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A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
Published on: October 4, 2019
Synthetic Biology of Prenylated Stilbenoids: Biosynthetic Pathway, Prenyltransferases, and Biomanufacturing
Weiming Lai1,2,3, Lingrong Wen1,2,3, Yueming Jiang1,2,3
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, Key State Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou510650, China.
Abstract:
Prenylated stilbenoids are valuable nutraceutical candidates found in dietary plants. Compared to their nonprenylated counterparts, they often exhibit enhanced bioactivities, which are attributed to the increased lipophilicity conferred by the prenyl groups, facilitating their partitioning into cell membranes and interaction with lipid-associated targets. This review systematically examines prenylated stilbenoid biosynthesis via three core aspects: the structural diversity and structure-activity relationships of prenylated stilbenoids, focusing on how prenyl chain length, linkage, and substitution position modulate bioactivities; catalytic mechanisms and regioselectivity of prenyltransferases that transfer from prenyl donors to stilbenoid backbones; and metabolic engineering strategies for microbial heterologous production, emphasizing precursor flux optimization, enzyme and host engineering such as peroxisomal compartmentalization, and strain mating. Finally, we outline key challenges─poor prenyltransferase expression, precursor competition, and product cytotoxicity─and discuss future AI-guided enzyme engineering and autonomous dynamic control systems, providing a roadmap for the sustainable industrial production of these high-value nutraceuticals.
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