Making brilliant colors by microorganisms

Abstract

Anthocyanins, the colorful molecules found in plants, have positive health effects in humans, and are used as food colorants and nutraceuticals. Currently, the industrial supply of anthocyanins largely depends on extraction from plants, a method that lacks robustness and is potentially unsustainable. A promising alternative is biosynthesis by metabolically engineered microbes, which has achieved considerable success. Here, we review recent progress on anthocyanin biosynthesis in engineered microorganisms and the engineering approaches for enhancing anthocyanin production. The de novo anthocyanin production strategies and microbial production of unusual anthocyanins such as deuterated cyanidin 3-O-glucoside and pyranoanthocyanins are also covered. These engineering strategies will provide a guidance to microbial production of anthocyanins. Existing problems and future directions are also discussed.