Production of Curcuminoids in Engineered Escherichia coli .

Curcumin, a hydrophobic polyphenol derived from the rhizome of the herb Curcuma longa , possesses diverse pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiproliferative, and antiangiogenic activities. Two curcuminoids (dicinnamoylmethane and bisdemethoxycurcumin) were synthesized from glucose in Escherichia coli . PAL (phenylalanine ammonia lyase) or TAL (tyrosine ammonia lyase), along with Os4CL ( p -coumaroyl-CoA ligase) and CUS (curcumin synthase) genes, were introduced into E. coli , and each strain produced dicinnamoylmethane or bisdemethoxycurcumin, respectively. In order to increase the production of curcuminoids in E. coli , the shikimic acid biosynthesis pathway, which increases the substrates for curcuminoid biosynthesis, was engineered. Using the engineered strains, the production of bisdemethoxycurcumin increased from 0.32 to 4.63 mg/l, and that of dicinnamoylmethane from 1.24 to 6.95 mg/l.