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Pu X, Zhang J, He J, Ai Z, He X, Zhou X, Tong S, Dai X, Wu Q, Hu J, He J, Wang H, Wang W, Liao J, Zhang L. Discovery of a novel flavonol O-methyltransferase possessing sequential 4'- and 7-O-methyltransferase activity from Camptotheca acuminata Decne. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 266:131381. [PMID: 38580009 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131381] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
The biosynthetic route for flavonol in Camptotheca acuminata has been recently elucidated from a chemical point of view. However, the genes involved in flavonol methylation remain unclear. It is a critical step for fully uncovering the flavonol metabolism in this ancient plant. In this study, the multi-omics resource of this plant was utilized to perform flavonol O-methyltransferase-oriented mining and screening. Two genes, CaFOMT1 and CaFOMT2 are identified, and their recombinant CaFOMT proteins are purified to homogeneity. CaFOMT1 exhibits strict substrate and catalytic position specificity for quercetin, and selectively methylates only the 4'-OH group. CaFOMT2 possesses sequential O-methyltransferase activity for the 4'-OH and 7-OH of quercetin. These CaFOMT genes are enriched in the leaf and root tissues. The catalytic dyad and critical substrate-binding sites of the CaFOMTs are determined by molecular docking and further verified through site-mutation experiments. PHE181 and MET185 are designated as the critical sites for flavonol substrate selectivity. Genomic environment analysis indicates that CaFOMTs evolved independently and that their ancestral genes are different from that of the known Ca10OMT. This study provides molecular insights into the substrate-binding pockets of two new CaFOMTs responsible for flavonol metabolism in C. acuminata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Pu
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China; Featured Medicinal Plants Sharing and Service Platform of Sichuan Province, Ya'an 625104, China.
| | - Jiahua Zhang
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China
| | - Jinwei He
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China
| | - Zhihui Ai
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China
| | - Xiaoxue He
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China
| | - Xiaojun Zhou
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China
| | - Shiyuan Tong
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China
| | - Xinyue Dai
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China
| | - Qiqi Wu
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China
| | - Jiayu Hu
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China
| | - Jingshu He
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China
| | - Hanguang Wang
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China
| | - Wei Wang
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China
| | - Jinqiu Liao
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China; Featured Medicinal Plants Sharing and Service Platform of Sichuan Province, Ya'an 625104, China
| | - Li Zhang
- College of Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625104, China; Featured Medicinal Plants Sharing and Service Platform of Sichuan Province, Ya'an 625104, China.
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Wei ZF, Li LL, Sun DD, Liu XY, Zhou X, Ma FY, Zhao M, Chen XD, Zhang LJ. Biotransformation of Bioactive Metabolites in Cassiae Semen by Endogenous Enzymes and Probiotics. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:5293-5306. [PMID: 38441033 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c06864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
The present study evaluated the potential of endogenous enzymes and probiotics in transforming bioactive metabolites to reduce the purgative effect and improve the functional activity of Cassiae Semen and verified and revealed the biotransformation effect of endogenous enzymes. Although probiotics, especially Lactobacillus rhamnosus, exerted the transformation effect, the endogenous enzymes proved to be more effective in transforming the components of Cassiae Semen. After biotransformation by endogenous enzymes for 12 h, the levels of six anthraquinones in Cassiae Semen increased by at least 2.98-fold, and free anthraquinones, total phenolics, and antioxidant activity also showed significant improvement, accompanied by an 82.2% reduction in combined anthraquinones responsible for the purgative effect of Cassiae Semen. Further metabolomic analysis revealed that the biotransformation effect of endogenous enzymes on the bioactive metabolites of Cassiae Semen was complex and diverse, and the biotransformation of quinones and flavonoids was particularly prominent and occurred by three primary mechanisms, hydrolyzation, methylation, and dimerization, might under the action of glycosyl hydrolases, SAM-dependent methyltransferases, and CYP450s. Accordingly, biotransformation by endogenous enzymes emerges as a mild, economical, food safety risk-free, and effective strategy to modify Cassiae Semen into an excellent functional food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuo-Fu Wei
- School of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Ling-Ling Li
- School of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Dan-Dan Sun
- School of Theater and Film and Television, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Xin-Yu Liu
- School of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Xueyong Zhou
- School of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Fei-Yue Ma
- National Oat Improvement Center, Baicheng Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Baicheng 137000, China
| | - Meng Zhao
- School of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Xiao-Dan Chen
- School of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Lin-Jing Zhang
- School of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030006, China
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Ou PP, He QL, Zhao Q. Structural diversification of natural substrates modified by the O-methyltransferase AurJ from Fusarium Graminearum. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 678:158-164. [PMID: 37640001 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.08.047] [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: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Aromatic polyketide and phenylpropanoid derivatives are a large class of natural products produced by bacteria, fungi, and plants. The O-methylation is a unique decoration that can increase structural diversity of aromatic compounds and improve their pharmacological properties, but the substrate specificity of O-methyltransferase hinders the discovery of more natural products with O-methylation through biosynthesis. Here, we reported that the O-methyltransferase AurJ from plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum could methylate a broad range of natural substrates of monocyclic, bicyclic, and tricyclic aromatic precursors, exhibiting excellent substrate tolerance. This finding will partly change our stereotype about the specificity of traditional methyltransferases, and urge us to mine more O-methyltransferases with good substrate tolerance and discover more methylated natural products for drug discovery and development through directed evolution and combinatorial biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Pei Ou
- The Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Qing-Li He
- The Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Qunfei Zhao
- The Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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Liu J, Tao Y, Zou X, Liu Q, Meng X, Zhang Y, Su J. In vitro and in vivo exploration of the anti-atopic dermatitis mechanism of action of Tibetan medicine Qi-Sai-Er-Sang-Dang-Song decoction. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 306:116155. [PMID: 36634726 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Tibetan medicine Qi-Sai-Er-Sang-Dang-Song Decoction(QSD, ཆུ་སེར་སེང་ལྡེང་སུམ་ཐང་།)is a traditional Tibetan medical formulation with demonstrated clinical benefits in atopic dermatitis (AD). However, its potential mechanism and molecular targets remain to be elucidated. AIM OF THE STUDY This study aims to explore the activity and mechanism of QSD on AD in multiple dimensions by combining in vitro and in vivo experiments with network pharmacology. MATERIALS AND METHODS The AD effect of QSD was investigated by evaluating the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated RAW264.7 cells. AD-like skin lesions in female BALB/c mice were induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). QSD or dexamethasone (positive control) were gavagely administered daily for 15 consecutive days. The body weight and skin lesion severity were recorded throughout the study. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot (WB) analysis were used to illuminate the molecular targets associated with the anti-AD effects of QSD. Meanwhile, the ingredients of QSD in the blood were revealed and analyzed by Ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) method. Network pharmacology was used to predict the targets and mechanism of active ingredient therapy for AD. In addition, the network pharmacology outcomes were further verified by molecular docking. RESULT After treatment with QSD, the levels of NO and IL-6 were decreased in the cell supernatant. Herein, QSD markedly decreased the eosinophil and mast cells infiltration in the dorsal skin of the 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene. Moreover, QSD reconstructed the epidermal barrier by increasing the content of collagen fibers and changing the arrangement of DNCB-treated mice. QSD not only inhibited the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) but also inhibited phosphorylation of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) proteins in the dorsal skin. Four active ingredients were identified through UPLC-Q-TOF/MS, including (-)-epicatechin, kaempferol-7-O-glucoside, cassiaside, and questin. After the network pharmacological analysis, six core targets of QSD closely related to AD were obtained, including TNF-α, IL-6, Caspase-3 (CASP3), Epidermal growth factor (EGFR), Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG), and Neurotrophic Receptor Tyrosine Kinase 1 (NTRK1). Meanwhile, through Gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment, the Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway occupies an important position in the QSD treatment of AD. The molecular docking results showed that the six core targets are stable in binding to the four active ingredients as indicated by the molecular docking results. CONCLUSIONS The anti-AD effect of QSD might be related to the reconstruction of the epidermal barrier and inhibition of inflammation, which regulated the MAPK pathway. Hence, it provided a promising idea for the study of Tibetan medicine prescriptions for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Liu
- Ethnic Medicine Academic Heritage Innovation Research Center, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yiwen Tao
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xuemei Zou
- Ethnic Medicine Academic Heritage Innovation Research Center, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Qian Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xianli Meng
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Ethnic Medicine Academic Heritage Innovation Research Center, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
| | - Jinsong Su
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
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Mining an O-methyltransferase for de novo biosynthesis of physcion in Aspergillus nidulans. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:1177-1188. [PMID: 36648527 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12373-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Physcion is one of natural anthraquinones, registered as a novel plant-derived fungicide due to its excellent prevention of plant disease. However, the current production of physcion via plant extraction limits its yield promotion and application. Here, a pair of polyketide synthases (PKS) in emodin biosynthesis were used as probes to mining the potential O-methyltransferase (OMT) responsible for physcion biosynthesis. Further refinement using the phylogenetic analysis of the mined OMTs revealed a distinct OMT (AcOMT) with the ability of transferring a methyl group to C-6 hydroxyl of emodin to form physcion. Through introducing AcOMT, we successfully obtained the de novo production of physcion in Aspergillus nidulans. The physcion biosynthetic pathway was further rationally engineered by expressing the decarboxylase genes from different fungi. Finally, the titer of physcion reached to 64.6 mg/L in shake-flask fermentation through enhancing S-adenosylmethionine supply. Our work provides a native O-methyltransferase for physcion biosynthesis and lays the foundation for further improving the production of physcion via a sustainable route. KEY POINTS: • Genome mining of the native O-methyltransferase responsible for physcion biosynthesis • De novo biosynthesis of physcion in the engineered Aspergillus nidulans • Providing an alternative way to produce plant-derived fungicide physcion.
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Zhuang Z, Zhong X, Li Q, Liu T, Yang Q, Lin GQ, He QL, Zhao Q, Liu W. Production of the antifungal biopesticide physcion through the combination of microbial fermentation and chemical post-treatment. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2023; 10:2. [PMID: 38647644 PMCID: PMC10991666 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-023-00625-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Physcion is an anthraquinone compound observed dominantly in medicinal herbs. This anthraquinone possesses a variety of pharmaceutically important activities and has been developed to be a widely used antifungal biopesticide. Herein, we report on the effective preparation of 3R-torosachrysone (4), a tetrahydroanthracene precursor of physcion, in Aspergillus oryzae NSAR1 by heterologous expression of related genes mined from the phlegmacins-producing ascomycete Talaromyces sp. F08Z-0631. Conditions for converting 4 into physcion were studied and optimized, leading to the development of a concise approach for extracting high-purity physcion from the alkali-treated fermentation broth of the 4-producing A. oryzae strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhuang
- The Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xueqing Zhong
- The Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Qinghua Li
- The Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Tian Liu
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2, Linggong Road, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Qing Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Guo-Qiang Lin
- The Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Qing-Li He
- The Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Qunfei Zhao
- The Research Center of Chiral Drugs, Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Wen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
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Qi F, Zhang W, Xue Y, Geng C, Jin Z, Li J, Guo Q, Huang X, Lu X. Microbial production of the plant-derived fungicide physcion. Metab Eng 2022; 74:130-138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2022.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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