Whole cell biosynthesis of 1-methyl-3-phenylpropylamine and 2-amino-1,3,4-butanetriol using () strain BG-10 engineered with a transgene encoding ω-transaminase.

We have engineered strain BG-10 of the methylotrophic yeast for use as an effective whole cell biocatalyst. We introduced into the yeast a transgene encoding a ω-transaminase for transcription in response to methanol induction. The strain was then assessed with respect to its growth performance and biotransformation of a fed ketoalcohol substrate to an amino-alcohol. In the resultant strain, BG-TAM, methanol induction did not compromise cell growth. Successful bioconversion of fed substrates to the by-product, acetophenone, indicated transaminase activity in shake flask-cultivated BG-TAM cells. We then used bioreactor cultivation to exploit the high levels of biomass achievable by . In a 900 μL reaction the BG-TAM strain at OD = 1024 achieved up to 0.41 mol mol (mol mol ) yield on substrate (Yp/s) for production of 1-methyl-3-phenylpropylamine and a space time yield (STY) of 0.29 g L h for production of 2-amino-1,3,4-butanetriol. We have shown that transamination, an important step for bespoke synthesis of small molecule medicines, is biologically realisable using enzymes with a broad substrate range, such as ω-transaminases, within living yeast cells that are fed low-cost substrates for bioconversion.