Title: Genetic tools for metabolic enzyme production in Escherichia coli
1Genetic tools for metabolic enzyme production in
Escherichia coli
- Jay D. Keasling
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University of California
- Berkeley, CA 94720
2Terpenoids
Chemotherapeutics
gt 50,000 known molecules
Eleutherobin C-20 Diterpene
Taxol C-20 diterpene
3Terpenoid metabolic pathways
4The DXP pathway
pyridoxine
thiamine
Pyruvate
4-diphospho-2C-methyl-D-erythritol
Dxs
Dxr
IspD
2C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP)
1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP)
D-glyceraldehyde- 3-phosphate (G3P)
IspE
IspF
Isopentenyl Pyrophosphate (IPP)
IspG
IspH
4-diphosphocytidyl-2C-methyl- D-erythritol-2-phosp
hate
2C-methyl-D-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate
1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate
Dimethylallyl Pyrophosphate (DMAPP)
5The mevalonate pathway
6Artemisinin
Artemisia annua
7Artemisinin-based drugs
- The current cost for an artemisinin-based drug is
approximately 2.25. - Artemisinin generally adds 1.00-1.50 to the cost
for drugs - Most developing countries spend less than
4/person/year on health care - As many as 10-12 treatments are needed for each
person annually - World Health Organization estimates that 700 tons
will be needed annually
8Microbial production of artemisinin
- Advantages
- Microbial fermentations are relatively simple to
scale up - Inexpensive starting materials can be used
- Challenges
- Need the genes for all of the enzymes in the
pathway - Not always simple to express in microbes the
genes from very different organisms - Need to balance metabolic pathways to optimize
production - Need a good platform organism with appropriate
gene expression tools
9Synthesis of artemisinin in E. coli
Identify the enzymes
10Synthesis of artemisinin in E. coli
11Synthesis of artemisinin in E. coli
Well characterized parts to control gene
expression
12Synthesis of artemisinin in E. coli
Supply of intracellular precursors
13Gene expression tools for metabolic engineering
Plasmid
14Plasmid copy number can influence gene expression
levels
High-copy plasmid
Low-copy plasmid
15dxs expressed from a high-copy plasmid
DMAPP
DXS
Pyr G3P
IPP
FPP
High-copy plasmid
CrtE
Ptac
dxs
CrtI
CrtY
Carotenoids
Pconst
crtE
crtI
crtY
16Carotenoid production in cells expressing dxs
from a high-copy plasmid
7
6
5
4
Carotenoid (mg/ml)
3
2
1
0
0
0.3
0.6
0.9
IPTG concentration (mM)
17Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC)
0
F plasmid
25
75
50
ccd
Tn1000
oriS
flm
oriV
par
E
H
B
P
rep FIA
rep FIB
Native F plasmid of Escherichia coli
18BACs are stable indefinitely in the absence of
selection pressure
1
Gene expression
0.8
induced
Not induced
0.6
Fraction plasmid- bearing cells
0.4
0.2
0
0
40
80
120
160
Culture time (generations)
19Commonly-used high-copy plasmids are
segregatively unstable
1
Not induced
0.8
Fraction plasmid- bearing cells
0.6
Gene expression
0.4
induced
0.2
0
0
40
80
120
160
Culture time (generations)
20The auxiliary chromosomes have improved control
of gene expression
Uninduced Expression
Induced Expression
Growth Rate of Host
0.69 hr-1
15 units
4,000 units
BAC
High-Copy Plasmid
0.53 hr-1
200 units
12,500 units
21dxs expressed from a bacterial artificial
chromosome
DMAPP
DXS
Pyr G3P
IPP
FPP
Bacterial artificial chromosome
araC
CrtE
dxs
PBAD
CrtI
CrtY
Carotenoids
Pconst
crtE
crtI
crtY
22Carotenoid production in cells expressing dxs
from a BAC
10.0
8.0
6.0
Cell growth (OD600nm) Lycopene (mg/ml)
4.0
2.0
0.0
0
0.013
0.133
1.33
13.3
Arabinose concentration (mM)
23Carotenoid production in cells expressing dxs
24Gene expression tools for metabolic engineering
Reproducible promoter control
25The arabinose-inducible PBAD promoter
PC
Chromosome
Plasmid
ParaE
araC
araE
gfp
PBAD
inside
outside
26The arabinose-inducible PBAD promoter
Plasmid
arabinose
Chromosome
PBAD
ParaE
gfp
araE
A
A
A
A
araC
PC
Green Fluorescent Protein
inside
outside
arabinose
27Expression of gfp from the arabinose-inducible
promoter
100000
10000
Fluorescence/OD600
1000
100
0.00001
0.0001
0.001
0.01
0.1
1
10
Arabinose (wt )
28Varying gene expression levels by varying
induction in individual cells
Average gene expression
Inducer concentration
29Varying gene expression levels by varying the
number of induced cells
Average gene expression
Inducer concentration
30Flow cytometric analysis
Laser
FALS sensor
Frequency
Fluorescence detector
Fluorescence
31Varying gene expression levels by varying the
number of induced cells
32Varying gene expression levels by varying
induction in individual cells
33Native arabinose-inducible system gives rise to
two populations
Increasing inducer concentration
Fluorescence intensity
34All-or-None Pathway Control
Pyruvate
Pyruvate
IPP
DMAPP
IPP
DMAPP
GPP
GPP
FPP
FPP
Amorphadiene
Amorphadiene
Artemisinin
Artemisinin
35The arabinose-inducible PBAD promoter
arabinose
PBAD
gfp
araE
Pcon
PC
araC
GFP
inside
outside
arabinose
36Population analysis of engineerined E. coli
expressing gfp
Increasing inducer concentration
Fluorescence intensity
37Regulated Pathway Control
Pyruvate
Pyruvate
IPP
DMAPP
IPP
DMAPP
GPP
GPP
FPP
FPP
Amorphadiene
Amorphadiene
Artemisinin
Artemisinin
38Gene expression tools for metabolic engineering
Expression of multiple genes
39Balancing enzymatic reactions in the cell
A
Enzyme 4
Enzyme 1
X
Enzyme 3
Z
Y1
B
Enzyme 2
Y2
C
40Using individual control elements
A
Enzyme 4
Enzyme 1
X
Enzyme 3
Z
Y1
B
Enzyme 2
Y2
C
41Synthetic operons
P
DNA
mRNA
A
Enzyme 4
Enzyme 1
X
Enzyme 3
Z
Y1
B
Enzyme 2
Y2
C
42RNase
mRNA
A
Enzyme 1
Enzyme 3
Enzyme 4
X
Y1
Z
B
Enzyme 2
Y2
C
43Secondary structures in the mRNA protect natural
mRNAs against nucleases
ribosome
RBS
exonuclease
RNase E endonuclease
44A cassette system to design mRNA stability
tccatacgtcgacggtaccgtattttggatgataacgaggcgcaaaaaat
g
aggtatgcagctgccatggcataaaacctactattgctccgcgtttttta
c
Sal I
Asp718
lacZ
Insertion of hairpin cassette
tccatacgtcgacttatctcgagtgagatattgttgacggtaccgtattt
tggatgataacgaggcgcaaaaaatg
aggtatgcagctgaatagagctcactctataacaactgccatggcataaa
acctactattgctccgcgttttttac
Transcription
45A family of synthetic hairpins
46A synthetic operon for carotenoid production
CrtE
CrtI
CrtY
Phytoene
Lycopene
b-Carotene
HPx
HP
crtY
crtI
p70yHPxi
3'
RNase E site
47HP16
HP
crtY
crtI
5'
3'
3'
5'
5'
3'
CrtE
CrtI
CrtY
Phytoene
Lycopene
b-Carotene
48Variation in hairpins
RNase E site
crtY
crtI
p70yi
5'
3'
HP17
crtY
crtI
p70yHP17i
3'
5'
HP4
crtY
crtI
p70yHP4i
5'
3'
HP16
crtY
crtI
p70yHP16i
5'
3'
49Relative levels of carotenoids
CrtE
CrtI
CrtY
Phytoene
Lycopene
b-Carotene
50Synthesis of artemisinin in cells
Artem.
FPP
51Poor performance of plant sesquiterpene cyclases
5-epi-aristolochene
Low yields 0.05 to 0.7 ng/mL/OD Expression of
rare E. coli codon tRNA did not much help
Cadinene
Vetispiradiene
Martin et al., Biotech. Bioeng. 2001
52Amorphadiene and artemisinin biosynthetic pathway
53Assembly of rcAmorphadiene Cyclase
- Take gene sequence from patent
- Optimize sequence for expression in desired host
- Synthesize 84 oligonucleotides of 40 basepairs
each - Assemble into complete gene using the polymerase
chain reaction (PCR)
54Amorphadiene production by the synthetic
amorphadiene cyclase
142-fold improvement over other native
cyclases (100 ng/mL/OD)
55Synthesis of artemisinin in cells
56DXP pathway
pyridoxine
thiamine
Pyruvate
4-diphospho-2C-methyl-D-erythritol
Dxs
Dxr
IspD
2C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP)
1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP)
D-glyceraldehyde- 3-phosphate (G3P)
IspE
IspF
Isopentenyl Pyrophosphate (IPP)
IspG
IspH
4-diphosphocytidyl-2C-methyl- D-erythritol-2-phosp
hate
2C-methyl-D-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate
1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate
Dimethylallyl Pyrophosphate (DMAPP)
57Expression of genes known to limit production
Pyruvate
G3P
DXS
IPP
DMAPP
IdI
IspA
FPP
Amorphadiene
58Amorphadiene production by the synthetic
amorphadiene cyclase
- Additional 3-fold
- (300 ng/mL/OD)
59Intermediates in the DXP pathway are necessary
for growth
Pyruvate
G3P
DXP Pathway
pyridoxine
thiamine
IPP
DMAPP
GPP
Monoterpenes
FPP
Sesquiterpenes
GGPP
Diterpenes
Carotenoids
60Mevalonate pathway
61Construction of synthetic mevalonate pathway
operons
HMGS
atoB
tHMGR
MevT
(1.2kb)
(1.6kb)
P
(1.5kb)
Acetyl-CoA
Mevalonate
idi
PMK
MPD
MK
MBI
(1.2kb)
P
(1.3kb)
IPP DMAPP
(1.3kb)
(0.5kb)
Mevalonate
62Amorphadiene from the full mevalonate pathway
Mevalonate pathway
30-fold improvement (3 mg/L/OD)
DXP pathway
63Amorphadiene production in a two-phase
fermentation
64Expression of plant mono-, sesqui-, and
di-terpenes cyclases in E. coli
FPP Sesquiterpenes
5-epi-aristolochene Tobacco
d-cadinene cotton
GGPP Diterpene
Vetispiradiene Hyoscyamus muticus
ent-Kaurene cyclase fungi
Casbene cyclase Castor bean
65Design Rules for Doing Chemistry in Bacteria
- Low copy number is generally better for
reconstituting metabolic pathways - Consistent promoter control is essential for
product and pathway homogeneity - Construction of operons and the use of mRNA
stability is an efficient way to coordinate
expression of multiple genes - Imbalances in gene expression can cause
accumulation of intermediates and can be toxic to
cells
66Acknowledgements
Graduate Students Trent A. Carrier Kristala
Jones Christina Smolke Doug Pitera Sydnor
Withers Brian Pfleger Yasuo Yoshikuni
Post-docs Artem Khlebnikov Seon-Won Kim Vincent
Martin Jack Newman Kinkead Reiling
Funding National Science Foundation Office of
Naval Research Maxygen Diversa University of
California Discovery Grant