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Genetic Engineering of an Unconventional Yeast for Renewable Biofuel and Biochemical Production
Published on: September 20, 2016
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Systems Metabolic Engineering for Efficient Violaxanthin Production in Yeast.
Jia Wang1,2, Xiao Zhou1,2, Kexin Li1,2
1School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
|April 26, 2024
Summary
This study engineered yeast to significantly boost violaxanthin and zeaxanthin production. Optimized enzyme sources and cellular processes achieved record-breaking yields for these valuable xanthophylls.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Metabolic Engineering
- Synthetic Biology
Background:
- Violaxanthin, a plant xanthophyll, possesses antioxidant properties and industrial applications.
- Current microbial production yields of violaxanthin in yeast are insufficient for commercial viability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance violaxanthin and zeaxanthin production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
- To develop a robust microbial platform for xanthophyll biosynthesis.
Main Methods:
- Screening of zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP) enzyme sources.
- Engineering yeast cytosol redox state for improved efficiency.
- Optimizing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) regeneration pathways.
Main Results:
- Identified an optimal 58aa-truncated ZEP from Vitis vinifera.
- Achieved a 17.9-fold increase in violaxanthin titer (15.19 mg/g DCW).
- Enhanced zeaxanthin concentration by 139.3% (22.06 mg/g DCW) through redox homeostasis balancing.
Conclusions:
- Established a highly efficient platform for microbial violaxanthin and zeaxanthin biosynthesis.
- Achieved the highest reported titers for both compounds in S. cerevisiae.
- Provides a valuable reference for microbial production of other xanthophylls.
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