合成生物学 ›› 2025, Vol. 6 ›› Issue (2): 445-460.DOI: 10.12211/2096-8280.2024-062

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可控分子量透明质酸的生物合成研究进展

肖森1,2,3, 胡立涛1,2,3, 石智诚1,2, 王发银1,2, 余思婷1,2, 堵国成2,4, 陈坚2,3,4, 康振1,2,3   

  1. 1.江南大学生物工程学院,糖化学与生物技术教育部重点实验室,江苏 无锡 214122
    2.江南大学,未来食品科学中心,江苏 无锡 214122
    3.江苏省产业技术研究院,江苏集萃未来食品技术研究所有限公司,江苏 宜兴 214200
    4.江南大学生物工程学院,工业生物技术教育部重点实验室,江苏 无锡 214122
  • 收稿日期:2024-08-14 修回日期:2024-10-24 出版日期:2025-04-30 发布日期:2025-05-20
  • 通讯作者: 康振
  • 作者简介:肖森(2002—),男,硕士研究生。研究方向为透明质酸的生物合成与酶工程改造。 E-mail:6240201118@stu.jiangnan.edu.cn
    康振(1982—),男,博士,教授,博士生导师。研究方向为食品微生物合成生物学与生物制造。E-mail:zkang@jiangnan.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    江南大学食品科学与资源国家重点实验室研发项目(5962060204240220);国家自然科学基金(32370066);中央高校基本科研基金(JUSRP622003);无锡市产业创新研究院先导技术预研项目(XD24006)

Research advances in biosynthesis of hyaluronic acid with controlled molecular weights

XIAO Sen1,2,3, HU Litao1,2,3, SHI Zhicheng1,2, WANG Fayin1,2, YU Siting1,2, DU Guocheng2,4, CHEN Jian2,3,4, KANG Zhen1,2,3   

  1. 1.Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology,Ministry of Education,School of Biotechnology,Jiangnan University,Wuxi 214122,Jiangsu,China
    2.Science Center for Future Foods,Jiangnan University,Wuxi 214122,Jiangsu,China
    3.Institute of Future Food Technology,Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute,Yixing 214200,Jiangsu,China
    4.Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology,Ministry of Education,School of Biotechnology,Jiangnan University,Wuxi 214122,Jiangsu,China
  • Received:2024-08-14 Revised:2024-10-24 Online:2025-04-30 Published:2025-05-20
  • Contact: KANG Zhen

摘要:

透明质酸(hyaluronic acid, HA)是一种在化妆品、食品和医疗领域广泛应用的天然直链酸性黏多糖。根据分子量大小,HA可分为高、中、低三类,不同分子量的HA具有不同的功能和应用场景。随着微生物发酵技术取代传统动物组织提取法,HA工业化生产取得了巨大进步。然而,天然HA合成菌株兽疫链球菌的缺点(如潜在致病性以及难以分子改造),限制了不同分子量HA的生物合成研究。近年来,随着特定分子量HA需求的不断增长,代谢工程和合成生物技术已广泛应用于HA生物合成与分子量调控。本文首先分析了中高分子量HA合成的限制性因素,重点讨论了HA前体合成途径的基因调控及竞争支路的弱化。其次,探讨了HA合酶、前体供应和发酵条件对超高分子量HA合成的影响。最后,总结了低分子量HA的制备策略,包括物理化学法、酶法和微生物直接发酵法。还针对HA的生物合成与分子量调控面临的挑战——高分子量HA分子量不够高、中高分子量HA合成能力弱和低分子量HA分子量可控性差三方面展开系统性综述,加强对HA生物合成与分子量调控策略的理解,助力实现可控分子量HA的高效生物合成。

关键词: 透明质酸, 分子量, 生物合成, 代谢工程, 合成生物学

Abstract:

Hyaluronic acid (HA), a natural linear acidic polysaccharide composed of disaccharide units of D-glucuronic acid (D-GlcA) and N-acetylglucosamine (N-GlcNAc), has been widely used in the cosmetic and medical fields. HAs with different molecular weights exhibit distinct biophysical properties. While high molecular weight HAs have stronger viscoelasticity and resistance to degradation, low molecular weight HAs demonstrate enhanced biological functions. Significant progress has been made for the industrial production of HAs, with the shift from traditional extraction from animal tissues to microbial fermentation. However, the use of the natural HA-producing species Streptococcus zooepidemicus presents challenges, such as potential pathogenicity and difficulties in molecular modifications, which limit the study on the biosynthesis of HAs with varying molecular weights. Recently, the increasing demand for specific molecular weight HAs has driven the application of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology techniques for their biosynthesis and molecular weight regulation. By identifying the key factors involved in the processes, researchers have developed various strategies to optimize the synthesis of HAs and control their molecular weights. This article first analyzes the limiting factors in the synthesis of medium and high molecular weight HAs, focusing on the genetic regulation on the synthesis pathways of HA precursors and the weakening of competitive branches. Secondly, it discusses the impact of HA synthase, precursor supply, and fermentation conditions on the synthesis of ultra-high molecular weight HAs. Finally, it summarizes the preparation strategies for low molecular weight HAs, including physical and chemical methods, enzymatic methods, and microbial direct fermentation as well. The review summarizes the latest research progress regarding challenges faced in the biosynthesis and molecular weight regulation of HAs: specifically, the insufficient molecular weight of high molecular weight HAs, the weak synthesis capability of medium molecular weight HAs, and the poor controllability of low molecular weight HAs. It provides a systematic overview on enhancing the understanding of strategies for HA biosynthesis and molecular weight regulation, aiming to facilitate the efficient biosynthesis of HAs with controlled molecular weights.

Key words: hyaluronic acid, molecular weight, biosynthesis, metabolic engineering, synthetic biology

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