title: Production of shikimic acid from Escherichia coli through chemically inducible chromosomal evolution and cofactor metabolic engineering.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Shikimic acid (SA) produced from the seeds of Chinese star anise (Illicium verum) is a key intermediate for the synthesis of neuraminidase inhibitors such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu®), an anti-influenza drug. However, plants cannot deliver a stable supply of SA. To avoid the resulting shortages and price fluctuations, a stable source of affordable SA is required. Although recent achievements in metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli strains have significantly increased SA productivity, commonly-used plasmid-based expression systems are prone to genetic instability and require constant selective pressure to ensure plasmid maintenance. Cofactors also play an important role in the biosynthesis of different fermentation products. In this study, we first constructed an E. coli SA production strain that carries no plasmid or antibiotic marker. We then investigated the effect of endogenous NADPH availability on SA production.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pps and csrB genes were first overexpressed by replacing their native promoter and integrating an additional copy of the genes in a double gene knockout (aroK and aroL) of E. coli. The aroG(fbr), aroB, aroE and tktA gene cluster was integrated into the above E. coli chromosome by direct transformation. The gene copy number was then evolved to the desired value by triclosan induction. The resulting strain, E. coli SA110, produced 8.9-fold more SA than did the parental strain E. coli (ΔaroKΔaroL). Following qRT-PCR analysis, another copy of the tktA gene under the control of the 5P(tac) promoter was inserted into the chromosome of E. coli SA110 to obtain the more productive strain E. coli SA110. Next, the NADPH availability was increased by overexpressing the pntAB or nadK genes, which further enhanced SA production. The final strain, E. coli SA116, produced 3.12 g/L of SA with a yield on glucose substrate of 0.33 mol/mol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An SA-producing E. coli strain that carries neither a plasmid nor an antibiotic marker was constructed by triclosan-induced chromosomal evolution. We present the first demonstration that increasing NADPH availability by overexpressing the pntAB or nadK genes significantly enhances SA production.
authors: Yan-Yan
authors: YY
authors: Cui
authors: Chen
authors: C
authors: Ling
authors: Yuan-Yuan
authors: YY
authors: Zhang
authors: Jian
authors: J
authors: Huang
authors: Biotechnology Research Center and Biomedical Center, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P R China. lssljz@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors: Jian-Zhong
authors: JZ
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D056915:DNA Copy Number Variations; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D029523:Illicium / Q000378:metabolism; D060847:Metabolic Engineering; D005810:Multigene Family; D009249:NADP / Q000378:metabolism; D009250:NADP Transhydrogenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012765:Shikimic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D012765:Shikimic Acid; D009249:NADP; D009250:NADP Transhydrogenases; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); C021844:NAD kinase; C022642:shikimate kinase