• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1305-1310
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• 2021

Shikimate is a key high-demand metabolite for synthesizing valuable antiviral drugs, such as the anti-influenza drug, oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Microbial-based strategies for shikimate production have been developed to overcome the unstable and expensive supply of shikimate derived from traditional plant extraction processes. In this study, a microbial cell factory using Corynebacterium glutamicum was designed to overproduce shikimate in a fed-batch culture system. First, the shikimate kinase gene (aroK) responsible for converting shikimate to the next step was disrupted to facilitate the accumulation of shikimate. Several genes encoding the shikimate bypass route, such as dehydroshikimate dehydratase (QsuB), pyruvate kinase (Pyk1), and quinate/shikimate dehydrogenase (QsuD), were disrupted sequentially. An artificial operon containing several shikimate pathway genes, including aroE, aroB, aroF, and aroG were overexpressed to maximize the glucose uptake and intermediate flux. The rationally designed shikimate-overproducing C. glutamicum strain grown in an optimized medium produced approximately 37.3 g/l of shikimate in 7-L fed-batch fermentation. Overall, rational cell factory design and culture process optimization for the microbial-based production of shikimate will play a key role in complementing traditional plant-derived shikimate production processes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.1370-1375
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• 2023

In this study, we aimed to enhance the accumulation of chorismate (CHR) and anthranilate (ANT), key intermediates in the shikimate pathway, by modifying a shikimate over-producing recombinant strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum [19]. To achieve this, we utilized a CRISPR-driven genome engineering approach to compensate for the deletion of shikimate kinase (AroK) as well as ANT synthases (TrpEG) and ANT phosphoribosyltransferase (TrpD). In addition, we inhibited the CHR metabolic pathway to induce CHR accumulation. Further, to optimize the shikimate pathway, we overexpressed feedback inhibition-resistant Escherichia coli AroG and AroH genes, as well as C. glutamicum AroF and AroB genes. We also overexpressed QsuC and substituted shikimate dehydrogenase (AroE). In parallel, we optimized the carbon metabolism pathway by deleting the gntR family transcriptional regulator (IolR) and overexpressing polyphosphate/ATP-dependent glucokinase (PpgK) and glucose kinase (Glk). Moreover, acetate kinase (Ack) and phosphotransacetylase (Pta) were eliminated. Through our CRISPR-driven genome re-design approach, we successfully generated C. glutamicum cell factories capable of producing up to 0.48 g/l and 0.9 g/l of CHR and ANT in 1.3 ml miniature culture systems, respectively. These findings highlight the efficacy of our rational cell factory design strategy in C. glutamicum, which provides a robust platform technology for developing high-producing strains that synthesize valuable aromatic compounds, particularly those derived from the shikimate pathway metabolites.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.624-631
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• 2005

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, continues to be one of the main diseases to mankind. It is urgent to discover novel drug targets for appropriate antimicrobial agents against this human pathogen. The shikimate pathway is onsidered as an attractive target for the discovery of novel antibiotics for its essentiality in bacteria and absence in mammalian cells. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis aroE-encoded shikimate dehydrogenase was cloned, expressed and purified. Sequence alignment analysis shows that shikimate dehydrogenase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis exhibit the pattern of G-X-(N/S)-V-(T/S)-X-PX-K, which is highly conserved within the shikimate dehydrogenase family. The recombinant shikimate dehydrogenase spectrum determined by CD spectroscopy showed that the percentages for $\alpha$-helix, $\beta$-sheet, $\beta$-turn, and random coil were 29.2%, 9.3%, 32.7%, and 28.8%, respectively. The enzymatic characterization demonstrates that it appears to be fully active at pH from 9.0 to 12, and temperature $63^{\circ}C$. The apparent Michaelis constant for shikimic acid and $NADP^+$ were calculated to be about $29.5\;{\mu}M$ and $63\;{\mu}M$. The recombinant shikimate dehydrogenase catalyzes the substrate in the presence of $NADP^+$ with an enzyme turnover number of $399\;s^{-1}$. Zymological studies suggest that the cloned shikimate dehydrogenase from M. tuberculosis has a pretty activity, and the work should help in the discovery of enzyme inhibitors and further of possible antimicrobial agents against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.789-796
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• 2000

In order to analyze the effects of tktA, $aroF^{FBR}$, and aroL expression in a tryptophan-producing Escherichia coli, a series of plasmids carrying the genes were constructed. Introduction of tktA, $aroF^{FBR}$, and aroL into the E. coli strain resulted in approximately 10-20 fold increase in the activities of transketolase, the feedback inhibition-resistant 3-deoxy-D-arabinoheptulsonate-7-phosphate synthase, and shikimate kinase. Expression of $aroF^{FBR}$ in the aroB mutant strain of E. coli resulted in the accumulation of 10 mM of 3-deoxy-D-arabinoheptulsonate-7-phosphate (DAHP) in the medium. Simultaneous expression of tktA and $aroF^{FBR}$ in the strain further increased the amount of excreted DAHP to 20 mM. In contrast, the mutant strain which has no gene introduced accumulated 0.5 mM of DAHP. However, the expression of tktA and $aroF^{FBR}$ in a tryptophan-producing E. coli strain did not lead to the increased production of tryptophan, but instead, a significant amount of shikimate, which is an intermediate in the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway, was excreted to the growth medium. Despite the fact that additional expression of shikimate kinase in the strain could possibly remove 90% of excreted shikimate to 0.1 mM, the amount of tryptophan produced was still unchanged. Removing shikimate using a cloned aroL gene caused the excretion of glutamate, which suggests disturbed central carbon metabolism. However, when cultivated in a complex medium, the strain expressing tktA, $aroF^{FBR}$, and aroL produced more tryptophan than the parental strain. These data indicate that additional rate-limiting steps are present in the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway, and the carbon flow to the terminal pathway is strictly regulated. Expressing tktA in E. coli cells appeared to impose a great metabolic burden to the cells as evidenced by retarded cell growth in the defined medium. Recombinant E. coli strains harboring plasmids which carry the tktA gene showed a tendency to segregate their plasmids almost completely within 24h.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.2087-2097
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• 2016

Most cold-adapted enzymes possess higher $K_m$ and $k_{cat}$ values than those of their mesophilic counterparts to maximize the reaction rate. This characteristic is often ascribed to a high structural flexibility and improved dynamics in the active site. However, this may be less convincing to cold-adapted metabolic enzymes, which work at substrate concentrations near $K_m$. In this respect, cold adaptation of a shikimate kinase (SK) in the shikimate pathway from psychrophilic Colwellia psychrerythraea (CpSK) was characterized by comparing it with a mesophilic Escherichia coli homolog (EcSK). The optimum temperatures for CpSK and EcSK activity were approximately $30^{\circ}C$ and $40^{\circ}C$, respectively. The melting points were $33^{\circ}C$ and $45^{\circ}C$ for CpSK and EcSK, respectively. The ${\Delta}G_{H_2O}$ (denaturation in the absence of denaturing agent) values were 3.94 and 5.74 kcal/mol for CpSK and EcSK, respectively. These results indicated that CpSK was a cold-adapted enzyme. However, contrary to typical kinetic data, CpSK had a lower $K_m$ for its substrate shikimate than most mesophilic SKs, and the $k_{cat}$ was not increased. This observation suggested that CpSK may have evolved to exhibit increased substrate affinity at low intracellular concentrations of shikimate in the cold environment. Sequence analysis and homology modeling also showed that some important salt bridges were lost in CpSK, and higher Arg residues around critical Arg 140 seemed to increase flexibility for catalysis. Taken together, these data demonstrate that CpSK exhibits characteristics of cold adaptation with unusual kinetic parameters, which may provide important insights into the cold adaptation of metabolic enzymes.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 1971

When a low-temperature treatment was given to a small sweet pepper variety Zairaisisi, the seed browning effect appeared soon. This change attracted the studies to determine and discuss the browning metabolites, polyphenolic compounds, and changes in their between-step components. (1) Chlorogenic acids were found as a polyphenolic compound in seed, whereas no flavanol-type polyphenol was observed. (2) There was sharp increase in total polyphenol content and chlorogenic acid with a low-temperature treatment. The contents of these substrates dropped below that of room-temperature treatment after the browning effect took place. (3) A marked increase in between-step metabolites phenylalanine, tyrosine, shikimic acid contents, and thus assumed activated shikimate pathway in this process. (4) It was suggested by determining the effect of specific metabolic inhibition and respiratory inhibitor administrations on enzymes that active biosynthesis of polyphenolic compounds takes place in shikimate pathway with combination of phosphoenolpyruvate and erythrose-4-phosphate connected to TCA cycle jaming after an active EMP pathway was gone through with sugars in pepper seeds at a low-temperature. (5) It was also suggested from the observation of increased K ion flow-out in pepper seeds with a low-temperature treatment that there is an abnormality in the plasma membrance.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.135-153
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• 2015

The aromatic amino acids, which are composed of $\small{L}$-phenylalanine, $\small{L}$-tyrosine and $\small{L}$-tryptophan, are general components of protein synthesis as well as precursors for a wide range of secondary metabolites. These aromatic amino acids-derived compounds play important roles as ingredients of diverse phenolics including pigments and cell walls, and hormones like auxin and salicylic acid in plants. Moreover, they also serve as the natural products of alkaloids and glucosinolates, which have a high potential to promote human health and nutrition. The biosynthetic pathways of aromatic amino acids share a chorismate, the common intermediate, which is originated from shikimate pathway. Then, tryptophan is synthesized via anthranilate and the other phenylalanine and tyrosine are synthesized via prephenate, as intermediates. This review reports recent studies about all the enzymatic steps involved in aromatic amino acid biosynthetic pathways and their gene regulation on transcriptional/post-transcriptional levels. Furthermore, results of metabolic engineering are introduced as efforts to improve the production of the aromatic amino acids-derived secondary metabolites in plants.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.164-166
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• 2019

The complete genomic information of Microbacterium aurum KACC $15219^T$ (= IFO $15204^T$ = DSM $8600^T$) is described. The genome of M. aurum KACC $15219^T$ contains 3,096 protein coding genes and an average G+C content of 69.9% in its chromosome (3.42 Mbp). This strain can use various carbon sources for growth, including quinic acid. Quinic acid is used as a substrate for the synthesis of aromatic amino acids via the shikimate pathway which are useful in the industry. M. aurum KACC $15219^T$ will provide basis to improve our understanding of this organism and allow more efficient application of the strain to industry.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1997

5-Enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate(EPSP) synthase is the sixth enzyme of the shikimate pathway that synthesizes aromatic amino acids. The enzyme is a primary target for the glyphos'lte which is a broad-spectrum and environmetally safe herbicide. As a first step toward development of glyphpsate-resistant EPSP synthase, the EPSP synthase gene(aroA) was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and cluned into pET-25b vector. In this construct. designated pET-aro, the aroA gene is expressed under control of strong T7 promoter. and the EPSP synthase is produced as a fusion protein with pelB leader at N-terminus and HSV-tag and His-tag at C-terminus. When the pET-aro clone was induced to produce the enzyme, it was found that the EPSP synthase was successfully exported to peri plasmic space. The periplasmic transport was greatly dependent on the induction temperatures. Among the induction temperatures examined($25^{\circ}C$, $30^{\circ}C$, $34^{\circ}C$ and $37^{\circ}C$). induction at $34^{\circ}C$ gave rise to maximal periplasmic transport. The recomhinant EPSP synthase could have been purified hy $Ni^{2+}$ -affinity chromatography using the His-tag. and detected hy anti-HSV -tag antibody. The recombinant EPSP synthase also hound to phosphocellulose resin and was eluted hy shikimate 3-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate. as expected. The recombinant EPSP synthase purified from phosphocellulose resin showed typical EPSP synthase activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1384-1390
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• 2018

Glyphosate inhibits the target enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) in the shikimate pathway. A mutant of EPSPS from Pantoea sp. was identified using site-directed mutagenesis. The mutant showed significantly improved glyphosate resistance. The mutant had mutations in three amino acids: Gly97 to Ala, Thr 98 to Ile, and Pro 102 to Ser. These mutation sites in Escherichia coli have been studied as significant active sites of glyphosate resistance. However, in our research, they were found to jointly contribute to the improvement of glyphosate tolerance. In addition, the level of glyphosate tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis confirmed the potentiality of the mutant in breeding glyphosate-resistant plants.