Construction and co-cultivation of two mutant strains harboring key precursor genes to produce prodigiosin

Wei-Chuan Chen; Min-Jun Tsai; Po-Chi Soo; Li-Fen Wang; Shen-Long Tsai; Yu-Kaung Chang; Yu-Hong Wei

doi:10.1016/j.jbiosc.2018.06.010

Construction and co-cultivation of two mutant strains harboring key precursor genes to produce prodigiosin

J Biosci Bioeng. 2018 Dec;126(6):783-789. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2018.06.010. Epub 2018 Jun 29.

Authors

Wei-Chuan Chen¹, Min-Jun Tsai¹, Po-Chi Soo², Li-Fen Wang³, Shen-Long Tsai⁴, Yu-Kaung Chang⁵, Yu-Hong Wei⁶

Affiliations

¹ Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, No. 135, Yuan-Tung Road, Chung-Li Dist., Taoyuan City 32003, Taiwan, ROC.
² Institute of Medical Biotechnology, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd. Hualien 97004, Taiwan, ROC.
³ Department of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, Fooyin University, 151 Jinxue Rd., Daliao Dist., Kaohsiung City 83102, Taiwan, ROC.
⁴ Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 100, Taiwan, ROC.
⁵ Department & Graduate Institute of Chemical Engineering & Graduate Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, No. 84, Gungjuan Rd. Taishan Dist., New Taipei City 24301, Taiwan, ROC.
⁶ Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, No. 135, Yuan-Tung Road, Chung-Li Dist., Taoyuan City 32003, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: yhwei@saturn.yzu.edu.tw.

PMID: 30401454
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2018.06.010

Abstract

The biosynthesis of prodigiosin (PG) from Serratia marcescens involves the coupling of a bipyrrole, 4-methoxy-2,2'-bipyrrole-5-carboxaldehyde (MBC), with a monopyrrole, 2-methyl-3-n-amyl-pyrrole (MAP), and formation of a linear tripyrrole (PG). We constructed mutant strains in which either the MBC biosynthesis by S. marcescens BMJ816 or the MAP biosynthesis by S. marcescens AMJ817. S. marcescens BMJ816 and AMJ817 confirmed that they lose the ability to synthesize PG when they are cultivated alone. An experiment was also conducted in which cultures of the two mutant strains were grown to the early exponential phase in a semi-defined medium, and one suspension culture was inoculated with the other. This approach yielded 103 mg/L PG. The findings suggest that the addition of precursors may enhance PG production by microorganisms.

Keywords: 2-Methyl-3-n-amyl-pyrrole; 4-Methoxy-2,2′-bipyrrole-5-carboxaldehyde; Co-cultivation; Prodigiosin; Serratia marcescens.

MeSH terms

Coculture Techniques
Gene Transfer Techniques
Microbiological Techniques / methods*
Organisms, Genetically Modified
Prodigiosin / biosynthesis*
Pyrroles / metabolism
Serratia marcescens / genetics*
Serratia marcescens / metabolism*
Transformation, Bacterial

Substances

Pyrroles
Prodigiosin