Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for the production of phenylpyruvate derivatives

• Published in: Metabolic engineering 2015-11, Vol.32, p.55-65
• Main Authors: Liu, Shuang Ping, Zhang, Liang, Mao, Jian, Ding, Zhong Yang, Shi, Gui Yang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biosynthetic Pathways; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli - metabolism; Gene Expression; Metabolic Engineering - methods; Phenylglycine; Phenylpropanoids; Phenylpyruvate; Phenylpyruvic Acids - metabolism; Styrene; Synthetic biology
• ISSN: 1096-7176; 1096-7184
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2015.09.007

Phenylpyruvate derivatives (PPD), such as phenylpropanoids, dl-phenylglycine, dl-phenylalanine, and styrene, are biosynthesized using phenylpyruvate as the precursor. They are widely used in human health and nutrition products. Recently, metabolic engineering provides effective strategies to develop PPD producers. Based on phenylpyruvate-producing chassis, genetically defined PPD producers have been successfully constructed. In this work, the most recent information on genetics and on the molecular mechanisms regulating phenylpyruvate synthesis pathways in Escherichia coli are summarized, and the engineering strategies to construct the PPD producers are also discussed. The enzymes and pathways are proposed for PPD-producer constructions, and potential difficulties in strain construction are also identified and discussed. With respect to recent advances in synthetic biology, future strategies to construct efficiently producers are discussed. •Many high value biotechnology products are synthesized from PPDs.•The essence of the enzymatic and genetic aspects of PPD biosynthesis were reviewed.•The regulation mechanisms and engineering strategies has been disclosed and designed.•Recent advances in strain development showed a great potential in PPD biosynthesis.