Bioprospecting secondary metabolites of actinomycetes through synthetic biology

Abstract:

Actinobacteria are a class of microorganisms that can produce plenty of bioactive small molecule drugs, making an outstanding contribution to the human health. During the past decades, microorganisms derived and eventually marketed drugs become fewer and fewer, in the meanwhile, the problem caused by drug resistance pathogens become more and more serious, so people look forward to the new drugs urgently. Synthetic biology, which is developing fast in the past 10 years, plays an important role in the research and development of secondary metabolites. The biosystem is designed and rebuilt under the guidance of engineering science, from which the indiscoverable secondary metabolites can be obtained through heterologous expression. What is more, the rational designed gene cluster and the utilization of bio-elements lead to the new compounds that do not exist in nature as well as yield improved strains. The new techniques and methods of DNA assembly are also introduced, which make convenience to the researchers on secondary metabolites.

Key words:Actinobacteria, Secondary metabolites, Synthetic biology