酿酒酵母乙酰辅酶A精细调控合成萜类化合物研究进展

酿酒酵母作为细胞工厂被用来生产多种萜类化合物。乙酰辅酶A为合成萜类化合物的基本前体,细胞质乙酰辅酶A供应不足会导致目标产物产量较低,调控乙酰辅酶A合成是构建目标萜类化合物高产合成途径的重要手段。本文介绍了酿酒酵母乙酰辅酶A作为重要中心碳代谢分子,主要在细胞核组蛋白乙酰化、细胞质丙酮酸脱氢酶支路、线粒体三羧酸循环和过氧化物酶体乙醛酸循环中参与的代谢过程。总结了通过强化酿酒酵母内源丙酮酸脱氢酶支路,引入低三磷酸腺苷（ATP）消耗的异源乙酰辅酶A合成途径,增加辅酶A合成和利用线粒体乙酰辅酶A含量高且对其不渗透的特性进行区域化合成以提高乙酰辅酶A含量的代谢工程策略,旨在为酿酒酵母萜类化合物的高效合成提供借鉴。     

酿酒酵母高效合成萜类化合物的组合调控策略

萜类化合物具有广泛的生理活性与重要的经济价值,利用酿酒酵母进行萜类合成具有低价、高效等优势。然而部分植物源合成萜类的关键酶在酿酒酵母中难表达、产量低,难以工业应用,因此有效的调控策略显得至关重要。本文从萜类化合物在酿酒酵母中的合成途径入手,介绍了关键酶、代谢途径、CRISPR基因编辑系统和人工合成染色体技术4个方面的调控策略在酿酒酵母合成萜类化合物中的应用。阐述了关键酶的筛选、改造,理性与非理性设计,MVA途径、乙酰辅酶A合成途径与亚细胞结构的代谢途径改造的优势。指出了多重调控策略组合调控的方式是实现酿酒酵母高效合成萜类化合物的有效方法。此外,CRISPR基因编辑系统与人工合成染色体技术的快速发展将为酿酒酵母细胞工厂的深入开发与利用提供有力工具。     

工业微生物还原型辅酶Ⅱ的代谢调控研究进展

还原型辅酶Ⅱ（NADPH）主要参与细胞合成代谢,是微生物代谢网络中含量最丰富的氧化还原辅酶之一。辅酶工程作为代谢工程的重要分支,通过改变微生物胞内辅酶再生途径,进而改变细胞内代谢产物构成。本文在归纳NADPH产生途径和调控的基础上,分析和评述了工业微生物基于辅酶工程的NADPH代谢调控研究进展,包括过量表达NADPH代谢相关酶、敲除NADPH代谢相关基因及引入特定代谢途径等策略,指出今后的研究重点在于深入理解NADPH调控与中心碳代谢网络的相互作用,为利用代谢工程进行细胞工厂改造提供 基础。     

青岛能源所通过点线结合方式提高萜类化合物合成甲羟戊酸途径效率

正萜烯化合物包括大宗化学品异戊二烯和高能量密度燃料蒎烯等,在材料、能源和医药等领域具有极高的应用价值。以可再生糖为原料,利用绿色可持续的微生物代谢工程合成萜类物质是当前生物化工领域的研究重点。其中微生物可利用的外源甲羟戊酸(MVA)途径具有高效性和较好可调控性,是当前研究的热点。MVA途径从前体乙酰辅酶A到二甲基烯丙基焦磷酸(DMAPP)的合成路线涉及7步反应和7个酶,     

生物基化学品的微生物电合成研究进展

微生物电合成是结合微生物学与电化学的新兴研究方向。电化学活性菌株以直接或间接的方式吸收人工提供的外源电子,打破胞内代谢原有的氧化还原平衡,定向催化底物合成还原性目的产物。近年来,基于生物基化学品的微生物电合成取得广泛关注。本文综述了生物基化学品微生物电合成的基本原理及最新研究进展,并讨论了电化学活性菌株的种类、电子传递机制以及典型的菌株培养方式,同时结合菌株代谢途径,讨论了微生物电合成促进乙酸、1,3-丙二醇、丁醇、琥珀酸等生物基化学品的作用机理及研究现状。最后指出了电子传递机制、电子传递效率及成本是限制该技术发展的关键问题及未来的发展趋势,旨在推动该技术应用于生物基化学品的发酵工业中。     

放线菌聚酮类化合物的合成生物学研究及生物制造

聚酮化合物具有广泛的药用活性和极高的经济价值,但如何高效、经济、绿色、环保地合成聚酮化合物是目前急需解决的问题。随着合成生物学的发展及分子生物学技术的进步,不断有新的技术和策略被用于聚酮化合物的生物制造。本文介绍了聚酮化合物生物制造中的关键酶、前体物质及代谢途径等,分析了通过CRISPR技术及翻译后修饰代谢工程优化代谢调控网络;通过替换及优化启动子等手段改造与优化代谢途径;通过构建简单、高效的异源表达系统等策略提高聚酮化合物的生物制造效率等。在此基础上对红霉素、阿维菌素、多杀菌素的合成生物学研究的最新进展进行了总结,进而对当前聚酮化合物生物制造面临的产量及效率低下等问题和可能的解决途径,如平衡初级代谢与次级代谢,构建新型、优势底盘细胞及代谢网络的重新设计与改造等进行了展望。     

好氧性嗜甲烷菌生物能供给与调控的研究进展

为应对温室气体过度排放所带来环境和能源挑战，甲烷生物转化成为一种新颖的、具有潜力的解决方案。由于好氧性嗜甲烷菌能够利用其天然甲烷代谢途径完成甲烷的氧化和同化，使其在全球碳循环中发挥着重要的作用。随着生物制造技术的不断发展，好氧性嗜甲烷菌已被开发为合成生物基化学品的必要平台。目前，利用基因尺度代谢模型、多组学分析和代谢工程改造已对好氧性嗜甲烷菌的能量代谢和还原力供给进行了系统的解析和优化。本文首先从底物水平磷酸化和氧化磷酸化两个关键途径，概述了好氧性嗜甲烷菌能量供给与代谢通量的互作关系，然后重点介绍和讨论了能量流和碳-氮代谢之间调控策略以及最新研究进展，最后展望了好氧性嗜甲烷菌在生物能供给强化、工具和策略的发展方向和面临的挑战，为构建高效的嗜甲烷菌细胞工厂提供了理论依据和实践指导。     

动态调控元件及其在微生物代谢工程中的应用

代谢工程是通过对代谢途径的设计、构建与优化,进行营养品、药品、生物燃料以及化工产品等各种生物基产品合成的关键技术。传统的改造策略如基因的敲除、弱化与过表达会造成代谢流的失衡,而利用微生物自身的调控方式和调控元件,构建合成调控元件,对代谢途径进行动态调控,可以平衡细胞生长与产物合成,从而实现高产量、高底物转化率与高生产强度的统一。利用微生物在转录水平对于外界环境以及胞内代谢物浓度的变化的响应机制,以及在转录后水平通过顺式及反式作用元件的调控,和在蛋白质水平通过途径酶的别构调节以及对蛋白质降解速率的调节,都能开发出相应的动态调控元件并对微生物的代谢进行动态调控。本文分别从转录水平、转录后水平及蛋白质水平3个层次总结了目前常见的一些动态调控元件,并对其在微生物代谢工程中的应用进行了介绍。     

动态调控元件及其在微生物代谢工程中的应用

代谢工程是通过对代谢途径的设计、构建与优化,进行营养品、药品、生物燃料以及化工产品等各种生物基产品合成的关键技术。传统的改造策略如基因的敲除、弱化与过表达会造成代谢流的失衡,而利用微生物自身的调控方式和调控元件,构建合成调控元件,对代谢途径进行动态调控,可以平衡细胞生长与产物合成,从而实现高产量、高底物转化率与高生产强度的统一。利用微生物在转录水平对于外界环境以及胞内代谢物浓度的变化的响应机制,以及在转录后水平通过顺式及反式作用元件的调控,和在蛋白质水平通过途径酶的别构调节以及对蛋白质降解速率的调节,都能开发出相应的动态调控元件并对微生物的代谢进行动态调控。本文分别从转录水平、转录后水平及蛋白质水平3个层次总结了目前常见的一些动态调控元件,并对其在微生物代谢工程中的应用进行了介绍。     

微生物细胞工厂碳流调控进展

随着代谢工程技术的进步,越来越多微生物细胞工厂可用于化学品发酵生产。微生物细胞生产化学品具有生产条件温和、环境友好等优势,是实现化学品绿色可持续生产的重要手段。为了提高微生物细胞工厂的产量、得率和生产强度,传统代谢工程手段主要采用基因过表达或基因敲除方式增大目标代谢路径碳代谢流。然而由于代谢流调控精度不足,易导致细胞生产能力下降。本文主要针对微生物细胞工厂碳流调控中存在的瓶颈问题,从代谢流改造靶点选择、细胞生长与产物合成碳流平衡、副产物路径与产物合成竞争、产物合成效率强化四个角度,系统综述微生物细胞工厂碳代谢流调控的最新进展。并从高精度、仿生学、智能化、多任务、快响应调控工具的设计出发,对未来微生物细胞工厂的发展趋势进行展望。     

Efficient production of chemicals from microorganism by metabolic engineering and synthetic biology

The use of traditional chemical catalysis to produce chemicals has a series of drawbacks, such as high dependence on fossil resources, high energy consumption, and environmental pollution. With the development of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, the use of renewable biomass raw materials for chemicals synthesis by constructing efficient microbial cell factories is a green way to replace traditional chemical catalysis and traditional microbial fermentation. This review mainly summarizes several types of bulk chemicals and high value-added chemicals using metabolic engineering and synthetic biology strategies to achieve efficient microbial production. In addition, this review also summarizes several strategies for effectively regulating microbial cell metabolism. These strategies can achieve the coupling balance of material and energy by regulating intracellular material metabolism or energy metabolism, and promote the efficient production of target chemicals by microorganisms.     

Anti-Warburg Effect of Melatonin: A Proposed Mechanism to Explain its Inhibition of Multiple Diseases

Glucose is an essential nutrient for every cell but its metabolic fate depends on cellular phenotype. Normally, the product of cytosolic glycolysis, pyruvate, is transported into mitochondria and irreversibly converted to acetyl coenzyme A by pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). In some pathological cells, however, pyruvate transport into the mitochondria is blocked due to the inhibition of PDC by pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase. This altered metabolism is referred to as aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect) and is common in solid tumors and in other pathological cells. Switching from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis provides diseased cells with advantages because of the rapid production of ATP and the activation of pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) which provides nucleotides required for elevated cellular metabolism. Molecules, called glycolytics, inhibit aerobic glycolysis and convert cells to a healthier phenotype. Glycolytics often function by inhibiting hypoxia-inducible factor-1α leading to PDC disinhibition allowing for intramitochondrial conversion of pyruvate into acetyl coenzyme A. Melatonin is a glycolytic which converts diseased cells to the healthier phenotype. Herein we propose that melatonin’s function as a glycolytic explains its actions in inhibiting a variety of diseases. Thus, the common denominator is melatonin’s action in switching the metabolic phenotype of cells.     

Expanding the repertoire of aromatic chemicals by microbial production

Microbial production of aromatic chemicals would greatly contribute to solving the problems with fossil resource supply and environmentally sustainable development. Engineering and extending the shikimate/aromatic amino acid biosynthetic pathways are important routes for microbial production of various aromatic chemicals. With advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, we can broaden the product spectrum and obtain several valuable and novel aromatic chemicals from renewable feedstocks. Here, in this review, the latest research progress on microbial production of various aromatic chemicals, and recent metabolic engineering and synthetic biology strategies targeting the central carbon metabolism, the shikimate and aromatic amino acid biosynthetic pathways are summarized and discussed. This work aims to provide some valuable tips for the construction of cost‐effective engineered strains for producing various aromatic chemicals. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

A Coenzyme‐Independent Decarboxylase/Oxygenase Cascade for the Efficient Synthesis of Vanillin

Vanillin is one of the most widely used flavor compounds in the world as well as a promising versatile building block. The biotechnological production of vanillin from plant‐derived ferulic acid has attracted much attention as a new alternative to chemical synthesis. One limitation of the known metabolic pathway to vanillin is its requirement for expensive coenzymes. Here, we developed a novel route to vanillin from ferulic acid that does not require any coenzymes. This artificial pathway consists of a coenzyme‐independent decarboxylase and a coenzyme‐independent oxygenase. When Escherichia coli cells harboring the decarboxylase/oxygenase cascade were incubated with ferulic acid, the cells efficiently synthesized vanillin (8.0 mM , 1.2 g L ^?1) via 4‐vinylguaiacol in one pot, without the generation of any detectable aromatic by‐products. The efficient method described here might be applicable to the synthesis of other high‐value chemicals from plant‐derived aromatics.     

The Structure of LiuC,a 3‐Hydroxy‐3‐Methylglutaconyl CoA Dehydratase Involved in Isovaleryl‐CoA Biosynthesis in Myxococcus xanthus,Reveals Insights into Specificity and Catalysis

Myxobacteria are able to produce the important metabolite isovaleryl coenzyme A by a route other than leucine degradation. The first step into this pathway is mediated by LiuC, a member of the 3‐methylglutaconyl CoA hydratases (MGCH). Here we present crystal structures refined to 2.05 and 1.1 Å of LiuC in the apo form and bound to coenzyme A, respectively. By using simulated annealing we modeled the enzyme substrate complex and identified residues potentially involved in substrate binding, specificity, and catalysis. The dehydration of 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaconyl CoA to 3‐methylglutaconyl CoA catalyzed by LiuC involves Glu112 and Glu132 and likely employs the typical crotonase acid‐base mechanism. In this, Tyr231 and Arg69 are key players in positioning the substrate to enable catalysis. Surprisingly, LiuC shows higher sequence and structural similarity to human MGCH than to bacterial forms, although they convert the same substrate. This study provides structural insights into the alternative isovaleryl coenzyme A biosynthesis pathway and might open a path for biofuel research, as isovaleryl‐CoA is a source for isobutene, a precursor for renewable fuels and chemicals.     

Metabolic engineering strategies for D‐lactate over production in Escherichia coli

D‐lactate is an important chiral intermediate and a substrate for polylactic acid (PLA) production. Escherichia coli accumulate D‐lactate as the primary fermentative product, and synthesis is directly controlled by the activity of lactate dehydrogenase, the efficiency of the carbon resource utilization, and the redox state. D‐lactate accumulation is complicated by the flux through the competing metabolic routes and the indirect regulation of energy metabolism, as well as by the unexpected interconnectivities of the cellular components in the remote metabolic routes. These effects have been extensively studied, and a number of metabolic engineering strategies have been applied to overproduce D‐lactate with high titers, yields and productivities in E. coli that have been able to reduce the production costs and precisely control the fermentation process. This review summarizes the related strategies and suggests directions for further study; these directions provide guidelines for the development of other metabolic products using E. coli as an industrial platform. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry