Characterization of a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase multigene family in Trifolium subterraneum

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, a key component used for phenylpropanoids production by metabolic engineering

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, a versatile enzyme with industrial and medical applications.

Infection processes and involvement of defense-related genes in the expression of resistance in cultivars of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) to Phytophthora clandestina

Studies on infection processes and gene expression were done to determine differential responses of cultivars of Trifolium subterraneum resistant and susceptible to infection by races of Phytophthora clandestina. In the infection process study, one race was inoculated onto the roots of T. subterraneum cvs. Woogenellup and Junee (compatible or incompatible interactions, respectively). There were no differences in relation to the processes of cyst attachment, germination, and hyphal penetration. There were, however, major differences in infection progression observed post-penetration between compatible and incompatible interactions. In susceptible cv. Woogenellup, hyphae grew into the vascular bundles and produced intercellular antheridia and oogonia in the cortex and stele by 4 days postinoculation (dpi), oospores in the cortex and stele by 8 dpi, when sporangia were evident on the surface of the root. Infected taproots were discolored. Early destruction of taproots prevented emergence of lateral roots. Roots of resistant cv. Junee showed no oospores or sporangia and no disease at 8 dpi. In the gene expression studies, two races of P. clandestina were inoculated onto three cultivars of T. subterraneum. Results showed that three genes known to be associated with plant defense against plant pathogens were differentially expressed in the roots during compatible and incompatible interactions. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase and chalcone synthase genes were activated 4 h postinoculation (hpi) and cytochrome P450 trans-cinnamic acid 4-monooxygenase gene was activated 8 hpi in the incompatible interactions in cvs. Denmark and Junee following inoculation with Race 177. In contrast, in compatible interactions in cv. Woogenellup, there were no significant changes in the activation of these three genes following inoculation, indicating that these three genes were associated with the expression of resistance to Race 177 of the pathogen by the host. To confirm this result, in the second test, cv. Woogenellup was challenged by Race 000 of P. clandestina. In this incompatible interaction, cv. Woogenellup was resistant and expressed highly all three genes in the manner similar to the incompatible interactions observed in the first test.

Cloning, sequencing and analysis of the enterocin biosynthesis gene cluster from the marine isolate 'Streptomyces maritimus': evidence for the derailment of an aromatic polyketide synthase

BACKGROUND

Polycyclic aromatic polyketides, such as the tetracyclines and anthracyclines, are synthesized by bacterial aromatic polyketide synthases (PKSs). Such PKSs contain a single set of iteratively used individual proteins for the construction of a highly labile poly-beta-carbonyl intermediate that is cyclized by associated enzymes to the core aromatic polyketide. A unique polyketide biosynthetic pathway recently identified in the marine strain 'Streptomyces maritimus' deviates from the normal aromatic PKS model in the generation of a diverse series of chiral, non-aromatic polyketides.

RESULTS

A 21.3 kb gene cluster encoding the biosynthesis of the enterocin and wailupemycin family of polyketides from 'S. maritimus' has been cloned and sequenced. The biosynthesis of these structurally diverse polyketides is encoded on a 20 open reading frames gene set containing a centrally located aromatic PKS. The architecture of this novel type II gene set differs from all other aromatic PKS clusters by the absence of cyclase and aromatase encoding genes and the presence of genes encoding the biosynthesis and attachment of the unique benzoyl-CoA starter unit. In addition to the previously reported heterologous expression of the gene set, in vitro and in vivo expression studies with the cytochrome P-450 EncR and the ketoreductase EncD, respectively, support the involvement of the cloned genes in enterocin biosynthesis.

CONCLUSIONS

The enterocin biosynthesis gene cluster represents the most versatile type II PKS system investigated to date. A large series of divergent metabolites are naturally generated from the single biochemical pathway, which has several metabolic options for creating structural diversity. The absence of cyclase and aromatase gene products and the involvement of an oxygenase-catalyzed Favorskii-like rearrangement provide insight into the observed spontaneity of this pathway. This system provides the foundation for engineering hybrid expression sets in the generation of structurally novel compounds for use in drug discovery.

Characterization of the structure and determination of mRNA levels of the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene family from Populus kitakamiensis

We isolated two new PAL genes, palg2b and palg4, from Populus kitakamiensis, palg2a and palg2b are clustered and palg2b encodes a polypeptide of 710 amino acids. The nucleotide sequence in the coding region of palg2b was 94.6% identical to that of palg2a. The promoter regions of palg1, palg2a and palg2b have several elements conserved among many phenylpropanoid biosynthetic genes. We measured the mRNA levels of the four PAL genes by S1 mapping using total RNA from stem tissues developing secondary xylem. Results showed that the transcript level of palg2b was higher than that of the other PAL genes.

In Trifolium subterraneum, chalcone synthase is encoded by a multigene family

Chalcone synthase (CHS) catalyzes the first and key regulatory step in flavonoid biosynthesis. We report the existence and characterization of a CHS multigene family present in Trifolium subterraneum L. cultivar Karridale. The CHS family consists of at least four members, which are tightly clustered in a 15-kb region. The complete sequences of two of these genes (CHS1 and CHS2) are presented. The putative promoters of these genes have sequences which are homologous to those known, or implicated, in regulation of the expression of phenylpropanoid-encoding genes.