Metabolic Engineering in Escherichia coli for the production of indirubin, lovastatin, and simvastatin

Abstract

In the era of the 4th industrial revolution, bioindustry is getting huge attention and the biopharmaceutical market in particular is in the golden age. Biopharmaceuticals refer to pharmaceuticals made from proteins, genes, and cells derived from living organisms. Unlike synthetic pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals have low intrinsic toxicity in the human body and are used as target treatments for various intractable and degenerative diseases. With increasing importance of research on bio-based production of biopharmaceuticals, heterologous expression through introduction of external biosynthetic pathways in microorganisms such as E. coli will be a good strategy for mass production of biopharmaceuticals. Indirubin is a red pigment contained in indigo leaves, and is an important biochemical substance that can be used as a treatment for cancer and leukemia. Lovastatin is a polyketide-based substance among natural products which can be used as a treatment for cancer and hyperlipidemia. Simvastatin is also a polyketide-based substance that is used as a treatment for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and hyperlipidemia. This study proposes an efficient method for the production of each substance by applying metabolic engineering strategies in E. coli.