Transcriptome analysis of E. coli cells harboring exogenous plant alkaloid transporter

Metabolic engineering of specialized plant metabolites using microorganisms has been established. However, these methods are limited by low productivity and intracellular accumulation of the metabolites. Hence, in this study, we aimed to use transport engineering for producing alkaloids. We introduced a multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) transporter, Arabidopsis AtDTX1, in alkaloid-producing Escherichia coli, which produce reticuline, an important intermediate in the alkaloid biosynthetic pathway. Heterologous expression of AtDTX1 in reticuline-producing cells significantly enhanced reticuline production. To understand the mechanism underlying enhancement of reticuline production due to AtDTX1 expression, we investigated the changes in the transcriptome of the E. coli cells.