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Metabolic and enzyme engineering for steroid hormone biosynthesis.
Qihang Chen1, Changtai Zhang1, Song Liu1
1Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
Trends in Biotechnology
|January 24, 2026
Summary
Scientists are developing new ways to make steroid hormones using biotechnology. This approach uses simple sugars to produce these vital compounds, aiming for more efficient and scalable pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Synthetic Biology
- Metabolic Engineering
Background:
- Steroid hormones are crucial signaling molecules with pharmaceutical applications.
- Current production methods from sterols face inefficiency and scalability challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advances in de novo biosynthesis of steroid hormones.
- To highlight strategies for improving efficiency and scalability in steroid hormone production.
Main Methods:
- Metabolic rewiring to enhance biosynthetic flux.
- Engineering cytochrome P450 enzymes for key reactions like side-chain cleavage and hydroxylation.
- Redesigning cellular transport pathways for improved product export.
Main Results:
- De novo biosynthesis in yeast and fungi offers an alternative to traditional methods.
- Metabolic and enzyme engineering address rate-limiting steps in steroid hormone pathways.
- Transport pathway engineering mitigates product accumulation and enhances export.
Conclusions:
- Synthetic biotechnology enables sustainable steroid hormone biomanufacturing from simple carbon sources.
- Integration of metabolic, enzyme, and transport engineering is key for a scalable platform.
- A data-driven 'intelligent' platform is envisioned for future biomanufacturing.
Keywords:
cytochrome P450 enzymeenzyme engineeringmetabolic engineeringsteroid hormonetransport engineeringMore Related Videos
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