Abstract
Sesquiterpenes are one of the most diverse groups of secondary metabolites that have mainly been observed in terpenoids. It is a natural terpene containing 15 carbon atoms in the molecule and three isoprene units with chain, ring, and other skeleton structures. Sesquiterpenes have been shown to display multiple biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-feedant, anti-microbial, anti-tumor, anti-malarial, and immunomodulatory properties; therefore, their therapeutic effects are essential. In order to overcome the problem of low-yielding sesquiterpene content in natural plants, regulating their biosynthetic pathways has become the focus of many researchers. In plant and microbial systems, many genetic engineering strategies have been used to elucidate biosynthetic pathways and high-level production of sesquiterpenes. Here, we will introduce the research progress and prospects of the biosynthesis of artemisinin, costunolide, parthenolide, and dendrobine. Furthermore, we explore the biosynthesis of dendrobine by evaluating whether the biosynthetic strategies of these sesquiterpene compounds can be applied to the formation of dendrobine and its intermediate compounds.
Key points
• The development of synthetic biology has promoted the study of terpenoid metabolism and provided an engineering platform for the production of high-value terpenoid products.
• Some possible intermediate compounds of dendrobine were screened out and the possible pathway of dendrobine biosynthesis was speculated.
• The possible methods of dendrobine biosynthesis were explored and speculated.
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The research was financially supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFC1706200 for L. B), the CAMS Initiative for Innovative Medicine (CAMS-2016-I2M-2–003 for L.B.), the Special Project for Academic Construction of Peking Union Medical College (Tsinghua 211–201920100902), and the National Science & Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program of China(2018FY100700).
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DYG and BL conceived and designed research. SXG and BCW contributed analytical tools. XYC analyzed data. DYG wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.
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Gong, DY., Chen, XY., Guo, SX. et al. Recent advances and new insights in biosynthesis of dendrobine and sesquiterpenes. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 105, 6597–6606 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-021-11534-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-021-11534-1