Protein Engineering for Improving and Diversifying Natural Product Biosynthesis

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Proteins found in nature have traditionally been the most frequently used biocatalysts to produce numerous natural products ranging from commodity chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Protein engineering has emerged as a powerful biotechnological toolbox in the development of metabolic engineering, particularly for the biosynthesis of natural products. Recently, protein engineering has become a favored method to improve enzymatic activity, increase enzyme stability, and expand product spectra in natural product biosynthesis.

In engineering the biosynthesis of natural products, protein engineering is paramount for modifying the characteristics of enzymes or genetically encoded biosensors.

Protein engineering has improved the biosynthesis of natural products through enhancement of enzymatic activity, colocalization of enzyme complexes, improvement of protein stability, and engineering of sensor-regulators for better screening or dynamic regulation.

Engineering existing proteins can yield variants with novel catalytic functions. These advances expand the spectrum of products and thus diversify the biosynthesis of natural products.

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