Multicopy integrants of crt genes and co-expression of AMP deaminase improve lycopene production in Yarrowia lipolytica

• Published in: Journal of biotechnology 2019-01, Vol.289, p.46-54
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xin-Kai, Nie, Ming-Yue, Chen, Jun, Wei, Liu-Jing, Hua, Qiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AMP deaminase overexpression; Fermenter cultivation; Lycopene; Multicopy integration; Yarrowia lipolytica
• ISSN: 0168-1656; 1873-4863
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2018.11.009

•Bioengineering of Y. lipolytica guaranteed lycopene production.•Adjusting crt genes copy numbers led to a high lycopene yield.•AMPD overexpression improved lycopene production.•Fed-batch fermentation showed feasibility for large scale lycopene production. Lycopene has been broadly studied in recent decades due to its health benefits including cancer prevention, anti-atherogenic and anti-obesity effects, and modulation of the immune system. To obtain efficient synthesis of lycopene, extensive researches have been conducted in various microbial cells, including Yarrowia lipolytica, to heterologously produce lycopene using various genetic and metabolic engineering methods. In this study, the effects of copy numbers of lycopene synthesis genes, a variety of key central metabolic genes (especially AMP deaminase-encoding gene AMPD), and 5-L fermenter cultivation on lycopene production in Y. lipolytica were investigated and the engineered strains with significantly enhanced lycopene content (46–60 mg/g DCW) were achieved. It is therefore possible to make use of the obtained strains to meet the industrial demand of lycopene production on the basis of further genetic and process optimization.