Catharanthus roseus Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloid Pathway Engineering in Yeast

Catharanthus roseus (L) G. Don, commonly known as Madagascar periwinkle, is a plant renowned for its ability to produce a wide range of bioactive monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) with significant pharmaceutical potential. However, the limited availability and complexity of MIAs from natural sources have prompted the exploration of alternative production systems. This book chapter provides a comprehensive review of the strategies employed to engineer the MIA pathway of C. roseus in yeast, with a focus on the advancements in heterologous biosynthesis and metabolic engineering. The chapter discusses the key enzymes involved in the biosynthetic pathway and the challenges encountered during pathway engineering. It also explores innovative approaches to overcome these hurdles, including the use of synthetic biology tools, metabolic engineering techniques, and omics-guided approaches. The chapter highlights the potential applications and future prospects of the engineered yeast platform for the sustainable and scalable production of MIAs. The integration of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering has enabled significant advancements in enhancing MIA production in yeast, offering a promising solution to the limited availability and high cost of these valuable compounds. Furthermore, the chapter discusses the implications of these advancements in drug discovery and development, providing valuable insights for the field of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. Overall, the research presented in this chapter showcases the successful integration of the MIA biosynthetic pathway into yeast, elucidates the transport mechanisms and gene functions associated with MIAs, and demonstrates the potential of yeast cell factories for the production of high-value metabolites. These findings contribute to the development of innovative bioengineering strategies and pave the way for the sustainable and cost-effective production of MIAs with diverse pharmaceutical properties.