Heterologous production of plant-derived isoprenoid products in microbes and the application of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology

• Published in: Current opinion in plant biology Vol. 19; pp. 8 - 13
• Main Authors: Li, Yi, Pfeifer, Blaine A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2014
• Subjects: Metabolic Engineering; Plants - metabolism; Synthetic Biology; Terpenes - metabolism
• ISSN: 1369-5266; 1879-0356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2014.02.005

•Isoprenoids and other plant-derived compounds possess wide utility.•Pathway reconstruction in microbial hosts provides an alternative production option.•Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology serve as powerful engineering tools. The value associated with plant-derived products has spurred efforts to engineer new production routes. One such option is heterologous biosynthesis which requires reconstitution of a biosynthetic pathway in a host that provides both innate and developed cellular advantages relative to the native producer. This review will summarize success to date in heterologously producing plant-derived isoprenoid products when using hosts such as E. coli and yeast. The article will also address the significant challenges that face such efforts, the approaches that have been used to overcome obstacles, and the tools of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology being applied both in the course of establishing heterologous biosynthesis and optimizing final production metrics.