Biosynthesis, microbial

The limited number of suitably well-characterized biocatalysts continues to limit progress in the application of biological routes in the synthesis of compounds for novel pharmaceuticals, materials, or performance chemicals (Bommarus and Polizzi, 2006). In this situation, the discovery of novel biocatalysts or novel functionalities or substrates on existing ones is an important task. Therefore, the demand for new and useful biocatalysts is steadily and rapidly increasing (Drepper et al., 2006) and a 

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Kieslich K (1986) Production of drugs by microbial biosynthesis and biotransformation. Possibilities, limits and futime developments (1st communication). Arzneimit-telforschung 36(4) 774-778... 

The reader is referred to articles by Barrow,12 Garson,1314 and Moore15 for background information on the field of marine secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Early work in this field used radiochemical tracers such as 14C or 3H recently, studies with 13C have proved popular because of the ease of detection of this stable isotope by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In particular, our understanding of marine microbial biosynthesis and of de novo biosynthesis in marine molluscs has progressed significantly as a consequence of the use of 13C-labeled precursors. 

Because they often function as virulence factors, the enzymes involved in siderophore biosynthesis are potential targets for developing antimicrobial strategies. The mechanisms of siderophore biosynthesis follow the same fundamental biosynthetic logic involving similar protein machinery, which we describe in greater detail in Chapter 5 for fatty acid biosynthesis. It is also used in the microbial biosynthesis of many important natural products polyketides and peptides (including many antibiotics). Essentially, as is illustrated in Fig. 4.20, for enterobactin, it involves... 

Van Pee KH (2001) Microbial biosynthesis of halo-metabolites. Arch. Microbiol 175 250-258. 

J.M. Buescher, A. Margaritis, Microbial biosynthesis of polyglu-tamic acid biopolymer and applications in the biopharmaceuti-cal, biomedical and food industries. Grit. Rev. Biotechnol. 27 (2007) 1-19. 

As discussed in subsequent chapters, the error-free preparation resulting from microbial biosynthesis is just as important for function as lowering production cost is for expansion of applications. Tlie basic gene design and construction occur with essentially no limitations... 

The microbial biosynthesis of P(3HB-4HB) copolymers was achieved using different nutritional strategies. Most of them are based on the carbon sources used to feed the cultures (butyric acid and different sugars, or a single carbon source structurally related to butyric acid such as 4-hydroxybutyric acid, y-butyrolactone or 1,4 butanediol Saito and Doi 1994 Kunioka et al. 1989). 

Table 1 Microbial Biosynthesis Basic Monomer Gene Sequences... 

Fowler 21, Koffas MA (2010) Microbial biosynthesis of fine chemicals an emerging technology. In Smolke CD (ed) The metabolic pathway engineering handbook. CRC Press, Boca Ratrai... 

Biochemistry and Pathophysiology, pp 75-109. John Wiley Sons, New York Friedmann HC and Cagen LM (1970) Microbial biosynthesis of vitamin B 12-like compounds. Aimu Rev Microbiol 24 159-208... 

Cobalt is an essential precursor for the microbial biosynthesis of B12. Pining in sheep which feed on cobalt-deficient pastures can be cured by the ingestion of cobalt, which increases the biosynthesis of B12 in the rumen (Marston, 1952), or by the injection of vitamin B12 (Koch and Smith, 1951). The role of cobalt in biosynthesis in the intestine has been studied by feeding radioactive cobalt, with or without aureomycin, to rats (Davis and Chow, 1951). 

Schirmer, Andreas, Mathew A. Rude, Xuezhi Li, Emanuela Popova, and Stephen B. del Cardayre, Microbial Biosynthesis of Alkanes, Science 329, 559-562 (2010). 

A detailed description of microbial synthesis of the three most relevant B-group vitamins (riboflavin, folate, and cobalamin) by LAB has been discussed in detail previously (LeBlanc et al. 2010a) and will not be the focus of this chapter. Here, the most recent applications of beneficial microorganisms in order to increase the concentration of vitamins through microbial biosynthesis will be discussed as an economically attractive alternative to mandatory fortification of foods. 

Microbial biosynthesis of riboflavin from the precursor guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and D-ribulose 5-phosphate occurs through seven enzymatic steps, which have been reviewed previously (Bacher et al. 2000). 

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