Identification and Optimization of more Efficient Olivetolic Acid Synthases.

Olivetolic acid (OLA) is a key intermediate in cannabidiol (CBD) synthesis, and cannabinoids are important neuroactive drugs. However, the catalytic activity of olivetolic acid synthase (OLS), the key enzyme involved in OLA biosynthesis, remains low and its catalytic mechanism is unclear. In this study, we conducted a scrupulous screening of the pivotal rate-limiting enzyme and analyzed its amino acid sites that are critical to enzyme activity as validated by experiments. Through stringent enzyme screening, we pinpointed a highly active OLS sequence, OLS4. Then, we narrowed down three critical amino acid sites (I258, D198, E196) that significantly influence the OLS activity. Our findings laid the groundwork for the efficient biosynthesis of OLA, and thereby facilitate the biosynthesis of CBD.