesquiterpenes.

477 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This Review discusses how microorganisms can be explored for the production of next-generation biofuels, based on the ability of bacteria and fungi to use lignocellulose; through direct CO2 conversion by microalgae; using lithoautotrophs driven by solar electricity; or through the capacity of microorganisms to use methane generated from landfill.
Abstract: Global climate change linked to the accumulation of greenhouse gases has caused concerns regarding the use of fossil fuels as the major energy source. To mitigate climate change while keeping energy supply sustainable, one solution is to rely on the ability of microorganisms to use renewable resources for biofuel synthesis. In this Review, we discuss how microorganisms can be explored for the production of next-generation biofuels, based on the ability of bacteria and fungi to use lignocellulose; through direct CO2 conversion by microalgae; using lithoautotrophs driven by solar electricity; or through the capacity of microorganisms to use methane generated from landfill. Furthermore, we discuss how to direct these substrates to the biosynthetic pathways of various fuel compounds and how to optimize biofuel production by engineering fuel pathways and central metabolism.

473 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The physiological attributes of E. coli that are most relevant for metabolic engineering are discussed, as well as emerging techniques that enable efficient phenotype construction that address some of the future challenges in broadening substrate range and fighting phage infection.

225 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The fast-growing unicellular euryhaline cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp.
Abstract: The plant terpenoids limonene (C10H16) and α-bisabolene (C15H24) are hydrocarbon precursors to a range of industrially-relevant chemicals. High-titer microbial synthesis of limonene and α-bisabolene could pave the way for advances in in vivo engineering of tailor-made hydrocarbons, and production at commercial scale. We have engineered the fast-growing unicellular euryhaline cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 to produce yields of 4 mg L-1 limonene and 0.6 mg L-1 α-bisabolene through heterologous expression of the Mentha spicata L-limonene synthase or the Abies grandis (E)-α-bisabolene synthase genes, respectively. Titers were significantly higher when a dodecane overlay was applied during culturing, suggesting either that dodecane traps large quantities of volatile limonene and α-bisabolene that would otherwise be lost to evaporation, and/or that continuous product removal in dodecane alleviates product feedback inhibition to promote higher rates of synthesis. We also investigate limonene and bisabolene production in the ΔglgC genetic background, where carbon partitioning is redirected at the expense of glycogen biosynthesis. The Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 ΔglgC mutant excreted a suite of overflow metabolites (α-ketoisocaproate, pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate, succinate and acetate) during nitrogen deprivation, and also at the onset of stationary growth in nutrient-replete media. None of the excreted metabolites, however, appeared to be effectively utilized for terpenoid metabolism. Interestingly, we observed a 1.6 to 2.5-fold increase in the extracellular concentration of most excreted organic acids when the ΔglgC mutant was conferred with the ability to produce limonene. Overall, Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 provides a highly promising platform for terpenoid biosynthetic and metabolic engineering efforts.

220 citations


Cites background or methods from "Metabolic engineering of Escherichi..."

  • ...…synthase and A. grandis (E)-αbisabolene synthase as representative monoterpene and sesquiterpene synthases was based on proven successes in heterotrophic microbial production hosts (Carter et al., 2003; Peralta-Yahya et al., 2011; Alonso-Gutierrez et al., 2013; Ozaydin et al., 2013)....

    [...]

  • ...IDENTIFICATION OF LIMONENE AND α-BISABOLENE AS END-PRODUCTS OF TRANSFORMANT STRAINS The use of an organic solvent overlay has proven to be a successful method for harvesting terpenoids from microbial cultures (Newman et al., 2006; Anthony et al., 2009; Alonso-Gutierrez et al., 2013; Bentley et al., 2013)....

    [...]

  • ...grandis (E)-αbisabolene synthase as representative monoterpene and sesquiterpene synthases was based on proven successes in heterotrophic microbial production hosts (Carter et al., 2003; Peralta-Yahya et al., 2011; Alonso-Gutierrez et al., 2013; Ozaydin et al., 2013)....

    [...]

  • ...The use of an organic solvent overlay has proven to be a successful method for harvesting terpenoids from microbial cultures (Newman et al., 2006; Anthony et al., 2009; Alonso-Gutierrez et al., 2013; Bentley et al., 2013)....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that the GPP concentration available to PS for cyclization alters the pinene isomer ratio, and it is speculated that pinene toxicity was limiting production; however, toxicity should not be limiting at current titers.
Abstract: The volumetric heating values of today’s biofuels are too low to power energy-intensive aircraft, rockets, and missiles. Recently, pinene dimers were shown to have a volumetric heating value simila...

197 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Competition with both transforming and non-transforming plasmids indicates that each cell is capable of taking up many DNA molecules, and that the establishment of a transformation event is neither helped nor hindered significantly by the presence of multiple plasmid molecules.

11,144 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Skyline user interface simplifies the development of mass spectrometer methods and the analysis of data from targeted proteomics experiments performed using selected reaction monitoring (SRM).
Abstract: Summary: Skyline is a Windows client application for targeted proteomics method creation and quantitative data analysis. It is open source and freely available for academic and commercial use. The Skyline user interface simplifies the development of mass spectrometer methods and the analysis of data from targeted proteomics experiments performed using selected reaction monitoring (SRM). Skyline supports using and creating MS/MS spectral libraries from a wide variety of sources to choose SRM filters and verify results based on previously observed ion trap data. Skyline exports transition lists to and imports the native output files from Agilent, Applied Biosystems, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Waters triple quadrupole instruments, seamlessly connecting mass spectrometer output back to the experimental design document. The fast and compact Skyline file format is easily shared, even for experiments requiring many sample injections. A rich array of graphs displays results and provides powerful tools for inspecting data integrity as data are acquired, helping instrument operators to identify problems early. The Skyline dynamic report designer exports tabular data from the Skyline document model for in-depth analysis with common statistical tools. Availability: Single-click, self-updating web installation is available at http://proteome.gs.washington.edu/software/skyline. This web site also provides access to instructional videos, a support board, an issues list and a link to the source code project.

3,794 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
13 Apr 2006-Nature
TL;DR: The engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce high titres (up to 100 mg l-1) of artemisinic acid using an engineered mevalonate pathway, amorphadiene synthase, and a novel cytochrome P450 monooxygenase from A. annua that performs a three-step oxidation of amorpha-4,11-diene to art Artemisinic acid.
Abstract: Drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite are widespread, and as a result mortality due to malaria has increased significantly in recent years. Artemisinin, isolated from the herb Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood), is one drug that shows a high efficacy in killing multi-resistant strains of the parasite. The drug is extremely expensive, and high demand has led to a shortage of artemisinin, available only by extraction from the plant source. Ro et al. now report the development of a yeast strain engineered to carry a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase from A. annua that can produce the drug precursor, artemisinic acid. Artemisinin can be synthesized from this precursor. If the efficiency of this process can be improved, this engineered yeast strain has the potential to alleviate the drug shortage. Through the bio-engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae high titres of artemisinic acid were produced using a novel cytochrome P450 monooxygenase. Optimization of this process on an industrial scale may significantly reduce the cost of artemisinin, which could then be used to combat malaria in resource-poor settings. Malaria is a global health problem that threatens 300–500 million people and kills more than one million people annually1. Disease control is hampered by the occurrence of multi-drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum2,3. Synthetic antimalarial drugs and malarial vaccines are currently being developed, but their efficacy against malaria awaits rigorous clinical testing4,5. Artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone endoperoxide extracted from Artemisia annua L (family Asteraceae; commonly known as sweet wormwood), is highly effective against multi-drug-resistant Plasmodium spp., but is in short supply and unaffordable to most malaria sufferers6. Although total synthesis of artemisinin is difficult and costly7, the semi-synthesis of artemisinin or any derivative from microbially sourced artemisinic acid, its immediate precursor, could be a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, high-quality and reliable source of artemisinin8,9. Here we report the engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce high titres (up to 100 mg l-1) of artemisinic acid using an engineered mevalonate pathway, amorphadiene synthase, and a novel cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP71AV1) from A. annua that performs a three-step oxidation of amorpha-4,11-diene to artemisinic acid. The synthesized artemisinic acid is transported out and retained on the outside of the engineered yeast, meaning that a simple and inexpensive purification process can be used to obtain the desired product. Although the engineered yeast is already capable of producing artemisinic acid at a significantly higher specific productivity than A. annua, yield optimization and industrial scale-up will be required to raise artemisinic acid production to a level high enough to reduce artemisinin combination therapies to significantly below their current prices.

2,598 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Plasmid cloning vectors that enable insertion of DNA fragments between the inducible ara (arabinose) promoter and the lac (lactose) structural genes have been constructed and used for the detection and analysis of signals that control gene transcription.

2,442 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The strains developed in this study can serve as platform hosts for the production of any terpenoid compound for which a terpene synthase gene is available, and are the universal precursors to all isoprenoids.
Abstract: Isoprenoids are the most numerous and structurally diverse family of natural products. Terpenoids, a class of isoprenoids often isolated from plants, are used as commercial flavor and fragrance compounds and antimalarial or anticancer drugs. Because plant tissue extractions typically yield low terpenoid concentrations, we sought an alternative method to produce high-value terpenoid compounds, such as the antimalarial drug artemisinin, in a microbial host. We engineered the expression of a synthetic amorpha-4,11-diene synthase gene and the mevalonate isoprenoid pathway from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Escherichia coli. Concentrations of amorphadiene, the sesquiterpene olefin precursor to artemisinin, reached 24 μg caryophyllene equivalent/ml. Because isopentenyl and dimethylallyl pyrophosphates are the universal precursors to all isoprenoids, the strains developed in this study can serve as platform hosts for the production of any terpenoid compound for which a terpene synthase gene is available.

1,763 citations

Related Papers (5)
Trending Questions (1)
What is use the of metabolic engineering? limonene?

Metabolic engineering is used to produce limonene, a valuable monoterpene used in the production of commodity chemicals and medicinal compounds.