Engineering the shikimate pathway for biosynthesis of molecules with pharmaceutical activities in E. coli

Engineering the shikimate pathway is a primary approach for biosynthesis of various aromatic compounds, many of which are involved in formation of important compounds with pharmaceutical values. The development of metabolic engineering allows for high-efficiency production of desired molecules derived from the shikimate pathway using engineered microbes as biosynthetic factories. This review summarizes successful and generally applicable strategies for engineering this important pathway in the context of the model bacterium E. coli for biosynthesis of molecules with pharmaceutical activities. Similar approaches can also be employed for shikimate pathway engineering in other microorganisms.