Enhanced performance of the methylerythritol phosphate pathway by manipulation of redox reactions relevant to IspC, IspG, and IspH

•A new insight into the engineering of the MEP pathway is provided with manipulation of its peripheral metabolic systems.•Overexpression of the redox recycling system composed of FldA and Fpr is required for optimal function of IspG and IspH.•Heterologous overexpression of the NADH kinase tPos5p and deletion of the non-essential NADPH-dependent aldehyde reductase YjgB enhance performance of the MEP pathway.

ABSTRACTThe 2C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway is a carbon-efficient route for synthesis of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), the building blocks of isoprenoids. However, practical application of a native or recombinant MEP pathway for the mass production of isoprenoids in Escherichia coli has been unsatisfactory. In this study, the entire recombinant MEP pathway was established with plasmids and used for the production of an isoprenoid, protoilludene. E. coli harboring the recombinant MEP pathway plasmid (ME) and a protoilludene synthesis pathway plasmid (AO) produced 10.4 mg/L of protoilludene after 48 h of culture. To determine the rate-limiting gene on plasmid ME, each constituent gene of the MEP pathway was additionally overexpressed on the plasmid AO. The additional overexpression of IPP isomerase (IDI) enhanced protoilludene production to 67.4 mg/L. Overexpression of the Fpr and FldA protein complex, which could mediate electron transfer from NADPH to Fe-S cluster proteins such as IspG and IspH of the MEP pathway, increased protoilludene production to 318.8 mg/L. Given that it is required for IspC as well as IspG/H, the MEP pathway has high demand for NADPH. To increase the supply of NADPH, a NADH kinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (tPos5p) that converts NADH to NADPH was introduced along with the deletion of a promiscuous NADPH-dependent aldehyde reductase (YjgB) that consumes NADPH. This resulted in a protoilludene production of 512.7 mg/L. The results indicate that IDI, Fpr-FldA redox proteins, and NADPH regenerators are key engineering points for boosting the metabolic flux toward a recombinant MEP pathway.