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Orange, red, yellow: biosynthesis of azaphilone pigments in Monascus fungi.

ABSTRACT: Monascus azaphilone pigments (MonAzPs) are very widely used as food colorants, but their biosynthetic pathway has remained poorly characterized for more than half a century. In this study, the individual steps of MonAzPs biosynthesis in Monascus ruber M7 were elucidated by a combination of targeted gene knockouts, heterologous gene expression, and in vitro chemical and enzymatic reactions. This study describes the first rational engineering of MonAzPs biosynthesis and provides a roadmap for future pathway engineering efforts directed towards the selective production of the most valuable pigments and serves as a model for the biosynthesis of fungal azaphilones in general.

SUBMITTER: Chen W

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5603960 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Orange, red, yellow: biosynthesis of azaphilone pigments in Monascus fungi.

Chen Wanping W Chen Runfa R Liu Qingpei Q He Yi Y He Kun K Ding Xiaoli X Kang Lijing L Guo Xiaoxiao X Xie Nana N Zhou Youxiang Y Lu Yuanyuan Y Cox Russell J RJ Molnár István I Li Mu M Shao Yanchun Y Chen Fusheng F

Chemical science 20170424 7

Monascus azaphilone pigments (MonAzPs) are very widely used as food colorants, but their biosynthetic pathway has remained poorly characterized for more than half a century. In this study, the individual steps of MonAzPs biosynthesis in Monascus ruber M7 were elucidated by a combination of targeted gene knockouts, heterologous gene expression, and in vitro chemical and enzymatic reactions. This study describes the first rational engineering of MonAzPs biosynthesis and provid ...[more]

PMID: 28959415

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Nature and nurture: confluence of pathway determinism with metabolic and chemical serendipity diversifies Monascus azaphilone pigments.

Project description:Covering: up to June 2018 Understanding the biosynthetic mechanisms that generate the astounding structural complexity and variety of fungal secondary metabolites (FSMs) remains a challenge. As an example, the biogenesis of the Monascus azaphilone pigments (MonAzPs) has remained obscure until recently despite the significant medical potential of these metabolites and their long history of widespread use as food colorants. However, a considerable progress has been made in recent years towards the elucidation of MonAzPs biosynthesis in various fungi. In this highlight, we correlate a unified biosynthetic pathway with the diverse structures of the 111 MonAzPs congeners reported until June 2018. We also discuss the origins of structural diversity amongst MonAzPs analogues and summarize new research directions towards exploring novel MonAzPs. The case of MonAzPs illuminates the various ways that FSMs metabolic complexity emerges by the interplay of biosynthetic pathway determinism with metabolic and chemical serendipity.

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Rising temperature stimulates the biosynthesis of water-soluble fluorescent yellow pigments and gene expression in Monascus ruber CGMCC10910.

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Enhancement of Monascus yellow pigments production by activating the cAMP signalling pathway in Monascus purpureus HJ11.

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Nitrogen Enriched Solid-State Cultivation for the Overproduction of Azaphilone Red Pigments by Penicillium sclerotiorum SNB-CN111.

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