2025-05-19 コペンハーゲン大学(UCPH)
<関連情報>
- https://news.ku.dk/all_news/2025/05/scientific-breakthrough-we-can-now-halve-the-price-of-costly-cancer-drug/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s44160-025-00800-z
タキソールの生合成における最終段階の解明とそのバイオテクノロジー的生産 Elucidation of the final steps in Taxol biosynthesis and its biotechnological production
Feiyan Liang,Yuman Xie,Chi Zhang,Yong Zhao,Mohammed S. Motawia & Sotirios C. Kampranis
Nature Synthesis Published:30 April 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s44160-025-00800-z
Abstract
Taxol (paclitaxel) is a widely used anti-cancer drug with a complex biosynthetic pathway that has puzzled biochemists for decades. Owing to inefficient chemical synthesis, Taxol supply depends on costly semi-synthesis. Elucidating the Taxol biosynthesis will solve a long-standing question in biochemistry and enable cost-effective production using biotechnological methods. While recent advances have improved our understanding of the steps leading up to the intermediate baccatin III, the final steps of the pathway remain elusive. Here we use gene co-expression analysis, chemically synthesized intermediates and a stepwise learning-by-building approach to reveal the enzymes that catalyse the final two modifications, that is, C2′α hydroxylation and 3′-N benzoylation, which are essential for Taxol’s bioactivity. To replace the current semi-synthetic method of Taxol production, we reconstruct the late pathway in yeast and synthesize Taxol from the readily available intermediate baccatin III. This work provides a complete understanding of Taxol biosynthesis and establishes a foundation for its biotechnological production.
