Screening of Plant UDP-Glycosyltransferases for Betanin Production in Yeast.

ABSTRACT: To cover the rising demand for natural food dyes, new sources and production methods are needed. Microbial fermentation of nature-identical colours, such as the red pigment betanin, has the potential to be a cost-efficient alternative to plant extraction. The last step of betanin production is catalysed by a UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT). To find a high-performing UGT, we screened 27 UGTs from different plant species and tested their ability to produce betanin in vivo in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We identified two new UGTs likely involved in the betanin synthesis in the plant they derive from: CqGT2 (UGT73A37) from Chenopodium quinoa and BgGT2 (UGT92X1) from Bougainvillea glabra. The betanin-producing UGTs were also tested in Yarrowia lipolytica, where CqGT2 was the best-performing glycosy

SUBMITTER: Glitz C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11985647 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature