Adaptation of heterologous cytochrome P450s to plant expression and membrane environment for improvement of biocatalytic function

Classic industrial chemical processes often rely on hazardous substances, consume energy, depend on non-recoverable materials, and produce toxic waste products. In contrast, enzymes catalyze the synthesis of molecules with remarkable selectivity under mild reaction conditions. This highlights the growing demand for affordable and sustainable production of small molecules with valuable activities, achievable through the integration of heterologous enzymes and substrates in biological synthetic systems.

Plants offer a versatile toolbox for the heterologous expression of native membrane-bound cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs), presenting several advantages over microbial cell factories. The project's objective is to optimize the conditions for the heterologous expression of eukaryotic CYPs and adapt them to function efficiently in different plant membrane environments. This work aims to develop a platform for scaled oxidative biotransformations of valuable prodrug molecules, both synthetic and natural.

Creating a plant-based platform for the enzymatic synthesis of chemicals that millions of people use daily provides significant economic, social, and environmental benefits. This innovative approach can replace traditional chemical techniques, aligning with the principles of Green Chemistry while integrating economic considerations with environmental and social aspects.

Dr. Iurii (Yuriy) Sheludko, the principal investigator of the project, previously conducted research on CYP expression in plant systems, funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (HERMES, 2015 – 2018) at TU Darmstadt. He continues to explore this field, and the results are documented in recent publications.