Proteins found in nature have traditionally been the most frequently used biocatalysts to produce numerous natural products ranging from commodity chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Protein engineering has emerged as a powerful biotechnological toolbox in the development of metabolic engineering, particularly for the biosynthesis of natural products. Recently, protein engineering has become a favored method to improve enzymatic activity, increase enzyme stability, and expand product spectra in natural product biosynthesis. This review summarizes recent advances and typical strategies in protein engineering, highlighting the paramount role of protein engineering in improving and diversifying the biosynthesis of natural products. Future prospects and research directions are also discussed.

自然界中发现的蛋白质历来是最常用的生物催化剂，用于生产从商品化学品到药品等多种天然产品。蛋白质工程已成为代谢工程发展中强大的生物技术工具箱，特别是天然产物的生物合成。近年来，蛋白质工程已成为提高天然产物生物合成中酶活性、增加酶稳定性和扩展产物谱的热门方法。这篇综述总结了蛋白质工程的最新进展和典型策略，强调了蛋白质工程在改善天然产物生物合成和使其多样化方面的重要作用。还讨论了未来的前景和研究方向。