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Wang HT, Wang ZL, Chen K, Yao MJ, Zhang M, Wang RS, Zhang JH, Ågren H, Li FD, Li J, Qiao X, Ye M. Insights into the missing apiosylation step in flavonoid apiosides biosynthesis of Leguminosae plants. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6658. [PMID: 37863881 PMCID: PMC10589286 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42393-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Apiose is a natural pentose containing an unusual branched-chain structure. Apiosides are bioactive natural products widely present in the plant kingdom. However, little is known on the key apiosylation reaction in the biosynthetic pathways of apiosides. In this work, we discover an apiosyltransferase GuApiGT from Glycyrrhiza uralensis. GuApiGT could efficiently catalyze 2″-O-apiosylation of flavonoid glycosides, and exhibits strict selectivity towards UDP-apiose. We further solve the crystal structure of GuApiGT, determine a key sugar-binding motif (RLGSDH) through structural analysis and theoretical calculations, and obtain mutants with altered sugar selectivity through protein engineering. Moreover, we discover 121 candidate apiosyltransferase genes from Leguminosae plants, and identify the functions of 4 enzymes. Finally, we introduce GuApiGT and its upstream genes into Nicotiana benthamiana, and complete de novo biosynthesis of a series of flavonoid apiosides. This work reports an efficient phenolic apiosyltransferase, and reveals mechanisms for its sugar donor selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Tian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Zi-Long Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Kuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ming-Ju Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Rong-Shen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jia-He Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Hans Ågren
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, SE-751 20, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fu-Dong Li
- National Science Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale Division of Molecular & Cell Biophysics and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Junhao Li
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, SE-751 20, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Xue Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Min Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
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Han BY, Wang ZL, Li J, Jin Q, Wang HT, Chen K, Yi Y, Ågren H, Qiao X, Ye M. A highly selective C-rhamnosyltransferase from Viola tricolor and insights into its mechanisms. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:3535-3544. [PMID: 37655315 PMCID: PMC10465961 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
C-Glycosides are important natural products with various bioactivities. In plant biosynthetic pathways, the C-glycosylation step is usually catalyzed by C-glycosyltransferases (CGTs), and most of them prefer to accept uridine 5'-diphosphate glucose (UDP-Glc) as sugar donor. No CGTs favoring UDP-rhamnose (UDP-Rha) as sugar donor has been reported, thus far. Herein, we report the first selective C-rhamnosyltransferase VtCGTc from the medicinal plant Viola tricolor. VtCGTc could efficiently catalyze C-rhamnosylation of 2-hydroxynaringenin 3-C-glucoside, and exhibited high selectivity towards UDP-Rha. Mechanisms for the sugar donor selectivity of VtCGTc were investigated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and molecular mechanics with generalized Born and surface area solvation (MM/GBSA) binding free energy calculations. Val144 played a vital role in recognizing UDP-Rha, and the V144T mutant could efficiently utilize UDP-Glc. This work provides a new and efficient approach to prepare flavonoid C-rhamnosides such as violanthin and iso-violanthin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Yun Han
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zi-Long Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Junhao Li
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Uppsala SE-751 20, Sweden
| | - Qing Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
- College of Life Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Hao-Tian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Kuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yang Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Hans Ågren
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Uppsala SE-751 20, Sweden
| | - Xue Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Min Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiyao International Medical Research Center, Beijing 100191, China
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Zhang YQ, Zhang M, Wang ZL, Qiao X, Ye M. Advances in plant-derived C-glycosides: Phytochemistry, bioactivities, and biotechnological production. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 60:108030. [PMID: 36031083 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
C-glycosides represent a large group of natural products with a C-C bond between the aglycone and the sugar moiety. They exhibit great structural diversity, wide natural distribution, and significant biological activities. By the end of 2021, at least 754 C-glycosides and their derivatives have been isolated and characterized from plants. Thus far, 66 functional C-glycosyltransferases (CGTs) have been discovered from plants, and provide green and efficient approaches to synthesize C-glycosides. Herein, advances in plant-derived C-glycosides are comprehensively summarized from aspects of structural diversity and identification, bioactivities, and biotechnological production. New strategies to discover novel C-glycosides and CGTs, as well as the applications of biotechnological methods to produce C-glycosides in the future are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Qun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zi-Long Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xue Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, China; Peking University-Yunnan Baiyao International Medical Research Center, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Min Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, China; Peking University-Yunnan Baiyao International Medical Research Center, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, China; Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences of Ministry of Education, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, China.
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