Capsaicinoids are bioactive alkaloids produced by the chili pepper fruit and are known to be the most potent agonists of the human pain receptor TRPV1 (Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Subfamily V Member 1). They are currently produced by extraction from chili pepper fruit or by chemical synthesis. Transfer of the biosynthetic route to a microbial host could enable more efficient capsaicinoid production by fermentation and may also enable the use of synthetic biology to create a diversity of new compounds with potentially improved properties. This review summarises the current state of the art on the biosynthesis of capsaicinoid precursors in baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and discusses bioengineering strategies for achieving total synthesis from sugar.

辣椒素是辣椒果实产生的生物活性生物碱，已知是人类疼痛受体 TRPV1（瞬时受体电位阳离子通道亚科 V 成员 1）最有效的激动剂。它们目前是通过从辣椒果实中提取或通过化学合成生产的。将生物合成途径转移到微生物宿主可以通过发酵更有效地生产辣椒素，还可以利用合成生物学来创造具有潜在改进特性的多种新化合物。这篇综述总结了面包酵母、酿酒酵母中辣椒素前体生物合成的最新技术，并讨论了实现糖全合成的生物工程策略。