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Bergman ME, Dudareva N. Plant specialized metabolism: Diversity of terpene synthases and their products. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 81:102607. [PMID: 39053147 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2024.102607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Terpenoids are ubiquitous to all kingdoms of life and are one of the most diverse groups of compounds, both structurally and functionally. Despite being derived from common precursors, isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate, their exceptional diversity is partly driven by the substrate and product promiscuity of terpene synthases that produce a wide array of terpene skeletons. Plant terpene synthases can be subdivided into different subfamilies based on sequence homology and function. However, in many cases, structural architecture of the enzyme is more essential to product specificity than primary sequence alone, and distantly related terpene synthases can often mediate similar reactions. As such, the focus of this brief review is on some of the recent progress in understanding terpene synthase function and diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Bergman
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, 175 South University St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Natalia Dudareva
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, 175 South University St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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2
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Huang W, Liu Y, Ma X, Ma C, Jiang Y, Su J. Rational Design for the Complete Synthesis of Stevioside in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1125. [PMID: 38930507 PMCID: PMC11206123 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061125] [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: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Stevioside is a secondary metabolite of diterpenoid glycoside production in plants. It has been used as a natural sweetener in various foods because of its high sweetness and low-calorie content. In this study, we constructed a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain for the complete synthesis of stevioside using a metabolic engineering strategy. Firstly, the synthesis pathway of steviol was modularly constructed in S. cerevisiae BY4742, and the precursor pathway was strengthened. The yield of steviol was used as an indicator to investigate the expression effect of different sources of diterpene synthases under different combinations, and the strains with further improved steviol yield were screened. Secondly, glycosyltransferases were heterologously expressed in this strain to produce stevioside, the sequence of glycosyltransferase expression was optimized, and the uridine diphosphate-glucose (UDP-Glc) supply was enhanced. Finally, the results showed that the strain SST-302III-ST2 produced 164.89 mg/L of stevioside in a shake flask experiment, and the yield of stevioside reached 1104.49 mg/L in an experiment employing a 10 L bioreactor with batch feeding, which was the highest yield reported. We constructed strains with a high production of stevioside, thus laying the foundation for the production of other classes of steviol glycosides and holding good prospects for application and promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jianyu Su
- School of Life Science, Ning Xia University, Yinchuan 750000, China; (W.H.); (Y.L.); (X.M.); (C.M.); (Y.J.)
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3
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Xing B, Lei Z, Bai Z, Zang G, Wang Y, Zhang C, Chen M, Zhou Y, Ding J, Yang D, Ma M. Structural biology of terpene synthases. Methods Enzymol 2024; 699:59-87. [PMID: 38942516 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2024.03.012] [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] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Structural biology research of terpene synthases (TSs) has provided a useful basis to understand their catalytic mechanisms in producing diverse terpene products with polycyclic ring systems and multiple chiral centers. However, compared to the large numbers of>95,000 terpenoids discovered to date, few structures of TSs have been solved and the understanding of their catalytic mechanisms is lagging. We here (i) introduce the basic catalytic logic, the structural architectures, and the metal-binding conserved motifs of TSs; (ii) provide detailed experimental procedures, in gene cloning and plasmid construction, protein purification, crystallization, X-ray diffraction data collection and structural elucidation, for structural biology research of TSs; and (iii) discuss the prospects of structure-based engineering and de novo design of TSs in generating valuable terpene molecules, which cannot be easily achieved by chemical synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baiying Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Zhenyu Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Zhaoye Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Guowei Zang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Yuxian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Chenyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Minren Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Yucheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Jiahao Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Donghui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China.
| | - Ming Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China.
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Abstract
Covering: up to July 2023Terpene cyclases (TCs) catalyze some of the most complicated reactions in nature and are responsible for creating the skeletons of more than 95 000 terpenoid natural products. The canonical TCs are divided into two classes according to their structures, functions, and mechanisms. The class II TCs mediate acid-base-initiated cyclization reactions of isoprenoid diphosphates, terpenes without diphosphates (e.g., squalene or oxidosqualene), and prenyl moieties on meroterpenes. The past twenty years witnessed the emergence of many class II TCs, their reactions and their roles in biosynthesis. Class II TCs often act as one of the first steps in the biosynthesis of biologically active natural products including the gibberellin family of phytohormones and fungal meroterpenoids. Due to their mechanisms and biocatalytic potential, TCs elicit fervent attention in the biosynthetic and organic communities and provide great enthusiasm for enzyme engineering to construct novel and bioactive molecules. To engineer and expand the structural diversities of terpenoids, it is imperative to fully understand how these enzymes generate, precisely control, and quench the reactive carbocation intermediates. In this review, we summarize class II TCs from nature, including sesquiterpene, diterpene, triterpene, and meroterpenoid cyclases as well as noncanonical class II TCs and inspect their sequences, structures, mechanisms, and structure-guided engineering studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingming Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
| | - Jeffrey D Rudolf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-7011, USA.
| | - Liao-Bin Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
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Gaynes MN, Ronnebaum TA, Schultz K, Faylo JL, Marmorstein R, Christianson DW. Structure of the prenyltransferase in bifunctional copalyl diphosphate synthase from Penicillium fellutanum reveals an open hexamer conformation. J Struct Biol 2024; 216:108060. [PMID: 38184156 PMCID: PMC10939776 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2023.108060] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Copalyl diphosphate synthase from Penicillium fellutanum (PfCPS) is an assembly-line terpene synthase that contains both prenyltransferase and class II cyclase activities. The prenyltransferase catalyzes processive chain elongation reactions using dimethylallyl diphosphate and three equivalents of isopentenyl diphosphate to yield geranylgeranyl diphosphate, which is then utilized as a substrate by the class II cyclase domain to generate copalyl diphosphate. Here, we report the 2.81 Å-resolution cryo-EM structure of the hexameric prenyltransferase of full-length PfCPS, which is surrounded by randomly splayed-out class II cyclase domains connected by disordered polypeptide linkers. The hexamer can be described as a trimer of dimers; surprisingly, one of the three dimer-dimer interfaces is separated to yield an open hexamer conformation, thus breaking the D3 symmetry typically observed in crystal structures of other prenyltransferase hexamers such as wild-type human GGPP synthase (hGGPPS). Interestingly, however, an open hexamer conformation was previously observed in the crystal structure of D188Y hGGPPS, apparently facilitated by hexamer-hexamer packing in the crystal lattice. The cryo-EM structure of the PfCPS prenyltransferase hexamer is the first to reveal that an open conformation can be achieved even in the absence of a point mutation or interaction with another hexamer. Even though PfCPS octamers are not detected, we suggest that the open hexamer conformation represents an intermediate in the hexamer-octamer equilibrium for those prenyltransferases that do exhibit oligomeric heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew N Gaynes
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6323, USA
| | - Trey A Ronnebaum
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6323, USA
| | - Kollin Schultz
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jacque L Faylo
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6323, USA
| | - Ronen Marmorstein
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David W Christianson
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6323, USA.
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Zhao Y, Liang Y, Luo G, Li Y, Han X, Wen M. Sequence-Structure Analysis Unlocking the Potential Functional Application of the Local 3D Motifs of Plant-Derived Diterpene Synthases. Biomolecules 2024; 14:120. [PMID: 38254720 PMCID: PMC10813164 DOI: 10.3390/biom14010120] [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: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant-derived diterpene synthases (PdiTPSs) play a critical role in the formation of structurally and functionally diverse diterpenoids. However, the specificity or functional-related features of PdiTPSs are not well understood. For a more profound insight, we collected, constructed, and curated 199 functionally characterized PdiTPSs and their corresponding 3D structures. The complex correlations among their sequences, domains, structures, and corresponding products were comprehensively analyzed. Ultimately, our focus narrowed to the geometric arrangement of local structures. We found that local structural alignment can rapidly localize product-specific residues that have been validated by mutagenesis experiments. Based on the 3D motifs derived from the residues around the substrate, we successfully searched diterpene synthases (diTPSs) from the predicted terpene synthases and newly characterized PdiTPSs, suggesting that the identified 3D motifs can serve as distinctive signatures in diTPSs (I and II class). Local structural analysis revealed the PdiTPSs with more conserved amino acid residues show features unique to class I and class II, whereas those with fewer conserved amino acid residues typically exhibit product diversity and specificity. These results provide an attractive method for discovering novel or functionally equivalent enzymes and probing the product specificity in cases where enzyme characterization is limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yalan Zhao
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.L.); (G.L.); (X.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Yupeng Liang
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.L.); (G.L.); (X.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Gan Luo
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.L.); (G.L.); (X.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Yi Li
- College of Mathematics and Computer Science, Dali University, Dali 671003, China
| | - Xiulin Han
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.L.); (G.L.); (X.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Mengliang Wen
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.L.); (G.L.); (X.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
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7
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Gaynes MN, Christianson DW. Methods for the preparation and analysis of a bifunctional class II diterpene synthase, copalyl diphosphate synthase from Penicillium fellutanum. Methods Enzymol 2024; 699:1-23. [PMID: 38942500 PMCID: PMC11213978 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.11.002] [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] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Terpenes comprise the largest class of natural products and are used in applications spanning the areas of medicine, cosmetics, fuels, flavorings, and more. Copalyl diphosphate synthase from the Penicillium genus is the first bifunctional terpene synthase identified to have both prenyltransferase and class II cyclase activities within the same polypeptide chain. Prior studies of bifunctional terpene synthases reveal that these systems achieve greater catalytic efficiency by channeling geranylgeranyl diphosphate between the prenyltransferase and cyclase domains. A molecular-level understanding of substrate transit phenomena in these systems is highly desirable, but a long disordered polypeptide segment connecting the prenyltranferase and cyclase domains thwarts the crystallization of full-length enzymes. Accordingly, these systems are excellent candidates for structural analysis using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Notably, these systems form hexameric or octameric oligomers, so the quaternary structure of the full-length enzyme may influence substrate transit between catalytic domains. Here, we describe methods for the preparation of bifunctional hexameric copalyl diphosphate synthase from Penicillium fellutanum (PfCPS). We also outline approaches for the preparation of cryo-EM grids, data collection, and data processing to yield two-dimensional and three-dimensional reconstructions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew N Gaynes
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - David W Christianson
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
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8
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Ma X, Xu H, Tong Y, Luo Y, Dong Q, Jiang T. Structural and functional investigations of syn-copalyl diphosphate synthase from Oryza sativa. Commun Chem 2023; 6:240. [PMID: 37932442 PMCID: PMC10628199 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-01042-w] [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: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The large superfamily of labdane-related diterpenoids is defined by the cyclization of linear geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), catalyzed by copalyl diphosphate synthases (CPSs) to form the basic decalin core, the copalyl diphosphates (CPPs). Three stereochemically distinct CPPs have been found in plants, namely (+)-CPP, ent-CPP and syn-CPP. Here, we used X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM methods to describe different oligomeric structures of a syn-copalyl diphosphate synthase from Oryza sativa (OsCyc1), and provided a cryo-EM structure of OsCyc1D367A mutant in complex with the substrate GGPP. Further analysis showed that tetramers are the dominant form of OsCyc1 in solution and are not necessary for enzyme activity in vitro. Through rational design, we identified an OsCyc1 mutant that can generate ent-CPP in addition to syn-CPP. Our work provides a structural and mechanistic basis for comparing different CPSs and paves the way for further enzyme design to obtain diterpene derivatives with specific chirality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Ma
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Haifeng Xu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuru Tong
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yunfeng Luo
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Qinghua Dong
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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9
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Lanier ER, Andersen TB, Hamberger B. Plant terpene specialized metabolism: complex networks or simple linear pathways? THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 114:1178-1201. [PMID: 36891828 PMCID: PMC11166267 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
From the perspectives of pathway evolution, discovery and engineering of plant specialized metabolism, the nature of the biosynthetic routes represents a critical aspect. Classical models depict biosynthesis typically from an end-point angle and as linear, for example, connecting central and specialized metabolism. As the number of functionally elucidated routes increased, the enzymatic foundation of complex plant chemistries became increasingly well understood. The perception of linear pathway models has been severely challenged. With a focus on plant terpenoid specialized metabolism, we review here illustrative examples supporting that plants have evolved complex networks driving chemical diversification. The completion of several diterpene, sesquiterpene and monoterpene routes shows complex formation of scaffolds and their subsequent functionalization. These networks show that branch points, including multiple sub-routes, mean that metabolic grids are the rule rather than the exception. This concept presents significant implications for biotechnological production.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Björn Hamberger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, Molecular Plant Sciences Building, 1066 Bogue Street, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
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Wang Z, Nelson DR, Zhang J, Wan X, Peters RJ. Plant (di)terpenoid evolution: from pigments to hormones and beyond. Nat Prod Rep 2023; 40:452-469. [PMID: 36472136 PMCID: PMC9945934 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00054g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to 2014-2022.Diterpenoid biosynthesis in plants builds on the necessary production of (E,E,E)-geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) for photosynthetic pigment production, with diterpenoid biosynthesis arising very early in land plant evolution, enabling stockpiling of the extensive arsenal of (di)terpenoid natural products currently observed in this kingdom. This review will build upon that previously published in the Annual Review of Plant Biology, with a stronger focus on enzyme structure-function relationships, as well as additional insights into the evolution of (di)terpenoid metabolism since generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhibiao Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.,Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50014, USA.
| | - David R Nelson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Juan Zhang
- Zhongzhi International Institute of Agricultural Biosciences, Shunde Innovation School, Research Center of Biology and Agriculture, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100024, China.
| | - Xiangyuan Wan
- Zhongzhi International Institute of Agricultural Biosciences, Shunde Innovation School, Research Center of Biology and Agriculture, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100024, China.
| | - Reuben J Peters
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50014, USA.
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11
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Tong Y, Ma X, Hu T, Chen K, Cui G, Su P, Xu H, Gao W, Jiang T, Huang L. Structural and mechanistic insights into the precise product synthesis by a bifunctional miltiradiene synthase. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:165-175. [PMID: 36161753 PMCID: PMC9829396 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Selaginella moellendorffii miltiradiene synthase (SmMDS) is a unique bifunctional diterpene synthase (diTPS) that catalyses the successive cyclization of (E,E,E)-geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) via (+)-copalyl diphosphate (CPP) to miltiradiene, which is a crucial precursor of important medicinal compounds, such as triptolide, ecabet sodium and carnosol. Miltiradiene synthetic processes have been studied in monofunctional diTPSs, while the precise mechanism by which active site amino acids determine product simplicity and the experimental evidence for reaction intermediates remain elusive. In addition, how bifunctional diTPSs work compared to monofunctional enzymes is attractive for detailed research. Here, by mutagenesis studies of SmMDS, we confirmed that pimar-15-en-8-yl+ is an intermediate in miltiradiene synthesis. Moreover, we determined the apo-state and the GGPP-bound state crystal structures of SmMDS. By structure analysis and mutagenesis experiments, possible contributions of key residues both in class I and II active sites were suggested. Based on the structural and functional analyses, we confirmed the copal-15-yl+ intermediate and unveiled more details of the catalysis process in the SmMDS class I active site. Moreover, the structural and experimental results suggest an internal channel for (+)-CPP produced in the class II active site moving towards the class I active site. Our research is a good example for intermediate identification of diTPSs and provides new insights into the product specificity determinants and intermediate transport, which should greatly facilitate the precise controlled synthesis of various diterpenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuru Tong
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia MedicaChina Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesBeijingChina
- School of Pharmaceutical SciencesCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Xiaoli Ma
- National Laboratory of BiomacromoleculesInstitute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Tianyuan Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical SciencesCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Kang Chen
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia MedicaChina Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Guanghong Cui
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia MedicaChina Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ping Su
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia MedicaChina Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Haifeng Xu
- National Laboratory of BiomacromoleculesInstitute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Wei Gao
- Beijing Shijitan HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Tao Jiang
- National Laboratory of BiomacromoleculesInstitute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Luqi Huang
- National Resource Center for Chinese Materia MedicaChina Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesBeijingChina
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12
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Pan X, Du W, Zhang X, Lin X, Li FR, Yang Q, Wang H, Rudolf JD, Zhang B, Dong LB. Discovery, Structure, and Mechanism of a Class II Sesquiterpene Cyclase. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:22067-22074. [PMID: 36416740 PMCID: PMC10064485 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c09412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Terpene cyclases (TCs), extraordinary enzymes that create the structural diversity seen in terpene natural products, are traditionally divided into two classes, class I and class II. Although the structural and mechanistic features of class I TCs are well-known, the corresponding details in class II counterparts have not been fully characterized. Here, we report the genome mining discovery and structural characterization of two class II sesquiterpene cyclases (STCs) from Streptomyces. These drimenyl diphosphate synthases (DMSs) are the first STCs shown to possess β,γ-didomain architecture. High-resolution X-ray crystal structures of DMS from Streptomyces showdoensis (SsDMS) in complex with both a farnesyl diphosphate and Mg2+ unveiled an induced-fit mechanism, with an unprecedented Mg2+ binding mode, finally solving one of the lingering questions in class II TC enzymology. This study supports continued genome mining for novel bacterial TCs and provides new mechanistic insights into canonical class II TCs that will lead to advances in TC engineering and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingming Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wenyu Du
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoxu Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fang-Ru Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hang Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jeffrey D Rudolf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-7011, United States
| | - Bo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute of Functional Biomolecules, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Liao-Bin Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu, China
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13
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Structure-guided product determination of the bacterial type II diterpene synthase Tpn2. Commun Chem 2022; 5:146. [PMID: 36698006 PMCID: PMC9814783 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-022-00765-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A grand challenge in terpene synthase (TS) enzymology is the ability to predict function from protein sequence. Given the limited number of characterized bacterial TSs and significant sequence diversities between them and their eukaryotic counterparts, this is currently impossible. To contribute towards understanding the sequence-structure-function relationships of type II bacterial TSs, we determined the structure of the terpentedienyl diphosphate synthase Tpn2 from Kitasatospora sp. CB02891 by X-ray crystallography and made structure-guided mutants to probe its mechanism. Substitution of a glycine into a basic residue changed the product preference from the clerodane skeleton to a syn-labdane skeleton, resulting in the first syn-labdane identified from a bacterial TS. Understanding how a single residue can dictate the cyclization pattern in Tpn2, along with detailed bioinformatics analysis of bacterial type II TSs, sets the stage for the investigation of the functional scope of bacterial type II TSs and the discovery of novel bacterial terpenoids.
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14
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Ye K, Ai HL. Pimarane Diterpenes from Fungi. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15101291. [PMID: 36297402 PMCID: PMC9609704 DOI: 10.3390/ph15101291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pimarane diterpenes are a kind of tricyclic diterpene, generally isolated from plant and fungi. In nature, fungi distribute widely and there are nearly two to three million species. They provide many secondary metabolites, including pimarane diterpenes, with novel skeletons and bioactivities. These natural products from fungi have the potential to be developed into clinical medicines. Herein, the structures and bioactivities of 197 pimarane diterpenes are summarized and the biosynthesis and pharmacological researches of pimarane diterpenes are introduced. This review may be useful improving the understanding of pimarane diterpenes from fungi.
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15
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REN J, WU Y, ZHU Z, CHEN R, ZHANG L. Biosynthesis and regulation of diterpenoids in medicinal plants. Chin J Nat Med 2022; 20:761-772. [DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(22)60214-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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16
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Hueting DA, Vanga SR, Syrén PO. Thermoadaptation in an Ancestral Diterpene Cyclase by Altered Loop Stability. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:3809-3821. [PMID: 35583961 PMCID: PMC9169049 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c10605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Thermostability is
the key to maintain the structural integrity
and catalytic activity of enzymes in industrial biotechnological processes,
such as terpene cyclase-mediated generation of medicines, chiral synthons,
and fine chemicals. However, affording a large increase in the thermostability
of enzymes through site-directed protein engineering techniques can
constitute a challenge. In this paper, we used ancestral sequence
reconstruction to create a hyperstable variant of the ent-copalyl diphosphate synthase PtmT2, a terpene cyclase involved in
the assembly of antibiotics. Molecular dynamics simulations on the
μs timescale were performed to shed light on possible molecular
mechanisms contributing to activity at an elevated temperature and
the large 40 °C increase in melting temperature observed for
an ancestral variant of PtmT2. In silico analysis
revealed key differences in the flexibility of a loop capping the
active site, between extant and ancestral proteins. For the modern
enzyme, the loop collapses into the active site at elevated temperatures,
thus preventing biocatalysis, whereas the loop remains in a productive
conformation both at ambient and high temperatures in the ancestral
variant. Restoring a Pro loop residue introduced in the ancestral
variant to the corresponding Gly observed in the extant protein led
to reduced catalytic activity at high temperatures, with only moderate
effects on the melting temperature, supporting the importance of the
flexibility of the capping loop in thermoadaptation. Conversely, the
inverse Gly to Pro loop mutation in the modern enzyme resulted in
a 3-fold increase in the catalytic rate. Despite an overall decrease
in maximal activity of ancestor compared to wild type, its increased
thermostability provides a robust backbone amenable for further enzyme
engineering. Our work cements the importance of loops in enzyme catalysis
and provides a molecular mechanism contributing to thermoadaptation
in an ancestral enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Hueting
- School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 114 28, Sweden.,School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 114 28, Sweden
| | - Sudarsana R Vanga
- School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 114 28, Sweden.,School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 114 28, Sweden
| | - Per-Olof Syrén
- School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 114 28, Sweden.,School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 114 28, Sweden
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17
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Abstract
As a midsized gene family conserved more by lineage than function, the typical plant terpene synthases (TPSs) could be a valuable tool to examine plant evolution. TPSs are pivotal in biosynthesis of gibberellins and related phytohormones as well as in formation of the extensive arsenal of specialized plant metabolites mediating ecological interactions whose production is often lineage specific. Yet the origin and early evolution of the TPS family is not well understood. Systematic analysis of an array of transcriptomes and sequenced genomes indicated that the TPS family originated after the divergence of land plants from charophytic algae. Phylogenetic and biochemical analyses support the hypothesis that the ancestral TPS gene encoded a bifunctional class I and II diterpene synthase producing the ent-kaurene required for phytohormone production in all extant lineages of land plants. Moreover, the ancestral TPS gene likely underwent duplication at least twice early in land plant evolution. Together these two gave rise to three TPS lineages leading to the extant TPS-c, TPS-e/f, and the remaining TPS (h/d/a/b/g) subfamilies, with the latter dedicated to secondary rather than primary metabolism while the former two contain those genes involved in ent-kaurene production. Nevertheless, parallel evolution from the ent-kaurene–producing class I and class II diterpene synthases has led to roles for TPS-e/f and -c subfamily members in secondary metabolism as well. These results clarify TPS evolutionary history and provide context for the role of these genes in producing the vast diversity of terpenoid natural products observed today in various land plant lineages.
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18
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Faylo JL, Ronnebaum TA, Christianson DW. Assembly-Line Catalysis in Bifunctional Terpene Synthases. Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:3780-3791. [PMID: 34254507 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The magnificent chemodiversity of more than 95 000 terpenoid natural products identified to date largely originates from catalysis by two types of terpene synthases, prenyltransferases and cyclases. Prenyltransferases utilize 5-carbon building blocks in processive chain elongation reactions to generate linear C5n isoprenoid diphosphates (n ≥ 2), which in turn serve as substrates for terpene cyclases that convert these linear precursors into structurally complex hydrocarbon products containing multiple rings and stereocenters. Terpene cyclization reactions are the most complex organic transformations found in nature in that more than half of the substrate carbon atoms undergo changes in chemical bonding during a multistep reaction sequence proceeding through several carbocation intermediates. Two general classes of cyclases are established on the basis of the chemistry of initial carbocation formation, and structural studies from our laboratory and others show that three fundamental protein folds designated α, β, and γ govern this chemistry. Catalysis by a class I cyclase occurs in an α domain, where a trinuclear metal cluster activates the substrate diphosphate leaving group to generate an allylic cation. Catalysis by a class II cyclase occurs in a β domain or at the interface of β and γ domains, where an aspartic acid protonates the terminal π bond of the substrate to yield a tertiary carbocation. Crystal structures reveal domain architectures of α, αβ, αβγ, βγ, and β.In some terpene synthases, these domains are combined to yield bifunctional enzymes that catalyze successive biosynthetic steps in assembly line fashion. Structurally characterized examples include bacterial geosmin synthase, an αα domain enzyme that catalyzes a class I cyclization reaction of C15 farnesyl diphosphate in one active site and a transannulation-fragmentation reaction in the other to yield C12 geosmin and C3 acetone products. In comparison, plant abietadiene synthase is an αβγ domain enzyme in which C20 geranylgeranyl diphosphate undergoes tandem class II-class I cyclization reactions to yield the tricyclic product. Recent structural studies from our laboratory show that bifunctional fungal cyclases form oligomeric complexes for assembly line catalysis. Bifunctional (+)-copalyl diphosphate synthase adopts (αβγ)6 architecture in which the α domain generates geranylgeranyl diphosphate, which then undergoes class II cyclization in the βγ domains to yield the bicyclic product. Bifunctional fusicoccadiene synthase adopts (αα)6 or (αα)8 architecture in which one α domain generates geranylgeranyl diphosphate, which then undergoes class I cyclization in the other α domain to yield the tricyclic product. The prenyltransferase α domain mediates oligomerization in these systems. Attached by flexible polypeptide linkers, cyclase domains splay out from oligomeric prenyltransferase cores.In this Account, we review structure-function relationships for these bifunctional terpene synthases, with a focus on the oligomeric systems studied in our laboratory. The observation of substrate channeling for fusicoccadiene synthase suggests a model for dynamic cluster channeling in catalysis by oligomeric assembly line terpenoid synthases. Resulting efficiencies in carbon management suggest that such systems could be particularly attractive for use in synthetic biology approaches to generate high-value terpenoid natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacque L. Faylo
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
| | - Trey A. Ronnebaum
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
| | - David W. Christianson
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
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Xing B, Yu J, Chi C, Ma X, Xu Q, Li A, Ge Y, Wang Z, Liu T, Jia H, Yin F, Guo J, Huang L, Yang D, Ma M. Functional characterization and structural bases of two class I diterpene synthases in pimarane-type diterpene biosynthesis. Commun Chem 2021; 4:140. [PMID: 36697656 PMCID: PMC9814573 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-021-00578-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Pimarane-type diterpenoids are widely distributed in all domains of life, but no structures or catalytic mechanisms of pimarane-type diterpene synthases (DTSs) have been characterized. Here, we report that two class I DTSs, Sat1646 and Stt4548, each accept copalyl diphosphate (CPP) as the substrate to produce isopimara-8,15-diene (1). Sat1646 can also accept syn-CPP and produce syn-isopimaradiene/pimaradiene analogues (2-7), among which 2 possesses a previously unreported "6/6/7" ring skeleton. We solve the crystal structures of Sat1646, Sat1646 complexed with magnesium ions, and Stt4548, thereby revealing the active sites of these pimarane-type DTSs. Substrate modeling and subsequent site-directed mutagenesis experiments demonstrate different structural bases of Sat1646 and Stt4548 for 1 production. Comparisons with previously reported DTSs reveal their distinct carbocation intermediate stabilization mechanisms, which control the conversion of a single substrate CPP into structurally diverse diterpene products. These results illustrate the structural bases for enzymatic catalyses of pimarane-type DTSs, potentially facilitating future DTS engineering and combinatorial biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baiying Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jiahui Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Changbiao Chi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xueyang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Qingxia Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Annan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Yuanjie Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Zhengdong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Tan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Hongli Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Fuling Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Juan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Luqi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Donghui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Ming Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.
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20
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Gao K, Zha WL, Zhu JX, Zheng C, Zi JC. A review: biosynthesis of plant-derived labdane-related diterpenoids. Chin J Nat Med 2021; 19:666-674. [PMID: 34561077 DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(21)60100-0] [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: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Plant-derived labdane-related diterpenoids (LRDs) represent a large group of terpenoids. LRDs possess either a labdane-type bicyclic core structure or more complex ring systems derived from labdane-type skeletons, such as abietane, pimarane, kaurane, etc. Due to their various pharmaceutical activities and unique properties, many of LRDs have been widely used in pharmaceutical, food and perfume industries. Biosynthesis of various LRDs has been extensively studied, leading to characterization of a large number of new biosynthetic enzymes. The biosynthetic pathways of important LRDs and the relevant enzymes (especially diterpene synthases and cytochrome P450 enzymes) were summarized in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Gao
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Wen-Long Zha
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jian-Xun Zhu
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Cheng Zheng
- Zhejiang Institute for Food and Drug Control, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310052, China.
| | - Jia-Chen Zi
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
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21
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Kumar A, Srivastava P, Srivastava G, Sandeep, Kumar N, Chanotiya CS, Ghosh S. BAHD acetyltransferase contributes to wound-induced biosynthesis of oleo-gum resin triterpenes in Boswellia. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 107:1403-1419. [PMID: 34165841 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Triterpenes (30-carbon isoprene compounds) represent a large and highly diverse class of natural products that play various physiological functions in plants. The triterpene biosynthetic enzymes, particularly those catalyzing the late-stage regio-selective modifications are not well characterized. The bark of select Boswellia trees, e.g., B. serrata exudes specialized oleo-gum resin in response to wounding, which is enriched with boswellic acids (BAs), a unique class of C3α-epimeric pentacyclic triterpenes with medicinal properties. The bark possesses a network of resin secretory structures comprised of vertical and horizontal resin canals, and amount of BAs in bark increases considerably in response to wounding. To investigate BA biosynthetic enzymes, we conducted tissue-specific transcriptome profiling and identified a wound-responsive BAHD acetyltransferase (BsAT1) of B. serrata catalyzing the late-stage C3α-O-acetylation reactions in the BA biosynthetic pathway. BsAT1 catalyzed C3α-O-acetylation of αBA, βBA, and 11-keto-βBA in vitro and in planta assays to produce all the major C3α-O-acetyl-BAs (3-acetyl-αBA, 3-acetyl-βBA, and 3-acetyl-11-keto-βBA) found in B. serrata bark and oleo-gum resin. BsAT1 showed strict specificity for BA scaffold, whereas it did not acetylate the more common C3β-epimeric pentacyclic triterpenes. The analysis of steady-state kinetics using various BAs revealed distinct substrate affinity and catalytic efficiency. BsAT1 transcript expression coincides with increased levels of C3α-O-acetyl-BAs in bark in response to wounding, suggesting a role of BsAT1 in wound-induced biosynthesis of C3α-O-acetyl-BAs. Overall, the results provide new insights into the biosynthesis of principal chemical constituents of Boswellia oleo-gum resin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aashish Kumar
- Plant Biotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India
| | - Payal Srivastava
- Plant Biotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Gaurav Srivastava
- Plant Biotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India
| | - Sandeep
- Plant Biotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India
| | - Narendra Kumar
- Plant Breeding and Genetic Resource Conservation Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India
| | - Chandan S Chanotiya
- Phytochemistry Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India
| | - Sumit Ghosh
- Plant Biotechnology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
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22
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Ashaari NS, Ab Rahim MH, Sabri S, Lai KS, Song AAL, Abdul Rahim R, Ong Abdullah J. Kinetic studies and homology modeling of a dual-substrate linalool/nerolidol synthase from Plectranthus amboinicus. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17094. [PMID: 34429465 PMCID: PMC8385045 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96524-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Linalool and nerolidol are terpene alcohols that occur naturally in many aromatic plants and are commonly used in food and cosmetic industries as flavors and fragrances. In plants, linalool and nerolidol are biosynthesized as a result of respective linalool synthase and nerolidol synthase, or a single linalool/nerolidol synthase. In our previous work, we have isolated a linalool/nerolidol synthase (designated as PamTps1) from a local herbal plant, Plectranthus amboinicus, and successfully demonstrated the production of linalool and nerolidol in an Escherichia coli system. In this work, the biochemical properties of PamTps1 were analyzed, and its 3D homology model with the docking positions of its substrates, geranyl pyrophosphate (C10) and farnesyl pyrophosphate (C15) in the active site were constructed. PamTps1 exhibited the highest enzymatic activity at an optimal pH and temperature of 6.5 and 30 °C, respectively, and in the presence of 20 mM magnesium as a cofactor. The Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) and catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) values of 16.72 ± 1.32 µM and 9.57 × 10-3 µM-1 s-1, respectively, showed that PamTps1 had a higher binding affinity and specificity for GPP instead of FPP as expected for a monoterpene synthase. The PamTps1 exhibits feature of a class I terpene synthase fold that made up of α-helices architecture with N-terminal domain and catalytic C-terminal domain. Nine aromatic residues (W268, Y272, Y299, F371, Y378, Y379, F447, Y517 and Y523) outlined the hydrophobic walls of the active site cavity, whilst residues from the RRx8W motif, RxR motif, H-α1 and J-K loops formed the active site lid that shielded the highly reactive carbocationic intermediates from the solvents. The dual substrates use by PamTps1 was hypothesized to be possible due to the architecture and residues lining the catalytic site that can accommodate larger substrate (FPP) as demonstrated by the protein modelling and docking analysis. This model serves as a first glimpse into the structural insights of the PamTps1 catalytic active site as a multi-substrate linalool/nerolidol synthase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Suhanawati Ashaari
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Hairul Ab Rahim
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Industrial Biotechnology, Faculty of Industrial Sciences and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, 26300, Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
| | - Suriana Sabri
- Enzyme and Microbial Technology Research Center, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Kok Song Lai
- Health Sciences Division, Abu Dhabi Women's College, Higher Colleges of Technology, 41012, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Adelene Ai-Lian Song
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Raha Abdul Rahim
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Janna Ong Abdullah
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
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23
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Huang ZY, Ye RY, Yu HL, Li AT, Xu JH. Mining methods and typical structural mechanisms of terpene cyclases. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2021; 8:66. [PMID: 38650244 PMCID: PMC10992375 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-021-00421-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Terpenoids, formed by cyclization and/or permutation of isoprenes, are the most diverse and abundant class of natural products with a broad range of significant functions. One family of the critical enzymes involved in terpenoid biosynthesis is terpene cyclases (TCs), also known as terpene synthases (TSs), which are responsible for forming the ring structure as a backbone of functionally diverse terpenoids. With the recent advances in biotechnology, the researches on terpene cyclases have gradually shifted from the genomic mining of novel enzyme resources to the analysis of their structures and mechanisms. In this review, we summarize both the new methods for genomic mining and the structural mechanisms of some typical terpene cyclases, which are helpful for the discovery, engineering and application of more and new TCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng-Yu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Ru-Yi Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Hui-Lei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Ai-Tao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Jian-He Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
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24
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Ma LT, Wang CH, Hon CY, Lee YR, Chu FH. Discovery and characterization of diterpene synthases in Chamaecyparis formosensis Matsum. which participated in an unprecedented diterpenoid biosynthesis route in conifer. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 304:110790. [PMID: 33568294 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2020.110790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Chamaecyparis formosensis Matsum. is an endemic and precious coniferous species of Taiwan, and is known for a high abundance of specialized metabolites, which contributes to the excellent timber durability. Several terpenoids were identified and isolated from C. formosensis wood and needles, and exhibit anti-fungal and anti-bacterial bioactivities, which may participate in plant defense against pathogens. In various identified compounds, not only cadinene and ferruginol, were identified in C. formosensis extracts but also unique diterpenoids, which include pisferal, totarol, and derivates of isoabienol. To understand the biosynthesis of these specific diterpenoids, we conducted a series of functional characterization of the C. formosensis diterpene synthases (CfdiTPSs), which participate in skeleton formation and differentiation of diterpenes. In this study, we identified eight diTPSs from C. formosensis transcriptome, and they all contain either class I or class II motif, which indicates they are all monofunctional enzymes. These candidates consist of three class II diTPSs and five class I diTPSs, and after conducting in vivo and in vitro assays, class II diTPS CfCPS1 was characterized as a (+)-copalyl diphosphate synthase ((+)-CPS), and class I diTPSs CfKSL1 could further convert (+)-copalyl diphosphate ((+)-CPP) to levopimaradiene. Meanwhile, CfKSL1 also accepted labda-13-en-8-ol diphosphate (LPP) as substrate and formed monoyl oxide. Another class I diTPS, CfKSL4, exhibits a strong enzymatic ability of isoabienol synthase, which is firstly reported in conifer. This finding provides potential participants in the biosynthesis of unique diterpenoids, and with this knowledge, we can further expand our understanding of diterpenoid metabolism in Cupressaceae and their potential role in plant defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ting Ma
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chang-Hsin Wang
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chong-Yao Hon
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ru Lee
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Fang-Hua Chu
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.
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Chen CC, Malwal SR, Han X, Liu W, Ma L, Zhai C, Dai L, Huang JW, Shillo A, Desai J, Ma X, Zhang Y, Guo RT, Oldfield E. Terpene Cyclases and Prenyltransferases: Structures and Mechanisms of Action. ACS Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c04710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Chi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Satish R. Malwal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Xu Han
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Weidong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Lixin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Chao Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Longhai Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Jian-Wen Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Alli Shillo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Janish Desai
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Xianqiang Ma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Joint Graduate Program of Peking-Tsinghua-NIBS, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Yonghui Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Joint Graduate Program of Peking-Tsinghua-NIBS, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Rey-Ting Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Eric Oldfield
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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Zhang Y, Prach LM, O'Brien TE, DiMaio F, Prigozhin DM, Corn JE, Alber T, Siegel JB, Tantillo DJ. Crystal Structure and Mechanistic Molecular Modeling Studies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Diterpene Cyclase Rv3377c. Biochemistry 2020; 59:4507-4515. [PMID: 33182997 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Terpenes make up the largest class of natural products, with extensive chemical and structural diversity. Diterpenes, mostly isolated from plants and rarely prokaryotes, exhibit a variety of important biological activities and valuable applications, including providing antitumor and antibiotic pharmaceuticals. These natural products are constructed by terpene synthases, a class of enzymes that catalyze one of the most complex chemical reactions in biology: converting simple acyclic oligo-isoprenyl diphosphate substrates to complex polycyclic products via carbocation intermediates. Here we obtained the second ever crystal structure of a class II diterpene synthase from bacteria, tuberculosinol pyrophosphate synthase (i.e., Halimadienyl diphosphate synthase, MtHPS, or Rv3377c) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). This enzyme transforms (E,E,E)-geranylgeranyl diphosphate into tuberculosinol pyrophosphate (Halimadienyl diphosphate). Rv3377c is part of the Mtb diterpene pathway along with Rv3378c, which converts tuberculosinol pyrophosphate to 1-tuberculosinyl adenosine (1-TbAd). This pathway was shown to exist only in virulent Mycobacterium species, but not in closely related avirulent species, and was proposed to be involved in phagolysosome maturation arrest. To gain further insight into the reaction pathway and the mechanistically relevant enzyme substrate binding orientation, electronic structure calculation and docking studies of reaction intermediates were carried out. Results reveal a plausible binding mode of the substrate that can provide the information to guide future drug design and anti-infective therapies of this biosynthetic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Lisa M Prach
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Terrence E O'Brien
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Frank DiMaio
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Daniil M Prigozhin
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Jacob E Corn
- Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tom Alber
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and QB3 Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Justin B Siegel
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States.,Genome Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Dean J Tantillo
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
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27
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Foti V, Araniti F, Manti F, Alicandri E, Giuffrè AM, Bonsignore CP, Castiglione E, Sorgonà A, Covino S, Paolacci AR, Ciaffi M, Badiani M. Profiling Volatile Terpenoids from Calabrian Pine Stands Infested by the Pine Processionary Moth. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9101362. [PMID: 33066541 PMCID: PMC7602161 DOI: 10.3390/plants9101362] [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: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Terpenoids make up the biggest and most diversified class of chemical substances discovered in plants, encompassing over 40,000 individual compounds. In conifers, the production of terpenoids, either as oleoresin or emitted as volatile compounds, play an important role in the physical and chemical defence responses against pathogens and herbivores. In the present work, we examined, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, the terpenic defensive relations of Calabrian pine (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poiret) Maire), facing the attack of the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis and Schiffermüller, 1775)), brought about in the open on adult plant individuals growing at two distinct forest sites. Among the volatile terpenoids emitted from pine needles, bornyl acetate [(4,7,7-trimethyl-3-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptanyl) acetate] was the most frequently and selectively associated with the infestation, increasing during the period of most intense trophic activity of the caterpillars (defoliation), and decreasing thereafter. Although further work is needed to clarify whether the observed response reflects defence reactions and/or they are involved in communication among the infested plants and their biotic environment, the present results boost the currently growing interest in the isolation and characterization of plant secondary metabolites that can be used to control pests, pathogens, and weeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenza Foti
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Loc. Feo di Vito, I-89129 Reggio Calabria, Italy; (V.F.); (F.A.); (E.A.); (A.M.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Fabrizio Araniti
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Loc. Feo di Vito, I-89129 Reggio Calabria, Italy; (V.F.); (F.A.); (E.A.); (A.M.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Francesco Manti
- Dipartimento di Patrimonio, Architettura e Urbanistica, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Salita Melissari, I-89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy; (F.M.); (C.P.B.); (E.C.)
| | - Enrica Alicandri
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Loc. Feo di Vito, I-89129 Reggio Calabria, Italy; (V.F.); (F.A.); (E.A.); (A.M.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Angelo Maria Giuffrè
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Loc. Feo di Vito, I-89129 Reggio Calabria, Italy; (V.F.); (F.A.); (E.A.); (A.M.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Carmelo Peter Bonsignore
- Dipartimento di Patrimonio, Architettura e Urbanistica, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Salita Melissari, I-89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy; (F.M.); (C.P.B.); (E.C.)
| | - Elvira Castiglione
- Dipartimento di Patrimonio, Architettura e Urbanistica, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Salita Melissari, I-89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy; (F.M.); (C.P.B.); (E.C.)
| | - Agostino Sorgonà
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Loc. Feo di Vito, I-89129 Reggio Calabria, Italy; (V.F.); (F.A.); (E.A.); (A.M.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Stefano Covino
- Dipartimento per la Innovazione nei Sistemi Biologici, Agroalimentari e Forestali, Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo De Lellis, s.n.c, I-01100 Viterbo, Italy; (S.C.); (A.R.P.); (M.C.)
| | - Anna Rita Paolacci
- Dipartimento per la Innovazione nei Sistemi Biologici, Agroalimentari e Forestali, Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo De Lellis, s.n.c, I-01100 Viterbo, Italy; (S.C.); (A.R.P.); (M.C.)
| | - Mario Ciaffi
- Dipartimento per la Innovazione nei Sistemi Biologici, Agroalimentari e Forestali, Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo De Lellis, s.n.c, I-01100 Viterbo, Italy; (S.C.); (A.R.P.); (M.C.)
| | - Maurizio Badiani
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Loc. Feo di Vito, I-89129 Reggio Calabria, Italy; (V.F.); (F.A.); (E.A.); (A.M.G.); (A.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0965-169-4352; Fax: +39-0965-169-4550
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Exploring the catalytic cascade of cembranoid biosynthesis by combination of genetic engineering and molecular simulations. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:1819-1829. [PMID: 32695274 PMCID: PMC7365961 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
While chemical steps involved in bioactive cembranoid biosynthesis have been examined, the corresponding enzymatic mechanisms leading to their formation remain elusive. In the tobacco plant, Nicotiana tabacum, a putative cembratriene-ol synthase (CBTS) initiates the catalytic cascade that lead to the biosynthesis of cembratriene-4,6-diols, which displays antibacterial- and anti-proliferative activities. We report here on structural homology models, functional studies, and mechanistic explorations of this enzyme using a combination of biosynthetic and computational methods. This approach guided us to develop an efficient de novo production of five bioactive non- and monohydroxylated cembranoids. Our homology models in combination with quantum and classical simulations suggested putative principles of the CBTS catalytic cycle, and provided a possible rationale for the formation of premature olefinic side products. Moreover, the functional reconstruction of a N. tabacum-derived class II P450 with a cognate CPR, obtained by transcriptome mining provided for production of bioactive cembratriene-4,6-diols. Our combined findings provide mechanistic insights into cembranoid biosynthesis, and a basis for the sustainable industrial production of highly valuable bioactive cembranoids.
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29
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Zhou F, Pichersky E. More is better: the diversity of terpene metabolism in plants. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2020; 55:1-10. [PMID: 32088555 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
All plants synthesize a diverse array of terpenoid metabolites. Some are common to all, but many are synthesized only in specific taxa and presumably evolved as adaptations to specific ecological conditions. While the basic terpenoid biosynthetic pathways are common in all plants, recent discoveries have revealed many variations in the way plants synthesized specific terpenes. A major theme is the much greater number of substrates that can be used by enzymes belonging to the terpene synthase (TPS) family. Other recent discoveries include non-TPS enzymes that catalyze the formation of terpenes, and novel transport mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Zhou
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Eran Pichersky
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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30
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Rudolf JD, Chang CY. Terpene synthases in disguise: enzymology, structure, and opportunities of non-canonical terpene synthases. Nat Prod Rep 2020; 37:425-463. [PMID: 31650156 PMCID: PMC7101268 DOI: 10.1039/c9np00051h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to July 2019 Terpene synthases (TSs) are responsible for generating much of the structural diversity found in the superfamily of terpenoid natural products. These elegant enzymes mediate complex carbocation-based cyclization and rearrangement cascades with a variety of electron-rich linear and cyclic substrates. For decades, two main classes of TSs, divided by how they generate the reaction-triggering initial carbocation, have dominated the field of terpene enzymology. Recently, several novel and unconventional TSs that perform TS-like reactions but do not resemble canonical TSs in sequence or structure have been discovered. In this review, we identify 12 families of non-canonical TSs and examine their sequences, structures, functions, and proposed mechanisms. Nature provides a wide diversity of enzymes, including prenyltransferases, methyltransferases, P450s, and NAD+-dependent dehydrogenases, as well as completely new enzymes, that utilize distinctive reaction mechanisms for TS chemistry. These unique non-canonical TSs provide immense opportunities to understand how nature evolved different tools for terpene biosynthesis by structural and mechanistic characterization while affording new probes for the discovery of novel terpenoid natural products and gene clusters via genome mining. With every new discovery, the dualistic paradigm of TSs is contradicted and the field of terpene chemistry and enzymology continues to expand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Rudolf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.
| | - Chin-Yuan Chang
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan, Republic of China
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31
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On the Evolution and Functional Diversity of Terpene Synthases in the Pinus Species: A Review. J Mol Evol 2020; 88:253-283. [PMID: 32036402 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-020-09930-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
In the biosynthesis of terpenoids, the ample catalytic versatility of terpene synthases (TPS) allows the formation of thousands of different molecules. A steadily increasing number of sequenced plant genomes invariably show that the TPS gene family is medium to large in size, comprising from 30 to 100 functional members. In conifers, TPSs belonging to the gymnosperm-specific TPS-d subfamily produce a complex mixture of mono-, sesqui-, and diterpenoid specialized metabolites, which are found in volatile emissions and oleoresin secretions. Such substances are involved in the defence against pathogens and herbivores and can help to protect against abiotic stress. Oleoresin terpenoids can be also profitably used in a number of different fields, from traditional and modern medicine to fine chemicals, fragrances, and flavours, and, in the last years, in biorefinery too. In the present work, after summarizing the current views on the biosynthesis and biological functions of terpenoids, recent advances on the evolution and functional diversification of plant TPSs are reviewed, with a focus on gymnosperms. In such context, an extensive characterization and phylogeny of all the known TPSs from different Pinus species is reported, which, for such genus, can be seen as the first effort to explore the evolutionary history of the large family of TPS genes involved in specialized metabolism. Finally, an approach is described in which the phylogeny of TPSs in Pinus spp. has been exploited to isolate for the first time mono-TPS sequences from Pinus nigra subsp. laricio, an ecologically important endemic pine in the Mediterranean area.
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32
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Ronnebaum TA, Gupta K, Christianson DW. Higher-order oligomerization of a chimeric αβγ bifunctional diterpene synthase with prenyltransferase and class II cyclase activities is concentration-dependent. J Struct Biol 2020; 210:107463. [PMID: 31978464 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2020.107463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The unusual diterpene (C20) synthase copalyl diphosphate synthase from Penicillium verruculosum (PvCPS) is the first bifunctional terpene synthase identified with both prenyltransferase and class II cyclase activities in a single polypeptide chain with αβγ domain architecture. The C-terminal prenyltransferase α domain generates geranylgeranyl diphosphate which is then cyclized to form copalyl diphosphate at the N-terminal βγ domain interface. We now demonstrate that PvCPS exists as a hexamer at high concentrations - a unique quaternary structure for known αβγ terpene synthases. Hexamer assembly is corroborated by a 2.41 Å-resolution crystal structure of the α domain prenyltransferase obtained from limited proteolysis of full-length PvCPS, as well as the ab initio model of full-length PvCPS derived from small-angle X-ray scattering data. Hexamerization of the prenyltransferase α domain appears to drive the hexamerization of full-length PvCPS. The PvCPS hexamer dissociates into lower-order species at lower concentrations, as evidenced by size-exclusion chromatography in-line with multiangle light scattering, sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation, and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis experiments, suggesting that oligomerization is concentration dependent. Even so, PvCPS oligomer assembly does not affect prenyltransferase activity in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trey A Ronnebaum
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6323, USA
| | - Kushol Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David W Christianson
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6323, USA.
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Celedon JM, Bohlmann J. Oleoresin defenses in conifers: chemical diversity, terpene synthases and limitations of oleoresin defense under climate change. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 224:1444-1463. [PMID: 31179548 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Conifers have evolved complex oleoresin terpene defenses against herbivores and pathogens. In co-evolved bark beetles, conifer terpenes also serve chemo-ecological functions as pheromone precursors, chemical barcodes for host identification, or nutrients for insect-associated microbiomes. We highlight the genomic, molecular and biochemical underpinnings of the large chemical space of conifer oleoresin terpenes and volatiles. Conifer terpenes are predominantly the products of the conifer terpene synthase (TPS) gene family. Terpene diversity is increased by cytochromes P450 of the CYP720B class. Many conifer TPS are multiproduct enzymes. Multisubstrate CYP720B enzymes catalyse multistep oxidations. We summarise known terpenoid gene functions in various different conifer species with reference to the annotated terpenoid gene space in a spruce genome. Overall, biosynthesis of terpene diversity in conifers is achieved through a system of biochemical radiation and metabolic grids. Expression of TPS and CYP720B genes can be specific to individual cell types of constitutive or traumatic resin duct systems. Induced terpenoid transcriptomes in resin duct cells lead to dynamic changes of terpene composition and quantity to fend off herbivores and pathogens. While terpenoid defenses have contributed much to the evolutionary success of conifers, under new conditions of climate change, these defences may become inconsequential against range-expanding forest pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose M Celedon
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, 301-2185 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Jörg Bohlmann
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, 301-2185 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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34
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Ma LT, Lee YR, Tsao NW, Wang SY, Zerbe P, Chu FH. Biochemical characterization of diterpene synthases of Taiwania cryptomerioides expands the known functional space of specialized diterpene metabolism in gymnosperms. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 100:1254-1272. [PMID: 31448467 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Taiwania cryptomerioides is a monotypic gymnosperm species, valued for the high decay resistance of its wood. This durability has been attributed to the abundance of terpenoids, especially the major diterpenoid metabolite ferruginol, with antifungal and antitermite activity. Specialized diterpenoid metabolism in gymnosperms primarily recruits bifunctional class-I/II diterpene synthases (diTPSs), whereas monofunctional class-II and class-I enzymes operate in angiosperms. In this study, we identified a previously unrecognized group of monofunctional diTPSs in T. cryptomerioides, which suggests a distinct evolutionary divergence of the diTPS family in this species. Specifically, five monofunctional diTPS functions not previously observed in gymnosperms were characterized, including monofunctional class-II enzymes forming labda-13-en-8-ol diphosphate (LPP, TcCPS2) and (+)-copalyl diphosphate (CPP, TcCPS4), and three class-I diTPSs producing biformene (TcKSL1), levopimaradiene (TcKSL3) and phyllocladanol (TcKSL5), respectively. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) elicited the accumulation of levopimaradiene and the corresponding biosynthetic diTPS genes, TcCPS4 and TcKSL3, is consistent with a possible role in plant defense. Furthermore, TcCPS4 and TcKSL3 are likely to contribute to abietatriene biosynthesis via levopimaradiene as an intermediate in ferruginol biosynthesis in Taiwania. In conclusion, this study provides deeper insight into the functional landscape and molecular evolution of specialized diterpenoid metabolism in gymnosperms as a basis to better understand the role of these metabolites in tree chemical defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ting Ma
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ru Lee
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Nai-Wen Tsao
- Department of Forestry, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Yang Wang
- Department of Forestry, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan
| | - Philipp Zerbe
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Fang-Hua Chu
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
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Jia M, Zhang Y, Siegel JB, Tantillo DJ, Peters RJ. Switching on a Nontraditional Enzymatic Base - Deprotonation by Serine in the ent-Kaurene Synthase from Bradyrhizobium japonicum. ACS Catal 2019; 9:8867-8871. [PMID: 32489716 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.9b02783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Terpene synthases often catalyze complex carbocation cascade reactions. It has been previously shown that single residue switches involving replacement of a key aliphatic residue with serine or threonine can "short-circuit" such reactions, presumed to act indirectly via dipole stabilization of intermediate carbocations. Here a similar switch was found in the structurally characterized ent-kaurene synthase from Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Application of a recently developed computational approach to terpene synthases, TerDockin, surprisingly indicates direct action of the introduced serine hydroxyl as a catalytic base. Notably, this model suggests alternative interpretation of previous results, and potential routes towards reengineering terpene synthase activity more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meirong Jia
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Justin B. Siegel
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
- Genome Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Dean J. Tantillo
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Reuben J. Peters
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
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36
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Conserved bases for the initial cyclase in gibberellin biosynthesis: from bacteria to plants. Biochem J 2019; 476:2607-2621. [PMID: 31484677 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20190479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
All land plants contain at least one class II diterpene cyclase (DTC), which utilize an acid-base catalytic mechanism, for the requisite production of ent-copalyl diphosphate (ent-CPP) in gibberellin A (GA) phytohormone biosynthesis. These ent-CPP synthases (CPSs) are hypothesized to be derived from ancient bacterial origins and, in turn, to have given rise to the frequently observed additional DTCs utilized in more specialized plant metabolism. However, such gene duplication and neo-functionalization has occurred repeatedly, reducing the utility of phylogenetic analyses. Support for evolutionary scenarios can be found in more specific conservation of key enzymatic features. While DTCs generally utilize a DxDD motif as the catalytic acid, the identity of the catalytic base seems to vary depending, at least in part, on product outcome. The CPS from Arabidopsis thaliana has been found to utilize a histidine-asparagine dyad to ligate a water molecule that serves as the catalytic base, with alanine substitution leading to the production of 8β-hydroxy-ent-CPP. Here this dyad and effect of Ala substitution is shown to be specifically conserved in plant CPSs involved in GA biosynthesis, providing insight into plant DTC evolution and assisting functional assignment. Even more strikingly, while GA biosynthesis arose independently in plant-associated bacteria and fungi, the catalytic base dyad also is specifically found in the relevant bacterial, but not fungal, CPSs. This suggests functional conservation of CPSs from bacteria to plants, presumably reflecting an early role for derived diterpenoids in both plant development and plant-microbe interactions, eventually leading to GA, and a speculative evolutionary scenario is presented.
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Jin B, Guo J, Tang J, Tong Y, Ma Y, Chen T, Wang Y, Shen Y, Zhao Y, Lai C, Cui G, Huang L. An alternative splicing alters the product outcome of a class I terpene synthase in Isodon rubescens. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 512:310-313. [PMID: 30890335 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.03.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The labdane-related diterpenoids are an important superfamily of natural products. Their structural diversity mainly depends on diterpene synthases, which generate the hydrocarbon skeletal structures. Isodon rubescens contains an expanded family of class I terpene synthases with different functions. Here we report a novel class I terpene synthase cDNA (IrKSL3a) with loss of 18 nucleotides compared with the reported cDNA sequence (IrKSL3). Inspection of IrKSL3 genomic sequence indicated that IrKSL3a and IrKSL3 transcripts may be generated by an alternative splicing event that utilizes different 3' splice site. In vitro assays showed that IrKSL3a produced isopimaradiene and miltiradiene, while IrKSL3 only produced miltiradiene. Protein sequence alignment found the six residues encoded by the alternative exon was unique to IrKSL3, which are 17 residues away from the conserved DDXXD motif. A deletion mutant of IrKSL3 showed that maintaining two residues within the six-amino acid is sufficient for miltiradiene production, while the other mutants lost nearly all enzymatic function. Our results illustrated how product outcomes can be changed by alternative splicing, and further gave an interesting example for studying the loop conformation in tuning product outcome in class I terpene synthase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baolong Jin
- College of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430065, China; State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Juan Guo
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Jinfu Tang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Yuru Tong
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Ying Ma
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Tong Chen
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Yanan Wang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Ye Shen
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Yujun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Changjiangsheng Lai
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Guanghong Cui
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Luqi Huang
- College of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430065, China; State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
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Karunanithi PS, Zerbe P. Terpene Synthases as Metabolic Gatekeepers in the Evolution of Plant Terpenoid Chemical Diversity. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:1166. [PMID: 31632418 PMCID: PMC6779861 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Terpenoids comprise tens of thousands of small molecule natural products that are widely distributed across all domains of life. Plants produce by far the largest array of terpenoids with various roles in development and chemical ecology. Driven by selective pressure to adapt to their specific ecological niche, individual species form only a fraction of the myriad plant terpenoids, typically representing unique metabolite blends. Terpene synthase (TPS) enzymes are the gatekeepers in generating terpenoid diversity by catalyzing complex carbocation-driven cyclization, rearrangement, and elimination reactions that enable the transformation of a few acyclic prenyl diphosphate substrates into a vast chemical library of hydrocarbon and, for a few enzymes, oxygenated terpene scaffolds. The seven currently defined clades (a-h) forming the plant TPS family evolved from ancestral triterpene synthase- and prenyl transferase-type enzymes through repeated events of gene duplication and subsequent loss, gain, or fusion of protein domains and further functional diversification. Lineage-specific expansion of these TPS clades led to variable family sizes that may range from a single TPS gene to families of more than 100 members that may further function as part of modular metabolic networks to maximize the number of possible products. Accompanying gene family expansion, the TPS family shows a profound functional plasticity, where minor active site alterations can dramatically impact product outcome, thus enabling the emergence of new functions with minimal investment in evolving new enzymes. This article reviews current knowledge on the functional diversity and molecular evolution of the plant TPS family that underlies the chemical diversity of bioactive terpenoids across the plant kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prema S Karunanithi
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Philipp Zerbe
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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Guzmán-Chávez F, Zwahlen RD, Bovenberg RAL, Driessen AJM. Engineering of the Filamentous Fungus Penicillium chrysogenum as Cell Factory for Natural Products. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2768. [PMID: 30524395 PMCID: PMC6262359 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Penicillium chrysogenum (renamed P. rubens) is the most studied member of a family of more than 350 Penicillium species that constitute the genus. Since the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming, this filamentous fungus is used as a commercial β-lactam antibiotic producer. For several decades, P. chrysogenum was subjected to a classical strain improvement (CSI) program to increase penicillin titers. This resulted in a massive increase in the penicillin production capacity, paralleled by the silencing of several other biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), causing a reduction in the production of a broad range of BGC encoded natural products (NPs). Several approaches have been used to restore the ability of the penicillin production strains to synthetize the NPs lost during the CSI. Here, we summarize various re-activation mechanisms of BGCs, and how interference with regulation can be used as a strategy to activate or silence BGCs in filamentous fungi. To further emphasize the versatility of P. chrysogenum as a fungal production platform for NPs with potential commercial value, protein engineering of biosynthetic enzymes is discussed as a tool to develop de novo BGC pathways for new NPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Guzmán-Chávez
- Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.,Synthetic Biology and Cell Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Reto D Zwahlen
- Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.,Synthetic Biology and Cell Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Roel A L Bovenberg
- Synthetic Biology and Cell Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.,DSM Biotechnology Centre, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Arnold J M Driessen
- Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.,Synthetic Biology and Cell Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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40
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Formighieri C, Melis A. Cyanobacterial production of plant essential oils. PLANTA 2018; 248:933-946. [PMID: 29974209 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-018-2948-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Synechocystis (a cyanobacterium) was employed as an alternative host for the production of plant essential oil constituents. β-Phellandrene synthase (PHLS) genes from different plants, when expressed in Synechocystis, enabled synthesis of variable monoterpene hydrocarbon blends, converting Synechocystis into a cell factory that photosynthesized and released useful products. Monoterpene synthases are secondary metabolism enzymes that catalyze the generation of essential oil constituents in terrestrial plants. Essential oils, including monoterpene hydrocarbons, are of interest for their commercial application and value. Therefore, heterologous expression of monoterpene synthases for high-capacity essential oil production in photosynthetic microorganism transformants is of current interest. In the present work, the cyanobacterium Synechocystsis PCC 6803 was employed as an alternative host for the production of plant essential oil constituents. As a case study, β-phellandrene synthase (PHLS) genes from different plants were heterologously expressed in Synechocystis. Genomic integration of individual PHLS-encoding sequences endowed Synechocystis with constitutive monoterpene hydrocarbons generation, occurring concomitant with photosynthesis and cell growth. Specifically, the β-phellandrene synthase from Lavandula angustifolia (lavender), Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), Pinus banksiana (pine), Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce) and Abies grandis (grand fir) were active in Synechocystis transformants but, instead of a single product, they generated a blend of terpene hydrocarbons comprising β-phellandrene, α-phellandrene, β-myrcene, β-pinene, and δ-carene with variable percentage ratios ranging from < 10 to > 90% in different product combinations and proportions. Our results suggested that PHLS enzyme conformation and function depends on the cytosolic environment in which they reside, with the biochemical properties of the latter causing catalytic deviations from the products naturally observed in the corresponding gene-encoding plants, giving rise to the terpene hydrocarbon blends described in this work. These findings may have commercial application in the generation of designer essential oil blends and will further assist the development of heterologous cyanobacterial platforms for the generation of desired monoterpene hydrocarbon products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Formighieri
- Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3102, USA
| | - Anastasios Melis
- Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3102, USA.
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41
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Liu T, Zhang C, Lu W. Heterologous production of levopimaric acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Microb Cell Fact 2018; 17:114. [PMID: 30021574 PMCID: PMC6050663 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-018-0964-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Levopimaric acid (LA), a type of diterpene resin acid produced by plants, is a significant industrial intermediate that is mainly produced via phytoextraction. This work aimed to apply synthetic biology to produce LA in yeast strains from a simple carbon source. Results Levopimaradiene (LP), the precursor of LA, was produced via LP synthase (LPS) expression in yeast. LPS was then modified by N-terminal truncating and site-directed mutagenesis. The strain containing t79LPSMM (79 N-terminal amino acid truncating and M593I/Y700F mutation) produced 6.92 mg/L of LP, which were 23-fold higher than the strain containing LPS. Next, t79LPSMM was expressed in a new metabolically engineered chassis, and the final LP production increased 164-folds to 49.21 mg/L. Three cytochrome P450 reductases (CPRs) were co-expressed with CYP720B1 (the enzyme responsible for LA production from LP) in yeast to evaluate their LA producing abilities, and the CPR from Taxus cuspidata (TcCPR) was found to be the best (achieved 23.13 mg/L of LA production). CYP720B1 and TcCPR genes overexpression in the multi-copy site of the S.cerevisiae genome led to a 1.9-fold increase in LA production to 45.24 mg/L in a shake-flask culture. Finally, LA production was improved to 400.31 mg/L via fed-batch fermentation in a 5-L bioreactor. Conclusions This is the first report to produce LA in a yeast cell factory and the highest titer of LA is achieved. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12934-018-0964-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuanbo Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenyu Lu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People's Republic of China. .,Key Laboratory of System Bioengineering, Tianjin University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, 300072, People's Republic of China. .,Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), SynBio Res Platform, Tianjin, 300072, People's Republic of China.
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42
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Mitsuhashi T, Abe I. Chimeric Terpene Synthases Possessing both Terpene Cyclization and Prenyltransfer Activities. Chembiochem 2018; 19:1106-1114. [PMID: 29675947 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201800120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Prenyltransferase (PT) and terpene synthase (TPS) are key enzymes in the formation of the basic carbon skeletons of terpenoids. The PTs determine the prenyl carbon chain length, whereas TPSs generate the structural complexity of the molecular scaffolds, forming various ring structures. Normally, PTs and TPSs are separate, independent enzymes. However, in 2007, a chimeric enzyme, in which the PT was fused with the TPS, was found in a fungus. Recent studies have revealed that such chimeric TPSs are widely distributed in fungi and function in the biosyntheses of various terpene natural products, including sesterterpenes, which are a relatively rare group of terpenoids. This review summarizes the accumulated knowledge of these recently discovered, unique, chimeric TPSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaaki Mitsuhashi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ikuro Abe
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
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43
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Jia M, O’Brien TE, Zhang Y, Siegel JB, Tantillo DJ, Peters RJ. Changing Face: A Key Residue for the Addition of Water by Sclareol Synthase. ACS Catal 2018; 8:3133-3137. [PMID: 29713562 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.8b00121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Sclareol synthase from Salvia sclarea (SsSS) naturally acts on 8α-hydroxy-copalyl diphosphate (1), stereoselectively adding water to produce (13R)-sclareol (2a), and similarly yields hydroxylated products with manifold other such bicyclic diterpene precursors. Here a key residue for this addition of water was identified. Strikingly, substitution with glutamine switches stereochemical outcome with 1, leading to selective production of (13S)-sclareol (2b). Moreover, changes to the stereospecificity of water addition with the structurally closely-related substrate copalyl diphosphate (4) could be accomplished with alternative substitutions. Thus, this approach is expected to provide biosynthetic access to both epimers of 13-hydroxylated derivatives of manifold labdane-related diterpenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meirong Jia
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
| | - Terrence E. O’Brien
- Department of Chemistry, University of California−Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California−Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Justin B. Siegel
- Department of Chemistry, University of California−Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California−Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
- Genome Center, University of California−Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Dean J. Tantillo
- Department of Chemistry, University of California−Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Reuben J. Peters
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
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44
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Mitsuhashi T, Okada M, Abe I. Identification of Chimeric αβγ Diterpene Synthases Possessing both Type II Terpene Cyclase and Prenyltransferase Activities. Chembiochem 2017; 18:2104-2109. [DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201700445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Takaaki Mitsuhashi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; The University of Tokyo; 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
| | - Masahiro Okada
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; The University of Tokyo; 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
| | - Ikuro Abe
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; The University of Tokyo; 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
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Abstract
![]()
The
year 2017 marks the twentieth anniversary of terpenoid cyclase
structural biology: a trio of terpenoid cyclase structures reported
together in 1997 were the first to set the foundation for understanding
the enzymes largely responsible for the exquisite chemodiversity of
more than 80000 terpenoid natural products. Terpenoid cyclases catalyze
the most complex chemical reactions in biology, in that more than
half of the substrate carbon atoms undergo changes in bonding and
hybridization during a single enzyme-catalyzed cyclization reaction.
The past two decades have witnessed structural, functional, and computational
studies illuminating the modes of substrate activation that initiate
the cyclization cascade, the management and manipulation of high-energy
carbocation intermediates that propagate the cyclization cascade,
and the chemical strategies that terminate the cyclization cascade.
The role of the terpenoid cyclase as a template for catalysis is paramount
to its function, and protein engineering can be used to reprogram
the cyclization cascade to generate alternative and commercially important
products. Here, I review key advances in terpenoid cyclase structural
and chemical biology, focusing mainly on terpenoid cyclases and related
prenyltransferases for which X-ray crystal structures have informed
and advanced our understanding of enzyme structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Christianson
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania , 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
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46
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Hagel JM, Facchini PJ. Tying the knot: occurrence and possible significance of gene fusions in plant metabolism and beyond. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:4029-4043. [PMID: 28521055 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Gene fusions have recently attracted attention especially in the field of plant specialized metabolism. The occurrence of a gene fusion, in which originally separate gene products are combined into a single polypeptide, often corresponds to the functional association of individual components within a single metabolic pathway. Examples include gene fusions implicated in benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA), terpenoid, and amino acid biosynthetic pathways, in which distinct domains within a fusion catalyze consecutive, yet independent reactions. Both genomic and transcriptional mechanisms result in the fusion of gene products, which can include partial or complete domain repeats and extensive domain shuffling as evident in the BIA biosynthetic enzyme norcoclaurine synthase. Artificial gene fusions are commonly deployed in attempts to engineer new or improved pathways in plants or microorganisms, based on the premise that fusions are advantageous. However, a survey of functionally characterized fusions in microbial systems shows that the functional impact of fused gene products is not straightforward. For example, whereas enzyme fusions might facilitate the metabolic channeling of unstable intermediates, this channeling can also occur between tightly associated independent enzymes. The frequent occurrence of both fused and unfused enzymes in plant and microbial metabolism adds additional complexity, in terms of both pathway functionality and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian M Hagel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr N.W., Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Peter J Facchini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr N.W., Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
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Tomita T, Kim SY, Teramoto K, Meguro A, Ozaki T, Yoshida A, Motoyoshi Y, Mori N, Ishigami K, Watanabe H, Nishiyama M, Kuzuyama T. Structural Insights into the CotB2-Catalyzed Cyclization of Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate to the Diterpene Cyclooctat-9-en-7-ol. ACS Chem Biol 2017; 12:1621-1628. [PMID: 28463490 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The diterpene cyclase CotB2 catalyzes the cyclization of geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) to the tricyclic cyclooctat-9-en-7-ol, which is characterized by a 5-8-5-fused ring skeleton. We have previously proposed a cyclization cascade involving a unique carbon-carbon bond rearrangement combined with multiple hydride shifts, all occurring at a single active site. Here, we report the first high-resolution X-ray crystal structure of CotB2 with bound substrate analog geranylgeranyl thiodiphosphate (GGSPP). In the GGSPP-bound form, GGSPP folds into a unique S-shaped conformation that probably reflects the substrate-bound state prior to ionization of the substrate GGPP. The folded framework of GGSPP is surrounded by hydrophobic residues and several aromatic and asparagine residues that are well-positioned to stabilize a series of reactive carbocation intermediates through a combination of cation-π and dipole charge interactions. The combined crystal structures and mutagenesis-based biochemical assays provide a structural basis for exquisite control of ring formation and stereochemistry during CotB2 catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Makoto Nishiyama
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
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48
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Hansen NL, Nissen JN, Hamberger B. Two residues determine the product profile of the class II diterpene synthases TPS14 and TPS21 of Tripterygium wilfordii. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2017; 138:52-56. [PMID: 28279524 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2017.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The medicinal plant Tripterygium wilfordii (Celastraceae) contains a pair of class II diterpene synthases (diTPS) of specialized labdane-type metabolism that, despite remarkably close homology, form strikingly different products. TwTPS21 catalyzes bicyclization of the linear C20 precursor geranylgeranyl diphosphate to ent-copal-8-ol diphosphate, while TwTPS14 forms kolavenyl diphosphate. To determine the amino acid signature controlling the functional divergence of the homologues, we modeled their structures based on an existing crystal structure of the Arabidopsis ent-copalyl diphosphate synthase, archetypal of diTPSs in general metabolism of gibberellin phytohormones. Of the residues differing between TwTPS21 and TwTPS14 two located to the predicted active site, and we hypothesized that these are responsible for the functional differentiation of the enzymes. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we generated a panel of six variants, where one, or both positions were exchanged between the enzymes. In coupled heterologous assays with a corresponding class I diTPS, TwTPS2, complete product interchange was observed in variants with both reciprocal mutations, while substitutions of either residue gave mixed product profiles. Two mutants, TwTPS14:Y265H and TwTPS21:A325V, also produced ent-copalyl diphosphate, highlighting the evolutionary potential of enzymes of this family to drive rapid diversification of plant diterpene biosynthesis through neo-functionalization. Our study contributes to the understanding of structure-function relation in plant class II diTPSs and complements previous mutational studies of Arabidopsis ent-copalyl diphosphate synthase with additional examples from the specialized metabolism of T. wilfordii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaj L Hansen
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Denmark; Center for Synthetic Biology "bioSYNergy" and Copenhagen Plant Sciences Centre, Denmark
| | - Jakob N Nissen
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Denmark; Center for Synthetic Biology "bioSYNergy" and Copenhagen Plant Sciences Centre, Denmark
| | - Björn Hamberger
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Denmark; Center for Synthetic Biology "bioSYNergy" and Copenhagen Plant Sciences Centre, Denmark.
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Pemberton TA, Chen M, Harris GG, Chou WKW, Duan L, Köksal M, Genshaft AS, Cane DE, Christianson DW. Exploring the Influence of Domain Architecture on the Catalytic Function of Diterpene Synthases. Biochemistry 2017; 56:2010-2023. [PMID: 28362483 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Terpenoid synthases catalyze isoprenoid cyclization reactions underlying the generation of more than 80,000 natural products. Such dramatic chemodiversity belies the fact that these enzymes generally consist of only three domain folds designated as α, β, and γ. Catalysis by class I terpenoid synthases occurs exclusively in the α domain, which is found with α, αα, αβ, and αβγ domain architectures. Here, we explore the influence of domain architecture on catalysis by taxadiene synthase from Taxus brevifolia (TbTS, αβγ), fusicoccadiene synthase from Phomopsis amygdali (PaFS, (αα)6), and ophiobolin F synthase from Aspergillus clavatus (AcOS, αα). We show that the cyclization fidelity and catalytic efficiency of the α domain of TbTS are severely compromised by deletion of the βγ domains; however, retention of the β domain preserves significant cyclization fidelity. In PaFS, we previously demonstrated that one α domain similarly influences catalysis by the other α domain [ Chen , M. , Chou , W. K. W. , Toyomasu , T. , Cane , D. E. , and Christianson , D. W. ( 2016 ) ACS Chem. Biol. 11 , 889 - 899 ]. Here, we show that the hexameric quaternary structure of PaFS enables cluster channeling. We also show that the α domains of PaFS and AcOS can be swapped so as to make functional chimeric αα synthases. Notably, both cyclization fidelity and catalytic efficiency are altered in all chimeric synthases. Twelve newly formed and uncharacterized C20 diterpene products and three C25 sesterterpene products are generated by these chimeras. Thus, engineered αβγ and αα terpenoid cyclases promise to generate chemodiversity in the greater family of terpenoid natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis A Pemberton
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania , 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
| | - Mengbin Chen
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania , 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
| | - Golda G Harris
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania , 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
| | - Wayne K W Chou
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University , Box H, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
| | - Lian Duan
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University , Box H, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
| | - Mustafa Köksal
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania , 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
| | - Alex S Genshaft
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania , 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
| | - David E Cane
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University , Box H, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
| | - David W Christianson
- Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania , 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
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Biosynthesis of the microtubule-destabilizing diterpene pseudolaric acid B from golden larch involves an unusual diterpene synthase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:974-979. [PMID: 28096378 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1612901114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The diversity of small molecules formed via plant diterpene metabolism offers a rich source of known and potentially new biopharmaceuticals. Among these, the microtubule-destabilizing activity of pseudolaric acid B (PAB) holds promise for new anticancer agents. PAB is found, perhaps uniquely, in the coniferous tree golden larch (Pseudolarix amabilis, Pxa). Here we describe the discovery and mechanistic analysis of golden larch terpene synthase 8 (PxaTPS8), an unusual diterpene synthase (diTPS) that catalyzes the first committed step in PAB biosynthesis. Mining of the golden larch root transcriptome revealed a large TPS family, including the monofunctional class I diTPS PxaTPS8, which converts geranylgeranyl diphosphate into a previously unknown 5,7-fused bicyclic diterpene, coined "pseudolaratriene." Combined NMR and quantum chemical analysis verified the structure of pseudolaratriene, and co-occurrence with PxaTPS8 and PAB in P amabilis tissues supports the intermediacy of pseudolaratriene in PAB metabolism. Although PxaTPS8 adopts the typical three-domain structure of diTPSs, sequence phylogeny places the enzyme with two-domain TPSs of mono- and sesqui-terpene biosynthesis. Site-directed mutagenesis of PxaTPS8 revealed several catalytic residues that, together with quantum chemical calculations, suggested a substantial divergence of PxaTPS8 from other TPSs leading to a distinct carbocation-driven reaction mechanism en route to the 5,7-trans-fused bicyclic pseudolaratriene scaffold. PxaTPS8 expression in microbial and plant hosts provided proof of concept for metabolic engineering of pseudolaratriene.
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