Co-expression of active human cytochrome P450 1A2 and cytochrome P450 reductase on the cell surface of Escherichia coli

BACKGROUND: Human cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes mediate the first step in the breakdown of most drugs and are strongly involved in drug–drug interactions, drug clearance and activation of prodrugs. Their biocatalytic behavior is a key parameter during drug development which requires preparative synthesis of CYP related drug metabolites. However, recombinant expression of CYP enzymes is a challenging bottleneck for drug metabolite biosynthesis. Therefore, we developed a novel approach by displaying human cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) and cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) on the surface of Escherichia coli. RESULTS: To present human CYP1A2 and CPR on the surface, we employed autodisplay. Both enzymes were displayed on the surface which was demonstrated by protease and antibody accessibility tests. CPR activity was first confirmed with the protein substrate cytochrome c. Cells co-expressing CYP1A2 and CPR were capable of catalyzing the conversion of the known CYP1A2 substrates 7-ethoxyresorufin, phenacetin and the artificial substrate luciferin-MultiCYP, which would not have been possible without interaction of both enzymes. Biocatalytic activity was strongly influenced by the composition of the growth medium. Addition of 5-aminolevulinic acid was necessary to obtain a fully active whole cell biocatalyst and was superior to the addition of heme. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that CYP1A2 and CPR can be co-expressed catalytically active on the cell surface of E. coli. It is a promising step towards pharmaceutical applications such as the synthesis of drug metabolites. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12934-016-0427-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.