The evolution of new traits in living organisms occurs via the processes of mutation,recombination,genetic drift,and selection.These processes that have resulted in the immense biol ogical diversity on our planet are ...The evolution of new traits in living organisms occurs via the processes of mutation,recombination,genetic drift,and selection.These processes that have resulted in the immense biol ogical diversity on our planet are also being employed in metabolic engineering to optimize enzymes and pathways,create new-to-nature reactions,and synthesize complex natural products in heterologous systems.In this review,we discuss two evolution-aided strategies for metabolic engineering-directed evolution,which improves upon existing genetic templates using the evolutionary process,and combinatorial pathway reconstruction,which brings together genes evolved in different organisms into a single heterol ogous host.We discuss the general principles of these strategies,describe the technologies involved and the molecular traits they influence,provide examples of their use,and discuss the roadblocks that need to be addressed for their wider adoption.A better understanding of these strategies can provide an impetus to research on gene function discovery and biochemical evolution,which is foundational for improved metabolic engineering.These evolution-aided approaches thus have a substantial potential for improving our understanding of plant metabolism in general,for enhancing the production of plant metabolites,and in sustainable agriculture.展开更多
Betalains are tyrosine-derived red-violet and yellow pigments found exclusively in plants of the Caryophyllales order, which have drawn both scientific and economic interest. Nevertheless, research into betalain chemi...Betalains are tyrosine-derived red-violet and yellow pigments found exclusively in plants of the Caryophyllales order, which have drawn both scientific and economic interest. Nevertheless, research into betalain chemistry, biochemistry, and function has been limited as comparison with other major classes of plant pigments such as anthocyanins and carotenoids. The core biosynthetic pathway of this pigment class has only been fully elucidated in the past few years, opening up the possibility for betalain pigment engineering in plants and microbes. In this review, we discuss betalain metabolism in light of recent advances in the field, with a current survey of characterized genes and enzymes that take part in be- talain biosynthesis, catabolism, and transcriptional regulation, and an outlook of what is yet to be discovered. A broad view of currently used and potential new sources for betalains, including utilization of natural sources or metabolic engineering, is provided together with a summary of potential applications of beta- lains in research and commercial use.展开更多
文摘The evolution of new traits in living organisms occurs via the processes of mutation,recombination,genetic drift,and selection.These processes that have resulted in the immense biol ogical diversity on our planet are also being employed in metabolic engineering to optimize enzymes and pathways,create new-to-nature reactions,and synthesize complex natural products in heterologous systems.In this review,we discuss two evolution-aided strategies for metabolic engineering-directed evolution,which improves upon existing genetic templates using the evolutionary process,and combinatorial pathway reconstruction,which brings together genes evolved in different organisms into a single heterol ogous host.We discuss the general principles of these strategies,describe the technologies involved and the molecular traits they influence,provide examples of their use,and discuss the roadblocks that need to be addressed for their wider adoption.A better understanding of these strategies can provide an impetus to research on gene function discovery and biochemical evolution,which is foundational for improved metabolic engineering.These evolution-aided approaches thus have a substantial potential for improving our understanding of plant metabolism in general,for enhancing the production of plant metabolites,and in sustainable agriculture.
文摘Betalains are tyrosine-derived red-violet and yellow pigments found exclusively in plants of the Caryophyllales order, which have drawn both scientific and economic interest. Nevertheless, research into betalain chemistry, biochemistry, and function has been limited as comparison with other major classes of plant pigments such as anthocyanins and carotenoids. The core biosynthetic pathway of this pigment class has only been fully elucidated in the past few years, opening up the possibility for betalain pigment engineering in plants and microbes. In this review, we discuss betalain metabolism in light of recent advances in the field, with a current survey of characterized genes and enzymes that take part in be- talain biosynthesis, catabolism, and transcriptional regulation, and an outlook of what is yet to be discovered. A broad view of currently used and potential new sources for betalains, including utilization of natural sources or metabolic engineering, is provided together with a summary of potential applications of beta- lains in research and commercial use.
