Production of mogroside compounds in recombinant hosts

1. A recombinant host cell capable of producing one or more mogroside compounds in a cell culture, the host cell comprising a recombinant gene encoding a polypeptide capable of deglycosylating a mogroside precursor and having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2;

wherein the polypeptide:

(a) comprises a catalytically active portion of an endogenous glucosidase polypeptide or an endogenous glucanase polypeptide;

(b) does not comprise a signal peptide or a transmembrane domain that is comprised by the endogenous glucoside polypeptide; and

(c) is free of a domain facilitating secretion of the polypeptide from the host cell;

wherein the host cell is capable of retaining at least about 50% of the expressed polypeptide capable of deglycosylating the mogroside precursor in a cytosol of the host cell;

wherein the one or more mogroside compounds are a deglycosylation product of the mogroside precursor; and

wherein expression of the gene increases production of the one or more mogroside compounds.

2. The recombinant host cell of claim 1 , wherein expression of the gene increases a cytosolic mogroside precursor deglycosylation activity of the host cell by at least about 10% relative to a corresponding host cell lacking the gene.

3. The recombinant host cell of claim 1 , wherein expression of the gene increases a cytosolic mogroside precursor deglycosylation activity of the polypeptide capable of deglycosylating the mogroside precursor comprising the host cell by at least about 10% relative to a corresponding host cell lacking the gene.

4. The recombinant host cell of claim 1 , wherein the mogroside precursor is a tri-glycosylated mogrol, comprising mogroside III (MG-III), mogroside III A1 (MG-IIIA1), mogroside III A2 (MG-IIIA2), or mogroside III E (MG-IIIE), a tetra-glycosylated mogrol, comprising mogroside IV (MG-IV), mogroside IV A (MG-IVA), or siamenoside I (SM-I), a penta-glycosylated mogrol, comprising mogroside V (MG-V) or 11-oxo-mogroside V (11-O-MG-V), a hexa-glycosylated mogrol, or an isomer thereof.

5. The recombinant host cell of claim 1 , wherein the one or more mogroside compounds are a di-glycosylated mogroside compound, comprising mogroside II A (MG-IIA), mogroside II A1 (MG-IIA1), mogroside II A2 (MG-IIA2), or mogroside II E (MG-IIE), a tri-glycosylated mogroside compound, comprising MG-Ill, MG-IIIA1, MG-IIIA2, or MG-IIIE, a tetra-glycosylated mogroside compound, comprising MG-IV, MG-IVA, or SM-I, a penta-glycosylated mogroside compound, comprising MG-V or 11-O-MG-V, or an isomer thereof.

6. The recombinant host cell of claim 1 , further comprising:

(a) a gene encoding a polypeptide capable of synthesizing squalene from farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP);

wherein the polypeptide capable of synthesizing squalene from FPP comprises a polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:119;

(b) a gene encoding a polypeptide capable of synthesizing oxidosqualene from squalene;

wherein the polypeptide capable of synthesizing oxidosqualene from squalene comprises a polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs:3-21,

(c) a gene encoding a polypeptide capable of synthesizing cucurbitadienol from oxidosqualene, or 24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol from dioxidosqualene;

wherein the polypeptide capable of synthesizing cucurbitadienol from oxidosqualene, or 24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol from dioxidosqualene comprises a polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs:24-26;

(d) a gene encoding a polypeptide capable of synthesizing 24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol from cucurbitadienol, or 11-hydroxy-24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol from 11-hydroxy-cucurbitadienol;

wherein the polypeptide capable of synthesizing 24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol from cucurbitadienol, or 11-hydroxy-24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol from 11-hydroxy-cucurbitadienol comprises a polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:29;

(e) a gene encoding a polypeptide capable of synthesizing 11-hydroxy-cucurbitadienol from cucurbitadienol, or 11-hydroxy-24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol from 24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol;

wherein the polypeptide capable of synthesizing 11-hydroxy-cucurbitadienol from cucurbitadienol, or 11-hydroxy-24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol from 24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol comprises a polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:31;

(f) a gene encoding a polypeptide capable of reducing a cytochrome P450 complex;

wherein the polypeptide capable of reducing a cytochrome P450 complex comprises a polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:34; and

(g) a gene encoding a polypeptide capable of synthesizing mogrol from 11-hydroxy-cucurbitadienol or 11-hydroxy-24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol;

wherein the polypeptide capable of synthesizing mogrol from 11-hydroxy-cucurbitadienol or 11-hydroxy-24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol comprises a polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NO:36, 39, 41, 43, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, or 75; and further comprising:

(h) a gene encoding a polypeptide capable of glycosylating mogrol or a mogroside compound at its C3 hydroxyl group, C11 hydroxyl group, C24 hydroxyl group, and/or C25 hydroxyl group thereof;

wherein the polypeptide capable of glycosylating mogrol or a mogroside compound at its C3 hydroxyl group, C11 hydroxyl group, C24 hydroxyl group, and/or C25 hydroxyl group thereof comprises a polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs:76-80, 83, 86, or 89; and/or

(i) a gene encoding a polypeptide capable of beta-1,2-glycosylation of the C2′ position of a 24-O-glucose and/or beta-1,6-glycosylation of the C6′ position of a 3-O-glucose and/or the 24-O-glucose of a mogroside compound;

wherein the polypeptide comprises a polypeptide having at least 70% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs:93, 95, 99, 101, 103, 105, 107, or 109;

wherein at least one of the genes is a recombinant gene.

7. The recombinant host cell of claim 1 , wherein the recombinant host cell further has reduced expression of an endogenous gene encoding a polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs:115, 117, or 118.

8. The recombinant host cell of claim 1 , wherein the recombinant host cell comprises a plant cell, a mammalian cell, an insect cell, a fungal cell from Aspergillus genus, or a yeast cell from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Yarrowia lipolytica, Candida glabrata, Ashbya gossypii, Cyberlindnera jadinii, Pichia pastoris, Kluyveromyces lactis, Hansenula polymorpha, Candida boidinii, Arxula adeninivorans, Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous , or Candida albicans species, an algal cell, or a bacterial cell from Escherichia coli species or Bacillus genus.

9. A cell culture, comprising the recombinant host cell of claim 1 , the cell culture further comprising:

(a) the one or more mogroside compounds produced by the recombinant host cell;

(b) glucose, fructose, sucrose, xylose, rhamnose, uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucose, UDP-rhamnose, UDP-xylose, and/or N-acetyl-glucosamine; and

(c) supplemental nutrients comprising trace metals, vitamins, salts, YNB, and/or amino acids;

wherein the one or more mogroside compounds is present at a concentration of at least 1 mg/liter of the cell culture.

10. A cell lysate from the recombinant host cell of claim 1 grown in the cell culture, wherein the cell lysate comprises:

(a) the one or more mogroside compounds produced by the recombinant host cell;

(b) glucose, fructose, sucrose, xylose, rhamnose, uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucose, UDP-rhamnose, UDP-xylose, and/or N-acetyl-glucosamine; and

(c) supplemental nutrients comprising trace metals, vitamins, salts, YNB, and/or amino acids;

wherein the one or more mogroside compounds is present at a concentration of at least 1 mg/liter of the cell culture.

11. A method of producing one or more mogroside compounds, comprising whole cell bioconversion of one or more plant-derived or synthetic mogroside precursors in a cell culture medium of the recombinant host cell of claim 1 using a polypeptide capable of deglycosylating a mogroside precursor and having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2;

wherein the polypeptide is expressed in the recombinant host cell; and

wherein the one or more mogroside compounds are a deglycosylation product of the mogroside precursor;

and producing the one or more mogroside compounds thereby.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising whole cell bioconversion of one or more plant-derived or synthetic mogrol precursors in a cell culture medium of the recombinant host cell, further using:

(a) a polypeptide capable of synthesizing squalene from farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:119;

(b) a polypeptide capable of synthesizing oxidosqualene from squalene having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs:3-21;

(c) a polypeptide capable of synthesizing cucurbitadienol from oxidosqualene, or 24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol from dioxidosqualene having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs:24-26;

(d) a polypeptide capable of synthesizing 24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol from cucurbitadienol, or 11-hydroxy-24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol from 11-hydroxy-cucurbitadienol having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:29;

(e) a polypeptide capable of synthesizing 11-hydroxy-cucurbitadienol from cucurbitadienol, or 11-hydroxy-24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol from 24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:31;

(f) a polypeptide capable of reducing a cytochrome P450 complex having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:34; and/or

(g) a polypeptide capable of synthesizing mogrol from 11-hydroxy-cucurbitadienol or 11-hydroxy-24,25-epoxy-cucurbitadienol having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NO:36, 39, 41, 43, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, or 75; and further using:

(h) a polypeptide capable of glycosylating mogrol or a mogroside compound at its C3 hydroxyl group, C11 hydroxyl group, C24 hydroxyl group, and/or C25 hydroxyl group thereof having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs:76-80, 83, 86, or 89; and/or

(i) a polypeptide capable of beta-1,2-glycosylation of the C2′ position of a 24-O-glucose and/or beta-1,6-glycosylation of the C6′ position of a 3-O-glucose and/or a 24-O-glucose of a mogroside compound having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs:93, 95, 99, 101, 103, 105, 107, or 109;

wherein at least one of the polypeptides is a recombinant polypeptide expressed in the recombinant host cell.

13. A method of producing one or more mogroside compounds in a cell culture, comprising culturing a recombinant host cell capable of producing the one or more mogroside compounds in the cell culture, the host cell comprising a recombinant gene encoding a polypeptide capable of deglycosylating a mogroside precursor and having at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 in the cell culture, under conditions in which the genes are expressed;

wherein the polypeptide:

(a) comprises a catalytically active portion of an endogenous glucosidase polypeptide or an endogenous glucanase polypeptide;

(b) does not comprise a signal peptide or a transmembrane domain that is comprised by the endogenous glucoside polypeptide; and

(c) is free of a domain facilitating secretion of the polypeptide from the host cell;

wherein the host cell is capable of retaining at least about 50% of the expressed polypeptide capable of deglycosylating the mogroside precursor in a cytosol of the host cell;

wherein expression of the gene increases production of the one or more mogroside compounds;

wherein the one or more mogroside compounds are produced by the recombinant host cell; and

wherein the one or more mogroside compounds are a deglycosylation product of the mogroside precursor.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the genes are constitutively expressed.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the expression of the genes is induced.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising isolating the produced one or more mogroside compounds.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the isolating step comprises separating a liquid phase of the cell culture from a solid phase of the cell culture to obtain a supernatant comprising the produced one or more mogroside compounds, and:

(a) contacting the supernatant with one or more adsorbent resins in order to obtain at least a portion of the produced one or more mogroside compounds; or

(b) contacting the supernatant with one or more ion exchange or reversed-phase chromatography columns in order to obtain at least a portion of the produced one or more mogroside compounds; or

(c) crystallizing or extracting the produced one or more mogroside compounds;

thereby isolating the produced one or more mogroside compounds.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising recovering a mogroside composition comprising the one or more mogroside compounds from the cell culture.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the recovered mogroside composition comprises mogroside II A (MG-IIA), mogroside II A1 (MG-IIA1), mogroside II A2 (MG-IIA2), mogroside III (MG-III), mogroside III A1 (MG-IIIA1), mogroside III A2 (MG-IIIA2), mogroside III E (MG-IIIE), mogroside IV (MG-IV), mogroside IV A (MG-IVA), siamenoside I (SM-I), 11-oxo-mogroside V (11-O-MG-V), and/or mogroside V (MG V).

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the mogroside precursor is a tri-glycosylated mogrol, comprising mogroside III (MG-III), mogroside III A1 (MG-IIIA1), mogroside III A2 (MG-IIIA2), or mogroside III E (MG-IIIE), a tetra-glycosylated mogrol, comprising mogroside IV (MG-IV), mogroside IV A (MG-IVA), or siamenoside I (SM-I), a penta-glycosylated mogrol is mogroside V (MG-V) or 11-oxo-mogroside V (11-O-MG-V), a hexa-glycosylated mogrol, or an isomer thereof.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more mogroside compounds are a di-glycosylated mogroside compound, comprising mogroside II A (MG-IIA), mogroside II A1 (MG-IIA1), mogroside II A2 (MG-IIA2), or mogroside II E (MG-IIE), a tri-glycosylated mogroside compound, comprising MG-Ill, MG-IIIA1, MG-IIIA2, or MG-IIIE, a tetra-glycosylated mogroside compound, comprising MG-IV, MG-IVA, or SM-I, a penta-glycosylated mogroside compound, comprising MG-V or 11-O-MG-V, or an isomer thereof.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein expression of the gene increases a cytosolic mogroside precursor deglycosylation activity of the host cell by at least about 10% relative to a corresponding host cell lacking the gene.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein expression of the gene increases a cytosolic mogroside precursor deglycosylation activity of the polypeptide capable of deglycosylating the mogroside precursor comprising the host cell by at least about 10% relative to a corresponding host cell lacking the gene.

24. The method of claim 13 , wherein the recombinant host cell comprises a plant cell, a mammalian cell, an insect cell, a fungal cell from Aspergillus genus, or a yeast cell from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Yarrowia lipolytica, Candida glabrata, Ashbya gossypii, Cyberlindnera jadinii, Pichia pastoris, Kluyveromyces lactis, Hansenula polymorpha, Candida boidinii, Arxula adeninivorans, Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous , or Candida albicans species, an algal cell, or a bacterial cell from Escherichia coli species or Bacillus genus.