Efficient heterologous production of atrochrysone carboxylic acid-related polyketides in an <i>Aspergillus oryzae</i> host with enhanced malonyl-coenzyme A supply

We recently developed an Aspergillus oryzae strain in which malonyl-coenzyme A (CoA) supply is strengthened by the deletion of snfA and SCAP as an efficient host to produce a plant polyketide, curcumin. Here, we examined the effectiveness of this strain in producing another polyketide, atrochrysone carboxylic acid (ACA), which is synthesized from eight molecules of malonyl-CoA using an iterative type I polyketide synthase, ACA synthase (ACAS), and atrochrysone carboxyl ACP thioesterase (ACTE) in Aspergillus terreus. When ACAS and ACTE were introduced, the A. oryzae ΔsnfAΔSCAP strain produced approximately four times more ACA-related polyketides than did the control strain expressing both genes. This result further demonstrated the availability of the A. oryzae ΔsnfAΔSCAP strain for heterologous polyketide production.