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Watkins JL, Li Q, Yeaman S, Facchini PJ. Elucidation of the mescaline biosynthetic pathway in peyote (Lophophora williamsii). THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 116:635-649. [PMID: 37675639 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) is an entheogenic and medicinal cactus native to the Chihuahuan desert. The psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties of peyote are principally attributed to the phenethylamine derivative mescaline. Despite the isolation of mescaline from peyote over 120 years ago, the biosynthetic pathway in the plant has remained undiscovered. Here, we use a transcriptomics and homology-guided gene discovery strategy to elucidate a near-complete biosynthetic pathway from l-tyrosine to mescaline. We identified a cytochrome P450 that catalyzes the 3-hydroxylation of l-tyrosine to l-DOPA, a tyrosine/DOPA decarboxylase yielding dopamine, and four substrate-specific and regiospecific substituted phenethylamine O-methyltransferases. Biochemical assays with recombinant enzymes or functional analyses performed by feeding putative precursors to engineered yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) strains expressing candidate peyote biosynthetic genes were used to determine substrate specificity, which served as the basis for pathway elucidation. Additionally, an N-methyltransferase displaying broad substrate specificity and leading to the production of N-methylated phenethylamine derivatives was identified, which could also function as an early step in the biosynthesis of tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids in peyote.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta L Watkins
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Qiushi Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Sam Yeaman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Peter J Facchini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
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Pichersky E. Biochemistry and genetics of floral scent: a historical perspective. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 36995899 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Floral scent plays a crucial role in the reproductive process of many plants. Humans have been fascinated by floral scents throughout history, and have transported and traded floral scent products for which they have found multiple uses, such as in food additives, hygiene and perfume products, and medicines. Yet the scientific study of how plants synthesize floral scent compounds began later than studies on most other major plant metabolites, and the first report of the characterization of an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of a floral scent compound, namely linalool in Clarkia breweri, a California annual, appeared in 1994. In the almost 30 years since, enzymes and genes involved in the synthesis of hundreds of scent compounds from multiple plant species have been described. This review recapitulates this history and describes the major findings relating to the various aspects of floral scent biosynthesis and emission, including genes and enzymes and their evolution, storage and emission of scent volatiles, and the regulation of the biochemical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran Pichersky
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, 1105 N. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Lashley A, Miller R, Provenzano S, Jarecki SA, Erba P, Salim V. Functional Diversification and Structural Origins of Plant Natural Product Methyltransferases. Molecules 2022; 28:43. [PMID: 36615239 PMCID: PMC9822479 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28010043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In plants, methylation is a common step in specialized metabolic pathways, leading to a vast diversity of natural products. The methylation of these small molecules is catalyzed by S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases, which are categorized based on the methyl-accepting atom (O, N, C, S, or Se). These methyltransferases are responsible for the transformation of metabolites involved in plant defense response, pigments, and cell signaling. Plant natural product methyltransferases are part of the Class I methyltransferase-superfamily containing the canonical Rossmann fold. Recent advances in genomics have accelerated the functional characterization of plant natural product methyltransferases, allowing for the determination of substrate specificities and regioselectivity and further realizing the potential for enzyme engineering. This review compiles known biochemically characterized plant natural product methyltransferases that have contributed to our knowledge in the diversification of small molecules mediated by methylation steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Lashley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
| | - Ryan Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Stephanie Provenzano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71103, USA
| | - Sara-Alexis Jarecki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
| | - Paul Erba
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Vonny Salim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
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Cheng W, Yao Y, Wang Q, Chang X, Shi Z, Fang X, Chen F, Chen S, Zhang Y, Zhang F, Zhu D, Deng Z, Lu L. Characterization of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid methyltransferases in Liriodendron chinense provides insights into the phylogenic basis of angiosperm alkaloid diversity. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 112:535-548. [PMID: 36062348 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are a class of plant secondary metabolites with great pharmacological value. Their biosynthetic pathways have been extensively elucidated in the species from the Ranunculales order, such as poppy and Coptis japonica, in which methylation events play central roles and are directly responsible for BIA chemodiversity. Here, we combined BIA quantitative profiling and transcriptomic analyses to identify novel BIA methyltransferases (MTs) from Liriodendron chinense, a basal angiosperm plant. We identified an N-methyltransferase (LcNMT1) and two O-methyltransferases (LcOMT1 and LcOMT3), and characterized their biochemical functions in vitro. LcNMT1 methylates (S)-coclaurine to produce mono- and dimethylated products. Mutagenesis experiments revealed that a single-residue alteration is sufficient to change its substrate selectivity. LcOMT1 methylates (S)-norcoclaurine at the C6 site and LcOMT3 methylates (S)-coclaurine at the C7 site, respectively. Two key residues of LcOMT3, A115 and T301, are identified as important contributors to its catalytic activity. Compared with Ranunculales-derived NMTs, Magnoliales-derived NMTs were less abundant and had narrower substrate specificity, indicating that NMT expansion has contributed substantially to BIA chemodiversity in angiosperms, particularly in Ranunculales species. In summary, we not only characterized three novel enzymes that could be useful in the biosynthetic production of valuable BIAs but also shed light on the molecular origin of BIAs during angiosperm evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijia Cheng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yan Yao
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Qiuxia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xiaosa Chang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zhuolin Shi
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xueting Fang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Fangfang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Shixin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yonghong Zhang
- Laboratory of Medicinal Plant, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Academy of Bio-Medicine Research, School of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Dongqing Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zixin Deng
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Li Lu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430071, China
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Wan J, Liao Y, Liu J, Du W, Liu C, Wei Y, Ouyang Z. Screening, cloning and functional characterization of key methyltransferase genes involved in the methylation step of 1-deoxynojirimycin alkaloids biosynthesis in mulberry leaves. PLANTA 2022; 255:121. [PMID: 35538157 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-022-03901-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The novel C-methyltransferase, MaMT1, could catalyze the conversion of piperidine to 2-methylpiperidine, which may be involved in the methylation step of DNJ biosynthesis in mulberry leaves. Mulberry (Morus alba L.) is a worldwide crop with medicinal, feeding and nutritional value, and 1-deoxynojirimycin ((2R, 3R, 4R, 5S)-2-hydroxymethyl-3, 4, 5-trihydroxypiperidine, DNJ) alkaloid, a potent α-glucosidase inhibitor, is its main active ingredient. Our previous researches clarified the biosynthetic pathway of DNJ from lysine to Δ1-piperideine, but its downstream pathway is unclear. Herein, eight differential methyltransferases (MTs) genes were screened from transcriptome profiles of mulberry leaves with significant differences in DNJ content (P < 0.01). Subsequently, MaMT1 (OM140666) and MaMT2 (OM140667) were hypothesized as candidate genes related to DNJ biosynthesis by correlation analysis of genes expression levels and DNJ content of mulberry leaves at different dates. Functional characterization of MaMT1 and MaMT2 were performed by cloning, prokaryotic expression and enzymatic reaction in vitro, and it showed that MaMT1 protein could catalyze the conversion of piperidine to 2-methylpiperidine. Moreover, molecular docking confirmed the interaction of MaMT1 protein with piperidine and S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM), indicating that MaMT1 had C-methyltransferase activity, while MaMT2 did not. The above results suggested that MaMT1 may be involved in the methylation step of DNJ alkaloid biosynthesis in mulberry leaves, which is a breakthrough in the analysis of DNJ alkaloid biosynthetic pathway. It is worth mentioning that the novel MaMT1, annotated as serine hydroxymethyltransferase, could rely on SAM to perform C-methyltransferase function. Therefore, our findings contribute new insights into the research of DNJ alkaloid biosynthesis and C-methyltransferase family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingqiong Wan
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Yangzhen Liao
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Jia Liu
- College of Food Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Wenmin Du
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Nanjing Institute for Comprehensive Utilization of Wild Plants, Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Yuan Wei
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Zhen Ouyang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China.
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China.
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Rhizobium rhizogenes infection in threatened Indian orchid Dendrobium ovatum mobilises 'Moscatilin' to enhance plant defensins. 3 Biotech 2022; 12:119. [PMID: 35530740 PMCID: PMC9035196 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-022-03180-9] [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: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study illustrates the transformation ability of two wild-type bacterial strains of Rhizobium rhizogenes (MTCC 532 and MTCC 2364) on the embryogenic callus and callus-derived plantlets of a threatened Indian orchid, Dendrobium ovatum. Co-culture of the bacterium with the explants gave marginal hairy root phenotype that failed to multiply in the culture medium. Some primary and secondary metabolites were subdued in infected explants. Moscatilin, the stilbenoid active principle in D. ovatum, was found below the detection limit. The presence of two metabolites viz., Laudanosine, a benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid and Lyciumin B, a cyclic peptide, were detected exclusively in the infected explants. The subjugated amino acids and phenolics in the infected plantlets were routed to produce phytoanticipins, and phenanthrenes, strengthening the defence mechanism in infected tissues. This research implies that the plant's defence mechanism activation could have prevented the extensive hairy root formation in the explants, even though nodulations and phenotype transitions were witnessed. Moscatilin has a structural resemblance with Resveratrol, a phytoalexin that combats bacterial and fungal pathogens. The study favours the possibility of Moscatlin being a precursor for phenanthrene compounds, thereby serving as a 'phytoanticipin' during the infection phase. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-022-03180-9.
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Erythrina velutina Willd. alkaloids: Piecing biosynthesis together from transcriptome analysis and metabolite profiling of seeds and leaves. J Adv Res 2022; 34:123-136. [PMID: 35024185 PMCID: PMC8655131 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2021.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Natural products of pharmaceutical interest often do not reach the drug market due to the associated low yields and difficult extraction. Knowledge of biosynthetic pathways is a key element in the development of biotechnological strategies for plant specialized metabolite production. Erythrina species are mainly used as central nervous system depressants in folk medicine and are important sources of bioactive tetracyclic benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), which can act on several pathology-related biological targets. Objectives In this sense, in an unprecedented approach used with a non-model Fabaceae species grown in its unique arid natural habitat, a combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses (seeds and leaves) is presented. Methods The Next Generation Sequencing-based transcriptome (de novo RNA sequencing) was carried out in a NextSeq 500 platform. Regarding metabolite profiling, the High-resolution Liquid Chromatography was coupled to DAD and a micrOTOF-QII mass spectrometer by using electrospray ionization (ESI) and Time of Flight (TOF) analyzer. The tandem MS/MS data were processed and analyzed through Molecular Networking approach. Results This detailed macro and micromolecular approach applied to seeds and leaves of E. velutina revealed 42 alkaloids, several of them unique. Based on the combined evidence, 24 gene candidates were put together in a putative pathway leading to the singular alkaloid diversity of this species. Conclusion Overall, these results could contribute by indicating potential biotechnological targets for modulation of erythrina alkaloids biosynthesis as well as improve molecular databases with omic data from a non-model medicinal plant, and reveal an interesting chemical diversity of Erythrina BIA harvested in Caatinga.
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Zhang C, Sultan SA, T R, Chen X. Biotechnological applications of S-adenosyl-methionine-dependent methyltransferases for natural products biosynthesis and diversification. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2021; 8:72. [PMID: 38650197 PMCID: PMC10992897 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-021-00425-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In the biosynthesis of natural products, methylation is a common and essential transformation to alter molecules' bioavailability and bioactivity. The main methylation reaction is performed by S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases (MTs). With advancements in genomic and chemical profiling technologies, novel MTs have been discovered to accept complex substrates and synthesize industrially valuable natural products. However, to achieve a high yield of small molecules in microbial hosts, many methyltransferase activities have been reported to be insufficient. Moreover, inadequate co-factor supplies and feedback inhibition of the by-product, S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), further limit MTs' activities. Here, we review recent advances in SAM-dependent MTs to produce and diversify natural products. First, we surveyed recently identified novel methyltransferases in natural product biosynthesis. Second, we summarized enzyme engineering strategies to improve methyltransferase activity, with a particular focus on high-throughput assay design and application. Finally, we reviewed innovations in co-factor regeneration and diversification, both in vitro and in vivo. Noteworthily, many MTs are able to accept multiple structurally similar substrates. Such promiscuous methyltransferases are versatile and can be tailored to design de novo pathways to produce molecules whose biosynthetic pathway is unknown or non-existent in nature, thus broadening the scope of biosynthesized functional molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congqiang Zhang
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Stella Amelia Sultan
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Rehka T
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Xixian Chen
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore, 138673, Singapore.
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