Microbial synthesis of sedoheptulose from glucose by metabolically engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Background: Seven-carbon sugars, which rarely exist in nature, are the key constitutional unit of septacidin and hygromycin B in bacteria. These sugars exhibit a potential therapeutic effect for hypoglycaemia and cancer and serve as building blocks for the synthesis of C-glycosides and novel antibiotics. However, chemical and enzymatic approaches for the synthesis of seven-carbon sugars have faced challenges, such as complex reaction steps, low overall yields and high-cost feedstock, limiting their industrial-scale production.

Biosynthesis of mannose from glucose via constructing phosphorylation-dephosphorylation reactions in Escherichia coli.

d-mannose has been widely used in food, medicine, cosmetic, and food-additive industries. To date, chemical synthesis or enzymatic conversion approaches based on iso/epimerization reactions for d-mannose production suffered from low conversion rate due to the reaction equilibrium, necessitating intricate separation processes for obtaining pure products on an industrial scale. To circumvent this challenge, this study showcased a new approach for d-mannose synthesis from glucose through constructing a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation pathway in an engineered strain.

Protein engineering of transaminase facilitating enzyme cascade reaction for the biosynthesis of azasugars.

Azasugars, such as 1-deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ), exhibit unique physiological functions and hold promising applications in medicine and health fields. However, the biosynthesis of 1-DNJ is hindered by the low activity and thermostability of the transaminase. In this study, the transaminase from (MvTA) with activity toward d-fructose was engineered through semi-rational design and high-throughput screening method.

Analysis of seed production and seed shattering in a new artificial grassland forage: pigeon pea.

Pigeon pea is a perennial leguminous plant that is widely cultivated as a forage and pharmaceutical plant in subtropical and tropical areas, especially in artificial grasslands. Higher seed shattering is one of the most important factors in potentially increasing the seed yield of pigeon pea. Advance technology is necessary to increase the seed yield of pigeon pea.