Natural products are small molecules synthesized by fungi, bacteria and plants, which historically have had a profound effect on human health and quality of life. These natural products have evolved over millions of years resulting in specific biological functions that may be of interest for pharmaceutical, agricultural, or nutraceutical use. Often natural products need to be structurally modified to make them suitable for specific applications. Combinatorial biosynthesis is a method to alter the composition of enzymes needed to synthesize a specific natural product resulting in structurally diversified molecules. In this review we discuss different approaches for combinatorial biosynthesis of natural products via engineering fungal enzymes and biosynthetic pathways. We highlight the biosynthetic knowledge gained from these studies and provide examples of new-to-nature bioactive molecules, including molecules synthesized using combinations of fungal and non-fungal enzymes.
Nature relies on a wide range of enzymes with specific biocatalytic roles to carry out much of the chemistry needed to sustain life. Enzymes catalyze the interconversion of a vast array of molecules with high specificity—from molecular nitrogen fixation to the synthesis of highly specialized hormones and quorum‐sensing molecules. Ever increasing emphasis on renewable sources for energy and waste minimization has turned enzymes into key industrial workhorses for targeted chemical conversions. Modern enzymology is central to not only food and beverage manufacturing processes but also finds relevance in countless consumer product formulations such as proteolytic enzymes in detergents, amylases for excess bleach removal from textiles, proteases in meat tenderization, and lactoperoxidases in dairy products. Herein, we present an overview of enzyme science and engineering milestones and the emergence of directed evolution of enzymes for which the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Dr. Frances Arnold.
more » « less- Award ID(s):
- 1703274
- PAR ID:
- 10372921
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- AIChE Journal
- Volume:
- 66
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 0001-1541
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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