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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
Published on: October 4, 2019
Engineering a microbial platform for the biosynthesis of anthranilic acid and its derivatives
Wen Zhang1, Xiaxia Zhang1, Liangyu Lu2
1College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
Anthranilic acid (ANTA) and its derivatives, such as N-methylanthranilic acid (NMAA) and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA), are valuable aromatic chemicals with wide applications in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries due to their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. However, microbial production of these compounds remains limited by low titers and incomplete biosynthetic pathways. In this study, we constructed an efficient Escherichia coli platform for ANTA production through systematic metabolic engineering, including reduction of byproduct formation, enhancement of key enzyme expression, reinforcement of precursor supply, and optimization of amino donor availability. The engineered strain achieved 3.25 g/L ANTA in shake-flask cultures. Based on this platform, we further enabled the biosynthesis of NMAA and 3-HAA by screening and implementing efficient methyltransferases and hydroxylases. This resulted in the de novo production of 524 mg/L NMAA in shake flasks and 2.79 g/L 3-HAA in a 3-L bioreactor. This work establishes a versatile microbial chassis for ANTA production and provides a scalable platform for the biosynthesis of its high-value derivatives, offering new opportunities for sustainable biomanufacturing of aromatic compounds.
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