Efficient biosynthesis of β-caryophyllene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by β-caryophyllene synthase from Artemisia argyi

Abstract

Artemisia argyi H. Lév. & Vaniot is an important traditional Chinese medicinal plant known for its volatile oils, which are the main active components of A. argyi, including monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and their derivatives. Despite its medicinal significance, the biosynthesis of sesquiterpenoids in A. argyi remains underexplored. In this study, we identified four β-caryophyllene synthases from A. argyi. A high-yield β-caryophyllene engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell factory has been built in this study. By fusing ERG20 and AarTPS88 with a flexible linker (GGGS)2 and enhancing metabolic flux in the MVA pathway (HIF-1, tHMGR, and UPC2-1), we achieved a titer of β-caryophyllene reached 15.6 g/L by fed-batch fermentation in a 5 L bioreactor. To our knowledge, this represents the highest reported titer of β-caryophyllene in yeast to date. This study provides a valuable tool for the industrial-scale production of β-caryophyllene.

Keywords

• Artemisia argyi
• β-caryophyllene
• β-caryophyllene synthase
• Biosynthesis
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae