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Li S, Zhou Z, Li Y, Hu Y, Huang Z, Hu G, Wang Y, Wang X, Lou Q, Gao L, Shen C, Gao R, Xu Z, Song J, Pu X. Construction of a high-efficiency GjCCD4a mutant and its application for de novo biosynthesis of five crocins in Escherichia coli. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 277:133985. [PMID: 39033887 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Crocins are bioactive natural products that rarely exist in plants. High costs and resource shortage severely limit its development and application. Synthetic biology studies on crocins are of considerable global interest. However, the lack of high-efficiency genetic tools and complex cascade biocatalytic systems have substantially hindered progress in crocin biosynthesis-related research. Based on mutagenesis, a high-efficiency GjCCD4a mutant (N212m) was constructed with a catalytic efficiency that was 25.08-fold higher than that of the wild-type. Solubilized GjCCD4a was expressed via fusion with an MBP tag. Moreover, N212m and ten other genes were introduced into Escherichia coli for the de novo biosynthesis of five crocins. The engineered E57 strain produced crocins III and V with a total yield of 11.50 mg/L, and the E579 strain produced crocins I-V with a total output of 8.43 mg/L at shake-flask level. This study identified a marvelous genetic element (N212m) for crocin biosynthesis and achieved its de novo biosynthesis in E. coli using glucose. This study provides a reference for the large-scale production of five crocins using E. coli cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Li
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ze Zhou
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Yufang Li
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Yan Hu
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ziyi Huang
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ge Hu
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Qian Lou
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Longlong Gao
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Chuanpu Shen
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ranran Gao
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Zhichao Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Jingyuan Song
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Xiangdong Pu
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China; Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula Granule, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
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Hua Z, Liu N, Yan X. Research progress on the pharmacological activity, biosynthetic pathways, and biosynthesis of crocins. Beilstein J Org Chem 2024; 20:741-752. [PMID: 38633914 PMCID: PMC11022409 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.20.68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Crocins are water-soluble apocarotenoids isolated from the flowers of crocus and gardenia. They exhibit various pharmacological effects, including neuroprotection, anti-inflammatory properties, hepatorenal protection, and anticancer activity. They are often used as coloring and seasoning agents. Due to the limited content of crocins in plants and the high cost of chemical synthesis, the supply of crocins is insufficient to meet current demand. The biosynthetic pathways for crocins have been elucidated to date, which allows the heterologous production of these valuable compounds in microorganisms by fermentation. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the chemistry, pharmacological activity, biosynthetic pathways, and heterologous production of crocins, aiming to lay the foundation for the large-scale production of these valuable natural products by using engineered microbial cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongwei Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 10 Poyang Lake Road, Tuanbo New Town, Jinghai District, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Nan Liu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 10 Poyang Lake Road, Tuanbo New Town, Jinghai District, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Xiaohui Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 10 Poyang Lake Road, Tuanbo New Town, Jinghai District, Tianjin 301617, China
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Yin S, Niu L, Zhang J, Liu Y. Gardenia yellow pigment: Extraction methods, biological activities, current trends, and future prospects. Food Res Int 2024; 179:113981. [PMID: 38342530 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.113981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Food coloring plays a vital role in influencing consumers' food choices, imparting vibrant and appealing colors to various food and beverage products. Synthetic food colorants have been the most commonly used coloring agents in the food industry. However, concerns about potential health issues related to synthetic colorants, coupled with increasing consumer demands for food safety and health, have led food manufacturers to explore natural alternatives. Natural pigments not only offer a wide range of colors to food products but also exhibit beneficial bioactive properties. Gardenia yellow pigment is a water-soluble natural pigment with various biological activities, widely present in gardenia fruits. Therefore, this paper aims to delve into Gardenia Yellow Pigment, highlighting its significance as a food colorant. Firstly, a thorough understanding and exploration of various methods for obtaining gardenia yellow pigment. Subsequently, the potential functionality of gardenia yellow pigment was elaborated, especially its excellent antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. Finally, the widespread application trend of gardenia yellow pigment in the food industry was explored, as well as the challenges faced by the future development of gardenia yellow pigment in the field of food and health. Some feasible solutions were proposed, providing valuable references and insights for researchers, food industry professionals, and policy makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shipeng Yin
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
| | - Liqiong Niu
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Future Food (Bai Ma) Research Institute, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuanfa Liu
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
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Lee JH, Lee SR, Lee SY, Lee PC. Complete microbial synthesis of crocetin and crocins from glycerol in Escherichia coli. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:10. [PMID: 38178149 PMCID: PMC10765794 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02287-9] [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: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Crocin, a glycosylated apocarotenoid pigment predominantly found in saffron, has garnered significant interest in the field of biotechnology for its bioactive properties. Traditional production of crocins and their aglycone, crocetin, typically involves extraction from crocin-producing plants. This study aimed to develop an alternative biosynthetic method for these compounds by engineering the metabolic pathways of zeaxanthin, crocetin, and crocin in Escherichia coli strains. RESULTS Employing a series of genetic modifications and the strategic overexpression of key enzymes, we successfully established a complete microbial pathway for synthesizing crocetin and four glycosylated derivatives of crocetin, utilizing glycerol as the primary carbon source. The overexpression of zeaxanthin cleavage dioxygenase and a novel variant of crocetin dialdehyde dehydrogenase resulted in a notable yield of crocetin (34.77 ± 1.03 mg/L). Further optimization involved the overexpression of new types of crocetin and crocin-2 glycosyltransferases, facilitating the production of crocin-1 (6.29 ± 0.19 mg/L), crocin-2 (5.29 ± 0.24 mg/L), crocin-3 (1.48 ± 0.10 mg/L), and crocin-4 (2.72 ± 0.13 mg/L). CONCLUSIONS This investigation introduces a pioneering and integrated microbial synthesis method for generating crocin and its derivatives, employing glycerol as a sustainable carbon feedstock. The substantial yields achieved highlight the commercial potential of microbial-derived crocins as an eco-friendly alternative to plant extraction methods. The development of these microbial processes not only broadens the scope for crocin production but also suggests significant implications for the exploitation of bioengineered compounds in pharmaceutical and food industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ho Lee
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Department of Applied Chemical and Biological Engineering, Ajou University, Woncheon-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Rae Lee
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Department of Applied Chemical and Biological Engineering, Ajou University, Woncheon-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Yup Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Pyung Cheon Lee
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Department of Applied Chemical and Biological Engineering, Ajou University, Woncheon-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea.
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Zhong S, Yang H, Chen C, Ren T, Li Z, Tan F, Luo P. Phenotypic characterization of the wheat temperature-sensitive leaf color mutant and physical mapping of mutant gene by reduced-representation sequencing. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 330:111657. [PMID: 36813241 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Few available leaf color mutants in crops have greatly limited the understanding of photosynthesis mechanisms, leading to few accomplishments in crop yield improvement via enhanced photosynthetic efficiency. Here, a noticeable albino mutant, CN19M06, was identified. A comparison between CN19M06 and the wild type CN19 at different temperatures showed that the albino mutant was temperature-sensitive and produced leaves with a decreased chlorophyll content at temperatures below 10 °C. Genetic analysis suggested that the albinism was controlled by one recessive nuclear gene named TSCA1, which was putatively assigned to the region of 718.1-729.8 Mb on chromosome 2AL using bulked-segregant analysis and double-digest restriction site-associated DNA. Finally, molecular linkage analysis physically anchored TSCA1 to a narrowed region of 718.8-725.3 Mb with a 6.5 Mb length on 2AL flanked by InDel 18 and InDel 25 with 0.7 cM genetic interval. Among the 111 annotated functional genes in the corresponding chromosomal region, only TraesCS2A01G487900 of the PAP fibrillin family was both related to chlorophyll metabolism and temperature sensitivity; therefore, it was considered the putative candidate gene of TSCA1. Overall, CN19M06 has great potential for exploring the molecular mechanism of photosynthesis and monitoring temperature changes in wheat production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengfu Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Breeding at Sichuan Agricultural University of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Huai Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Breeding at Sichuan Agricultural University of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Breeding at Sichuan Agricultural University of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Tianheng Ren
- Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Breeding at Sichuan Agricultural University of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Zhi Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Breeding at Sichuan Agricultural University of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Feiquan Tan
- Institute of Ecological Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Peigao Luo
- Key Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Breeding at Sichuan Agricultural University of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
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Shahbaz K, Chang D, Zhou X, Low M, Seto SW, Li CG. Crocins for Ischemic Stroke: A Review of Current Evidence. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:825842. [PMID: 35991882 PMCID: PMC9388830 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.825842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Crocins (CRs) and the related active constituents derived from Crocus sativus L. (Saffron) have demonstrated protective effects against cerebral ischemia and ischemic stroke, with various bioactivities including neuroprotection, anti-neuroinflammation, antioxidant, and cardiovascular protection. Among CRs, crocin (CR) has been shown to act on multiple mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in ischemic stroke, including mitochondrial apoptosis, nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of B cells pathway, S100 calcium-binding protein B, interleukin-6 and vascular endothelial growth factor-A. CR is generally safe and well-tolerated. Pharmacokinetic studies indicate that CR has poor bioavailability and needs to convert to crocetin (CC) in order to cross the blood-brain barrier. Clinical studies have shown the efficacy of saffron and CR in treating various conditions, including metabolic syndrome, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and coronary artery disease. There is evidence supporting CR as a treatment for ischemic stroke, although further studies are needed to confirm their efficacy and safety in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Shahbaz
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Kiran Shahbaz, ; Chung Guang Li,
| | - Dennis Chang
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Xian Zhou
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Mitchell Low
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Sai Wang Seto
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
- Reserach Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chung Guang Li
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Kiran Shahbaz, ; Chung Guang Li,
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Integrated SMRT and Illumina Sequencing Provide New Insights into Crocin Biosynthesis of Gardenia jasminoides. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116321. [PMID: 35683000 PMCID: PMC9181021 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Crocins are valuable bioactive components of gardenia fruit, and their biosynthesis and accumulation have attracted widespread interest. Studies have investigated the biosynthesis and accumulation of crocin based on Illumina sequencing, but there is a lack of reports based on full-length transcriptome sequencing. Utilising SMRT sequencing and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), we explored crocin biosynthesis and accumulation in the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides. HPLC analysis showed that crocins specifically exist in fruit and that the content of crocins increases gradually during fruit development. SMRT sequencing generated 46,715 high-quality full-length isoforms, including 5230 novel isoforms that are not present in the G. jasminoides genome. Furthermore, a total of 46 genes and 91 lncRNAs were involved in the biosynthesis and accumulation of crocin. The qRT-PCR indicated that genes involved in crocin biosynthesis reached a peak in the NOV stage. These findings contributed to our understanding of crocin biosynthesis and accumulation.
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Ahrazem O, Zhu C, Huang X, Rubio-Moraga A, Capell T, Christou P, Gómez-Gómez L. Metabolic Engineering of Crocin Biosynthesis in Nicotiana Species. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:861140. [PMID: 35350302 PMCID: PMC8957871 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.861140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Crocins are high-value soluble pigments that are used as colorants and supplements, their presence in nature is extremely limited and, consequently, the high cost of these metabolites hinders their use by other sectors, such as the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 2L (CsCCD2L) is the key enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of crocins in Crocus sativus. In this study, CsCCD2L was introduced into Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana glauca for the production of crocins. In addition, a chimeric construct containing the Brevundimonas sp. β-carotene hydroxylase (BrCrtZ), the Arabidopsis thaliana ORANGE mutant gene (AtOrMut), and CsCCD2L was also introduced into N. tabacum. Quantitative and qualitative studies on carotenoids and apocarotenoids in the transgenic plants expressing CsCCD2L alone showed higher crocin level accumulation in N. glauca transgenic plants, reaching almost 400 μg/g DW in leaves, while in N. tabacum 36 μg/g DW was obtained. In contrast, N. tabacum plants coexpressing CsCCD2L, BrCrtZ, and AtOrMut accumulated, 3.5-fold compared to N. tabacum plants only expressing CsCCD2L. Crocins with three and four sugar molecules were the main molecular species in both host systems. Our results demonstrate that the production of saffron apocarotenoids is feasible in engineered Nicotiana species and establishes a basis for the development of strategies that may ultimately lead to the commercial exploitation of these valuable pigments for multiple applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oussama Ahrazem
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Instituto Botánico, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario, Albacete, Spain
| | - Changfu Zhu
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Centre de Recerca en Agrotecnologia (CERCA) Center, Lleida, Spain
- School of Life Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Centre de Recerca en Agrotecnologia (CERCA) Center, Lleida, Spain
| | - Angela Rubio-Moraga
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Instituto Botánico, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario, Albacete, Spain
| | - Teresa Capell
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Centre de Recerca en Agrotecnologia (CERCA) Center, Lleida, Spain
| | - Paul Christou
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Centre de Recerca en Agrotecnologia (CERCA) Center, Lleida, Spain
- Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lourdes Gómez-Gómez
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Instituto Botánico, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario, Albacete, Spain
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Devitt JK, Chung A, Schenk JJ. Inferring the genetic responses to acute drought stress across an ecological gradient. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:3. [PMID: 34983380 PMCID: PMC8725310 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08178-w] [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: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND How do xerophytic species thrive in environments that experience extreme annual drought? Although critical to the survival of many species, the genetic responses to drought stress in many non-model organisms has yet to be explored. We investigated this question in Mentzelia section Bartonia (Loasaceae), which occurs throughout western North America, including arid lands. To better understand the genetic responses to drought stress among species that occur in different habitats, the gene expression levels of three species from Mentzelia were compared across a precipitation gradient. Two de novo reference transcriptomes were generated and annotated. Leaf and root tissues were collected from control and drought shocked plants and compared to one another for differential expression. A target-gene approach was also implemented to better understand how drought-related genes from model and crop species function in non-model systems. RESULTS When comparing the drought-shock treatment plants to their respective control plants, we identified 165 differentially expressed clusters across all three species. Differentially expressed genes including those associated with water movement, photosynthesis, and delayed senescence. The transcriptome profiling approach was coupled with a target genes approach that measured expression of 90 genes associated with drought tolerance in model organisms. Comparing differentially expressed genes with a ≥ 2 log-fold value between species and tissue types showed significant differences in drought response. In pairwise comparisons, species that occurred in drier environments differentially expressed greater genes in leaves when drought shocked than those from wetter environments, but expression in the roots mostly produced opposite results. CONCLUSIONS Arid-adapted species mount greater genetic responses compared to the mesophytic species, which has likely evolved in response to consistent annual drought exposure across generations. Drought responses also depended on organ type. Xerophytes, for example, mounted a larger response in leaves to downregulate photosynthesis and senescence, while mobilizing carbon and regulating water in the roots. The complexity of drought responses in Mentzelia suggest that whole organism responses need to be considered when studying drought and, in particular, the physiological mechanisms in which plants regulate water, carbon, cell death, metabolism, and secondary metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K Devitt
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, 30460, USA.
| | - Albert Chung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7246, USA
| | - John J Schenk
- Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 457012979, USA
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Pan Y, Zhao X, Wang Y, Tan J, Chen DX. Metabolomics integrated with transcriptomics reveals the distribution of iridoid and crocin metabolic flux in Gardenia jasminoides Ellis. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256802. [PMID: 34506519 PMCID: PMC8432746 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gardenia jasminoides Ellis (G. jasminoides) fruits are used as a resource for obtaining natural colorants and in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. However, G. jasminoides presents a relatively long flowering period and different ripening periods, so there are significant differences in the accumulation of metabolites in fruits of different colors. In addition, the complete metabolic pathways of iridoidsand crocins, which are used as medicinal composition of G. jasminoides, are poorly understood at present. In this research, we comprehensively compared the transcriptome and metabolites profiles of the developmental stages and locations of iridoid and crocin biosynthesis. A large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were detected in four groups of samples, and clear variation in the pattern of metabolite abundance and gene expression were observed among different fruit colors and parts. Geniposide and gardenoside mainly accumulated in the sarcocarp of green fruit (GFS) and the sarcocarp of red fruit (FS), respectively. Crocin mainly accumulated in the peel and sarcocarp of red fruits. In the iridoid pathway, we hypothesized that there was a transport mechanism from the sarcocarp to the peel of G. jasminoides because of the inconsistent expression of G8O, 10-HGO and IS associated with differences in fruit ripening. UGTs play an important role in the biosynthesis of the active components of G. jasminoides. Combined transcriptome and metabonomics analysis showed a negative correlation between the biosynthesis of geniposide and crocin. The redirection of the metabolic flux and the regulation of key enzymes may be the main reasons for the changes in the biosynthesis of iridoid and crocin in G. jasminoides fruit. Our study expended valuable information for functional genomic library and provided new insights for metabolic engineering of secondary metabolite in G. Jasminoides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Pan
- Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fine Variety Breeding Techniques of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Subcenter of National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiao Zhao
- Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fine Variety Breeding Techniques of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Subcenter of National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fine Variety Breeding Techniques of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Subcenter of National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Tan
- Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fine Variety Breeding Techniques of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Subcenter of National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Chongqing, China
| | - Da-xia Chen
- Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fine Variety Breeding Techniques of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Subcenter of National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Chongqing, China
- * E-mail:
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Kurze E, Wüst M, Liao J, McGraphery K, Hoffmann T, Song C, Schwab W. Structure-function relationship of terpenoid glycosyltransferases from plants. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 39:389-409. [PMID: 34486004 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00038a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to 2021Terpenoids are physiologically active substances that are of great importance to humans. Their physicochemical properties are modified by glycosylation, in terms of polarity, volatility, solubility and reactivity, and their bioactivities are altered accordingly. Significant scientific progress has been made in the functional study of glycosylated terpenes and numerous plant enzymes involved in regio- and enantioselective glycosylation have been characterized, a reaction that remains chemically challenging. Crucial clues to the mechanism of terpenoid glycosylation were recently provided by the first crystal structures of a diterpene glycosyltransferase UGT76G1. Here, we review biochemically characterized terpenoid glycosyltransferases, compare their functions and primary structures, discuss their acceptor and donor substrate tolerance and product specificity, and elaborate features of the 3D structures of the first terpenoid glycosyltransferases from plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Kurze
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354 Freising, Germany.
| | - Matthias Wüst
- Chair of Food Chemistry, Institute of Nutritional and Food Sciences, University of Bonn, Endenicher Allee 19C, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Jieren Liao
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354 Freising, Germany.
| | - Kate McGraphery
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354 Freising, Germany.
| | - Thomas Hoffmann
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354 Freising, Germany.
| | - Chuankui Song
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University Hefei, Anhui 230036, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wilfried Schwab
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, 85354 Freising, Germany. .,State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University Hefei, Anhui 230036, People's Republic of China.
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12
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A New Glycosyltransferase Enzyme from Family 91, UGT91P3, Is Responsible for the Final Glucosylation Step of Crocins in Saffron ( Crocus sativus L.). Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168815. [PMID: 34445522 PMCID: PMC8396231 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Crocetin is an apocarotenoid formed from the oxidative cleavage of zeaxanthin, by the carotenoid cleavage enzymes CCD2 (in Crocus species) and specific CCD4 enzymes in Buddleja davidii and Gardenia jasminoides. Crocetin accumulates in the stigma of saffron in the form of glucosides and crocins, which contain one to five glucose molecules. Crocetin glycosylation was hypothesized to involve at least two enzymes from superfamily 1 UDP-sugar dependent glycosyltransferases. One of them, UGT74AD1, produces crocins with one and two glucose molecules, which are substrates for a second UGT, which could belong to the UGT79, 91, or 94 families. An in silico search of Crocus transcriptomes revealed six candidate UGT genes from family 91. The transcript profiles of one of them, UGT91P3, matched the metabolite profile of crocin accumulation, and were co-expressed with UGT74AD1. In addition, both UGTs interact in a two-hybrid assay. Recombinant UGT91P3 produced mostly crocins with four and five glucose molecules in vitro, and in a combined transient expression assay with CCD2 and UGT74AD1 enzymes in Nicotiana benthamiana. These results suggest a role of UGT91P3 in the biosynthesis of highly glucosylated crocins in saffron, and that it represents the last missing gene in crocins biosynthesis.
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Xu X, Yuan H, Yu X, Huang S, Sun Y, Zhang T, Liu Q, Tong H, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Liu C, Wu L, Hou M, Yang Y. The chromosome-level Stevia genome provides insights into steviol glycoside biosynthesis. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2021; 8:129. [PMID: 34059662 PMCID: PMC8166950 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-021-00565-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is well known for its very sweet steviol glycosides (SGs) consisting of a common tetracyclic diterpenoid steviol backbone and a variable glycone. Steviol glycosides are 150-300 times sweeter than sucrose and are used as natural zero-calorie sweeteners. However, the most promising compounds are biosynthesized in small amounts. Based on Illumina, PacBio, and Hi-C sequencing, we constructed a chromosome-level assembly of Stevia covering 1416 Mb with a contig N50 value of 616.85 kb and a scaffold N50 value of 106.55 Mb. More than four-fifths of the Stevia genome consisted of repetitive elements. We annotated 44,143 high-confidence protein-coding genes in the high-quality genome. Genome evolution analysis suggested that Stevia and sunflower diverged ~29.4 million years ago (Mya), shortly after the whole-genome duplication (WGD) event (WGD-2, ~32.1 Mya) that occurred in their common ancestor. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the expanded genes in Stevia were mainly enriched for biosynthesis of specialized metabolites, especially biosynthesis of terpenoid backbones, and for further oxidation and glycosylation of these compounds. We further identified all candidate genes involved in SG biosynthesis. Collectively, our current findings on the Stevia reference genome will be very helpful for dissecting the evolutionary history of Stevia and for discovering novel genes contributing to SG biosynthesis and other important agronomic traits in future breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Xu
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences/Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haiyan Yuan
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences/Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaqing Yu
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Suzhen Huang
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences/Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuming Sun
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences/Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences/Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qingquan Liu
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences/Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haiying Tong
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences/Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yongxia Zhang
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences/Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yinjie Wang
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences/Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chunxiao Liu
- Institute of Pomology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Horticultural Crop Genetic Improvement, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lei Wu
- Biomarker Technologies Corporation, Beijing, 101300, China
| | - Menglan Hou
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences/Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yongheng Yang
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences/Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China.
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14
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Diretto G, López-Jiménez AJ, Ahrazem O, Frusciante S, Song J, Rubio-Moraga Á, Gómez-Gómez L. Identification and characterization of apocarotenoid modifiers and carotenogenic enzymes for biosynthesis of crocins in Buddleja davidii flowers. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:3200-3218. [PMID: 33544822 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Crocetin biosynthesis in Buddleja davidii flowers proceeds through a zeaxanthin cleavage pathway catalyzed by two carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (BdCCD4.1 and BdCCD4.3), followed by oxidation and glucosylation reactions that lead to the production of crocins. We isolated and analyzed the expression of 12 genes from the carotenoid pathway in B. davidii flowers and identified four candidate genes involved in the biosynthesis of crocins (BdALDH, BdUGT74BC1, BdUGT74BC2, and BdUGT94AA3). In addition, we characterized the profile of crocins and their carotenoid precursors, following their accumulation during flower development. Overall, seven different crocins, crocetin, and picrocrocin were identified in this study. The accumulation of these apocarotenoids parallels tissue development, reaching the highest concentration when the flower is fully open. Notably, the pathway was regulated mainly at the transcript level, with expression patterns of a large group of carotenoid precursor and apocarotenoid genes (BdPSY2, BdPDS2, BdZDS, BdLCY2, BdBCH, BdALDH, and BdUGT Genes) mimicking the accumulation of crocins. Finally, we used comparative correlation network analysis to study how the synthesis of these valuable apocarotenoids diverges among B. davidii, Gardenia jasminoides, and Crocus sativus, highlighting distinctive differences which could be the basis of the differential accumulation of crocins in the three species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianfranco Diretto
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Development (ENEA), Biotechnology Laboratory, Casaccia Research Centre, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto José López-Jiménez
- Instituto Botánico. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética. Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, Albacete, Spain
| | - Oussama Ahrazem
- Instituto Botánico. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética. Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, Albacete, Spain
| | - Sarah Frusciante
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Development (ENEA), Biotechnology Laboratory, Casaccia Research Centre, Rome, Italy
| | - Jingyuan Song
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
- Yunnan Branch, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Jinghong, China
| | - Ángela Rubio-Moraga
- Instituto Botánico. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética. Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, Albacete, Spain
| | - Lourdes Gómez-Gómez
- Instituto Botánico. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética. Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, Albacete, Spain
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15
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Liu T, Yu S, Xu Z, Tan J, Wang B, Liu YG, Zhu Q. Prospects and progress on crocin biosynthetic pathway and metabolic engineering. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:3278-3286. [PMID: 33209212 PMCID: PMC7653203 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Crocins are a group of highly valuable apocarotenoid-derived pigments mainly produced in Crocus sativus stigmas and Gardenia jasminoides fruits, which display great pharmacological activities for human health, such as anticancer, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis, and preventing Alzheimer's disease. However, traditional sources of crocins are no longer sufficient to meet current demands. The recent clarification of the crocin biosynthetic pathway opens up the possibility of large-scale production of crocins by synthetic metabolic engineering methods. In this review, we mainly introduce the crocin biosynthetic pathway, subcellular route, related key enzymes, and its synthetic metabolic engineering, as well as its challenges and prospects, with a view to providing useful references for further studies on the synthetic metabolic engineering of crocins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taoli Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Suize Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhichao Xu
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jiantao Tan
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Bin Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yao-Guang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Qinlong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
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16
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Shao J, Sun Y, Liu H, Wang Y. Pathway elucidation and engineering of plant-derived diterpenoids. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 69:10-16. [PMID: 33032240 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Plant-derived diterpenoids are indispensable to plant development, stress-resistance and interaction with environmental microorganisms. Besides significant roles in plant fitness and adaption, many bioactivities beneficial to human beings are also found in diterpenoids from terrestrial plants. However, these high-value compounds are always present in limited species with low-abundance. Complicated chemosynthesis hardly meets the needs of sufficient supplies. To overcome these obstacles, it is necessary to investigate how diterpenoids are biosynthesized in planta, and followed by engineering the biosynthetic pathway to achieve high yield production. This review will summarize the recent progress of plant diterpenoid biosynthetic pathway discovery and engineering, hoping to offer an inspiration for concerned researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Shao
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuwei Sun
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Haili Liu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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17
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Yang C, Li C, Wei W, Wei Y, Liu Q, Zhao G, Yue J, Yan X, Wang P, Zhou Z. The unprecedented diversity of UGT94-family UDP-glycosyltransferases in Panax plants and their contribution to ginsenoside biosynthesis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15394. [PMID: 32958789 PMCID: PMC7506552 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72278-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 150 ginsenosides have been isolated and identified from Panax plants. Ginsenosides with different glycosylation degrees have demonstrated different chemical properties and bioactivity. In this study, we systematically cloned and characterized 46 UGT94 family UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGT94s) from a mixed Panax ginseng/callus cDNA sample with high amino acid identity. These UGT94s were found to catalyze sugar chain elongation at C3-O-Glc and/or C20-O-Glc of protopanaxadiol (PPD)-type, C20-O-Glc or C6-O-Glc of protopanaxatriol (PPT)-type or both C3-O-Glc of PPD-type and C6-O-Glc of PPT-type or C20-O-Glc of PPD-type and PPT-type ginsenosides with different efficiencies. We also cloned 26 and 51 UGT94s from individual P. ginseng and P. notoginseng plants, respectively; our characterization results suggest that there is a group of UGT94s with high amino acid identity but diverse functions or catalyzing activities even within individual plants. These UGT94s were classified into three clades of the phylogenetic tree and consistent with their catalytic function. Based on these UGT94s, we elucidated the biosynthetic pathway of a group of ginsenosides. Our present results reveal a series of UGTs involved in second sugar chain elongation of saponins in Panax plants, and provide a scientific basis for understanding the diverse evolution mechanisms of UGT94s among plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengshuai Yang
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences/Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Chaojing Li
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences/Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wei Wei
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences/Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yongjun Wei
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences/Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qunfang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Guoping Zhao
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences/Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jianmin Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xing Yan
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences/Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Pingping Wang
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences/Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Zhihua Zhou
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences/Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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18
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Martí M, Diretto G, Aragonés V, Frusciante S, Ahrazem O, Gómez-Gómez L, Daròs JA. Efficient production of saffron crocins and picrocrocin in Nicotiana benthamiana using a virus-driven system. Metab Eng 2020; 61:238-250. [PMID: 32629020 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2020.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Crocins and picrocrocin are glycosylated apocarotenoids responsible, respectively, for the color and the unique taste of the saffron spice, known as red gold due to its high price. Several studies have also shown the health-promoting properties of these compounds. However, their high costs hamper the wide use of these metabolites in the pharmaceutical sector. We have developed a virus-driven system to produce remarkable amounts of crocins and picrocrocin in adult Nicotiana benthamiana plants in only two weeks. The system consists of viral clones derived from tobacco etch potyvirus that express specific carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD) enzymes from Crocus sativus and Buddleja davidii. Metabolic analyses of infected tissues demonstrated that the sole virus-driven expression of C. sativus CsCCD2L or B. davidii BdCCD4.1 resulted in the production of crocins, picrocrocin and safranal. Using the recombinant virus that expressed CsCCD2L, accumulations of 0.2% of crocins and 0.8% of picrocrocin in leaf dry weight were reached in only two weeks. In an attempt to improve apocarotenoid content in N. benthamiana, co-expression of CsCCD2L with other carotenogenic enzymes, such as Pantoea ananatis phytoene synthase (PaCrtB) and saffron β-carotene hydroxylase 2 (BCH2), was performed using the same viral system. This combinatorial approach led to an additional crocin increase up to 0.35% in leaves in which CsCCD2L and PaCrtB were co-expressed. Considering that saffron apocarotenoids are costly harvested from flower stigma once a year, and that Buddleja spp. flowers accumulate lower amounts, this system may be an attractive alternative for the sustainable production of these appreciated metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maricarmen Martí
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de València), 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - Gianfranco Diretto
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Development, Casaccia Research Centre, 00123, Rome, Italy
| | - Verónica Aragonés
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de València), 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - Sarah Frusciante
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Development, Casaccia Research Centre, 00123, Rome, Italy
| | - Oussama Ahrazem
- Instituto Botánico, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario S/n, 02071, Albacete, Spain
| | - Lourdes Gómez-Gómez
- Instituto Botánico, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario S/n, 02071, Albacete, Spain.
| | - José-Antonio Daròs
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de València), 46022, Valencia, Spain.
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19
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Xu Z, Pu X, Gao R, Demurtas OC, Fleck SJ, Richter M, He C, Ji A, Sun W, Kong J, Hu K, Ren F, Song J, Wang Z, Gao T, Xiong C, Yu H, Xin T, Albert VA, Giuliano G, Chen S, Song J. Tandem gene duplications drive divergent evolution of caffeine and crocin biosynthetic pathways in plants. BMC Biol 2020; 18:63. [PMID: 32552824 PMCID: PMC7302004 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00795-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plants have evolved a panoply of specialized metabolites that increase their environmental fitness. Two examples are caffeine, a purine psychotropic alkaloid, and crocins, a group of glycosylated apocarotenoid pigments. Both classes of compounds are found in a handful of distantly related plant genera (Coffea, Camellia, Paullinia, and Ilex for caffeine; Crocus, Buddleja, and Gardenia for crocins) wherein they presumably evolved through convergent evolution. The closely related Coffea and Gardenia genera belong to the Rubiaceae family and synthesize, respectively, caffeine and crocins in their fruits. Results Here, we report a chromosomal-level genome assembly of Gardenia jasminoides, a crocin-producing species, obtained using Oxford Nanopore sequencing and Hi-C technology. Through genomic and functional assays, we completely deciphered for the first time in any plant the dedicated pathway of crocin biosynthesis. Through comparative analyses with Coffea canephora and other eudicot genomes, we show that Coffea caffeine synthases and the first dedicated gene in the Gardenia crocin pathway, GjCCD4a, evolved through recent tandem gene duplications in the two different genera, respectively. In contrast, genes encoding later steps of the Gardenia crocin pathway, ALDH and UGT, evolved through more ancient gene duplications and were presumably recruited into the crocin biosynthetic pathway only after the evolution of the GjCCD4a gene. Conclusions This study shows duplication-based divergent evolution within the coffee family (Rubiaceae) of two characteristic secondary metabolic pathways, caffeine and crocin biosynthesis, from a common ancestor that possessed neither complete pathway. These findings provide significant insights on the role of tandem duplications in the evolution of plant specialized metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Xu
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China.,Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xiangdong Pu
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ranran Gao
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Olivia Costantina Demurtas
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Casaccia Res. Ctr, 00123, Rome, Italy
| | - Steven J Fleck
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Michaela Richter
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Chunnian He
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China.,Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Aijia Ji
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Wei Sun
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Jianqiang Kong
- Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Kaizhi Hu
- Chongqing Institute of Medicinal Plant Cultivation, Chongqing, 408435, China
| | - Fengming Ren
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China.,Chongqing Institute of Medicinal Plant Cultivation, Chongqing, 408435, China
| | - Jiejie Song
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Ting Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Chao Xiong
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Haoying Yu
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Tianyi Xin
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Victor A Albert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Giovanni Giuliano
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Casaccia Res. Ctr, 00123, Rome, Italy.
| | - Shilin Chen
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China. .,Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Jingyuan Song
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China. .,Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China. .,Yunnan Branch, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Jinghong, 666100, China.
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20
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Pu X, He C, Yang Y, Wang W, Hu K, Xu Z, Song J. In Vivo Production of Five Crocins in the Engineered Escherichia coli. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:1160-1168. [PMID: 32216376 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Crocins are highly valuable medicinal compounds for treating human disorders, and they also serve as spices and coloring agents. However, the supply of crocins from plant extractions is insufficient for current demands, and using synthetic biology to produce crocins remains a big challenge. Here, we report the in vivo production of five types of crocins in E. coli with GjUGT94E13 and GjUGT74F8, which are responsible for the glycosylation of crocetin, from the crocin-producing plant Gardenia jasminoides. Subsequently, native UDP-glucose biosynthesis in E. coli is strengthened by the overexpression of pgm and galU. The optimization of catalytic reactions has demonstrated that 50 mM NaH2PO4-Na2HPO4 buffer (pH 8.0) plus 5% glucose is the best medium to use for the efficient glycosylation of crocetin. In engineered E. coli, the conversion rate of crocin III and crocin V from crocetin (50 mg/L) by the catalysis of GjUGT74F8 was increased to 66.1%, and the conversion rate of five types of crocins from crocetin (50 mg/L) via GjUGT94E13 and GjUGT74F8 was 59.6%, much higher than the catalytic activity of the reported microbial UGTs. This study not only sheds light on the in vivo biosynthesis of crocins in E. coli, but also provides important genetic tools for the de novo synthesis of crocins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangdong Pu
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People’s Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Chunnian He
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People’s Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Kaizhi Hu
- Chongqing Institute of Medicinal Plant Cultivation, Chongqing, 408435, China
| | - Zhichao Xu
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People’s Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jingyuan Song
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People’s Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Yunnan Branch, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Jinghong, 666100, China
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21
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Zhao M, Zhang N, Gao T, Jin J, Jing T, Wang J, Wu Y, Wan X, Schwab W, Song C. Sesquiterpene glucosylation mediated by glucosyltransferase UGT91Q2 is involved in the modulation of cold stress tolerance in tea plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 226:362-372. [PMID: 31828806 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Plants produce and emit terpenes, including sesquiterpenes, during growth and development, which serve different functions in plants. The sesquiterpene nerolidol has health-promoting properties and adds a floral scent to plants. However, the glycosylation mechanism of nerolidol and its biological roles in plants remained unknown. Sesquiterpene UDP-glucosyltransferases were selected by using metabolites-genes correlation analysis, and its roles in response to cold stress were studied. We discovered the first plant UGT (UGT91Q2) in tea plant, whose expression is strongly induced by cold stress and which specifically catalyzes the glucosylation of nerolidol. The accumulation of nerolidol glucoside was consistent with the expression level of UGT91Q2 in response to cold stress, as well as in different tea cultivars. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capacity of nerolidol glucoside was significantly higher than that of free nerolidol. Down-regulation of UGT91Q2 resulted in reduced accumulation of nerolidol glucoside, ROS scavenging capacity and tea plant cold tolerance. Tea plants absorbed airborne nerolidol and converted it to its glucoside, subsequently enhancing tea plant cold stress tolerance. Nerolidol plays a role in response to cold stress as well as in triggering plant-plant communication in response to cold stress. Our findings reveal previously unidentified roles of volatiles in response to abiotic stress in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyue Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Na Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Ting Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Jieyang Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Tingting Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Jingming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Yi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Xiaochun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Wilfried Schwab
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
- Biotechnology of Natural Products, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 1, Freising, 85354, Germany
| | - Chuankui Song
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
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22
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Wang W, He P, Zhao D, Ye L, Dai L, Zhang X, Sun Y, Zheng J, Bi C. Construction of Escherichia coli cell factories for crocin biosynthesis. Microb Cell Fact 2019; 18:120. [PMID: 31277660 PMCID: PMC6610952 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-019-1166-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Crocin is a carotenoid-derived natural product found in the stigma of Crocus spp., which has great potential in medicine, food and cosmetics. In recent years, microbial production of crocin has drawn increasing attention, but there were no reports of successful implementation. Escherichia coli has been engineered to produce various carotenoids, including lycopene, β-carotene and astaxanthin. Therefore, we intended to construct E. coli cell factories for crocin biosynthesis. Results In this study, a heterologous crocetin and crocin synthesis pathway was first constructed in E. coli. Firstly, the three different zeaxanthin-cleaving dioxygenases CsZCD, CsCCD2 from Crocus sativus, and CaCCD2 from Crocus ancyrensis, as well as the glycosyltransferases UGT94E5 and UGT75L6 from Gardenia jasminoides, were introduced into zeaxanthin-producing E. coli cells. The results showed that CsCCD2 catalyzed the synthesis of crocetin dialdehyde. Next, the aldehyde dehydrogenases ALD3, ALD6 and ALD9 from Crocus sativus and ALD8 from Neurospora crassa were tested for crocetin dialdehyde oxidation, and we were able to produce 4.42 mg/L crocetin using strain YL4(pCsCCD2-UGT94E5-UGT75L6,pTrc-ALD8). Glycosyltransferases from diverse sources were screened by in vitro enzyme activity assays. The results showed that crocin and its various derivatives could be obtained using the glycosyltransferases YjiC, YdhE and YojK from Bacillus subtilis, and the corresponding genes were introduced into the previously constructed crocetin-producing strain. Finally, crocin-5 was detected among the fermentation products of strain YL4(pCsCCD2-UGT94E5-UGT75L6,pTrc-ALD8,pET28a-YjiC-YdhE-YojK) using HPLC and LC–ESI–MS. Conclusions A heterologous crocin synthesis pathway was constructed in vitro, using glycosyltransferases from the Bacillus subtilis instead of the original plant glycosyltransferases, and a crocetin and crocin-5 producing E. coli cell factory was obtained. This research provides a foundation for the large-scale production of crocetin and crocin in E. coli cell factories. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12934-019-1166-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Wang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping He
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongdong Zhao
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijun Ye
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China
| | - Longhai Dai
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueli Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanxia Sun
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jing Zheng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China.
| | - Changhao Bi
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China.
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23
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Yang Y, Liu M, Zhang W, Cao Y, Li C, Wang W. Identification and Characterization of Two New 1- O-Acyl-glucose-ester Forming Glucosyltransferases from Erigeron breviscapus. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2019; 67:2848-2855. [PMID: 30821967 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b07215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Two versatile UDP-glucosyltransferases, UGT75L25 and UGT75X1, were isolated from Erigeron breviscapus. The enzymes display high sequence identity to flavonoid 7- O-glucosyltransferase from Malus species and cluster to the phylogenetic group L of plant glucosyltransferases, also involved in the formation of hydroxycinnamoyl glucose esters, which are used as bifunctional donors in the glucosylation or acylation of anthocyanins. The enzymes, functionally expressed in Escherichia coli, exhibit broad substrate specificity toward 21 structurally diverse types of phenolic acids, including (hydroxy)cinnamates, vanillic acid, 3-hydroxycoumarin, and 7-hydroxyflavonoids. The catalytic characteristics of UGT75L25 and UGT75X1 were exploited to generate the corresponding acyl-glucose-esters or glucosides with high efficiency. These findings demonstrate the significant potential of acyl-glucose-esters in the further enzymatic synthesis of bioactive anthocyanins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College , Beijing 100050 , China
- Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products of National Health Commission of the Peoplés Republic of China, Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College , Beijing 100050 , China
| | - Minzhi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products of National Health Commission of the Peoplés Republic of China, Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College , Beijing 100050 , China
| | - Wenxuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products of National Health Commission of the Peoplés Republic of China, Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College , Beijing 100050 , China
| | - Yunsong Cao
- Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products of National Health Commission of the Peoplés Republic of China, Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College , Beijing 100050 , China
| | - Changkun Li
- Beijing Branch , Shimadzu (China) Co., Ltd. , Beijing 100020 , China
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College , Beijing 100050 , China
- Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products of National Health Commission of the Peoplés Republic of China, Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College , Beijing 100050 , China
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24
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Sharma M, Kaul S, Dhar MK. Transcript profiling of carotenoid/apocarotenoid biosynthesis genes during corm development of saffron (Crocus sativus L.). PROTOPLASMA 2019; 256:249-260. [PMID: 30078109 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-018-1296-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The dried stigmas of saffron constitute the world's costliest spice. Saffron has many therapeutic applications due to the presence of apocarotenoids. The latter are synthesized at different stages of development, and the biosynthetic pathway involves several genes encoding different enzymes. In order to understand the differential expression of various genes of the pathway, eight distinct developmental stages (S1-early to S8-late) were identified. The corms were assorted into three groups (I, II, and III) based on corm weight. Expression profiles of 12 carotenoid/apocarotenoid genes were studied. The expression of all genes was minimum/least in groups I and II corms during bud development. Lowest expression of carotenogenic genes (CsPSY, CsPDS, CsZDS, CsCRTISO, CsLYC-β1, CsLYC-ε, CsBCH2, and CsNCED) was observed during early stages (S1-S3) of corm growth (dormant period). In group III corms, increased expression of apocarotenoid genes (CsZCO, CsCCD2, CsUGT, and CsALDH) was observed during S4 to S8 stages (reproductive period, floral differentiation). Besides, expression profiles of genes in apical and axillary buds were also examined. Of all the genes studied, apocarotenoid biosynthesis genes (CsBCH2, CsZCO, CsCCD2, CsALDH, and CsUGT) were found to be upregulated in apical bud than in the axillary bud. The results indicated that interaction of phytohormones and sugars, mother corm reserves and the influence of internal and external factors may be contributing to the growth of saffron corm/bud. The study has laid a foundation for further research on the molecular mechanisms underlying bud dormancy/growth in saffron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munish Sharma
- Genome Research Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, University of Jammu, Jammu, 180006, India
| | - Sanjana Kaul
- Genome Research Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, University of Jammu, Jammu, 180006, India
| | - Manoj Kumar Dhar
- Genome Research Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, University of Jammu, Jammu, 180006, India.
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25
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Ding F, Liu F, Shao W, Chu J, Wu B, He B. Efficient Synthesis of Crocins from Crocetin by a Microbial Glycosyltransferase from Bacillus subtilis 168. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2018; 66:11701-11708. [PMID: 30350978 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b04274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Crocins are the most important active ingredient found in Crocus sativus, a well-known "plant gold". The glycosyltransferase-catalyzed glycosylation of crocetin is the last step of biosynthesizing crocins and contributes to their structural diversity. Crocin biosynthesis is now hampered by the lack of efficient glycosyltransferases with activity toward crocetin. In this study, two microbial glycosyltransferases (Bs-GT and Bc-GTA) were successfully mined based on the comprehensive analysis of the PSPG motif and the N-terminal motif of the target plant-derived UGT75L6 and Cs-GT2. Bs-GT from Bacillus subtilis 168, an enzyme with a higher activity of glycosylation toward crocetin than that of Bc-GTA, was characterized. The efficient synthesis of crocins from crocetin catalyzed by microbial GT (Bs-GT) was first reported with a high molecular conversion rate of 81.9%, resulting in the production of 476.8 mg/L of crocins. The glycosylation of crocetin on its carboxyl groups by Bs-GT specifically produced crocin-5 and crocin-3, the important rare crocins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyu Ding
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering , Nanjing Tech University , No. 30 Puzhu South Road , Nanjing 211816 , China
| | - Feng Liu
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering , Nanjing Tech University , No. 30 Puzhu South Road , Nanjing 211816 , China
| | - Wenming Shao
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering , Nanjing Tech University , No. 30 Puzhu South Road , Nanjing 211816 , China
| | - Jianlin Chu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Nanjing Tech University , No. 30 Puzhu South Road , Nanjing 211816 , China
- Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials , 30 Puzhunan Road , Nanjing 211816 , China
| | - Bin Wu
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering , Nanjing Tech University , No. 30 Puzhu South Road , Nanjing 211816 , China
| | - Bingfang He
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering , Nanjing Tech University , No. 30 Puzhu South Road , Nanjing 211816 , China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Nanjing Tech University , No. 30 Puzhu South Road , Nanjing 211816 , China
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26
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Sun Y, Chen Z, Li J, Li J, Lv H, Yang J, Li W, Xie D, Xiong Z, Zhang P, Wang Y. Diterpenoid UDP-Glycosyltransferases from Chinese Sweet Tea and Ashitaba Complete the Biosynthesis of Rubusoside. MOLECULAR PLANT 2018; 11:1308-1311. [PMID: 29885474 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2018.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Sun
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Jianxu Li
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jianhua Li
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Huajun Lv
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jingya Yang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Weiwei Li
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Dingan Xie
- College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Zhiqiang Xiong
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yong Wang
- CAS-Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
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27
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Yamada A, Ishiuchi K, Makino T, Mizukami H, Terasaka K. A glucosyltransferase specific for 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone in strawberry. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2018; 83:1-8. [PMID: 30269657 DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2018.1524706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
4-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (HDMF) is a key aroma compound in Fragaria × ananassa (strawberry). A considerable amount of HDMF is converted into HDMF β-D-glucoside and accumulated in mature strawberry fruits. Here we isolated a novel UDP-glucose: HDMF glucosyltransferase, UGT85K16 from Fragaria × ananassa. UGT85K16 preferentially glucosylated the hydroxyl group of HDMF and its structural analogs. Although UGT85K16 also catalyzed the glucosylation of vanillin, its affinity and efficiency toward HDMF was higher. The expression of UGT85K16 mRNA correlated with the accumulation of HDMF and its glucoside in Fragaria × ananassa plants. These results suggest that UGT85K16 might be UDP-glucose: HDMF glucosyltransferase in strawberries. ABBREVIATIONS DMMF: 2,5-dimethyl-4-methoxy-3(2H)-furanone; EHMF: 2(5)-ethyl-4-hydroxy-5(2)-methyl-3(2H)-furanone; GBV: glycosidically bound volatile; HDMF: 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone; HMF: 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone; HMMF: 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-2-methylene-3(2H)-furanone; PSPG: Plant secondary product glycosyltransferase; RT-PCR: reverse transcription-PCR; OMT: O-methyltransferase; UGT: UDP-glycosyltransferase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aki Yamada
- a Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Nagoya City University , Nagoya City , Japan
| | - Kan'ichiro Ishiuchi
- a Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Nagoya City University , Nagoya City , Japan
| | - Toshiaki Makino
- a Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Nagoya City University , Nagoya City , Japan
| | - Hajime Mizukami
- b The Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden , Kochi , Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Terasaka
- a Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Nagoya City University , Nagoya City , Japan
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28
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Ahrazem O, Diretto G, Argandoña J, Rubio-Moraga Á, Julve JM, Orzáez D, Granell A, Gómez-Gómez L. Evolutionarily distinct carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases are responsible for crocetin production in Buddleja davidii. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:4663-4677. [PMID: 28981773 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Crocetin, one of the few colored apocarotenoids known in nature, is present in flowers and fruits and has long been used medicinally and as a colorant. Saffron is the main source of crocetin, although a few other plants produce lower amounts of this apocarotenoid. Notably, Buddleja davidii accumulates crocetin in its flowers. Recently, a carotenoid dioxygenase cleavage enzyme, CCD2, has been characterized as responsible for crocetin production in Crocus species. We searched for CCD2 homologues in B. davidii and identified several CCD enzymes from the CCD1 and CCD4 subfamilies. Unexpectedly, two out of the three CCD4 enzymes, namely BdCCD4.1 and BdCCD4.3, showed 7,8;7',8' activity in vitro and in vivo over zeaxanthin. In silico analyses of these enzymes and CCD2 allowed the determination of key residues for this activity. Both BdCCD4 genes are highly expressed during flower development and transcripts levels parallel the accumulation of crocins in the petals. Phylogenetic analysis showed that BdCCD4.2 grouped with almost all the characterized CCD4 enzymes, while BdCCD4.1 and BdCCD4.3 form a new sub-cluster together with CCD4 enzymes from certain Lamiales species. The present study indicates that convergent evolution led to the acquisition of 7,8;7',8' apocarotenoid cleavage activity in two separate CCD enzyme families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oussama Ahrazem
- Instituto Botánico, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
- Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales y Bioquímica, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Tecnológico de la Fábrica de Armas, Avda, Carlos III s/n, E-45071 Toledo, Spain
| | - Gianfranco Diretto
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Development, Casaccia Research Centre, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - Javier Argandoña
- Instituto Botánico, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Ángela Rubio-Moraga
- Instituto Botánico, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - José Manuel Julve
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Diego Orzáez
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Antonio Granell
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Lourdes Gómez-Gómez
- Instituto Botánico, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
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Dai X, Zhuang J, Wu Y, Wang P, Zhao G, Liu Y, Jiang X, Gao L, Xia T. Identification of a Flavonoid Glucosyltransferase Involved in 7-OH Site Glycosylation in Tea plants (Camellia sinensis). Sci Rep 2017; 7:5926. [PMID: 28725058 PMCID: PMC5517534 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06453-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Flavonol glycosides, which are often converted from aglycones in a process catalyzed by UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs), play an important role for the health of plants and animals. In the present study, a gene encoding a flavonoid 7-O-glycosyltransferase (CsUGT75L12) was identified in tea plants. Recombinant CsUGT75L12 protein displayed glycosyltransferase activity on the 7-OH position of multiple phenolic compounds. In relative comparison to wild-type seeds, the levels of flavonol-glucosides increased in Arabidopsis seeds overexpressing CsUGT75L12. In order to determine the key amino acid residues responsible for the catalytic activity of the protein, a series of site-directed mutagenesis and enzymatic assays were performed based on the 3D structural modeling and docking analyses. These results suggested that residue Q54 is a double binding site that functions as both a sugar receptor and donor. Residues H56 and T151, corresponding to the basic active residues H20 and D119 of VvGT1, were not irreplaceable for CsUGT75L12. In addition, residues Y182, S223, P238, T239, and F240 were demonstrated to be responsible for a ‘reversed’ sugar receptor binding model. The results of single and triple substitutions confirmed that the function of residues P238, T239, and F240 may substitute or compensate with each other for the flavonoid 7-O-glycosyltransferase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinlong Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China.,School of Life Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Juhua Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Yingling Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Peiqiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Guifu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Yajun Liu
- School of Life Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Xiaolan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Liping Gao
- School of Life Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China.
| | - Tao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China.
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Ji A, Jia J, Xu Z, Li Y, Bi W, Ren F, He C, Liu J, Hu K, Song J. Transcriptome-Guided Mining of Genes Involved in Crocin Biosynthesis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:518. [PMID: 28443112 PMCID: PMC5387100 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Gardenia jasminoides is used in traditional Chinese medicine and has drawn attention as a rich source of crocin, a compound with reported activity against various cancers, depression and cardiovascular disease. However, genetic information on the crocin biosynthetic pathway of G. jasminoides is scarce. In this study, we performed a transcriptome analysis of the leaves, green fruits, and red fruits of G. jasminoides to identify and predict the genes that encode key enzymes responsible for crocin production, compared with Crocus sativus. Twenty-seven putative pathway genes were specifically expressed in the fruits, consistent with the distribution of crocin in G. jasminoides. Twenty-four of these genes were reported for the first time, and a novel CCD4a gene was predicted that encodes carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase leading to crocin synthesis, in contrast to CCD2 of C. sativus. In addition, 6 other candidate genes (ALDH12, ALDH14, UGT94U1, UGT86D1, UGT71H4, and UGT85K18) were predicted to be involved in crocin biosynthesis following phylogenetic analysis and different gene expression profiles. Identifying the genes that encode key enzymes should help elucidate the crocin biosynthesis pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aijia Ji
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing, China
| | - Jing Jia
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing, China
| | - Zhichao Xu
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing, China
| | - Ying Li
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing, China
| | - Wu Bi
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing, China
| | - Fengming Ren
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing, China
- Chongqing Institute of Medicinal Plant CultivationChongqing, China
| | - Chunnian He
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Chongqing Institute of Medicinal Plant CultivationChongqing, China
| | - Kaizhi Hu
- Chongqing Institute of Medicinal Plant CultivationChongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Kaizhi Hu
| | - Jingyuan Song
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing, China
- Chongqing Institute of Medicinal Plant CultivationChongqing, China
- Jingyuan Song
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Peng H, Yang T, Whitaker BD, Shangguan L, Fang J. Calcium/calmodulin alleviates substrate inhibition in a strawberry UDP-glucosyltransferase involved in fruit anthocyanin biosynthesis. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2016; 16:197. [PMID: 27609111 PMCID: PMC5017016 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-016-0888-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND UDP-glucosyltransferase (UGT) is a key enzyme for anthocyanin biosynthesis, which by catalyzing glycosylation of anthocyanidins increases their solubility and accumulation in plants. Previously we showed that pre-harvest spray of CaCl2 enhanced anthocyanin accumulation in strawberry fruit by stimulating the expression of anthocyanin structural genes including a fruit specific FvUGT1. RESULTS To further understand the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis, we conducted kinetic analysis of recombinant FvUGT1 on glycosylation of pelargonidin, the major anthocyanidin in strawberry fruit. At the fixed pelargonidin concentration, FvUGT1 catalyzed the sugar transfer from UDP-glucose basically following Michaelis-Menten kinetics. By contrast, at the fixed UDP-glucose concentration, pelargonidin over 150 μM exhibited marked partial substrate inhibition in an uncompetitive mode. These results suggest that the sugar acceptor at high concentration inhibits FvUGT1 activity by binding to another site in addition to the catalytic site. Furthermore, calcium/calmodulin specifically bound FvUGT1 at a site partially overlapping with the interdomain linker, and significantly relieved the substrate inhibition. In the presence of 0.1 and 0.5 μM calmodulin, V max was increased by 71.4 and 327 %, respectively. CONCLUSIONS FvUGT1 activity is inhibited by anthocyanidin, the sugar acceptor substrate, and calcium/calmodulin binding to FvUGT1 enhances anthocyanin accumulation via alleviation of this substrate inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Peng
- Agricultural Research Service of U.S. Department of Agriculture, From the Food Quality Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
- Horticulture & Landscape College, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan 410128 China
| | - Tianbao Yang
- Agricultural Research Service of U.S. Department of Agriculture, From the Food Quality Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Bruce D. Whitaker
- Agricultural Research Service of U.S. Department of Agriculture, From the Food Quality Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Lingfei Shangguan
- Agricultural Research Service of U.S. Department of Agriculture, From the Food Quality Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095 China
| | - Jinggui Fang
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095 China
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Tiwari P, Sangwan RS, Sangwan NS. Plant secondary metabolism linked glycosyltransferases: An update on expanding knowledge and scopes. Biotechnol Adv 2016; 34:714-739. [PMID: 27131396 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2016.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Revised: 02/06/2016] [Accepted: 03/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The multigene family of enzymes known as glycosyltransferases or popularly known as GTs catalyze the addition of carbohydrate moiety to a variety of synthetic as well as natural compounds. Glycosylation of plant secondary metabolites is an emerging area of research in drug designing and development. The unsurpassing complexity and diversity among natural products arising due to glycosylation type of alterations including glycodiversification and glycorandomization are emerging as the promising approaches in pharmacological studies. While, some GTs with broad spectrum of substrate specificity are promising candidates for glycoengineering while others with stringent specificity pose limitations in accepting molecules and performing catalysis. With the rising trends in diseases and the efficacy/potential of natural products in their treatment, glycosylation of plant secondary metabolites constitutes a key mechanism in biogeneration of their glycoconjugates possessing medicinal properties. The present review highlights the role of glycosyltransferases in plant secondary metabolism with an overview of their identification strategies, catalytic mechanism and structural studies on plant GTs. Furthermore, the article discusses the biotechnological and biomedical application of GTs ranging from detoxification of xenobiotics and hormone homeostasis to the synthesis of glycoconjugates and crop engineering. The future directions in glycosyltransferase research should focus on the synthesis of bioactive glycoconjugates via metabolic engineering and manipulation of enzyme's active site leading to improved/desirable catalytic properties. The multiple advantages of glycosylation in plant secondary metabolomics highlight the increasing significance of the GTs, and in near future, the enzyme superfamily may serve as promising path for progress in expanding drug targets for pharmacophore discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Tiwari
- Department of Metabolic and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), P.O. CIMAP, Lucknow 226015, India
| | - Rajender Singh Sangwan
- Department of Metabolic and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), P.O. CIMAP, Lucknow 226015, India; Center of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB), A National Institute under Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, C-127, Phase-8, Industrial Area, S.A.S. Nagar, Mohali 160071, Punjab, India
| | - Neelam S Sangwan
- Department of Metabolic and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), P.O. CIMAP, Lucknow 226015, India.
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Mizukami H. Sugar Chain Construction of Functional Natural Products Using Plant Glucosyltransferases. YAKUGAKU ZASSHI 2015; 135:867-82. [DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.15-00108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hajime Mizukami
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University
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Ahrazem O, Rubio-Moraga A, Jimeno ML, Gómez-Gómez L. Structural characterization of highly glucosylated crocins and regulation of their biosynthesis during flower development in Crocus. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2015; 6:971. [PMID: 26582258 PMCID: PMC4632010 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Crocin biosynthesis in Crocus has been proposed to proceed through a zeaxanthin cleavage pathway catalyzed by carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 2 (CCD2), and followed by glucosylation reactions catalyzed by CsGT2 (UGT74AD1). In Crocus ancyrensis flowers, crocins with eight (crocin-1), seven (crocin-2), and six glucose (crocin-3) moieties accumulated both in stigma and tepals. We have characterized the structure of these highly glucosylated crocins and follow up their accumulation by high-resolution liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector along the development of both tissues, and coupled to the isolation and analysis of the expression of eighteen genes (PSY-I, PSY-II, PDS-(I-V), ISO-ZDS, ZDS, CtrISO, LYC-I and II, BCH, CaCCD2, UGT74AD2-5) related with the apocarotenoid metabolism in C. ancyrensis tepals and stigmas. Structure elucidation of crocin-1 and crocin-2 was done by the combined use of 1D and 2D [(1)H, (1)H] (gCOSY and TOCSY and ROESY) and [(1)H-(13)C] NMR experiments, revealing that for crocin-1 was all-trans-crocetin O-[β-D- Glucopyranosyl)-(1→4)-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1→2)]-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl diester, while crocin-2 showed an identical structure except for the absence of one glucose residue in one end of the molecule. Crocins accumulation was not synchronically regulated in stigma and tepals, although in both cases crocins accumulation parallels tissue development, decreasing at anthesis. The expression of the carotenogenic genes PSY, ZDS-V, BCH, and LCY-II was correlated with crocins accumulation. In addition, CaCCD2 and only one of the four glucosyltransferase encoding genes, UGT74AD2, were highly expressed, and the expression was correlated with high levels of crocins accumulation in stigma and tepals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oussama Ahrazem
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Instituto Botánico, Universidad de Castilla-La ManchaAlbacete, Spain
- Fundación Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Castilla-La ManchaAlbacete, Spain
| | - Angela Rubio-Moraga
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Instituto Botánico, Universidad de Castilla-La ManchaAlbacete, Spain
| | - Maria L. Jimeno
- Centro Química Orgánica “Lora-Tamayo” – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasMadrid, Spain
| | - Lourdes Gómez-Gómez
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Instituto Botánico, Universidad de Castilla-La ManchaAlbacete, Spain
- *Correspondence: Lourdes Gómez-Gómez,
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Song JL, Wang R, Shi YP, Qi HY. Iridoids from the flowers of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis and their chemotaxonomic significance. BIOCHEM SYST ECOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2014.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Novel carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase catalyzes the first dedicated step in saffron crocin biosynthesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:12246-51. [PMID: 25097262 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1404629111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Crocus sativus stigmas are the source of the saffron spice and accumulate the apocarotenoids crocetin, crocins, picrocrocin, and safranal, responsible for its color, taste, and aroma. Through deep transcriptome sequencing, we identified a novel dioxygenase, carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 2 (CCD2), expressed early during stigma development and closely related to, but distinct from, the CCD1 dioxygenase family. CCD2 is the only identified member of a novel CCD clade, presents the structural features of a bona fide CCD, and is able to cleave zeaxanthin, the presumed precursor of saffron apocarotenoids, both in Escherichia coli and in maize endosperm. The cleavage products, identified through high-resolution mass spectrometry and comigration with authentic standards, are crocetin dialdehyde and crocetin, respectively. In vitro assays show that CCD2 cleaves sequentially the 7,8 and 7',8' double bonds adjacent to a 3-OH-β-ionone ring and that the conversion of zeaxanthin to crocetin dialdehyde proceeds via the C30 intermediate 3-OH-β-apo-8'-carotenal. In contrast, zeaxanthin cleavage dioxygenase (ZCD), an enzyme previously claimed to mediate crocetin formation, did not cleave zeaxanthin or 3-OH-β-apo-8'-carotenal in the test systems used. Sequence comparison and structure prediction suggest that ZCD is an N-truncated CCD4 form, lacking one blade of the β-propeller structure conserved in all CCDs. These results constitute strong evidence that CCD2 catalyzes the first dedicated step in crocin biosynthesis. Similar to CCD1, CCD2 has a cytoplasmic localization, suggesting that it may cleave carotenoids localized in the chromoplast outer envelope.
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The Accumulation of Crocin and Geniposide and Transcripts of Phytoene Synthase during Maturation of Gardenia jasminoides Fruit. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2013; 2013:686351. [PMID: 23634173 PMCID: PMC3619689 DOI: 10.1155/2013/686351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Gardenia fruit (fruit of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) is used as a natural pigment resource and a Chinese traditional medicine. The white mesocarp turning orange or red that occurs during gardenia fruit maturation arises from the production and accumulation of the apocarotenoids, especially crocin-1, which is derived from carotenoid. Meanwhile, the major medical component geniposide is accumulated in gardenia fruit. To further our understanding of the synthetic and accumulation mechanism for crocin-1 and geniposide in gardenia fruit, the contents of crocin-1 and geniposide and the transcripts of phytoene synthase (GjPSY) profiles in gardenia fruits were examined at various stages of maturation. The concentration of crocin-1 and geniposide in gardenia fruit was determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the concentration of crocetin-1 was increased during fruit development and the concentration of geniposide does not change significantly during maturing. The expression levels of GjPSY mRNA were examined by RT-PCR. It was revealed that GjPSY was constitutively expressed during fruit development, suggesting that the primary mechanism that controls crocin accumulation in G. jasminoides fruits during development is not correlated to the differential regulation of transcript levels of GjPSY gene.
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