Curcumin biosynthesis from ferulic acid by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Synthetic Biology
• Metabolic Engineering

Background:

• Curcumin, a bioactive compound from Curcuma longa, exhibits promising anticarcinogenic properties.
• Natural curcumin extraction faces challenges including impure products, harsh chemicals, seasonality, and high costs.
• Heterologous production of curcumin presents a viable alternative, with Saccharomyces cerevisiae offering advantages like GRAS status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the de novo production of curcumin.
• To establish a microbial cell factory for curcumin synthesis from ferulic acid.
• To explore the efficacy of different enzymes in the curcumin biosynthesis pathway.

Main Methods:

• Engineered the BY4741 strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• Expressed heterologous genes encoding feruloyl-CoA synthetase (FerA) or 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL1) and type III polyketide synthases (PKSs).
• Deleted the FDC1 gene to prevent ferulic acid deviation.

Main Results:

• Achieved curcumin production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• The combination of FerA from Pseudomonas paucimobilis and PKSs from Curcuma longa yielded the highest curcumin titer.
• A maximum curcumin concentration of 2.7 mg L⁻¹ was obtained.

Conclusions:

• This work represents the first report of curcumin production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• Successfully demonstrated the expression of key enzymes for curcumin biosynthesis in yeast.
• Highlights the potential of engineered yeast as a sustainable platform for curcumin production.