CRISPRa-Mediated Triple-Gene Activation of <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80,</i> and <i>ADH2</i> for Enhancing 2-Phenylethanol Biosynthesis via the Ehrlich Pathway in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>

2-phenylethanol (2-PE), a rose-like fragrance compound, is widely used in the food industry. Conventional chemical synthesis of 2-PE faces significant challenges due to environmental concerns and consumer preferences; thus, using <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> (<i>S. cerevisiae<...

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Main Authors: Zijing Zhu, Shuaihu Fang, Pingping Huang, Dianqiang Luo, Xiaobao Qi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Fermentation
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/6/345
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author Zijing Zhu
Shuaihu Fang
Pingping Huang
Dianqiang Luo
Xiaobao Qi
author_facet Zijing Zhu
Shuaihu Fang
Pingping Huang
Dianqiang Luo
Xiaobao Qi
author_sort Zijing Zhu
collection DOAJ
description 2-phenylethanol (2-PE), a rose-like fragrance compound, is widely used in the food industry. Conventional chemical synthesis of 2-PE faces significant challenges due to environmental concerns and consumer preferences; thus, using <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> (<i>S. cerevisiae</i>) for 2-PE biosynthesis has become a preferable option. This study aimed to develop a CRISPR activation (CRISPRa)-mediated <i>S. cerevisiae</i> engineered strain for efficient 2-PE biosynthesis by activating Ehrlich pathway key genes <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80</i>, and <i>ADH2.</i> Three guide sequences (GSs) were designed for each gene <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80</i>, and <i>ADH2</i>, and nine single-gene CRISPRa strains were constructed. Gene expression levels, 2-PE concentrations, and cell density were quantified using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and OD<sub>600</sub> measurement, respectively. The optimal GSs of <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80</i>, and <i>ADH2</i> were selected based on 2-PE concentrations of corresponding strains. The triple-gene CRISPRa strain INVScI-<i>ARO10</i>-<i>ARO80</i>-<i>ADH2</i> achieved a 214.04 mg/L 2-PE titer after 48 h, representing a 77.62% increase over the control with no significant effect on cell growth. These findings demonstrate that CRISPRa-mediated multi-gene activation constitutes a robust strategy for engineering high-performance 2-PE production systems in <i>S. cerevisiae</i>.
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spelling doaj-art-ee1faa792072447ba2507d125feddcdf2025-08-20T03:24:37ZengMDPI AGFermentation2311-56372025-06-0111634510.3390/fermentation11060345CRISPRa-Mediated Triple-Gene Activation of <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80,</i> and <i>ADH2</i> for Enhancing 2-Phenylethanol Biosynthesis via the Ehrlich Pathway in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>Zijing Zhu0Shuaihu Fang1Pingping Huang2Dianqiang Luo3Xiaobao Qi4College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaCollege of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaCollege of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaCollege of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaCollege of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China2-phenylethanol (2-PE), a rose-like fragrance compound, is widely used in the food industry. Conventional chemical synthesis of 2-PE faces significant challenges due to environmental concerns and consumer preferences; thus, using <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> (<i>S. cerevisiae</i>) for 2-PE biosynthesis has become a preferable option. This study aimed to develop a CRISPR activation (CRISPRa)-mediated <i>S. cerevisiae</i> engineered strain for efficient 2-PE biosynthesis by activating Ehrlich pathway key genes <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80</i>, and <i>ADH2.</i> Three guide sequences (GSs) were designed for each gene <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80</i>, and <i>ADH2</i>, and nine single-gene CRISPRa strains were constructed. Gene expression levels, 2-PE concentrations, and cell density were quantified using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and OD<sub>600</sub> measurement, respectively. The optimal GSs of <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80</i>, and <i>ADH2</i> were selected based on 2-PE concentrations of corresponding strains. The triple-gene CRISPRa strain INVScI-<i>ARO10</i>-<i>ARO80</i>-<i>ADH2</i> achieved a 214.04 mg/L 2-PE titer after 48 h, representing a 77.62% increase over the control with no significant effect on cell growth. These findings demonstrate that CRISPRa-mediated multi-gene activation constitutes a robust strategy for engineering high-performance 2-PE production systems in <i>S. cerevisiae</i>.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/6/3452-phenylethanol<i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>CRISPRaEhrlich pathway
spellingShingle Zijing Zhu
Shuaihu Fang
Pingping Huang
Dianqiang Luo
Xiaobao Qi
CRISPRa-Mediated Triple-Gene Activation of <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80,</i> and <i>ADH2</i> for Enhancing 2-Phenylethanol Biosynthesis via the Ehrlich Pathway in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>
Fermentation
2-phenylethanol
<i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>
CRISPRa
Ehrlich pathway
title CRISPRa-Mediated Triple-Gene Activation of <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80,</i> and <i>ADH2</i> for Enhancing 2-Phenylethanol Biosynthesis via the Ehrlich Pathway in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>
title_full CRISPRa-Mediated Triple-Gene Activation of <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80,</i> and <i>ADH2</i> for Enhancing 2-Phenylethanol Biosynthesis via the Ehrlich Pathway in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>
title_fullStr CRISPRa-Mediated Triple-Gene Activation of <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80,</i> and <i>ADH2</i> for Enhancing 2-Phenylethanol Biosynthesis via the Ehrlich Pathway in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>
title_full_unstemmed CRISPRa-Mediated Triple-Gene Activation of <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80,</i> and <i>ADH2</i> for Enhancing 2-Phenylethanol Biosynthesis via the Ehrlich Pathway in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>
title_short CRISPRa-Mediated Triple-Gene Activation of <i>ARO10</i>, <i>ARO80,</i> and <i>ADH2</i> for Enhancing 2-Phenylethanol Biosynthesis via the Ehrlich Pathway in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>
title_sort crispra mediated triple gene activation of i aro10 i i aro80 i and i adh2 i for enhancing 2 phenylethanol biosynthesis via the ehrlich pathway in i saccharomyces cerevisiae i
topic 2-phenylethanol
<i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>
CRISPRa
Ehrlich pathway
url https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/6/345
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AT pingpinghuang crispramediatedtriplegeneactivationofiaro10iiaro80iandiadh2iforenhancing2phenylethanolbiosynthesisviatheehrlichpathwayinisaccharomycescerevisiaei
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