a Schematic illustration of the biosynthetic pathways leading to the production of DEIN and related byproducts. To ensure efficient screening of biosynthetic enzymes for DEIN production, a p-HCA producing strain QL11, harboring overexpression of enzymes responsible for both endogenous (yellow arrows) and exogenous (blue arrows) reactions, was selected as the starting strain. ARO3, DAHP synthase; ARO4*, L-tyrosine-feedback-insensitive DAHP synthase (ARO4K229L); ARO1, pentafunctional aromatic protein; EcaroL, shikimate kinase from E. coli; ARO2, chorismate synthase; ARO7*, L-tyrosine-feedback-insensitive chorismate mutase (ARO7G141S); AtATR2, cytochrome P450 reductase from A. thaliana; CYB5, yeast native cytochrome b5. DAHP, 3-deoxy-D-arabino-2-heptulosonic acid 7-phosphate; SHIK, shikimate; S3P, shikimate-3-phosphate; EPSP, 5-enolpyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate; CHA, chorismic acid; PPA, prephenate. See Fig. 1 and its legend regarding abbreviations of metabolites and other gene details. b, c Production profiles of intermediates LIG and ISOLIG produced by yeast strains harboring different combinations of biosynthetic enzymes 4CL, CHS, CHR, and CHI. d DEIN production of C09 strain overexpressing different biosynthetic genes encoding 2-HIS and HID and relevant genetic characteristics of the resultant strains. For the source of selected plant genes: Mt, Medicago truncatula; Tp, Trifolium pretense. See Fig. 1 legend regarding abbreviations of other plant species. Cells were grown in a defined minimal medium with 30 g L−1 glucose as the sole carbon source, and cultures were sampled after 72 h of growth for metabolite detection. All data represent the mean of n = 3 biologically independent samples and error bars show standard deviation. The source data underlying figures (b−d) are provided in a Source Data file.