Engineering Electron Transfer Flux between Cytochrome P450 Enzyme and P450 Reductase to Enhance Serotonin Production in Escherichia Coli

Abstract Microbial cell factories produce valuable compounds by exploiting cytochrome P450 catalytic systems. However, the inefficient electron transfer flux (ETF) between P450 and cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) hinders the efficient synthesis of natural products. Herein, an ETF is systematically e...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Wenzhao Xu, Pengling Wei, Lirong Chen, Ling Gao, Xiaole Xia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-08-01
Series:Advanced Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202414859
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849233242674167808
author Wenzhao Xu
Pengling Wei
Lirong Chen
Ling Gao
Xiaole Xia
author_facet Wenzhao Xu
Pengling Wei
Lirong Chen
Ling Gao
Xiaole Xia
author_sort Wenzhao Xu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Microbial cell factories produce valuable compounds by exploiting cytochrome P450 catalytic systems. However, the inefficient electron transfer flux (ETF) between P450 and cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) hinders the efficient synthesis of natural products. Herein, an ETF is systematically engineered by regulating the electron transfer rate, electron‐receiving rate, and electron donor NADPH availability for serotonin production. First, a putative electron transfer pathway (ETP) is identified using virtual computing and evolved based on a genetically encoded serotonin RNA biosensor. Subsequently, an intermediate site strategy is developed to shorten the electron‐hopping steps and distance in the ETP of CPR for enhancing the electron transfer rate. Next, the heme‐binding domain is engineered to reduce the distance between heme‐Fe and the substrate channel terminal in T5H for improving the electron‐receiving rate. Furthermore, the NADPH pool is enlarged to increase the electron supply for efficient catalysis of P450 systems. Finally, tryptophan‐5‐hydroxylase (T5H) activity (Kcat/KM) in the optimal mutant is 36.62‐fold than that of wild‐type. The engineered strain E. coli S11 can produce 15.42 g L−1 serotonin in a 7.5‐L bioreactor, which is 9.17‐fold of the previous reported. This strategy provides a systematic approach for regulating ETF in complex P450 catalytic systems for efficient chemical biosynthesis.
format Article
id doaj-art-35775f3e85554d618a36f2cc35df6a3c
institution Kabale University
issn 2198-3844
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Advanced Science
spelling doaj-art-35775f3e85554d618a36f2cc35df6a3c2025-08-20T11:56:10ZengWileyAdvanced Science2198-38442025-08-011230n/an/a10.1002/advs.202414859Engineering Electron Transfer Flux between Cytochrome P450 Enzyme and P450 Reductase to Enhance Serotonin Production in Escherichia ColiWenzhao Xu0Pengling Wei1Lirong Chen2Ling Gao3Xiaole Xia4Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education School of Biotechnology Jiangnan University 1800 Lihu Road Wuxi Jiangsu 214122 ChinaKey Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education School of Biotechnology Jiangnan University 1800 Lihu Road Wuxi Jiangsu 214122 ChinaKey Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education School of Biotechnology Jiangnan University 1800 Lihu Road Wuxi Jiangsu 214122 ChinaKey Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education School of Biotechnology Jiangnan University 1800 Lihu Road Wuxi Jiangsu 214122 ChinaKey Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education School of Biotechnology Jiangnan University 1800 Lihu Road Wuxi Jiangsu 214122 ChinaAbstract Microbial cell factories produce valuable compounds by exploiting cytochrome P450 catalytic systems. However, the inefficient electron transfer flux (ETF) between P450 and cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) hinders the efficient synthesis of natural products. Herein, an ETF is systematically engineered by regulating the electron transfer rate, electron‐receiving rate, and electron donor NADPH availability for serotonin production. First, a putative electron transfer pathway (ETP) is identified using virtual computing and evolved based on a genetically encoded serotonin RNA biosensor. Subsequently, an intermediate site strategy is developed to shorten the electron‐hopping steps and distance in the ETP of CPR for enhancing the electron transfer rate. Next, the heme‐binding domain is engineered to reduce the distance between heme‐Fe and the substrate channel terminal in T5H for improving the electron‐receiving rate. Furthermore, the NADPH pool is enlarged to increase the electron supply for efficient catalysis of P450 systems. Finally, tryptophan‐5‐hydroxylase (T5H) activity (Kcat/KM) in the optimal mutant is 36.62‐fold than that of wild‐type. The engineered strain E. coli S11 can produce 15.42 g L−1 serotonin in a 7.5‐L bioreactor, which is 9.17‐fold of the previous reported. This strategy provides a systematic approach for regulating ETF in complex P450 catalytic systems for efficient chemical biosynthesis.https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202414859cytochrome P450 enzymeselectron transfer fluxP450 reductasesRNA‐biosensorsserotonintryptamine‐5‐hydroxylases
spellingShingle Wenzhao Xu
Pengling Wei
Lirong Chen
Ling Gao
Xiaole Xia
Engineering Electron Transfer Flux between Cytochrome P450 Enzyme and P450 Reductase to Enhance Serotonin Production in Escherichia Coli
Advanced Science
cytochrome P450 enzymes
electron transfer flux
P450 reductases
RNA‐biosensors
serotonin
tryptamine‐5‐hydroxylases
title Engineering Electron Transfer Flux between Cytochrome P450 Enzyme and P450 Reductase to Enhance Serotonin Production in Escherichia Coli
title_full Engineering Electron Transfer Flux between Cytochrome P450 Enzyme and P450 Reductase to Enhance Serotonin Production in Escherichia Coli
title_fullStr Engineering Electron Transfer Flux between Cytochrome P450 Enzyme and P450 Reductase to Enhance Serotonin Production in Escherichia Coli
title_full_unstemmed Engineering Electron Transfer Flux between Cytochrome P450 Enzyme and P450 Reductase to Enhance Serotonin Production in Escherichia Coli
title_short Engineering Electron Transfer Flux between Cytochrome P450 Enzyme and P450 Reductase to Enhance Serotonin Production in Escherichia Coli
title_sort engineering electron transfer flux between cytochrome p450 enzyme and p450 reductase to enhance serotonin production in escherichia coli
topic cytochrome P450 enzymes
electron transfer flux
P450 reductases
RNA‐biosensors
serotonin
tryptamine‐5‐hydroxylases
url https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202414859
work_keys_str_mv AT wenzhaoxu engineeringelectrontransferfluxbetweencytochromep450enzymeandp450reductasetoenhanceserotoninproductioninescherichiacoli
AT penglingwei engineeringelectrontransferfluxbetweencytochromep450enzymeandp450reductasetoenhanceserotoninproductioninescherichiacoli
AT lirongchen engineeringelectrontransferfluxbetweencytochromep450enzymeandp450reductasetoenhanceserotoninproductioninescherichiacoli
AT linggao engineeringelectrontransferfluxbetweencytochromep450enzymeandp450reductasetoenhanceserotoninproductioninescherichiacoli
AT xiaolexia engineeringelectrontransferfluxbetweencytochromep450enzymeandp450reductasetoenhanceserotoninproductioninescherichiacoli