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Published on: October 24, 2016
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Systematic Engineering To Enhance Citronellol Production in Yeast
Qi Gao1,2, Herong Wang1,2, Mengying Shan1,2
1Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and State Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
|June 6, 2025
Summary
This study engineered yeast to produce citronellol, a valuable fragrance compound. Genetic modifications significantly boosted production, achieving a record 10.556 g/L titer for sustainable biosynthesis.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Metabolic Engineering
- Synthetic Biology
Background:
- Citronellol, an acyclic monoterpene alcohol, is widely used in food and agriculture.
- Microbial cell factories present a sustainable route for citronellol production.
- Key bottlenecks include precursor supply (geranyl pyrophosphate, NADPH) and monoterpene cytotoxicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance citronellol production in *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* using metabolic engineering.
- To overcome precursor limitations and cytotoxicity challenges.
- To establish a high-titer yeast-based production system for citronellol.
Main Methods:
- Integrated additional copies of mevalonate pathway and peroxisome-localized genes.
- Overexpressed pentose phosphate pathway genes (TAL1, TKL1) to boost NADPH supply.
- Screened endogenous transporters and integrated PDR1 for improved export.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 1.5-fold increase in citronellol production through pathway gene integration.
- Increased citronellol yield by 16% via pentose phosphate pathway gene overexpression.
- Reached a titer of 3.38 g/L by screening transporters and integrating PDR1.
- Attained a record 10.556 g/L citronellol titer in 100 L fed-batch fermentation.
Conclusions:
- Systematic modification of yeast chassis cells significantly increased citronellol titer.
- The developed strategies provide a foundation for the biosynthesis of other monoterpenes.
- This work demonstrates a highly efficient and scalable yeast platform for citronellol production.
