Reconstituting a two-step pathway for N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) biosynthesis in bacteria

A two-step bacterial pathway converting L-tryptophan to the psychoactive alkaloid N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) was reconstructed in Escherichia coli. The pathway combined a tryptophan decarboxylase from Ruminococcus gnavus and a methyltransferase from the cane toad Rhinella marina. Methionine supplementation increased DMT levels 2.8-fold, indicating that methylation capacity is a key constraint. In shake-flask cultures, a co-expression strain produced 103 mg/L DMT after 48 hours in complex medium. Using a tryptophan-enriched supernatant from Corynebacterium glutamicum enabled de novo DMT formation at 16 mg/L in defined medium. The findings identify methyltransferase capacity as a target for yield improvements.

Study at a glance

Abstract

N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a bioactive indole alkaloid that could greatly benefit from scalable, fermentation-based production for research and pharmaceutical applications. In this study, we reconstructed a two-step bacterial pathway converting L-tryptophan to DMT via tryptamine. This involved combining a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent tryptophan decarboxylase from the bacterium Ruminococcus gnavus (RgnTDC) with an S -adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent N -methyltransferase from the cane toad Rhinella marina (RmNMT) in Escherichia coli . We optimised conditions for each step, determining 37 °C (pH 8.0) as the optimal condition for tryptamine production and 25 °C (pH 7.5) for DMT. While PLP supplementation did not raise tryptamine levels, methionine supplementation increased DMT levels by 2.8 times, emphasising the importance of methyl-donor supply. Co-culture and co-expression experiments showed that DMT accumulation depends on sufficient methylation capacity. Increased tryptophan availability led to tryptamine accumulation without a proportional increase in DMT formation, indicating a downstream limitation after decarboxylation. Together with the stimulatory effect of methionine supplementation, this result points to N -methylation and methyl-donor supply as key constraints in this system. In shake-flask cultures, a co-expression strain (TN1) produced 103 mg/L DMT after 48 hours in complex medium without direct tryptophan supplementation. To enable growth in a defined medium, we used a workflow involving a tryptophan-enriched supernatant from a Corynebacterium glutamicum tryptophan overproducer, which supported de novo DMT formation at 16 mg/L in defined medium. These findings establish a plasmid-based platform for DMT production with E. coli and identify methyltransferase capacity as a key target for further yield improvements.