Improved Squalene Production via Modulation of the Methylerythritol 4-Phosphate Pathway and Heterologous Expression of Genes from <i>Streptomyces peucetius</i> ATCC 27952 in <i>Escherichia coli</i>

Abstract

Putative hopanoid genes from Streptomyces peucetius were introduced into Escherichia coli to improve the production of squalene, an industrially important compound. High expression of hopA and hopB (encoding squalene/phytoene synthases) together with hopD (encoding farnesyl diphosphate synthase) yielded 4.1 mg/liter of squalene. This level was elevated to 11.8 mg/liter when there was also increased expression of dxs and idi, E. coli genes encoding 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase and isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase.