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Liu H, Huang M, Xin D, Wang H, Yu H, Pu W. Natural products with anti-tumorigenesis potential targeting macrophage. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 131:155794. [PMID: 38875811 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inflammation is a risk factor for tumorigenesis. Macrophage, a subset of immune cells with high plasticity, plays a multifaceted role in this process. Natural products, which are bioactive compounds derived from traditional herbs or foods, have exhibited diverse effects on macrophages and tumorigenesis making them a valuable resource of drug discovery or optimization in tumor prevention. PURPOSE Provide a comprehensive overview of the various roles of macrophages in tumorigenesis, as well as the effects of natural products on tumorigenesis by modulating macrophage function. METHODS A thorough literature search spanning the past two decades was carried out using PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier, and CNKI following the PRISMA guidelines. The search terms employed included "macrophage and tumorigenesis", "natural products, macrophages and tumorigenesis", "traditional Chinese medicine and tumorigenesis", "natural products and macrophage polarization", "macrophage and tumor related microenvironment", "macrophage and tumor signal pathway", "toxicity of natural products" and combinations thereof. Furthermore, certain articles are identified through the tracking of citations from other publications or by accessing the websites of relevant journals. Studies that meet the following criteria are excluded: (1) Articles not written in English or Chinese; (2) Full texts were not available; (3) Duplicate articles and irrelevant studies. The data collected was organized and summarized based on molecular mechanisms or compound structure. RESULTS This review elucidates the multifaceted effect of macrophages on tumorigenesis, encompassing process such as inflammation, angiogenesis, and tumor cell invasion by regulating metabolism, non-coding RNA, signal transduction and intercellular crosstalk. Natural products, including vitexin, ovatodiolide, ligustilide, and emodin, as well as herbal remedies, have demonstrated efficacy in modulating macrophage function, thereby attenuating tumorigenesis. These interventions mainly focus on mitigating the initial inflammatory response or modifying the inflammatory environment within the precancerous niche. CONCLUSIONS These mechanistic insights of macrophages in tumorigenesis offer valuable ideas for researchers. The identified natural products facilitate the selection of promising candidates for future cancer drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, PR China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, PR China
| | - Manru Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, PR China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, PR China
| | - Dandan Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, PR China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, PR China
| | - Hong Wang
- School of Medical Technology, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, PR China.
| | - Haiyang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, PR China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, PR China; Haihe Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, PR China.
| | - Weiling Pu
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, PR China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, PR China.
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He X, Zhang Z, Hu M, Lin X, Weng X, Lu J, Fang L, Chen X. Liquiritin Alleviates Inflammation in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Human Corneal Epithelial Cells. Curr Eye Res 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38767463 DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2024.2353263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This research was designed to elucidate the anti-inflammatory impacts of liquiritin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs). METHODS The Cell Counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was adopted to assess cell viability. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the secretion levels of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α. Transcriptome analysis was conducted to identify the genes that exhibited differential expression between different treatment. The model group included cells treated with LPS (10 µg/mL), the treatment group comprised cells treated with liquiritin (80 µM) and LPS (10 µg/mL), and the control group consisted of untreated cells. To further validate the expression levels of the selected genes, including CSF2, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL8, IL1A, IL1B, IL24, IL6, and LTB, quantitative real-time PCR was performed. The expression of proteins related to the Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway was assessed through western blot analysis. NF-κB nuclear translocation was evaluated through immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS The secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α in LPS-induced HCECs was significantly downregulated by liquiritin. Based on the transcriptome analysis, the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, namely IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, IL-24, TNF-α, and IL-1α was overproduced by LPS stimulation, and suppressed after liquiritin treatment. Furthermore, the Western blot results revealed a remarkable reduction in the phosphorylation degrees of NF-κB p65, IκB, and Akt upon treatment with liquiritin. Additionally, immunofluorescence analysis confirmed liquiritin's inhibition of LPS-induced p65 nuclear translocation. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these findings imply that liquiritin suppresses the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, and the anti-inflammatory impacts of liquiritin may be caused by its repression of the Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway in LPS-induced HCECs. These data indicate that liquiritin could provide a potential therapeutic application for inflammation-associated corneal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian He
- Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Supervision and Testing, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Safety Evaluation of Medical Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Ziyang Zhang
- Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Supervision and Testing, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Meili Hu
- Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Supervision and Testing, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xinyi Lin
- Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Supervision and Testing, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xu Weng
- Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Supervision and Testing, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jiajun Lu
- Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Supervision and Testing, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Li Fang
- Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Supervision and Testing, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Safety Evaluation of Medical Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xianhua Chen
- Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Supervision and Testing, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Safety Evaluation of Medical Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
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Chen R, Yu J, Yu L, Xiao L, Xiao Y, Chen J, Gao S, Chen X, Li Q, Zhang H, Chen W, Zhang L. The ERF transcription factor LTF1 activates DIR1 to control stereoselective synthesis of antiviral lignans and stress defense in Isatis indigotica roots. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:405-420. [PMID: 38261810 PMCID: PMC10792966 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Lignans are a powerful weapon for plants to resist stresses and have diverse bioactive functions to protect human health. Elucidating the mechanisms of stereoselective biosynthesis and response to stresses of lignans is important for the guidance of plant improvement. Here, we identified the complete pathway to stereoselectively synthesize antiviral (-)-lariciresinol glucosides in Isatis indigotica roots, which consists of three-step sequential stereoselective enzymes DIR1/2, PLR, and UGT71B2. DIR1 was further identified as the key gene in respoJanuary 2024nse to stresses and was able to trigger stress defenses by mediating the elevation in lignan content. Mechanistically, the phytohormone-responsive ERF transcription factor LTF1 colocalized with DIR1 in the cell periphery of the vascular regions in mature roots and helped resist biotic and abiotic stresses by directly regulating the expression of DIR1. These systematic results suggest that DIR1 as the first common step of the lignan pathway cooperates with PLR and UGT71B2 to stereoselectively synthesize (-)-lariciresinol derived antiviral lignans in I. indigotica roots and is also a part of the LTF1-mediated regulatory network to resist stresses. In conclusion, the LTF1-DIR1 module is an ideal engineering target to improve plant Defenses while increasing the content of valuable lignans in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruibing Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Jian Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Luyao Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Liang Xiao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ying Xiao
- Research and Development Center of Chinese Medicine Resources and Biotechnology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Junfeng Chen
- Research and Development Center of Chinese Medicine Resources and Biotechnology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Shouhong Gao
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Xianghui Chen
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Henan Zhang
- Institute of Edible Fungi, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, National Engineering Research Center of Edible Fungi, Key Laboratory of Edible Fungi Resources and Utilization (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai 201403, China
| | - Wansheng Chen
- Research and Development Center of Chinese Medicine Resources and Biotechnology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
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Chen Y, Bai Y, Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Jiang Y, Wang S, Wang Y, Sun Z. Transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal the primary and secondary metabolism changes in Glycyrrhiza uralensis with different forms of nitrogen utilization. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1229253. [PMID: 38023834 PMCID: PMC10653330 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1229253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The roots and rhizomes of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. represent the oldest and most frequently used herbal medicines in Eastern and Western countries. However, the quality of cultivated G. uralensis has not been adequate to meet the market demand, thereby exerting increased pressure on wild G. uralensis populations. Nitrogen, vital for plant growth, potentially influences the bioactive constituents of plants. Yet, more information is needed regarding the effect of different forms of nitrogen on G. uralensis. G. uralensis seedlings were exposed to a modified Hoagland nutrient solution (HNS), varying concentrations of nitrate (KNO3), or ammonium (NH4)2SO4. We subsequently obtained the roots of G. uralensis for physiology, transcriptomics, and metabolomics analyses. Our results indicated that medium-level ammonium nitrogen was more effective in promoting G. uralensis growth compared to nitrate nitrogen. However, low-level nitrate nitrogen distinctly accelerated the accumulation of flavonoid ingredients. Illumina sequencing of cDNA libraries prepared from four groups-treated independently with low/medium NH4 + or NO3 - identified 364, 96, 103, and 64 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in each group. Our investigation revealed a general molecular and physiological metabolism stimulation under exclusive NH4 + or NO3 - conditions. This included nitrogen absorption and assimilation, glycolysis, Tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, flavonoid, and triterpenoid metabolism. By creating and combining putative biosynthesis networks of nitrogen metabolism, flavonoids, and triterpenoids with related structural DEGs, we observed a positive correlation between the expression trend of DEGs and flavonoid accumulation. Notably, treatments with low-level NH4 + or medium-level NO3 - positively improved primary metabolism, including amino acids, TCA cycle, and glycolysis metabolism. Meanwhile, low-level NH4 + and NO3 - treatment positively regulated secondary metabolism, especially the biosynthesis of flavonoids in G. uralensis. Our study lays the foundation for a comprehensive analysis of molecular responses to varied nitrogen forms in G. uralensis, which should help understand the relationships between responsive genes and subsequent metabolic reactions. Furthermore, our results provide new insights into the fundamental mechanisms underlying the treatment of G. uralensis and other Glycyrrhiza plants with different nitrogen forms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Zhirong Sun
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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Yang YH, Song HW, Lai JY, Li RF, Wang ZC, Jia HC, Yang Y. A Rehmannia glutinosa caffeic acid O-methyltransferase functional identification: Reconstitution of the ferulic acid biosynthetic pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using Rehmannia glutinosa enzymes. Biotechnol J 2023; 18:e2300064. [PMID: 37522376 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Rehmannia glutinosa produces many pharmacological natural components, including ferulic acid (FA) which is also an important precursor of some medicinal ingredients, so it is very significant to explore FA biosynthesis for enhancing the production of FA and its derivations. This study aimed to determine and reconstitute the R. glutinosa FA biosynthetic pathway from phenylalanine (Phe) metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a safe host for the biosynthesis of plant-derived products. Although plant caffeic acid O-methyltransferases (COMTs) are thought to be a vital catalytic enzyme in FA biosynthesis pathways, to date, none of the RgCOMTs in R. glutinosa has been characterized. This study identified an RgCOMT and revealed its protein enzymatic activity for FA production in vitro. The RgCOMT overexpression in R. glutinosa significantly increased FA yield, suggesting that its molecular function is involved in FA biosynthesis. Heterologous expression of the RgCOMT and reported R. glutinosa genes, RgPAL2 (encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase [PAL] protein), RgC4H (cinnamate 4-hydroxylase [C4H]), and RgC3H (p-coumarate-3-hydroxylase [C3H]), in S. cerevisiae confirmed their catalytic abilities in the reaction steps for the FA biosynthesis. Importantly, in this study, these genes were introduced into S. cerevisiae and coexpressed to reconstitute the R. glutinosa FA biosynthetic pathway from Phe metabolism, thus obtaining an engineered strain that produced an FA titer of 148.34 mg L-1 . This study identified the functional activity of RgCOMT and clarified the R. glutinosa FA biosynthesis pathway in S. cerevisiae, paving the way for the efficient production of FA and its derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Hui Yang
- School of Bioengineering, Zhengzhou High-technology Zone, Henan, University of Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
| | - Hao Wei Song
- School of Bioengineering, Zhengzhou High-technology Zone, Henan, University of Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
| | - Jun Yi Lai
- School of Bioengineering, Zhengzhou High-technology Zone, Henan, University of Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
| | - Rui Fang Li
- School of Bioengineering, Zhengzhou High-technology Zone, Henan, University of Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
| | - Zi Chao Wang
- School of Bioengineering, Zhengzhou High-technology Zone, Henan, University of Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
| | - Hui Cong Jia
- School of Bioengineering, Zhengzhou High-technology Zone, Henan, University of Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
| | - Yong Yang
- School of Bioengineering, Zhengzhou High-technology Zone, Henan, University of Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
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Duan Y, Du W, Song Z, Chen R, Xie K, Liu J, Chen D, Dai J. Functional characterization of a cycloartenol synthase and four glycosyltransferases in the biosynthesis of cycloastragenol-type astragalosides from Astragalus membranaceus. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:271-283. [PMID: 36815054 PMCID: PMC9939298 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Astragalosides are the main active constituents of traditional Chinese medicine Huang-Qi, of which cycloastragenol-type glycosides are the most typical and major bioactive compounds. This kind of compounds exhibit various biological functions including cardiovascular protective, neuroprotective, etc. Owing to the limitations of natural sources and the difficulties encountered in chemical synthesis, re-engineering of biosynthetic machinery will offer an alternative and promising approach to producing astragalosides. However, the biosynthetic pathway for astragalosides remains elusive due to their complex structures and numerous reaction types and steps. Herein, guided by transcriptome and phylogenetic analyses, a cycloartenol synthase and four glycosyltransferases catalyzing the committed steps in the biosynthesis of such bioactive astragalosides were functionally characterized from Astragalus membranaceus. AmCAS1, the first reported cycloartenol synthase from Astragalus genus, is capable of catalyzing the formation of cycloartenol; AmUGT15, AmUGT14, AmUGT13, and AmUGT7 are four glycosyltransferases biochemically characterized to catalyze 3-O-xylosylation, 3-O-glucosylation, 25-O-glucosylation/O-xylosylation and 2'-O-glucosylation of cycloastragenol glycosides, respectively. These findings not only clarified the crucial enzymes for the biosynthesis and the molecular basis for the structural diversity of astragalosides in Astragalus plants, also paved the way for further completely deciphering the biosynthetic pathway and constructing an artificial pathway for their efficient production.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zhijun Song
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Ridao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Kebo Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Jimei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Dawei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Jungui Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, CAMS Key Laboratory of Enzyme and Biocatalysis of Natural Drugs, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
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Functional characterization and substrate promiscuity analysis of UDP-glucose dehydrogenases from licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis). J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.133355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Wang X, Jiang D, Shi Q, Ren G, Liu C. Microbial degradation of aristolochic acid I by endophytic fungus A.h-Fs-1 of Asarum heterotropoides. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:917117. [PMID: 35935204 PMCID: PMC9355669 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.917117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Asari Radix et Rhizoma is commonly used in classic prescriptions of herbal medicine in several Asian countries for resuscitation, pain relief, and sore treatment, and Asarum heterotropoides (A. heterotropoides) is an important source material of Asari Radix et Rhizoma. However, the plants of the Asari Radix et Rhizoma and some plants in Asarum spp. contain aristolochic acid I (AAI), which is considered as a carcinogen. The objective of the current study is to detoxify Asarum spp. through microbial degradation of AAI in order to ensure drug safety. Based on the observation of the close correlation between endophytic fungi of A. heterotropoides and AAI, we identified an AAI-degrading fungus and screened for candidate genes involved in AAI degradation. Full-length O-demethylase genes (ODMs) were cloned including A.h-ODM-5, Fs-ODM-4, and Fs-ODM-1, and their ability to degrade AAI was tested in vitro. The results showed that the AAI-degrading fungus was identified as Neocosmospora solani (A.h-Fs-1, endophytic fungi of A. heterotropoides), and verified the capability of specific O-demethylation to modify the structure of AAI. We further identified the functional ODMs in A.h-Fs-1 capable of degrading AAI and uncovered the AAI degradation mechanism of A.h-Fs-1. The microbial degradation of AAI demonstrated in the present study offers a new method to detoxify plant materials used for herbal medicine, and would enhance the regulation of toxic ingredients content in herbal medicine source materials.
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Huang Y, Jiang D, Ren G, Yin Y, Sun Y, Liu T, Liu C. De Novo Production of Glycyrrhetic Acid 3-O-mono- β-D-glucuronide in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:709120. [PMID: 34888299 PMCID: PMC8650490 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.709120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycyrrhetic acid 3-O-mono-β-D-glucuronide (GAMG) is a rare compound in licorice and its short supply limits the wide applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. In this study, de novo biosynthesis of GAMG was achieved in engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains based on the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology. The introduction of GAMG biosynthetic pathway resulted in the construction of a GAMG-producing yeast strain for the first time. Through optimizing the biosynthetic pathway, improving the folding and catalysis microenvironment for cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs), enhancing the supply of UDP-glucuronic acid (UDP-GlcA), preventing product degradation, and optimizing the fermentation conditions, the production of GAMG was increased from 0.02 μg/L to 92.00 μg/L in shake flasks (4,200-fold), and the conversion rate of glycyrrhetic acid (GA) to GAMG was higher than 56%. The engineered yeast strains provide an alternative approach for the production of glycosylated triterpenoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Huang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Jiang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Guangxi Ren
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Yin
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yifan Sun
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Tengfei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chunsheng Liu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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Jiang D, Li P, Yin Y, Ren G, Liu C. Molecular cloning and functional characterization of UGTs from Glycyrrhiza uralensis flavonoid pathway. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 192:1108-1116. [PMID: 34582913 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.09.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., a well-known medicinal plant, contains flavonoids including liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin, and their corresponding glycoside liquiritin and isoliquiritin. Although some genes encoding UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) have been functionally characterized in G. uralensis, other UGTs mechanisms of glycosylation remain to be elucidated. Against this background the aim of the present study included cloning and characterization of two full-length cDNA clones of GuUGT isoforms from the UGT multigene family. These included GuUGT2 (NCBI acc. MK341791) and GuUGT3 (NCBI acc. MK341793) with an ORF of 1473 and 1332 bp, respectively. Multiple alignments and phylogenetic analysis revealed GuUGTs protein of Glycine max had a high homology to that of other plants. Meanwhile, quantitative real-time PCR was performed to detect the transcript levels of GuUGTs in different tissues. The results indicated that GuUGTs was more expressed in roots as compared to the leaves, and significantly up-regulated upon NaCl stress. The recombinant protein was heterologous expressed in Escherichia coli and exhibited a high level of UGT activity, catalyzing formation of isoliquiritin and liquiritin from isoliquiritigenin and liquiritigenin. The key residues of GuUGT2 for liquiritigenin glycosylation (Asn223), isoliquiritigenin (Asp272) were predicted by molecular docking and residue scanning based on simulated mutations. These results could serve as an important reference to understand the function of the UGT family. In addition, the identification of GuUGT2 and GuUGT3 provides a foundation for future studies of flavonoid biosynthesis in G. uralensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Jiang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Ping Li
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Yan Yin
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Guangxi Ren
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Chunsheng Liu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100102, China.
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Li T, Ren G, Jiang D, Liu C. Dynamic Changes in Endophytic Microorganisms and Metabolites During Natural Drying of Licorice. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:740721. [PMID: 34721339 PMCID: PMC8551699 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.740721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The method of drying licorice is an important factor affecting the quality of the final product. To determine the best processing method of licorice postharvest, we investigated the interaction of increasing aridity between the endophytic microorganisms and the accumulation of metabolites. Samples from the roots of licorice growing along an aridity gradient during the natural drying process were collected, and the metabolic components, the content of the main active substances and the dynamic changes of the endophytic microbial community were assessed. The glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin contents decreased slightly or remained flat during natural drying, whereas those of liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin increased slightly. Moreover, the Shannon index of endophytic microbial diversity of licorice was the highest in the fresh period and showed a downward trend during the drying process. When the licorice were fresh, Cladosporiaceae and Burkholderiaceae were the dominant family present, but after drying, Nectriaceae and Enterobacteriaceae were the dominant families. A similar trend was also found in which the differential metabolites of licorice were reduced during natural drying. Furthermore, correlation analysis between dominant families and differential metabolites showed that there was a correlation between the two. Therefore, fresh processing is an effective drying method to ensure the quality of licorice. This study revealed the relationship of endophytic microbiota and changes in the licorice metabolites during different stages of drying, which provided a scientific basis for the drying method of licorice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Li
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Guangxi Ren
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Jiang
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Chunsheng Liu
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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GAO W, HUANG LQ. Genes functional identification and synthetic biology of natural products. Chin J Nat Med 2020; 18:641-642. [DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(20)60002-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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13
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Rainha J, Gomes D, Rodrigues LR, Rodrigues JL. Synthetic Biology Approaches to Engineer Saccharomyces cerevisiae towards the Industrial Production of Valuable Polyphenolic Compounds. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10050056. [PMID: 32370107 PMCID: PMC7281501 DOI: 10.3390/life10050056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyphenols are plant secondary metabolites with diverse biological and potential therapeutic activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer, among others. However, their extraction from the native plants is not enough to satisfy the increasing demand for this type of compounds. The development of microbial cell factories to effectively produce polyphenols may represent the most attractive solution to overcome this limitation and produce high amounts of these bioactive molecules. With the advances in the synthetic biology field, the development of efficient microbial cell factories has become easier, largely due to the development of the molecular biology techniques and by the identification of novel isoenzymes in plants or simpler organisms to construct the heterologous pathways. Furthermore, efforts have been made to make the process more profitable through improvements in the host chassis. In this review, advances in the production of polyphenols by genetically engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae as well as by synthetic biology and metabolic engineering approaches to improve the production of these compounds at industrial settings are discussed.
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