Recent Advances in the Biosynthesis and Biotechnological Production of Taxol

Taxol (paclitaxel), a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, was originally isolated from the bark of Taxus brevifolia . However, its extremely low natural abundance has prompted the development of alternative production methods. Currently, the predominant commercial strategy relies on semi-synthesis from a more abundant precursor, 10-deacetyl-baccatin III, extracted from the needles of various Taxus species. Advances in synthetic biology are opening promising new avenues for more sustainable and scalable Taxol production. Recent progress, including the discovery of a nuclear transport factor 2 (NTF2)-like protein FoTO1, the characterization of a series of oxetane-forming P450 enzymes, and the identification of taxoid-2′-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (T2′OGD) and taxoid-3′- N -benzoyl-transferase (T3′NBT) responsible for C2′α-hydroxylation and 3′- N benzoylation, has greatly advanced our understanding of the Taxol biosynthetic pathway and enabled its reconstitution in both plant and microbial hosts. In this review, we summarize recent progress in defining the Taxol biosynthetic pathway and highlight synthetic biology strategies with the greatest potential to support reliable and sustainable production of this essential anticancer agent.