玉米黄贤（zeaxanthin）是一种类胡萝卜素，是β-胡萝卜素的二羟基衍生物。玉米黄贤具有抗氧化、抗炎、抗癌和神经保护的特性。本研究中，利用脂肪分解酵母菌（Yarrowia lipolytica）作为玉米黄贤高效产出的宿主。脂肪分解酵母菌PO1h品系被用来构建以下工程菌株以产生类胡萝卜素，因为它在PO1h和PEX17-HA源菌株中产生的β-胡萝卜素最高。通过调节类胡萝卜素途径上的关键节点，通过野生型和突变型酶对比和连续模块组装，β-胡萝卜素浓度从19.9 mg/L提高到了422.0 mg/L。为了提供更多的前体甲藻糖酮酸（mevalonate），异源基因mvaE和mvaSMT被引入，将β-胡萝卜素的产量增加了27.2%，达到了536.8 mg/L。然后转移β-胡萝卜素羟化酶基因crtZ，产生玉米黄贤的产量达326.5 mg/L。接着使用氧化还原酶RFNR1和CrtZ进一步增强玉米黄贤的产量，在YPD摇瓶中玉米黄贤的产量可达到775.3 mg/L。

Zeaxanthin is a carotenoid, a dihydroxy derivative of β-carotene. Zeaxanthin has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and neuroprotective properties. In this study, Yarrowia lipolytica was used as a host for the efficient production of zeaxanthin. The strain Y. lipolytica PO1h was used to construct the following engineered strains for carotenoid production since it produced the highest β-carotene among the Y. lipolytica PO1h- and Y. lipolytica PEX17-HA-derived strains. By regulating the key nodes on the carotenoid pathway through wild and mutant enzyme comparison and successive modular assembly, the β-carotene concentration was improved from 19.9 to 422.0 mg/L. To provide more precursor mevalonate, heterologous genes mvaE and mvaSMT were introduced to increase the production of β-carotene by 27.2% to the yield of 536.8 mg/L. The β-carotene hydroxylase gene crtZ was then transferred, resulting in a yield of zeaxanthin of 326.5 mg/L. The oxidoreductase RFNR1 and CrtZ were then used to further enhance zeaxanthin production, and the yield of zeaxanthin was up to 775.3 mg/L in YPD shake flask.