Efficient biotransformations using Escherichia coli with tolC acrAB mutations expressing cytochrome P450 genes

We report here some efficient biotransformations using Escherichia coli strains with disruptions for the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump system. Biotransformations of compactin into pravastatin (6α-hydroxy-iso- compactin) were performed using E. coli strains with tolC and/or acrAB mutations expressing a cytochrome P450 (P450) gene. The production levels of pravastatin using strains with acrAB, tolC, and tolC acrAB mutations increased by 3.7-, 7.0-, and 7.1-fold, respectively. Likewise, the production levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D₃ and 25-hydroxy 4-cholesten 3-one using tolC acrAB mutant strains expressing an individual P450 gene increased by 2.2- and 16-fold, respectively. The enhancement of this biotransformation efficiency could be explained by increases in the intracellular amounts of substrates and the concentrations of active P450s. These results demonstrate that we have achieved versatile methods for efficient biotransformations using E. coli strains with tolC acrAB mutations expressing P450 genes.