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Production of the antimalarial drug precursor artemisinic acid in engineered yeast

Author

Listed:
  • Dae-Kyun Ro

    (California Institute of Quantitative Biomedical Research)

  • Eric M. Paradise

    (Department of Chemical Engineering)

  • Mario Ouellet

    (California Institute of Quantitative Biomedical Research)

  • Karl J. Fisher

    (Amyris Biotechnologies Inc.)

  • Karyn L. Newman

    (California Institute of Quantitative Biomedical Research)

  • John M. Ndungu

    (Department of Chemistry)

  • Kimberly A. Ho

    (California Institute of Quantitative Biomedical Research)

  • Rachel A. Eachus

    (California Institute of Quantitative Biomedical Research)

  • Timothy S. Ham

    (Department of Bioengineering)

  • James Kirby

    (Department of Chemical Engineering)

  • Michelle C. Y. Chang

    (California Institute of Quantitative Biomedical Research)

  • Sydnor T. Withers

    (Department of Chemical Engineering)

  • Yoichiro Shiba

    (Department of Chemical Engineering)

  • Richmond Sarpong

    (Department of Chemistry)

  • Jay D. Keasling

    (California Institute of Quantitative Biomedical Research
    Department of Chemical Engineering
    Department of Bioengineering
    University of California)

Abstract

Battling malaria Drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite are widespread, and as a result mortality due to malaria has increased significantly in recent years. Artemisinin, isolated from the herb Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood), is one drug that shows a high efficacy in killing multi-resistant strains of the parasite. The drug is extremely expensive, and high demand has led to a shortage of artemisinin, available only by extraction from the plant source. Ro et al. now report the development of a yeast strain engineered to carry a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase from A. annua that can produce the drug precursor, artemisinic acid. Artemisinin can be synthesized from this precursor. If the efficiency of this process can be improved, this engineered yeast strain has the potential to alleviate the drug shortage.

Suggested Citation

  • Dae-Kyun Ro & Eric M. Paradise & Mario Ouellet & Karl J. Fisher & Karyn L. Newman & John M. Ndungu & Kimberly A. Ho & Rachel A. Eachus & Timothy S. Ham & James Kirby & Michelle C. Y. Chang & Sydnor T., 2006. "Production of the antimalarial drug precursor artemisinic acid in engineered yeast," Nature, Nature, vol. 440(7086), pages 940-943, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:440:y:2006:i:7086:d:10.1038_nature04640
    DOI: 10.1038/nature04640
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    Cited by:

    1. Samanthe M Lyons & Wenlong Xu & June Medford & Ashok Prasad, 2014. "Loads Bias Genetic and Signaling Switches in Synthetic and Natural Systems," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, March.
    2. Vojislav Gligorovski & Ahmad Sadeghi & Sahand Jamal Rahi, 2023. "Multidimensional characterization of inducible promoters and a highly light-sensitive LOV-transcription factor," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Lynn J. Frewer, 2017. "Consumer acceptance and rejection of emerging agrifood technologies and their applications," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 44(4), pages 683-704.
    4. Zhiheng Yang & Zilong Li & Bixiao Li & Ruihong Bu & Gao-Yi Tan & Zhengduo Wang & Hao Yan & Zhenguo Xin & Guojian Zhang & Ming Li & Hua Xiang & Lixin Zhang & Weishan Wang, 2023. "A thermostable type I-B CRISPR-Cas system for orthogonal and multiplexed genetic engineering," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    5. Singh PP & Kumar A & Singh R & Vandana & Singh PK & Pandey KD, 2017. "Metabolic Engineering: New Era in Pharmaceuticals," Global Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 2(5), pages 99-101, June.
    6. Betz, Ulrich A.K. & Arora, Loukik & Assal, Reem A. & Azevedo, Hatylas & Baldwin, Jeremy & Becker, Michael S. & Bostock, Stefan & Cheng, Vinton & Egle, Tobias & Ferrari, Nicola & Schneider-Futschik, El, 2023. "Game changers in science and technology - now and beyond," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    7. Kumar, Gopal Ramesh & Chowdhary, Nupoor, 2016. "Biotechnological and bioinformatics approaches for augmentation of biohydrogen production: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1194-1206.
    8. Jack Chun-Ting Liu & Ricardo De La Peña & Christian Tocol & Elizabeth S. Sattely, 2024. "Reconstitution of early paclitaxel biosynthetic network," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    9. Frewer, L.J. & Coles, D. & Dijkstra, A.M. & Kuznesof, S. & Kendall, H. & Kaptan, G, 2016. "Synthetic Biology Applied In The Agrifood Sector: Societal Priorities And Pitfalls," APSTRACT: Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce, AGRIMBA, vol. 10(2-3), pages 1-8, October.
    10. Kelly C Falls & Aimee L Williams & Anton V Bryksin & Ichiro Matsumura, 2014. "Escherichia coli Deletion Mutants Illuminate Trade-Offs between Growth Rate and Flux through a Foreign Anabolic Pathway," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(2), pages 1-8, February.

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