Novel production of terpenoids in Escherichia coli and activities against breast cancer cell lines.

Metabolic engineering of heterologous pathways has allowed the production of therapeutically important compounds in microbial systems. Here, we report the engineering of a monoterpenoid biosynthetic pathway into Escherichia coli. Five genes encoding sequential enzymes for perillyl alcohol biosynthesis from the precursors isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) were engineered into E.

Optimization of the mevalonate-based isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway in Escherichia coli for production of the anti-malarial drug precursor amorpha-4,11-diene.

The introduction or creation of metabolic pathways in microbial hosts has allowed for the production of complex chemicals of therapeutic and industrial importance. However, these pathways rarely function optimally when first introduced into the host organism and can often deleteriously affect host growth, resulting in suboptimal yields of the desired product. Common methods used to improve production from engineered biosynthetic pathways include optimizing codon usage, enhancing production of rate-limiting enzymes, and eliminating the accumulation of toxic intermediates or byproducts to improve cell growth.

A conserved structural module regulates transcriptional responses to diverse stress signals in bacteria.

A transcriptional response to singlet oxygen in Rhodobacter sphaeroides is controlled by the group IV sigma factor sigma(E) and its cognate anti-sigma ChrR. Crystal structures of the sigma(E)/ChrR complex reveal a modular, two-domain architecture for ChrR. The ChrR N-terminal anti-sigma domain (ASD) binds a Zn(2+) ion, contacts sigma(E), and is sufficient to inhibit sigma(E)-dependent transcription.

A transcriptional response to singlet oxygen, a toxic byproduct of photosynthesis.

The ability of phototrophs to convert light into biological energy is critical for life on Earth. However, there can be deleterious consequences associated with this bioenergetic conversion, including the production of toxic byproducts. For example, singlet oxygen (1O2) can be formed during photosynthesis by energy transfer from excited triplet-state chlorophyll pigments to O2.

Interactions between the Rhodobacter sphaeroides ECF sigma factor, sigma(E), and its anti-sigma factor, ChrR.

Rhodobacter sphaeroides sigma(E) is a member of the extra cytoplasmic function sigma factor (ECF) family, whose members have been shown to regulate gene expression in response to a variety of signals. The functions of ECF family members are commonly regulated by a specific, reversible interaction with a cognate anti-sigma factor. In R.

Purification of Rhodobacter sphaeroides RNA polymerase and its sigma factors.

This article summarized methods to obtain RNA polymerase and sigma factors that can be used to analyze the in vitro control of gene expression by the facultative phototroph R. sphaeroides. While not a topic of this article, these purified components also allow one to analyze R.