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 g 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.
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g 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.
