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Liu N, Chen C, Wang B, Wang X, Zhang D, Zhou G. Exogenous regulation of macronutrients promotes the accumulation of alkaloid yield in anisodus tanguticus (Maxim.) pascher. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:602. [PMID: 38926662 PMCID: PMC11201296 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05299-8] [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: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anisodus tanguticus (Maxim.) Pascher (A. tanguticus) is a valuable botanical for extracting tropane alkaloids, which are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. Implementing appropriate cultivation methods can improve both the quality and yield of A. tanguticus. A two-year field experiment was conducted from 2021 to 2023 using a single-factor randomized complete block design replicated three times. The study examined the effects of different nutrient levels (nitrogen: 0, 75, 150, 225, 300, 375 kg/ha; phosphorus: 0, 600, 750, 900, 1050, 1200 kg/ha; potassium: 0, 75, 112.5, 150, 187.5, 225 kg/ha) on the growth, primary alkaloid contents, and alkaloid yield of A. tanguticus at different growth stages (S-Greening, S-Growing, S-Wilting; T-Greening, T-Growing, and T-Wilting) in both the roots and aboveground portions. RESULTS Our results demonstrate that nutrient levels significantly affect the growth and alkaloid accumulation in A. tanguticus. High nitrogen levels (375 kg/ha) notably increased both root and aboveground biomass, while phosphorus had a minimal effect, especially on aboveground biomass. For alkaloid content (scopolamine, anisodamine, anisodine, atropine), a moderate nitrogen level (225 kg/ha) was most effective, followed by low potassium (75 kg/ha), with phosphorus showing a limited impact. Increased phosphorus levels led to a decrease in scopolamine content. During the T-Growing period, moderate nitrogen addition (225 kg/ha) yielded the highest alkaloid levels per unit area (205.79 kg/ha). In the T-Wilting period, low potassium (75 kg/ha) and low phosphorus (750 kg/ha) resulted in alkaloid levels of 146.91 kg/ha and 142.18 kg/ha, respectively. This indicates nitrogen has the most substantial effect on alkaloid accumulation, followed by potassium and phosphorus. The Douglas production function analysis suggests focusing on root biomass and the accumulation of scopolamine and atropine in roots to maximize alkaloid yield in A. tanguticus cultivation. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that the optimum harvesting period for A. tanguticus is the T-Wilting period, and that the optimal nitrogen addition is 225 kg/ha, the optimal potassium addition is 75 kg/ha, and the optimal phosphorus addition is 600 kg/ha or less.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Liu
- Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, CAS Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Xining, 810008, China
| | - Chen Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, 235000, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, CAS Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Xining, 810008, China
| | - Xiaoyun Wang
- Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, CAS Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Xining, 810008, China
| | - Dengshan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016, China.
| | - Guoying Zhou
- Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, CAS Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Xining, 810008, China.
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Yang Q, Li J, Wang Y, Wang Z, Pei Z, Street NR, Bhalerao RP, Yu Z, Gao Y, Ni J, Jiao Y, Sun M, Yang X, Chen Y, Liu P, Wang J, Liu Y, Li G. Genomic basis of the distinct biosynthesis of β-glucogallin, a biochemical marker for hydrolyzable tannin production, in three oak species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:2702-2718. [PMID: 38515244 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Hydrolyzable tannins (HTs), predominant polyphenols in oaks, are widely used in grape wine aging, feed additives, and human healthcare. However, the limited availability of a high-quality reference genome of oaks greatly hampered the recognition of the mechanism of HT biosynthesis. Here, high-quality reference genomes of three Asian oak species (Quercus variabilis, Quercus aliena, and Quercus dentata) that have different HT contents were generated. Multi-omics studies were carried out to identify key genes regulating HT biosynthesis. In vitro enzyme activity assay was also conducted. Dual-luciferase and yeast one-hybrid assays were used to reveal the transcriptional regulation. Our results revealed that β-glucogallin was a biochemical marker for HT production in the cupules of the three Asian oaks. UGT84A13 was confirmed as the key enzyme for β-glucogallin biosynthesis. The differential expression of UGT84A13, rather than enzyme activity, was the main reason for different β-glucogallin and HT accumulation. Notably, sequence variations in UGT84A13 promoters led to different trans-activating activities of WRKY32/59, explaining the different expression patterns of UGT84A13 among the three species. Our findings provide three high-quality new reference genomes for oak trees and give new insights into different transcriptional regulation for understanding β-glucogallin and HT biosynthesis in closely related oak species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinsong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Research Center of Deciduous Oaks, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jinjin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Research Center of Deciduous Oaks, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yan Wang
- College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zefu Wang
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Ziqi Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Research Center of Deciduous Oaks, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Nathaniel R Street
- Umeå Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University, Umeå, 90754, Sweden
- SciLifeLab, Umeå University, Umeå, 90754, Sweden
| | - Rishikesh P Bhalerao
- Umeå Plant Science Centre, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90187, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Zhaowei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Research Center of Deciduous Oaks, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yuhao Gao
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Junbei Ni
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yang Jiao
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Minghui Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Research Center of Deciduous Oaks, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Research Center of Deciduous Oaks, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yixin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Research Center of Deciduous Oaks, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Puyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Research Center of Deciduous Oaks, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jiaxi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Research Center of Deciduous Oaks, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Research Center of Deciduous Oaks, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Guolei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Research Center of Deciduous Oaks, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
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3
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Zeng J, Liu X, Dong Z, Zhang F, Qiu F, Zhong M, Zhao T, Yang C, Zeng L, Lan X, Zhang H, Zhou J, Chen M, Tang K, Liao Z. Discovering a mitochondrion-localized BAHD acyltransferase involved in calystegine biosynthesis and engineering the production of 3β-tigloyloxytropane. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3623. [PMID: 38684703 PMCID: PMC11058270 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47968-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Solanaceous plants produce tropane alkaloids (TAs) via esterification of 3α- and 3β-tropanol. Although littorine synthase is revealed to be responsible for 3α-tropanol esterification that leads to hyoscyamine biosynthesis, the genes associated with 3β-tropanol esterification are unknown. Here, we report that a BAHD acyltransferase from Atropa belladonna, 3β-tigloyloxytropane synthase (TS), catalyzes 3β-tropanol and tigloyl-CoA to form 3β-tigloyloxytropane, the key intermediate in calystegine biosynthesis and a potential drug for treating neurodegenerative disease. Unlike other cytosolic-localized BAHD acyltransferases, TS is localized to mitochondria. The catalytic mechanism of TS is revealed through molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis. Subsequently, 3β-tigloyloxytropane is synthesized in tobacco. A bacterial CoA ligase (PcICS) is found to synthesize tigloyl-CoA, an acyl donor for 3β-tigloyloxytropane biosynthesis. By expressing TS mutant and PcICS, engineered Escherichia coli synthesizes 3β-tigloyloxytropane from tiglic acid and 3β-tropanol. This study helps to characterize the enzymology and chemodiversity of TAs and provides an approach for producing 3β-tigloyloxytropane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junlan Zeng
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Liu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Zhaoyue Dong
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Fangyuan Zhang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Fei Qiu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Mingyu Zhong
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Tengfei Zhao
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Chunxian Yang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Lingjiang Zeng
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Xiaozhong Lan
- TAAHC-SWU Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, The Provincial and Ministerial Co-founded Collaborative Innovation Center for R&D in Xizang Characteristic Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Resources, Xizang Agricultural and Animal Husbandry College, Nyingchi, 860000, China
| | - Hongbo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Junhui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Min Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Kexuan Tang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Zhihua Liao
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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Li X, Zhang FG, Ma JA, Liu Y. Computational insights into the binding modes, keto-enol tautomerization and stereo-electronically controlled decarboxylation of oxaloacetate in the active site of macrophomate synthase. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:12331-12344. [PMID: 38598177 DOI: 10.1039/d4cp00716f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Oxaloacetic acid (OAA) is a β-ketocarboxylic acid, which plays an important role as an intermediate in some metabolic pathways, including the tricarboxylic acid cycle, gluconeogenesis and fatty acid biosynthesis. Animal studies have indicated that supplementing oxaloacetic acid shows an increase of lifespan and other substantial health benefits including mitochondrial DNA protection, and protection of retinal, neural and pancreatic tissues. Most of the chemical transformations of OAA in the metabolic pathways have been extensively studied; however, the understanding of decarboxylation of OAA at the atomic level is relatively lacking. Here, we carried out MD simulations and combined quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) calculations as an example to systematically elucidate the binding modes, keto-enol tautomerization and decarboxylation of OAA in the active site of macrophomate synthase (MPS), which is a Mg(II)-dependent bifunctional enzyme that catalyzes both the decarboxylation of OAA and [4+2] cycloaddition of 2-pyrone with the decarboxylated intermediate of OAA (pyruvate enolate). On the basis of our calculations, it was found that the Mg2+-coordinated oxaloacetate may exist in enol forms and keto forms. The four keto forms can be transformed into each other by simply rotating the C2-C3 single bond, nevertheless, the keto-enol tautomerization strictly requires the assistance of pocket water molecules. In addition, the decarboxylation is stereo-electronically controlled, i.e., it is the relative orientation of the terminal carboxyl anion that determines the rate of decarboxylation. As such, the chemistry of oxaloacetate in the active site of MPS is complex. On one hand, the most stable binding mode (K-I) may undergo enol-keto tautomerization to isomerize to the enol form, which may further react with the second substrate; on the other hand, K-I may isomerize to another binding mode K-II to proceed decarboxylation to generate pyruvate enolate and CO2. Starting from K-I, the enol-keto tautomerization corresponds to a barrier of 16.2 kcal mol-1, whereas the decarboxylation is associated with an overall barrier of 19.7 kcal mol-1. These findings may provide useful information for understanding the chemistry of OAA and the catalysis of related enzymes, and they are basically in agreement with the available experimental kinetic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250100, China.
| | - Fa-Guang Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Jun-An Ma
- Department of Chemistry, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Yongjun Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250100, China.
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5
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Song Y, Huang JP, Wang YJ, Huang SX. Chromosome level genome assembly of endangered medicinal plant Anisodus tanguticus. Sci Data 2024; 11:161. [PMID: 38307894 PMCID: PMC10837431 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03007-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Anisodus tanguticus is a medicinal herb that belongs to the Anisodus genus of the Solanaceae family. This endangered herb is mainly distributed in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In this study, we combined the Illumina short-read, Nanopore long-read and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) sequencing technologies to de novo assemble the A. tanguticus genome. A high-quality chromosomal-level genome assembly was obtained with a genome size of 1.26 Gb and a contig N50 of 25.07 Mb. Of the draft genome sequences, 97.47% were anchored to 24 pseudochromosomes with a scaffold N50 of 51.28 Mb. In addition, 842.14 Mb of transposable elements occupying 66.70% of the genome assembly were identified and 44,252 protein-coding genes were predicted. The genome assembly of A. tanguticus will provide genetic repertoire to understand the adaptation strategy of Anisodus species in the plateau, which will further promote the conservation of endangered A. tanguticus resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongli Song
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Jian-Ping Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Yong-Jiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
| | - Sheng-Xiong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
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Hu X, Liu W, Yan Y, Deng H, Cai Y. Tropinone reductase: A comprehensive review on its role as the key enzyme in tropane alkaloids biosynthesis. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127377. [PMID: 37839598 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127377] [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: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
TAs, including hyoscyamine and scopolamine, were used to treat neuromuscular disorders ranging from nerve agent poisoning to Parkinson's disease. Tropinone reductase I (TR-I; EC 1.1.1.206) catalyzed the conversion of tropinone into tropine in the biosynthesis of TAs, directing the metabolic flow towards hyoscyamine and scopolamine. Tropinone reductase II (TR-II; EC 1.1.1.236) was responsible for the conversion of tropinone into pseudotropine, diverting the metabolic flux towards calystegine A3. The regulation of metabolite flow through both branches of the TAs pathway seemed to be influenced by the enzymatic activity of both enzymes and their accessibility to the precursor tropinone. The significant interest in the utilization of metabolic engineering for the efficient production of TAs has highlighted the importance of TRs as crucial enzymes that govern both the direction of metabolic flow and the yield of products. This review discussed recent advances for the TRs sources, properties, protein structure and biocatalytic mechanisms, and a detailed overview of its crucial role in the metabolism and synthesis of TAs was summarized. Furthermore, we conducted a detailed investigation into the evolutionary origins of these two TRs. A prospective analysis of potential challenges and applications of TRs was presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiang Hu
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Wenjing Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Yi Yan
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Huaxiang Deng
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Institute of Synthetic Biology, Institutes of Advanced Technologies, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yujie Cai
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
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Zamar DL, Papon N, Courdavault V. The Evolutionary Pattern of Cocaine and Hyoscyamine Biosynthesis Provides Strategies To Produce Tropane Alkaloids. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300234. [PMID: 37249120 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300234] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine and hyoscyamine are two tropane alkaloids (TA) from Erythroxylaceae and Solanaceae, respectively. These famous compounds possess anticholinergic properties that can be used to treat neuromuscular disorders. While the hyoscyamine biosynthetic pathway has been fully elucidated allowing its de novo synthesis in yeast, the cocaine pathway remained only partially elucidated. Recently, the Huang research group has completed the cocaine biosynthetic route by characterizing its two missing enzymes. This allowed the whole pathway to be transferring into Nicotiana benthamiana to achieve cocaine production. Here, besides highlighting the impact of this discovery, we discuss how TA biosynthesis evolved via the recruitment of two distinct and convergent pathways in Erythroxylaceae and Solanaceae. Finally, while enriching our knowledge on TA biosynthesis, this diversification of the molecular actors involved in cocaine and hyoscyamine biosynthesis opens perspectives in metabolic engineering by exploring enzyme biochemical plasticity that can ease and shorten TA pathway reconstitution in heterologous organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duchesse-Lacours Zamar
- Université de Tours, Faculté de Pharmacie, EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, 31, Avenue Monge, 37200, Tours, France
| | - Nicolas Papon
- Université d'Angers, Fungal Respiratory Infections Research Unit, University Hospital of Angers, 4 rue de Larrey, 49933, Angers Cedex 09, France
| | - Vincent Courdavault
- Université de Tours, Faculté de Pharmacie, EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, 31, Avenue Monge, 37200, Tours, France
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