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<div align="center"><h2>A BLUE E. COLI IS A HAPPY E. COLI</h2></div>
 
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<h2>ANTHOCYANINS</h2>
 
<h2>ANTHOCYANINS</h2>

Revision as of 15:09, 25 June 2015

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A BLUE E. COLI IS A HAPPY E. COLI

ANTHOCYANINS

A class of pigmented (blue, red and purple) compounds which are members of the flavonoid group of phytochemicals, possessing aromatics structures with bioactive properties. They are produced through a complex biochemical pathway involving the actions of multiple enzymes, as seen in Figure 1. The initial substrate of this pathway is phenylalanine, which is a common amino acid utilized by all living organisms. Some natural sources of anthocyanins include honey, fruits and vegetables, nuts, cocoa and olive oil.

FIGURE 1 HERE
Anthocyanin compounds are free radical scavengers which sequester harmful reactive oxygen species, thereby acting as antioxidants. Anthocyanins provide a variety of physiological benefits to humans. Some such benefits include:
• Prevention of DNA cleavage
• Regulation of the immune system
• Prevention of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline and cancer
• Enhanced visual acuity
• Regulation of lipid degradation

THE OBJECTIVE

The mass production of anthocyanin compounds may have significant implications in the treatment and prevention of a large number of diseases and disorders. Therefore the goal of this project is to produce a recombinant strain of Escherichia coli which is capable of expressing the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. This will lead to the visualization of a blue phenotype when the strain is cultured. This project is modelled on a previous application of synthetic biology involving the expression of the lycopene pathway in E.coli by Klein-Marcuschamer et al (2007).

REFERENCES

Klein-Marcuschamer, D., Kumaran Ajikumar, P., & Stephanopoulos, G. (2007). Engineering microbial cell factories for the biosynthesis of isoprenoid molecules: Beyond lycopene. Trends in Biotechnology, 25(9). 417-424. doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2007.07.006
Lila, M.A. (2004). Anthocyanins and human health: An in vitro investigative approach. Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, 2004(5). 306-313. doi: 10.1155/S111072430440401X