Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry· 2026Q1
Metabolic Engineering of Yarrowia lipolytica for Efficient De Novo Synthesis of Astaxanthin Glucosides via Enhanced UDP-Glucose Supply
- 0citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Engineered yeast Yarrowia lipolytica produced 141.6 mg/L astaxanthin monoglucoside and 25.1 mg/L diglucoside using glucose, and 134.3 mg/L diglucoside using corn syrup, representing the highest reported titers for glycosylated astaxanthin.
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Key points
- Engineered Yarrowia lipolytica to synthesize astaxanthin glucosides by introducing zeaxanthin glucosyltransferase CrtX.
- Optimized UDP-glucose supply by inactivating GSY1 and overexpressing PGM1 and UGP1, achieving 17.6 mg/L monoglucoside and 25.1 mg/L diglucoside in test tubes.
- Achieved 141.6 mg/L astaxanthin monoglucoside in fed-batch fermentation using glucose.
- Produced 134.3 mg/L astaxanthin diglucoside using sustainable corn syrup as a carbon source.
- Reported the highest glycosylated astaxanthin titers to date.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Astaxanthin is a high-value carotenoid used in nutrition, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology, but its poor water dispersibility and oxidative stability limit its formulation. Here, we engineered yeast Yarrowia lipolytica for the efficient production of glycosylated astaxanthin. Introducing zeaxanthin glucosyltransferase CrtX from Pantoea ananatis into an astaxanthin-producing strain enabled the synthesis of astaxanthin glucosides, confirmed by HR-ESI-MS, 1H NMR, and 2D NMR. Engineering UDP-glucose metabolism by reducing competing pathways and enhancing UDP-glucose biosynthesis improved the astaxanthin glucoside production. The best strategy comprised inactivation of the glycogen synthase gene GSY1 combined with multicopy integration of PGM1 (phosphoglucomutase) and UGP1 (UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase), achieving 17.6 mg/L of astaxanthin monoglucoside and 25.1 mg/L of diglucoside in test-tube cultures. Fed-batch fermentation with glucose yielded 141.6 mg/L of astaxanthin monoglucoside. When corn syrup was used as a low-cost, sustainable carbon source, the production shifted toward astaxanthin diglucoside, reaching 134.3 mg/L. These results represent the highest glycosylated astaxanthin titers reported to date.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Biochemistry (Medicine)
BiochemistryMedicine