Construction of Cell Factory Capable of Efficiently Converting L-tryptophan Into 5-hydroxytryptamine

Abstract

Background: L-Tryptophan (L-trp) derivatives such as 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), N-Acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine and melatonin are important molecules with pharmaceutical interest. Among, 5-HT is an inhibitory neurotransmitter with proven benefits for treating the symptoms of depression. At present, 5-HT depends on plant extraction and chemical synthesis, which limits its mass production and causes environmental problems. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an efficient, green and sustainable biosynthesis method to produce 5-HT.Results: Here we propose a one-pot production of 5-HT from L-trp via two enzyme cascades for the first time. First, a chassis cell that can convert L-trp into 5-HTP was constructed by heterologous expression of tryptophan hydroxylase from Schistosoma mansoni (SmTPH) and an artificial endogenous BH4 module. Then, dopa decarboxylase from Harminia axyridis (HaDDC), which can specifically catalyse 5-HTP to 5-HT, was used for 5-HT production. The cell factory, E. coli BL21(DE3)△tnaA/BH4/HaDDC-SmTPH, which contains SmTPH and HaDDC, was constructed for 5-HT synthesis. The highest concentration of 5-HT reached 414.5 ± 1.6 mg/L (with conversion rate of 43 mol%) at the optimal conditions (induced temperature, 25℃; IPTG concentration, 0.5 mM; catalysis temperature, 30℃; catalysis time, 72 h). Conclusions: This protocol provided an efficient one-pot method for converting L-trp into 5-HT production, which opens up possibilities for the practical biosynthesis of natural 5-HT at an industrial scale.