title: Engineering of Secondary Metabolism.
abstract: Secondary (specialized) metabolites, produced by bacteria, fungi, plants, and other organisms, exhibit enormous structural variation, and consequently display a wide range of biological activities. Secondary metabolism improves and modulates the phenotype of the host producer. Furthermore, these biological activities have resulted in the use of secondary metabolites in a variety of industrial and pharmaceutical applications. Metabolic engineering presents a powerful strategy to improve access to these valuable molecules. A critical overview of engineering approaches in secondary metabolism is presented, both in heterologous and native hosts. The recognition of the increasing role of compartmentalization in metabolic engineering is highlighted. Engineering approaches to modify the structure of key secondary metabolite classes are also critically evaluated.
authors.affiliation: The John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom; email: sarah.oconnor@jic.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: O'Connor
mesh_terms: D037621:Artemisinins / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004798:Enzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005658:Fungi / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060847:Metabolic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015202:Protein Engineering / Q000379:methods; D064210:Secondary Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013302:Streptomyces / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D037621:Artemisinins; D004798:Enzymes; D004917:Erythromycin; C031327:artemisinin; D017239:Paclitaxel
keywords: combinatorial biosynthesis; compartmentalization; natural product; secondary metabolite; synthetic biology