Host cells and methods for producing hydroxytyrosol

1. A cell co-culture composition comprising a first Escherichia coli strain that produces levopdopa (L-DOPA); and a second Escherichia coli strain that converts L-DOPA produced by the first Escherichia coli strain into hydroxytyrosol (HTy), wherein the first Escherichia coli strain comprises a set of expression constructs to express the genes set forth in (a) not shared with the second strain and the second Escherichia coli strain comprises a set of expression constructs to express the genes set forth in (b) not shared with the first strain, wherein:

(a) the first Escherichia coli strain expresses endogenous FolE, FoIX, and FoIM genes and comprises: a first nucleic acid construct that expresses a mouse tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ NO:1, or a variant thereof having TH activity that has at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1; a second nucleic acid construct that expresses a human dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ NO:3, or a variant thereof having DHPR activity that has at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3; and

a third nucleic acid that expresses a human pterin-4-alpha-carbinolamine dehydratase (PCD) comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ NO:2, or a variant thereof having PCD activity that has at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2; and wherein each of the first, second, and third nucleic acid is operably linked to a promoter; and the first Escherichia coli strain further expresses the following enzymes for the synthesis of L-tyrosine:

(i) a feedback resistant mutant D146N of a DAHP synthase (AroG) having AroG activity that has at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:7; and a feedback resistant mutant M53I A354V of a chorismate mutase/prephenate dehydrogenase (TryA) having TyrA activity and at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:8; wherein a nucleic acid construct encoding the feedback resistant mutant D146N of the DAHP synthase and a nucleic acid construct encoding the feedback resistance mutant M53I A254V of the chorismate mutase/prephenate dehydrogenase are each operably linked to a promoter and integrated at the pykF locus; and

(ii) phosphoenolpyruvate synthase (PpsA), transketolase A (TktA), DHQ synthase (AroB), DHQ dehydratase (AroD), quinate/shikimate dehydrogenase (YdiB), shikimate dehydrogenase (AroE), shikimate kinase I/II (AroK/L), EPSP synthase (AroA), chorismate synthase (AroC), and tyrosine aminotransferase (TyrB); and

(b) the second Escherichia coli host cell strain is a strain in which the endogenous feaB gene is deleted, and comprises: a first nucleic acid construct that expresses a pig L-DOPA decarboxylase (DDC) comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ NO:5, or a variant thereof having DDC activity that has at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:5; and a second nucleic acid construct that expresses a Micrococcus luteus monoamine oxidase (MAO) comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:6, or a variant thereof having MAO activity that has at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:6; wherein each of the first and second nucleic acid is operably linked to a promoter.

2. The cell co-culture composition of claim 1 , wherein the first Escherichia coli strain produces 2.0 mM or more of L-tyrosine when grown or cultured in a M9Y defined medium (1% glucose).

3. The cell co-culture composition of claim 2 , wherein the first Escherichia coli strain produces 2.6 mM or more of L-tyrosine when-grown or cultured in a M9Y defined medium (1% glucose).

4. A method for producing hydroxytyrosol (HTy) comprising:

culturing the cell co-culture composition of claim 1 , wherein HTy is produced;

optionally extracting or separating the HTy from the co-culture.

5. The cell co-culture composition of claim 1 , wherein the TH comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1; the DHPR comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3; the PCD comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2; the DDC comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:5; and the MAO comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:6.

6. The cell co-culture composition of claim 1 , wherein the feedback resistant mutant D146N of the DAHP synthase comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:7 and the feedback resistant mutant M531 A354V of the chorismate mutase/prephenate dehydrogenase comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:8.