Investigating the conservation pattern of a putative second terpene synthase divalent metal binding motif in plants

Terpene synthases (TPS) require divalent metal ion co-factors, typically magnesium, that are bound by a canonical DDXXD motif, as well as a putative second, seemingly less well conserved and understood (N/D)DXX(S/T)XXXE motif. Given the role of the Ser/Thr side chain hydroxyl group in ligating one of the three catalytically requisite divalent metal ions and the loss of catalytic activity upon substitution with Ala, it is surprising that Gly is frequently found in this ‘middle’ position of the putative second divalent metal binding motif in plant TPS. Here we report mutational investigation of this discrepancy in a model plant diterpene cyclase, abietadiene synthase from Abies grandis (AgAS). Substitution of the corresponding Thr in AgAS with Ser or Gly decreased catalytic activity much less than substitution with Ala. We speculate that the ability of Gly to partially restore activity relative to Ala substitution for Ser/Thr stems from the associated reduction in steric volume enabling a water molecule to substitute for the hydroxyl group from Ser/Thr, potentially in a divalent metal ion coordination sphere. In any case, our results are consistent with the observed conservation pattern for this putative second divalent metal ion binding motif in plant TPS

ENGINEERING NOVEL TERPENE PRODUCTION PLATFORMS IN THE YEAST SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

The chemical diversity and biological activities of terpene and terpenoids have served in the development of new flavors, fragrances, medicines and pesticides. While terpenes are made predominantly by plants and microbes in small amounts and as components of complex mixtures, chemical synthesis of terpenes remains technically challenging, costly and inefficient. In this dissertation, methods to create new yeast lines possessing a dispensable mevalonate biosynthetic pathway wherein carbon flux can be diverted to build any chemical class of terpene product are described. The ability of this line to generate diterpenes was next investigated. Using a 5.5 L fed bath fermentation system, about 569 mg/L kaurene and approximately 207 mg/L abietadiene plus 136 mg/L additional isomers were achieved. To engineer more highly modified diterpenes might have greater industrial, agricultural or medicinal applications, kaurenoic acid production reached 514 mg/L with byproduct kaurene and kaurenal at 71.7mg/L and 20.1mg/L, respectively, in fed batch fermentation conditions. Furthermore, ZXM lines for engineer monoterpene and ZXB lines for engineer triterpene were generated by additional specific genomic modification, 84.76 ±13.2 mg/L linalool, 20.54±3.8 mg/L nerolidol and 297.7mg/L squalene were accumulate in ZXM144 line ana ZXB line, respectively, in shake flask conditions

Increasing diterpene yield with a modular metabolic engineering system in E. coli: comparison of MEV and MEP isoprenoid precursor pathway engineering

Engineering biosynthetic pathways in heterologous microbial host organisms offers an elegant approach to pathway elucidation via the incorporation of putative biosynthetic enzymes and characterization of resulting novel metabolites. Our previous work in Escherichia coli demonstrated the feasibility of a facile modular approach to engineering the production of labdane-related diterpene (20 carbon) natural products. However, yield was limited (<0.1 mg/L), presumably due to reliance on endogenous production of the isoprenoid precursors dimethylallyl diphosphate and isopentenyl diphosphate. Here, we report incorporation of either a heterologous mevalonate pathway (MEV) or enhancement of the endogenous methyl erythritol phosphate pathway (MEP) with our modular metabolic engineering system. With MEP pathway enhancement, it was found that pyruvate supplementation of rich media and simultaneous overexpression of three genes (idi, dxs, and dxr) resulted in the greatest increase in diterpene yield, indicating distributed metabolic control within this pathway. Incorporation of a heterologous MEV pathway in bioreactor grown cultures resulted in significantly higher yields than MEP pathway enhancement. We have established suitable growth conditions for diterpene production levels ranging from 10 to >100 mg/L of E. coli culture. These amounts are sufficient for nuclear magnetic resonance analyses, enabling characterization of enzymatic products and hence, pathway elucidation. Furthermore, these results represent an up to >1,000-fold improvement in diterpene production from our facile, modular platform, with MEP pathway enhancement offering a cost effective alternative with reasonable yield. Finally, we reiterate here that this modular approach is expandable and should be easily adaptable to the production of any terpenoid natural product

To Gibberellins and Beyond! Surveying the Evolution of (Di)Terpenoid Metabolism

The diterpenoids are classically defined by their composition, four isoprenyl units (20 carbons), and are generally derived from [E,E,E]-geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP). Such metabolism seems to be ancient and has been extensively diversified, with ~12,000 diterpenoid natural products known. Particularly notable are the gibberellin phytohormones, whose requisite biosynthesis has provided a genetic reservoir giving rise to not only a large super-family of ~7,000 diterpenoids, but to some degree all plant terpenoid natural products. This review focuses on the diterpenoids, particularly the defining biosynthetic characteristics of the major superfamilies defined by the cyclization and/or rearrangement of GGPP catalyzed by diterpene synthases/ cyclases, although some discussion also is provided of the important subsequent elaboration in those few cases where molecular genetic information is available. In addition, the array of biological activity providing the selective pressure driving the observed gene family expansion and diversification, along with biosynthetic gene clustering, will be discussed as well