Fermentative production of Vitamin E tocotrienols in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under cold-shock-triggered temperature control

Nat Commun. 2020 Oct 14;11(1):5155. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18958-9.

Abstract

The diverse physiological functions of tocotrienols have listed them as valuable supplementations to α-tocopherol-dominated Vitamin E products. To make tocotrienols more readily available, tocotrienols-producing S. cerevisiae has been constructed by combining the heterologous genes from photosynthetic organisms with the endogenous shikimate pathway and mevalonate pathway. After identification and elimination of metabolic bottlenecks and enhancement of precursors supply, the engineered yeast can produce tocotrienols at yield of up to 7.6 mg/g dry cell weight (DCW). In particular, proper truncation of the N-terminal transit peptide from the plant-sourced enzymes is crucial. To further solve the conflict between cell growth and tocotrienols accumulation so as to enable high-density fermentation, a cold-shock-triggered temperature control system is designed for efficient control of two-stage fermentation, leading to production of 320 mg/L tocotrienols. The success in high-density fermentation of tocotrienols by engineered yeast sheds light on the potential of fermentative production of vitamin E tocochromanols.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acclimatization / genetics
  • Biosynthetic Pathways / genetics
  • Cold Temperature / adverse effects
  • Cold-Shock Response / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Fermentation / physiology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
  • Industrial Microbiology / methods*
  • Metabolic Engineering*
  • Mutation
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism
  • Tocotrienols / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • GAL4 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Plant Proteins
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Tocotrienols
  • Transcription Factors