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Saini A, Seni K, Chawla PA, Chawla V, Ganti SS. An insight into recent updates on analytical techniques for bioactive alkaloids. PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS : PCA 2024; 35:423-444. [PMID: 38369684 DOI: 10.1002/pca.3338] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alkaloids represent a wide class of naturally existing nitrogen-containing organic compounds having diverse biological activities. They are primary bioactive substances extracted from diverse plant parts. Due to their diverse biological activities, they are frequently used as medicines. The alkaloids have diverse pharmacological impacts on the human body; alkaloids are used for prevention, treatment, and reduction of discomfort associated with chronic illnesses. As most alkaloids exist in plants in complex form, combined with numerous other natural plant components, it is essential to recognize and characterize these molecules using different analytical techniques. OBJECTIVES We aimed to review the literature on the methods and protocols for the analysis of naturally occurring alkaloids. METHODS We carried out a literature survey using the PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases and other relevant published materials. The keywords used in the searches were "alkaloids," "analytical methods," "HPLC method," "GC method," "electrochemical methods," and "bioanalytical methods," in various combinations. RESULTS In this article, several classes of alkaloids are presented, along with their biological activities. Moreover, it includes a thorough explanation of chromatographic techniques, hyphenated techniques, electrochemical techniques, and current trending analytical methods utilized for the isolation, identification, and comprehensive characterization of alkaloids. CONCLUSIONS The various analytical techniques play an important role in the identification as well as the characterization of various alkaloids from plants, plasma samples, and urine samples. The hyphenation of various chromatographic techniques with mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy plays a crucial role in the characterization of unknown compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniket Saini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India
| | - Kushal Seni
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India
| | - Pooja A Chawla
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, Punjab, India
| | - Viney Chawla
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, Punjab, India
| | - Subrahmanya S Ganti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India
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Chen YC, Liu YY, Chen L, Tang DM, Zhao Y, Luo XD. Antimelanogenic Effect of Isoquinoline Alkaloids from Plumula Nelumbinis. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:16090-16101. [PMID: 37856847 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c03784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Plumula Nelumbinis, the green embryo of a lotus seed, is widely consumed in China as a well-known food with medicinal effects. In this study, 14 alkaloids, including 4 new and 10 known alkaloids, were isolated from it, which were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, and were investigated for their antimelanogenic effects in vitro and in vivo. As a result, melanogenesis in α-MSH-stimulated B16F10 cells was reduced significantly by a new compound 4 and known compound 12 at a concentration of 0.5 μg/mL, and the tyrosinase (TYR) activities were inhibited by 78.7 and 82.0% at 4 μg/mL, prior to α-arbutin (41.3%). Additionally, compounds 4 and 12 also exhibited superior antimelanogenic effects compared to α-arbutin on a zebrafish assay model at equivalent concentrations. Mechanistically, our preliminary findings suggested that compounds 4 and 12 exerted antimelanogenesis effect probably by inhibiting key proteins involved in melanin production such as microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, TYR, TRP-1, and TRP-2. The findings highlight the potential use of Plumula Nelumbinis containing compounds 4 and 12 as functional foods for treating hyperpigmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chi Chen
- Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Ministry of Education and Yunnan Province, School of Chemical Science and Technology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
| | - Yang-Yang Liu
- Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Ministry of Education and Yunnan Province, School of Chemical Science and Technology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
| | - Liqiang Chen
- Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Trans-Boundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, PR. China
| | - Dong-Mei Tang
- Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Ministry of Education and Yunnan Province, School of Chemical Science and Technology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
| | - YunLi Zhao
- Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Ministry of Education and Yunnan Province, School of Chemical Science and Technology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Dong Luo
- Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Ministry of Education and Yunnan Province, School of Chemical Science and Technology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, PR. China
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Deng X, Huang J, Zhang M, Wei X, Song H, Wang Y, Xin J, Sun H, Liu J, Yang D, Li J, Yang M. Metabolite profiling and screening of callus browning-related genes in lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2023; 175:e14027. [PMID: 37882309 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.14027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Callus browning is a major drawback to lotus callus proliferation and regeneration. However, the underlying mechanism of its formation remains largely unknown. Herein, we aimed to explore the metabolic and molecular basis of lotus callus browning by combining histological staining, high-throughput metabolomics, and transcriptomic assays for lotus callus at three browning stages. Histological stained brown callus cross sections displayed severe cell death symptoms, accompanied by an obvious accumulation of polyphenols and lignified materials. Widely targeted metabolomics revealed extensively decreased accumulation of most detected flavonoids and benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), as well as a few phenolic acids, amino acids and their derivatives in callus with browning symptoms. Conversely, the contents of most detected tannins were significantly increased. Subsequent comparative transcriptomics identified a set of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the biosynthesis and regulation of flavonoids and BIAs in lotus. Notably, callus browning was coupled with significantly up-regulated expression of two polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and 17 peroxidase (POD) encoding genes, while the expression of ethylene associated genes remained at marginal levels. These results suggest that lotus callus browning is primarily controlled at the level of metabolism, wherein the oxidation of flavonoids and BIAs is crucially decisive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianbao Deng
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinghao Huang
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Minghua Zhang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Wei
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Heyun Song
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuxin Wang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Xin
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Heng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Juan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Dong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing Li
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Mei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
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Hao C, Yang W, Dong G, Yu Y, Liu Y, Zhang J, Zhu Y, Wei X, Chen S. Visualization and identification of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids in various nelumbo nucifera tissues. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16138. [PMID: 37251486 PMCID: PMC10220311 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16138] [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: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids in lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) seed plumules and leaves exhibit significant tissue specificity for their pharmacological effects and potential nutritional properties. Herein, 46 benzylisoquinoline alkaloids were identified via UPLC-QTOF-HRMS, of which 9 were annotated as glycosylated monobenzylisoquinoline alkaloids concentrated in the seed plumules. The spatial distribution of targeted benzylisoquinoline alkaloids in leaves, seed plumules, and milky sap was determined via MALDI-MSI. Furthermore, 37 Nelumbo cultivars were investigated using targeted metabolomics to provide insights into functional tea development. While aporphine alkaloids comprised the main compounds present in lotus leaves, bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids were the main compounds in lotus plumules, where glycosylation primarily occurs. These findings can help understand the distribution of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids in lotus tissue and the directional breeding of varieties enriched with specific chemical functional groups for nutritional and pharmacological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyang Hao
- Key Laboratory of Beijing for Identification and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No.16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Beijing for Identification and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No.16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei, Beijing 100700, China
| | | | - Yuetong Yu
- Key Laboratory of Beijing for Identification and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No.16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Beijing for Identification and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No.16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Beijing for Identification and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No.16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Yongping Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Beijing for Identification and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No.16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Xiaolu Wei
- Key Laboratory of Beijing for Identification and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No.16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Sha Chen
- Key Laboratory of Beijing for Identification and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No.16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei, Beijing 100700, China
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Huang J, Li Z, Zhang W, Lv Z, Dong S, Feng Y, Liu R, Zhao Y. Explainable machine learning-assisted origin identification: Chemical profiling of five lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) parts. Food Chem 2023; 404:134517. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Elucidation of the (R)-enantiospecific benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic pathways in sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). Sci Rep 2023; 13:2955. [PMID: 36805479 PMCID: PMC9940101 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29415-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are a structurally diverse group of plant specialized metabolites found mainly in members of the order Ranunculales, including opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), for which BIA biosynthetic pathways leading to the critical drugs morphine, noscapine, and sanguinarine have been elucidated. Sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), in the order Proteales, accumulates medicinal BIAs in the proaporphine, aporphine, and bisbenzylisoquinoline structural subgroups with a prevalence of R enantiomers, opposed to the dominant S configuration occurring in the Ranunculales. Nevertheless, distinctive BIA biosynthetic routes in sacred lotus have not been explored. In planta labeling experiments and in vitro assays with recombinant enzymes and plant protein extracts showed that dopamine and 4-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde derived from L-tyrosine serve as precursors for the formation of (R,S)-norcoclaurine in sacred lotus, whereas only (R)-norcoclaurine byproducts are favored in the plant by action of R-enantiospecific methyltransferases and cytochrome P450 oxidoreductases (CYPs). Enzymes responsible for the R-enantiospecific formation of proaporphine (NnCYP80Q1) and bisbenzylisoquinoline (NnCYP80Q2) scaffolds, and a methylenedioxy bridge introduction on aporphine substrates (NnCYP719A22) were identified, whereas additional aspects of the biosynthetic pathways leading to the distinctive alkaloid profile are discussed. This work expands the availability of molecular tools that can be deployed in synthetic biology platforms for the production of high-value alkaloids.
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He D, Rao X, Deng J, Damaris RN, Yang P. Integration of metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses investigates the accumulation of secondary metabolites in maturing seed plumule of sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). Food Res Int 2023; 163:112172. [PMID: 36596118 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Lotus seed plumule (LP) is rich in a variety of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory secondary metabolites, making it a traditional food and medicine widely used in China. Physiological and histological evidences indicated that LP mainly accumulated metabolites in 15-24 days after pollination (DAP) during their development. To systematically investigate the dynamic accumulation of major secondary metabolites, the UPLC-HRMS-based widely targeted metabolomics analyses were performed on maturing LP at 15, 18, 21, and 24 DAP. In total, 767 metabolites were identified, including many secondary metabolites, e.g., 27 % flavonoids and 8 % alkaloids. Among them, 591 were identified as differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs). The majority of secondary metabolites showed great accumulation after 18 DAP even at the late stage of LP maturation, such as hesperidin, neohesperidin, orobol, serotonin, and lotus special O-nornuciferine, endowing mature LP with effective pharmaceutical properties. The paralleled transcriptomic analysis identified 11,019 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Based on the comprehensive data, several systematical metabolic regulation maps were established for different secondary metabolites, and 18 DAP was found as a switching point for LP maturing from active primary metabolism to massive secondary metabolites deposition. This study provides valuable information for understanding the mechanism of secondary metabolite accumulation in maturing LP and facilitates its pharmaceutical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongli He
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Xiaolan Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Jiao Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China; Research Center of Buckwheat Industry Technology, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550001, China
| | - Rebecca N Damaris
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China; Department of Biological Sciences, Pwani University, 195-80108 Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Pingfang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China.
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Sun H, Song H, Deng X, Liu J, Yang D, Zhang M, Wang Y, Xin J, Chen L, Liu Y, Yang M. Transcriptome-Wide Characterization of Alkaloids and Chlorophyll Biosynthesis in Lotus Plumule. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:885503. [PMID: 35677240 PMCID: PMC9168470 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.885503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Lotus plumule is a green tissue in the middle of seeds that predominantly accumulates bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids (bis-BIAs) and chlorophyll (Chl). However, the biosynthetic mechanisms of these two metabolites remain largely unknown in lotus. This study used physiological and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) approaches to characterize the development and molecular mechanisms of bis-BIAs and Chl biosynthesis in lotus plumule. Physiological analysis revealed that exponential plumule growth occurred between 9 and 15 days after pollination (DAP), which coincided with the onset of bis-BIAs biosynthesis and its subsequent rapid accumulation. Transcriptome analysis of lotus plumule identified a total of 8,725 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), representing ~27.7% of all transcripts in the lotus genome. Sixteen structural DEGs, potentially associated with bis-BIAs biosynthesis, were identified. Of these, 12 encoded O-methyltransferases (OMTs) are likely involved in the methylation and bis-BIAs diversity in lotus. In addition, functionally divergent paralogous and redundant homologous gene members of the BIAs biosynthesis pathway, as well as transcription factors co-expressed with bis-BIAs and Chl biosynthesis genes, were identified. Twenty-two genes encoding 16 conserved enzymes of the Chl biosynthesis pathway were identified, with the majority being significantly upregulated by Chl biosynthesis. Photosynthesis and Chl biosynthesis pathways were simultaneously activated during lotus plumule development. Moreover, our results showed that light-driven Pchlide reduction is essential for Chl biosynthesis in the lotus plumule. These results will be useful for enhancing our understanding of alkaloids and Chl biosynthesis in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Sun
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution and Ecological Restoration, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Heyun Song
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xianbao Deng
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution and Ecological Restoration, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Juan Liu
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution and Ecological Restoration, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Dong Yang
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution and Ecological Restoration, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Minghua Zhang
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuxin Wang
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Xin
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Center of Applied Biotechnology, Wuhan Institute of Bioengineering, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanling Liu
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution and Ecological Restoration, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Mei Yang
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution and Ecological Restoration, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
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Hanaki M, Murakami K, Gunji H, Irie K. Activity-differential search for amyloid-β aggregation inhibitors using LC-MS combined with principal component analysis. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2022; 61:128613. [PMID: 35176471 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2022.128613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Aggregation of amyloid β42 (Aβ42) is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Inhibition of Aβ42 aggregation is thus a promising approach for AD therapy. Kampo medicine has been widely used to combat dementias such as AD. Crude drug known as Shoyaku is an ingredient of Kampo that could have potential as a natural source of novel drugs. However, given that a mixture of compounds, rather than singular compounds, could contribute to the biological functions of crude drug, there are very limited studies on the structure and mechanism of each constituent in crude drug which may have anti-Aβ42 aggregation properties. Herein we provide an efficient method, using LC-MS combined with principal component analysis (PCA), to search for activity-dependent compounds that inhibit Aβ42 aggregation from 46 crude drug extracts originating from 18 plants. Only 5 extracts (Kakou, Kayou, Gusetsu, Rensu, and Renbou) from lotus demonstrated differentially inhibitory activities depending on the part of the plant from which they are derived (e.g. petiole, leaf, root node, stamen, and receptacle, respectively). To compare the anti-aggregative properties of compounds of active crude drug with those of inactive crude drug, these extracts were subjected to LC-MS measurement, followed by PCA. From 12 candidate compounds identified from the analysis, glucuronized and glucosidized quercetin, as well as 6 flavonoids (datiscetin, kaempferol, morin, robinetin, quercetin, and myricitrin), including catechol or flatness moiety suppressed Aβ42 aggregation, whereas curcumol, a sesquiterpene, did not. In conclusion, this study offers a new activity-differential methodology to identify bioactive natural products in crude drugs that inhibit Aβ42 aggregation and that could be applied to future AD therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizuho Hanaki
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kazuma Murakami
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
| | - Hiroki Gunji
- Alps-Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., Gifu 509-4241, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Irie
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
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Deng X, Yang D, Sun H, Liu J, Song H, Xiong Y, Wang Y, Ma J, Zhang M, Li J, Liu Y, Yang M. Time-course analysis and transcriptomic identification of key response strategies to complete submergence in Nelumbo nucifera. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2022; 9:uhac001. [PMID: 35147174 PMCID: PMC8973275 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Water submergence is an environmental stress with detrimental effects on plant growth and survival. As a wetland plant species, lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is widely cultivated in flood-prone lowlands throughout Asian countries, but little is known about its endurance and acclimation mechanisms to complete submergence. Here, we combined a time-course submergence experiment and an RNA-sequencing transcriptome analysis on two lotus varieties of "Qiuxing" and "China Antique". Both varieties showed a low submergence tolerance, with a median lethal time of around 10 days. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified a number of key genes putatively involved in lotus submergence responses. Lotus plants under complete submergence developed thinned leaves and elongated petioles containing high density of aerenchyma. All four lotus submergence responsive ERF-VII genes and gene sets corresponding to the low oxygen "escape" strategy (LOES) were elevated. In addition, a number of lotus innate immunity genes were rapidly induced by submergence, likely to confer resistance to possible pathogen infections. Our data also reveals the likely involvement of jasmonic acid in modulating lotus submergence responses, but to a lesser extent than the gaseous ethylene hormone. These results suggest that lotus plants primarily take the LOES strategy in coping with submergence-induced complex stresses, and will be valuable for people understanding the molecular basis underlying the plant submergence acclimations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianbao Deng
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Dong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Heng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Juan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Heyun Song
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yaqian Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yunmeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Junyu Ma
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Minghua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jing Li
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yanling Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Mei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
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11
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Li J, Li Y, Dang M, Li S, Chen S, Liu R, Zhang Z, Li G, Zhang M, Yang D, Yang M, Liu Y, Tian D, Deng X. Jasmonate-Responsive Transcription Factors NnWRKY70a and NnWRKY70b Positively Regulate Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloid Biosynthesis in Lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:862915. [PMID: 35783938 PMCID: PMC9240598 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.862915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is a large aquatic plant that accumulates pharmacologically significant benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs). However, little is known about their biosynthesis and regulation. Here, we show that the two group III WRKY transcription factors (TFs), NnWRKY70a and NnWRKY70b, positively regulate the BIA biosynthesis in lotus. Both NnWRKY70s are jasmonic acid (JA) responsive, with their expression profiles highly correlated to the BIA concentration and BIA pathway gene expression. A dual-luciferase assay showed that NnWRKY70a could transactivate the NnTYDC promoter, whereas NnWRKY70b could activate promoters of the three BIA structural genes, including NnTYDC, NnCYP80G, and Nn7OMT. In addition, the transient overexpression of NnWRKY70a and NnWRKY70b in lotus petals significantly elevated the BIA alkaloid concentrations. Notably, NnWRKY70b seems to be a stronger BIA biosynthesis regulator, because it dramatically induced more BIA structural gene expressions and BIA accumulation than NnWRKY70a. A yeast two-hybrid assay further revealed that NnWRKY70b physically interacted with NnJAZ1 and two other group III WRKY TFs (NnWRKY53b and NnWRKY70a), suggesting that it may cooperate with the other group III WRKYs to adjust the lotus BIA biosynthesis via the JA-signaling pathway. To illustrate the mechanism underlying NnWRKY70b-mediated BIA regulation in the lotus, a simplified model is proposed. Our study provides useful insights into the regulatory roles of WRKY TFs in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Li
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingjing Dang
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shang Li
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Simeng Chen
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ruizhen Liu
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zeyu Zhang
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Guoqian Li
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Minghua Zhang
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Dong Yang
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Mei Yang
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanling Liu
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Daike Tian
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianbao Deng
- Aquatic Plant Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Xianbao Deng
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12
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Wang Z, Li Y, Ma D, Zeng M, Wang Z, Qin F, Chen J, Christian M, He Z. Alkaloids from lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera): recent advances in biosynthesis, pharmacokinetics, bioactivity, safety, and industrial applications. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2021:1-34. [PMID: 34845950 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2021.2009436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Different parts of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) including the seeds, rhizomes, leaves, and flowers, are used for medicinal purposes with health promoting and illness preventing benefits. The presence of active chemicals such as alkaloids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and terpenoids (particularly alkaloids) may account for this plant's pharmacological effects. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview and summarize up-to-date research on the biosynthesis, pharmacokinetics, and bioactivity of lotus alkaloids as well as their safety. Moreover, the potential uses of lotus alkaloids in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic sectors are explored. Current evidence shows that alkaloids, mainly consisting of aporphines, 1-benzylisoquinolines, and bisbenzylisoquinolines, are present in different parts of lotus. The bioavailability of these alkaloids is relatively low in vivo but can be enhanced by technological modification using nanoliposomes, liposomes, microcapsules, and emulsions. Available data highlights their therapeutic and preventive effects on obesity, diabetes, neurodegeneration, cancer, cardiovascular disease, etc. Additionally, industrial applications of lotus alkaloids include their use as food, medical, and cosmetic ingredients in tea, other beverages, and healthcare products; as lipid-lowering, anticancer, and antipsychotic drugs; and in facial masks, toothpastes, and shower gels. However, their clinical efficacy and safety remains unclear; hence, larger and longer human trials are needed to achieve their safe and effective use with minimal side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dandan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Maomao Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhaojun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fang Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mark Christian
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton, Nottingham, UK
| | - Zhiyong He
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
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13
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HarishKumar R, Selvaraj CI. Nuciferine from Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. attenuates isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in Wistar rats. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2021; 69:1176-1189. [PMID: 33998037 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The study explored the cardioprotective role of the methanolic leaf extract of Nelumbo nucifera and nuciferine against isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction (MI) in Wistar rats. Pretreatment with leaf extract and nuciferine (200 and 20 mg/kg body weight, respectively) against MI induced by isoproterenol (85 mg/kg body weight) significantly decreased heart weight; levels of cardiac markers such as lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase-MB were similar to those in controls. The treatment significantly increased the content of endogenous antioxidants and decreased lipid peroxidation in all treated groups. Treated groups showed a significant reduction in heartbeats per minute as compared with the MI-induced positive control. The MI-induced group showed pathological implications such as tachycardia, left atrial enlargement, and anterolateral ST-elevated MI, which were absent in treated groups. Histology confirmed that the leaf extract and nuciferine prevented structural abnormality and inflammation in heart and liver tissues of treated groups. On in silico analysis, nuciferine showed stronger binding interaction with both β1 and β2 adrenergic receptors than isoproterenol. Hence, the leaf extract of N. nucifera and nuciferine could be used as plant-based cardioprotective agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajendran HarishKumar
- Department of Biotechnology, VIT School of Agricultural Innovations and Advanced Learning (VAIAL), SBST, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Chinnadurai Immanuel Selvaraj
- Department of Biotechnology, VIT School of Agricultural Innovations and Advanced Learning (VAIAL), SBST, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
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14
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The Establishment of an Efficient Callus Induction System for Lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera). PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9111436. [PMID: 33113801 PMCID: PMC7693671 DOI: 10.3390/plants9111436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is one of the most popular aquatic plants in Asia, and has emerged as a novel model for studying flower and rhizome development, and primary and secondary metabolite accumulation. Here, we developed a highly efficient callus induction system for the lotus by optimizing a series of key factors that affect callus formation. The highest efficient callus production was induced on immature cotyledon and embryo explants grown on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium containing an optimized combination of 3 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 0.5 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA). In addition, lotus callus induction was proven to be influenced by lotus genotypes, light conditions, the developmental stages of explants and the time of explant sampling. Collecting immature cotyledons from seeds of the genotype “Shilihe 1”, at 9 days post pollination, and to culture the explants in darkness, are proposed as the optimum conditions for lotus callus induction. Interestingly, highly efficient callus induction was also observed in explants of immature embryo derived aseptic seedlings; and a small amount of lotus benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA) and obvious expression of BIA biosynthetic genes were detected in lotus callus.
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15
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Menéndez-Perdomo IM, Facchini PJ. Isolation and characterization of two O-methyltransferases involved in benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in sacred lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera). J Biol Chem 2020; 295:1598-1612. [PMID: 31914404 PMCID: PMC7008365 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.011547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 12/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are a major class of plant metabolites with many pharmacological benefits. Sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is an ancient aquatic plant of medicinal value because of antiviral and immunomodulatory activities linked to its constituent BIAs. Although more than 30 BIAs belonging to the 1-benzylisoquinoline, aporphine, and bisbenzylisoquinoline structural subclasses and displaying a predominant R-enantiomeric conformation have been isolated from N. nucifera, its BIA biosynthetic genes and enzymes remain unknown. Herein, we report the isolation and biochemical characterization of two O-methyltransferases (OMTs) involved in BIA biosynthesis in sacred lotus. Five homologous genes, designated NnOMT1-5 and encoding polypeptides sharing >40% amino acid sequence identity, were expressed in Escherichia coli Functional characterization of the purified recombinant proteins revealed that NnOMT1 is a regiospecific 1-benzylisoquinoline 6-O-methyltransferase (6OMT) accepting both R- and S-substrates, whereas NnOMT5 is mainly a 7-O-methyltransferase (7OMT), with relatively minor 6OMT activity and a strong stereospecific preference for S-enantiomers. Available aporphines were not accepted as substrates by either enzyme, suggesting that O-methylation precedes BIA formation from 1-benzylisoquinoline intermediates. Km values for NnOMT1 and NnOMT5 were 20 and 13 μm for (R,S)-norcoclaurine and (S)-N-methylcoclaurine, respectively, similar to those for OMTs from other BIA-producing plants. Organ-based correlations of alkaloid content, OMT activity in crude extracts, and OMT gene expression supported physiological roles for NnOMT1 and NnOMT5 in BIA metabolism, occurring primarily in young leaves and embryos of sacred lotus. In summary, our work identifies two OMTs involved in BIA metabolism in the medicinal plant N. nucifera.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter J Facchini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
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16
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17
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Li J, Xiong Y, Li Y, Ye S, Yin Q, Gao S, Yang D, Yang M, Palva ET, Deng X. Comprehensive Analysis and Functional Studies of WRKY Transcription Factors in Nelumbo nucifera. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E5006. [PMID: 31658615 PMCID: PMC6829473 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20205006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Revised: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The WRKY family is one of the largest transcription factor (TF) families in plants and plays central roles in modulating plant stress responses and developmental processes, as well as secondary metabolic regulations. Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is an aquatic crop that has significant food, ornamental and pharmacological values. Here, we performed an overview analysis of WRKY TF family members in lotus, and studied their functions in environmental adaptation and regulation of lotus benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA) biosynthesis. A total of 65 WRKY genes were identified in the lotus genome and they were well clustered in a similar pattern with their Arabidopsis homologs in seven groups (designated I, IIa-IIe, and III), although no lotus WRKY was clustered in the group IIIa. Most lotus WRKYs were functionally paired, which was attributed to the recently occurred whole genome duplication in lotus. In addition, lotus WRKYs were regulated dramatically by salicilic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and submergence treatments, and two lotus WRKYs, NnWRKY40a and NnWRKY40b, were significantly induced by JA and promoted lotus BIA biosynthesis through activating BIA biosynthetic genes. The investigation of WRKY TFs for this basal eudicot reveals new insights into the evolution of the WRKY family, and provides fundamental information for their functional studies and lotus breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Yacen Xiong
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Yi Li
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Shiqi Ye
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Qi Yin
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Siqi Gao
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Dong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Mei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - E Tapio Palva
- Viikki Biocenter, Department of Biosciences, Division of Genetics, University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Xianbao Deng
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
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18
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Zhao P, Tian D, Song G, Ming Q, Liu J, Shen J, Liu QH, Yang X. Neferine Promotes GLUT4 Expression and Fusion With the Plasma Membrane to Induce Glucose Uptake in L6 Cells. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:999. [PMID: 31551792 PMCID: PMC6737894 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) is involved in regulating glucose uptake in striated muscle, liver, and adipose tissue. Neferine is a dibenzyl isoquinoline alkaloid derived from dietary lotus seeds and has multiple pharmacological effects. Therefore, this study investigated neferine’s role in glucose translocation to cell surface, glucose uptake, and GLUT4 expression. In our study, neferine upregulated GLUT4 expression, induced GLUT4 plasma membrane fusion, increased intracellular Ca2+, promoted glucose uptake, and alleviated insulin resistance in L6 cells. Furthermore, neferine significantly activated phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and protein kinase C (PKC). AMPK and PKC inhibitors blocked neferine-induced GLUT4 expression and increased intracellular Ca2+. While neferine-induced GLUT4 expression and intracellular Ca2+ were inhibited by G protein and PLC inhibitors, only intracellular Ca2+ was inhibited by inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) inhibitors. Thus, neferine promoted GLUT4 expression via the G protein-PLC-PKC and AMPK pathways, inducing GLUT4 plasma membrane fusion and subsequent glucose uptake and increasing intracellular Ca2+ through the G protein-PLC-IP3-IP3R pathway. Treatment with 0 mM extracellular Ca2+ + Ca2+ chelator did not inhibit neferine-induced GLUT4 expression but blocked neferine-induced GLUT4 plasma membrane fusion and glucose uptake, suggesting the latter two are Ca2+-dependent. Therefore, we conclude that neferine is a potential treatment for type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Zhao
- Institute for Medical Biology & Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plants in the Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China.,National Demonstration Center for Experimental Ethnopharmacology Education, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Medical Biology International Science and Technology Cooperation Base, Wuhan, China
| | - Di Tian
- Institute for Medical Biology & Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plants in the Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
| | - Guanjun Song
- Institute for Medical Biology & Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plants in the Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
| | - Qian Ming
- Institute for Medical Biology & Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plants in the Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Institute for Medical Biology & Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plants in the Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinhua Shen
- Institute for Medical Biology & Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plants in the Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Medical Biology International Science and Technology Cooperation Base, Wuhan, China
| | - Qing-Hua Liu
- Institute for Medical Biology & Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plants in the Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Medical Biology International Science and Technology Cooperation Base, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinzhou Yang
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Ethnopharmacology Education, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
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19
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Meng XL, Chen ML, Chen CL, Gao CC, Li C, Wang D, Liu HS, Xu CB. Bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) seed embryo inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage activation via suppression of Ca2+-CaM/CaMKII pathway. FOOD AGR IMMUNOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/09540105.2019.1638889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Lian Meng
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
- Research Center for Natural Product Pharmacy of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Man-Ling Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chang-Lan Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
- Research Center for Natural Product Pharmacy of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Cheng-Cheng Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chao Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dan Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
- Research Center for Natural Product Pharmacy of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Hong-Sheng Liu
- Research Center for Computer Simulating and Information Processing of Bio-macromolecules of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Cheng-Bin Xu
- School of Environmental Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China
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20
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Menéndez-Perdomo IM, Facchini PJ. Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids Biosynthesis in Sacred Lotus. Molecules 2018; 23:E2899. [PMID: 30404216 PMCID: PMC6278464 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23112899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) is an ancient aquatic plant used throughout Asia for its nutritional and medicinal properties. Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), mostly within the aporphine and bisbenzylisoquinoline structural categories, are among the main bioactive constituents in the plant. The alkaloids of sacred lotus exhibit promising anti-cancer, anti-arrhythmic, anti-HIV, and anti-malarial properties. Despite their pharmacological significance, BIA metabolism in this non-model plant has not been extensively investigated. In this review, we examine the diversity of BIAs in sacred lotus, with an emphasis on the distinctive stereochemistry of alkaloids found in this species. Additionally, we discuss our current understanding of the biosynthetic genes and enzymes involved in the formation of 1-benzylisoquinoline, aporphine, and bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids in the plant. We conclude that a comprehensive functional characterization of alkaloid biosynthetic enzymes using both in vitro and in vivo methods is required to advance our limited knowledge of BIA metabolism in the sacred lotus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter J Facchini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
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21
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Meelaph T, Kobtrakul K, Chansilpa NN, Han Y, Rani D, De-Eknamkul W, Vimolmangkang S. Coregulation of Biosynthetic Genes and Transcription Factors for Aporphine-Type Alkaloid Production in Wounded Lotus Provides Insight into the Biosynthetic Pathway of Nuciferine. ACS OMEGA 2018; 3:8794-8802. [PMID: 31459012 PMCID: PMC6644620 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b00827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) contains various bioactive compounds, with benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) as one of the major groups. The biosynthetic pathways of two major bioactive BIAs in this plant, nuciferine and N-nornuciferine, are still not clear. Therefore, several genes related to BIA biosynthesis were searched from the lotus database to study the role of key genes in regulating these pathways. In this study, the expression profiles of NCS, CNMT, 6OMT, CYP80G2, and WRKY TFs were investigated in mechanically wounded lotus leaves. It was found that the accumulation of nuciferine and N-nornuciferine significantly increased in the mechanically wounded lotus leaves in accordance with the relative expression of putative CYP80G2 and one WRKY transcription factor (NNU_24385), with the coregulation of CNMT. Furthermore, the role of methyltransferase-related genes in this study suggested that methylation of the isoquinoline nucleus to yield a methylated-BIA structure may occur at the N position before the O position. Altogether, this study provides improved understanding of the genes regulating BIA biosynthesis under stressed conditions, which could lead to improvements in BIA production from the commercial lotus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thitirat Meelaph
- Research
Unit for Natural Product Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, and Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Khwanlada Kobtrakul
- Research
Unit for Natural Product Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, and Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - N. Nopchai Chansilpa
- Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok, Chonburi 20110, Thailand
| | - Yuepeng Han
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement
and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical
Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China
| | - Dolly Rani
- Research
Unit for Natural Product Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, and Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Wanchai De-Eknamkul
- Research
Unit for Natural Product Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, and Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Sornkanok Vimolmangkang
- Research
Unit for Natural Product Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, and Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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Deng X, Zhao L, Fang T, Xiong Y, Ogutu C, Yang D, Vimolmangkang S, Liu Y, Han Y. Investigation of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic pathway and its transcriptional regulation in lotus. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2018; 5:29. [PMID: 29872534 PMCID: PMC5981371 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-018-0035-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2017] [Revised: 03/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Lotus predominantly accumulates benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), but their biosynthesis and regulation remain unclear. Here, we investigated structural and regulatory genes involved in BIA accumulation in lotus. Two clustered CYP80 genes were identified to be responsible for the biosynthesis of bis-BIAs and aporphine-type BIAs, respectively, and their tissue-specific expression causes divergence in alkaloid component between leaf and embryo. In contrast with the common (S)-reticuline precursor for most BIAs, aporphine alkaloids in lotus leaf may result from the (S)-N-methylcoclaurine precursor. Structural diversity of BIA alkaloids in the leaf is attributed to enzymatic modifications, including intramolecular C-C phenol coupling on ring A and methylation and demethylation at certain positions. Additionally, most BIA biosynthetic pathway genes show higher levels of expression in the leaf of high-BIA cultivar compared with low-BIA cultivar, suggesting transcriptional regulation of BIA accumulation in lotus. Five transcription factors, including three MYBs, one ethylene-responsive factor, and one basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH), were identified to be candidate regulators of BIA biosynthesis in lotus. Our study reveals a BIA biosynthetic pathway and its transcriptional regulation in lotus, which will enable a deeper understanding of BIA biosynthesis in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianbao Deng
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074 China
| | - Li Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074 China
- Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Ting Fang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074 China
- Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Yaqian Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074 China
| | - Collins Ogutu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074 China
- Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquanlu, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Dong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074 China
| | - Sornkanok Vimolmangkang
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330 Thailand
| | - Yanling Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074 China
| | - Yuepeng Han
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074 China
- Sino-African Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074 China
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Yang M, Zhu L, Li L, Li J, Xu L, Feng J, Liu Y. Digital Gene Expression Analysis Provides Insight into the Transcript Profile of the Genes Involved in Aporphine Alkaloid Biosynthesis in Lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:80. [PMID: 28197160 PMCID: PMC5281601 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The predominant alkaloids in lotus leaves are aporphine alkaloids. These are the most important active components and have many pharmacological properties, but little is known about their biosynthesis. We used digital gene expression (DGE) technology to identify differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) between two lotus cultivars with different alkaloid contents at four leaf development stages. We also predicted potential genes involved in aporphine alkaloid biosynthesis by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Approximately 335 billion nucleotides were generated; and 94% of which were aligned against the reference genome. Of 22 thousand expressed genes, 19,000 were differentially expressed between the two cultivars at the four stages. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that catalytic activity and oxidoreductase activity were enriched significantly in most pairwise comparisons. In Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, dozens of DEGs were assigned to the categories of biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis. The genes encoding norcoclaurine synthase (NCS), norcoclaurine 6-O-methyltransferase (6OMT), coclaurine N-methyltransferase (CNMT), N-methylcoclaurine 3'-hydroxylase (NMCH), and 3'-hydroxy-N-methylcoclaurine 4'-O-methyltransferase (4'OMT) in the common pathways of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis and the ones encoding corytuberine synthase (CTS) in aporphine alkaloid biosynthetic pathway, which have been characterized in other plants, were identified in lotus. These genes had positive effects on alkaloid content, albeit with phenotypic lag. The WGCNA of DEGs revealed that one network module was associated with the dynamic change of alkaloid content. Eleven genes encoding proteins with methyltransferase, oxidoreductase and CYP450 activities were identified. These were surmised to be genes involved in aporphine alkaloid biosynthesis. This transcriptomic database provides new directions for future studies on clarifying the aporphine alkaloid pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Plant and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of SciencesWuhan, China
| | - Lingping Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Plant and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of SciencesWuhan, China
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Center, University of HelsinkiHelsinki, Finland
| | - Ling Li
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Plant and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of SciencesWuhan, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Juanjuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Plant and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of SciencesWuhan, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Liming Xu
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Plant and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of SciencesWuhan, China
| | - Ji Feng
- Tobacco Research Institute of Hubei ProvinceWuhan, China
| | - Yanling Liu
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Plant and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of SciencesWuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Yanling Liu
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Xiong W, Chen X, Lv G, Hu D, Zhao J, Li S. Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of bioactive alkaloids from lotus plumule using response surface methodology. J Pharm Anal 2016; 6:382-388. [PMID: 29404007 PMCID: PMC5762927 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2016.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Revised: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work, a fast and efficient microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) method was developed to extract main bioactive alkaloids from lotus plumue. To optimize MAE conditions, three main factors were selected using univariate approach experiments, and then central composite design (CCD). The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: methanol concentration of 65%, microwave power of 200 W, and extraction time of 260 s. An high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method was established to quantitatively analyze these phytochemicals in different lotus plumule samples and in different part of lotus. Chromatographic separation was carried out on an Agilent Zorbax Extend-C18 column (4.6 mm×150 mm, 3.5 µm). Gradient elution was applied with the mobile phase constituted with 0.1% triethylamine in water (A) and acetonitrile (B): 40%-70% B at 0-8 min, 70%-100% B at 8-9 min, 100% B for 2 min, and then equilibrated with 40% B for 2 min.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
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Evolutionary origin of the NCSI gene subfamily encoding norcoclaurine synthase is associated with the biosynthesis of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids in plants. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26323. [PMID: 27189519 PMCID: PMC4870700 DOI: 10.1038/srep26323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Sacred lotus is rich in biologically active compounds, particularly benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs). Here, we report on isolation of genes encoding (S)-norcoclaurine synthase (NCS) in sacred lotus, which is a key entry-enzyme in BIA biosynthesis. Seven NCS genes, designated NnNCS1 through NnNCS7, were identified in the sacred lotus genome, and five are located next to each other within a 83 kb region on scaffold 8. The NCS genes are divided into two subfamilies, designated NCSI and NCSII. The NCSII genes are universal in plants, while the NCSI genes are only identified in a limited number of dicotyledonous taxa that produce BIAs. In sacred lotus, only NnNCS4 belongs to the NCSII subfamily, whilst the rest NCS genes within the NCSI subfamily. Overall, the NnNCS7 gene was predominantly expressed in all tested tissues, and its expression is significantly correlated with alkaloid content in leaf. In contrast, the NnNCS4 expression shows no significant correlation with alkaloid accumulation in leaf, and its lack of expression cannot inhibit alkaloid accumulation. Taken together, these results suggest that the NCSI subfamily is crucial for BIA biosynthesis, and its origin may represent an important evolutionary event that allows certain plant taxa to produce BIAs.
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