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Zerbe P. Plants against cancer: towards green Taxol production through pathway discovery and metabolic engineering. ABIOTECH 2024; 5:394-402. [PMID: 39279861 PMCID: PMC11399496 DOI: 10.1007/s42994-024-00170-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Abstract
The diversity of plant natural products presents a rich resource for accelerating drug discovery and addressing pressing human health issues. However, the challenges in accessing and cultivating source species, as well as metabolite structural complexity, and general low abundance present considerable hurdles in developing plant-derived therapeutics. Advances in high-throughput sequencing, genome assembly, gene synthesis, analytical technologies, and synthetic biology approaches, now enable us to efficiently identify and engineer enzymes and metabolic pathways for producing natural and new-to-nature therapeutics and drug candidates. This review highlights challenges and progress in plant natural product discovery and engineering by example of recent breakthroughs in identifying the missing enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the anti-cancer agent Taxol®. These enzyme resources offer new avenues for the bio-manufacture and semi-synthesis of an old blockbuster drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Zerbe
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616 USA
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2
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Yang C, Wang Y, Su Z, Xiong L, Wang P, Lei W, Yan X, Ma D, Zhao G, Zhou Z. Biosynthesis of the highly oxygenated tetracyclic core skeleton of Taxol. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2339. [PMID: 38490987 PMCID: PMC10942993 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46583-3] [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: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Taxol is a widely-applied anticancer drug that inhibits microtubule dynamics in actively replicating cells. Although a minimum 19-step biosynthetic pathway has been proposed and 16 enzymes likely involved have been characterized, stepwise biosynthetic reactions from the well-characterized di-oxygenated taxoids to Taxol tetracyclic core skeleton are yet to be elucidated. Here, we uncover the biosynthetic pathways for a few tri-oxygenated taxoids via confirming the critical reaction order of the second and third hydroxylation steps, unearth a taxoid 9α-hydroxylase catalyzing the fourth hydroxylation, and identify CYP725A55 catalyzing the oxetane ester formation via a cascade oxidation-concerted acyl rearrangement mechanism. After identifying a acetyltransferase catalyzing the formation of C7-OAc, the pathway producing the highly-oxygenated 1β-dehydroxybaccatin VI with the Taxol tetracyclic core skeleton is elucidated and its complete biosynthesis from taxa-4(20),11(12)-diene-5α-ol is achieved in an engineered yeast. These systematic studies lay the foundation for the complete elucidation of the biosynthetic pathway of Taxol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengshuai Yang
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Su
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lunyi Xiong
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pingping Wang
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen Lei
- Shanghai Research Institute of Chemical Industry, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing Yan
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Dawei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Guoping Zhao
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Zhihua Zhou
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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3
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Kurniawan R, Sukrasno S, Ashari A, Suhartati T. Diving into paclitaxel: isolation and screening content from Taxus sumatrana at Singgalang Conservation Center, West Sumatra. Nat Prod Res 2024:1-5. [PMID: 38321599 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2312540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
The report features the first isolation of paclitaxel from wood of conservated Taxus sumatrana. The T. sumatrana is a nationally protected endemic plant that has been successfully cultivated outside its natural habitat at the Singgalang Conservation Centre in West Sumatra. The paclitaxel was utilised as a reference standard for evaluating its presence in different parts of T. sumatrana. This analysis exhibits that the acetone extract from T. sumatrana bark contained the highest paclitaxel concentration, measuring about 0.473 ± 0.031 ppm. The isolated paclitaxel demonstrated potent cytotoxic activity against A549, HeLa, and MCF7 cancer cells, by IC50 values of 3.26 ± 0.334, 2.85 ± 0.257, and 3.81 ± 0.013 μM, respectively. This outcome provides scientific support for conservation programs and campaigns for the community to engage in conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahmat Kurniawan
- Chemistry Department, Institute Technology Sumatera, South Sumatera, Indonesia
| | | | - Arif Ashari
- Chemistry Department, Institute Technology Sumatera, South Sumatera, Indonesia
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4
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Cheng N, Nakata PA. Disruption of the Arabidopsis Acyl-Activating Enzyme 3 Impairs Seed Coat Mucilage Accumulation and Seed Germination. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1149. [PMID: 38256222 PMCID: PMC10816874 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021149] [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: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The Acyl-activating enzyme (AAE) 3 gene encodes an oxalyl-CoA synthetase that catalyzes the conversion of oxalate to oxalyl-CoA as the first step in the CoA-dependent pathway of oxalate catabolism. Although the role of this enzyme in oxalate catabolism has been established, its biological roles in plant growth and development are less understood. As a step toward gaining a better understanding of these biological roles, we report here a characterization of the Arabidopsis thaliana aae3 (Ataae3) seed mucilage phenotype. Ruthidium red (RR) staining of Ataae3 and wild type (WT) seeds suggested that the observed reduction in Ataae3 germination may be attributable, at least in part, to a decrease in seed mucilage accumulation. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that the expression of selected mucilage regulatory transcription factors, as well as of biosynthetic and extrusion genes, was significantly down-regulated in the Ataae3 seeds. Mucilage accumulation in seeds from an engineered oxalate-accumulating Arabidopsis and Atoxc mutant, blocked in the second step of the CoA-dependent pathway of oxalate catabolism, were found to be similar to WT. These findings suggest that elevated tissue oxalate concentrations and loss of the oxalate catabolism pathway downstream of AAE3 were not responsible for the reduced Ataae3 seed germination and mucilage phenotypes. Overall, our findings unveil the presence of regulatory interplay between AAE3 and transcriptional control of mucilage gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul A. Nakata
- USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030-2600, USA;
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5
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Mohammadi Ballakuti N, Ghanati F. Developed network between taxoid and phenylpropanoid pathways in Cryptosporiopsis tarraconensis, taxan-producing endophytic fungus by Debiased Sparse Partial Correlation (DSPC) algorithm. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282010. [PMID: 36821563 PMCID: PMC9949632 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Although bioproduction of Paclitaxel by endophytic fungi is highly considered as an alternative promising source, but its yield is usually very low in comparison with other taxoids. Different strategies i.e., chemical and physical elicitations have been developed in order to overcome the shortage of Paclitaxel production. Paclitaxel biosynthesis is started with terpenoid pathway followed by phenylpropanoid metabolism where a benzoylphenylisoserine moiety is attached to C13 of baccatin III skeleton. This point which is catalyzed by the function of PAM seems to be a bottleneck that limits the rate of Paclitaxel production. Whether phenylpropanoids pathway regulates the taxanes biosynthesis in Cryptosporiopsis tarraconensis endophytic fungus elicited with benzoic acid (BA) was hypothesized in the present paper. The involvement of certain signal molecules and key enzymes of terpenoid and phenylpropanoid metabolism were investigated. According to the results, application of BA promoted a signaling pathway which was started with increase of H2O2 and ABA and continued by increase of NO and MJ, and finally resulted in increase of both phenylpropanoids and taxanes. However, again the rate of Paclitaxel production was lower than other taxoids, and the latter was much lower than phenolics. Therefore, supplying benzoic acid provided the precursor for the common taxan ring production. It is unlikely that Paclitaxel production is merely controlled by side chain production stage. It is more likely that in C. tarraconensis endophytic fungus, similar to Taxus sp., the competition between phenylpropanoid and taxoid pathways for substrate ended in favor of the former. The interaction network which was constructed based on DSPC algorithm confirmed that most compounds with close proximity have shared metabolic pathway relationships. Therefore, it is unlikely that the feeding with a given precursor directly result in increase of a desired metabolite which is composed of different merits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Faezeh Ghanati
- Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
- * E-mail:
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6
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Lou YR, Pichersky E, Last RL. Deep roots and many branches: Origins of plant-specialized metabolic enzymes in general metabolism. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 66:102192. [PMID: 35217473 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Collectively, plants produce hundreds of thousands of specialized metabolites from simple building blocks such as amino acids, fatty acids, and isoprenoids. As additional specialized metabolic enzymes are described, there is increasing recognition of the importance of cooption of general metabolic enzymes to specialized metabolism by gene duplication, narrowing of expression, and alteration of enzymatic activities. Here, we examine how several classes of enzymes were each coopted multiple times. We demonstrate the simplicity of achieving the synthesis of analogous chemicals by coopting existing enzymes and summarize emerging insights that could inform rational metabolic engineering of both general and specialized metabolic enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann-Ru Lou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Eran Pichersky
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Robert L Last
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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7
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Huang XQ, Li R, Fu J, Dudareva N. A peroxisomal heterodimeric enzyme is involved in benzaldehyde synthesis in plants. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1352. [PMID: 35292635 PMCID: PMC8924275 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28978-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Benzaldehyde, the simplest aromatic aldehyde, is one of the most wide-spread volatiles that serves as a pollinator attractant, flavor, and antifungal compound. However, the enzyme responsible for its formation in plants remains unknown. Using a combination of in vivo stable isotope labeling, classical biochemical, proteomics and genetic approaches, we show that in petunia benzaldehyde is synthesized via the β-oxidative pathway in peroxisomes by a heterodimeric enzyme consisting of α and β subunits, which belong to the NAD(P)-binding Rossmann-fold superfamily. Both subunits are alone catalytically inactive but, when mixed in equal amounts, form an active enzyme, which exhibits strict substrate specificity towards benzoyl-CoA and uses NADPH as a cofactor. Alpha subunits can form functional heterodimers with phylogenetically distant β subunits, but not all β subunits partner with α subunits, at least in Arabidopsis. Analysis of spatial, developmental and rhythmic expression of genes encoding α and β subunits revealed that expression of the gene for the α subunit likely plays a key role in regulating benzaldehyde biosynthesis. Benzaldehyde is a simple aromatic aldehyde that attracts pollinators, has antifungal properties and contributes to flavor in many plants. Here the authors show that benzaldehyde is synthesized in petunia via the benzoic acid β-oxidative pathway by a peroxisomal heterodimeric enzyme consisting of α and β subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing-Qi Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Renqiuguo Li
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jianxin Fu
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,School of Landscape Architecture, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, 311300, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Natalia Dudareva
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA. .,Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA. .,Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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8
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Li S, Yang X, Huang H, Qiao R, Jenks MA, Zhao H, Lü S. Arabidopsis ACYL-ACTIVATING ENZYME 9 (AAE9) encoding an isobutyl-CoA synthetase is a key factor connecting branched-chain amino acid catabolism with iso-branched wax biosynthesis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:2458-2470. [PMID: 34942034 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Iso-branched wax compounds are well known in plants, but their biosynthetic pathways are still mostly unknown. It has been speculated that branched waxes are derived from branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism, but the evidence for this is very limited. Gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) analysis revealed that mutations in two subunits of the branched-chain ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex, a key enzyme complex in the degradation of BCAAs, significantly decreased the amounts of branched wax compounds, indicating that BCAA degradation may be integral to the synthesis of iso-branched wax. Substrate feeding studies further revealed that the metabolic precursor of iso-branched wax compounds is isobutyric acid (iBA), which is derived from valine degradation in Arabidopsis. We also isolated a novel mutant and found that its branched wax deficient phenotype could not be rescued by iBA. Map-based cloning together with complementation analysis revealed that mutation in ACYL-ACTIVATING ENZYME 9 (AAE9) is responsible for this phenotype. Genetic and enzyme activity analysis demonstrated that AAE9 is located downstream of the BCAA degradation pathway, and that it activates iBA to isobutyryl-CoA for use on branched wax synthesis. Taken together, our study demonstrates that AAE9 is a key factor connecting BCAA catabolism with branched wax biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shipeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Xianpeng Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Haodong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Rong Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Matthew A Jenks
- School of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Huayan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Shiyou Lü
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China
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9
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Chen J, Liu L, Wang Y, Li Z, Wang G, Kraus GA, Pichersky E, Xu H. Characterization of a Cytosolic Acyl-Activating Enzyme Catalyzing the Formation of 4-Methylvaleryl-CoA for Pogostone Biosynthesis in Pogostemon Cablin. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 62:1556-1571. [PMID: 34255851 PMCID: PMC8643619 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcab111] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pogostone, a compound with various pharmaceutical activities, is a major constituent of the essential oil preparation called Pogostemonis Herba, which is obtained from the plant Pogostemon cablin. The biosynthesis of pogostone has not been elucidated, but 4-methylvaleryl-CoA (4MVCoA) is a likely precursor. We analyzed the distribution of pogostone in P. cablin using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and found that pogostone accumulates at high levels in the main stems and leaves of young plants. A search for the acyl-activating enzyme (AAE) that catalyzes the formation of 4MVCoA from 4-methylvaleric acid was launched, using an RNAseq-based approach to identify 31 unigenes encoding putative AAEs including the PcAAE2, the transcript profile of which shows a strong positive correlation with the distribution pattern of pogostone. The protein encoded by PcAAE2 was biochemically characterized in vitro and shown to catalyze the formation of 4MVCoA from 4-methylvaleric acid. Phylogenetic analysis showed that PcAAE2 is closely related to other AAE proteins in P. cablin and other species that are localized to the peroxisomes. However, PcAAE2 lacks a peroxisome targeting sequence 1 (PTS1) and is localized in the cytosol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
- Center of Plant Functional Genomics, Institute of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Lang Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
- Center of Plant Functional Genomics, Institute of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Ying Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
- Center of Plant Functional Genomics, Institute of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Zhengguo Li
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
- Center of Plant Functional Genomics, Institute of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Guodong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - George A Kraus
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Eran Pichersky
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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10
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Sunstrum FG, Liu HL, Jancsik S, Madilao LL, Bohlmann J, Irmisch S. 4-Coumaroyl-CoA ligases in the biosynthesis of the anti-diabetic metabolite montbretin A. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257478. [PMID: 34618820 PMCID: PMC8496819 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Montbretins are rare specialized metabolites found in montbretia (Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora) corms. Montbretin A (MbA) is of particular interest as a novel therapeutic for type-2 diabetes and obesity. There is no scalable production system for this complex acylated flavonol glycoside. MbA biosynthesis has been reconstructed in Nicotiana benthamiana using montbretia genes for the assembly of MbA from its various different building blocks. However, in addition to smaller amounts of MbA, the therapeutically inactive montbretin B (MbB) was the major product of this metabolic engineering effort. MbA and MbB differ in a single hydroxyl group of their acyl side chains, which are derived from caffeoyl-CoA and coumaroyl-CoA, respectively. Biosynthesis of both MbA and MbB also require coumaroyl-CoA for the formation of the myricetin core. Caffeoyl-CoA and coumaroyl-CoA are formed in the central phenylpropanoid pathway by acyl activating enzymes (AAEs) known as 4-coumaroyl-CoA ligases (4CLs). Here we investigated a small family of montbretia AAEs and 4CLs, and their possible contribution to montbretin biosynthesis. RESULTS Transcriptome analysis for gene expression patterns related to montbretin biosynthesis identified eight different montbretia AAEs belonging to four different clades. Enzyme characterization identified 4CL activity for two clade IV members, Cc4CL1 and Cc4CL2, converting different hydroxycinnamic acids into the corresponding CoA thioesters. Both enzymes preferred coumaric acid over caffeic acid as a substrate in vitro. While expression of montbretia AAEs did not enhance MbA biosynthesis in N. benthamiana, we demonstrated that both Cc4CLs can be used to activate coumaric and caffeic acid towards flavanone biosynthesis in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). CONCLUSIONS Montbretia expresses two functional 4CLs, but neither of them is specific for the formation of caffeoyl-CoA. Based on differential expression analysis and phylogeny Cc4CL1 is most likely involved in MbA biosynthesis, while Cc4CL2 may contribute to lignin biosynthesis. Both Cc4CLs can be used for flavanone production to support metabolic engineering of MbA in yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick G. Sunstrum
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Hannah L. Liu
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sharon Jancsik
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lufiani L. Madilao
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Joerg Bohlmann
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sandra Irmisch
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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11
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Lange BM, Conner CF. Taxanes and taxoids of the genus Taxus - A comprehensive inventory of chemical diversity. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2021; 190:112829. [PMID: 34329937 PMCID: PMC8393860 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The pseudoalkaloid diterpene Taxol® (paclitaxel) emerged as a best-selling anti-cancer drug in the mid-1990s. The compound attracted considerable interest because of its unique mechanism to stabilize microtubules, thus reducing dynamicity and ultimately promoting mitotic arrest. Taxol was originally isolated from members of the genus Taxus. Over the last 50 years, close to 600 metabolites with taxane scaffolds were isolated from various Taxus species and their structures reported. The present review article provides an overview of the known chemical diversity of taxanes, with an emphasis on the functionalization of diterpene scaffolds. The implications of the occurrence of chemically diverse taxane metabolites for unraveling Taxol biosynthesis and enabling pathway engineering are discussed as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Markus Lange
- Institute of Biological Chemistry and M.J. Murdock Metabolomics Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7411, USA.
| | - Caleb F Conner
- Institute of Biological Chemistry and M.J. Murdock Metabolomics Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7411, USA
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12
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Mutanda I, Li J, Xu F, Wang Y. Recent Advances in Metabolic Engineering, Protein Engineering, and Transcriptome-Guided Insights Toward Synthetic Production of Taxol. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:632269. [PMID: 33614616 PMCID: PMC7892896 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.632269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The diterpenoid paclitaxel (Taxol®) is a blockbuster anticancer agent that was originally isolated from the Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) five decades ago. Despite the wealth of information gained over the years on Taxol research, there still remains supply issues to meet increasing clinical demand. Although alternative Taxol production methods have been developed, they still face several drawbacks that cause supply shortages and high production costs. It is highly desired to develop biotechnological production platforms for Taxol, however, there are still gaps in our understanding of the biosynthetic pathway, catalytic enzymes, regulatory and control mechanisms that hamper production of this critical drug by synthetic biology approaches. Over the past 5 years, significant advances were made in metabolic engineering and optimization of the Taxol pathway in different hosts, leading to accumulation of taxane intermediates. Computational and experimental approaches were leveraged to gain mechanistic insights into the catalytic cycle of pathway enzymes and guide rational protein engineering efforts to improve catalytic fitness and substrate/product specificity, especially of the cytochrome P450s (CYP450s). Notable breakthroughs were also realized in engineering the pathway in plant hosts that are more promising in addressing the challenging CYP450 chemistry. Here, we review these recent advances and in addition, we summarize recent transcriptomic data sets of Taxus species and elicited culture cells, and give a bird's-eye view of the information that can be gleaned from these publicly available resources. Recent mining of transcriptome data sets led to discovery of two putative pathway enzymes, provided many lead candidates for the missing steps and provided new insights on the regulatory mechanisms governing Taxol biosynthesis. All these inferences are relevant to future biotechnological production of Taxol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishmael Mutanda
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Fanglin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, He’nan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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Singh P, Preu L, Beuerle T, Kaufholdt D, Hänsch R, Beerhues L, Gaid M. A promiscuous coenzyme A ligase provides benzoyl-coenzyme A for xanthone biosynthesis in Hypericum. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 104:1472-1490. [PMID: 33031578 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Benzoic acid-derived compounds, such as polyprenylated benzophenones and xanthones, attract the interest of scientists due to challenging chemical structures and diverse biological activities. The genus Hypericum is of high medicinal value, as exemplified by H. perforatum. It is rich in benzophenone and xanthone derivatives, the biosynthesis of which requires the catalytic activity of benzoate-coenzyme A (benzoate-CoA) ligase (BZL), which activates benzoic acid to benzoyl-CoA. Despite remarkable research so far done on benzoic acid biosynthesis in planta, all previous structural studies of BZL genes and proteins are exclusively related to benzoate-degrading microorganisms. Here, a transcript for a plant acyl-activating enzyme (AAE) was cloned from xanthone-producing Hypericum calycinum cell cultures using transcriptomic resources. An increase in the HcAAE1 transcript level preceded xanthone accumulation after elicitor treatment, as previously observed with other pathway-related genes. Subcellular localization of reporter fusions revealed the dual localization of HcAAE1 to cytosol and peroxisomes owing to a type 2 peroxisomal targeting signal. This result suggests the generation of benzoyl-CoA in Hypericum by the CoA-dependent non-β-oxidative route. A luciferase-based substrate specificity assay and the kinetic characterization indicated that HcAAE1 exhibits promiscuous substrate preference, with benzoic acid being the sole aromatic substrate accepted. Unlike 4-coumarate-CoA ligase and cinnamate-CoA ligase enzymes, HcAAE1 did not accept 4-coumaric and cinnamic acids, respectively. The substrate preference was corroborated by in silico modeling, which indicated valid docking of both benzoic acid and its adenosine monophosphate intermediate in the HcAAE1/BZL active site cavity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam Singh
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstraße 1, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
| | - Lutz Preu
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Beethovenstraße 55, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
| | - Till Beuerle
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstraße 1, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
| | - David Kaufholdt
- Institute of Plant Biology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Humboldtstraße 1, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
| | - Robert Hänsch
- Institute of Plant Biology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Humboldtstraße 1, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
- Center of Molecular Ecophysiology (CMEP) - College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Chongqing, 400715, P.R. China
| | - Ludger Beerhues
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstraße 1, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
- Centre of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Franz-Liszt-Straße 35 A, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
| | - Mariam Gaid
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstraße 1, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
- Centre of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Franz-Liszt-Straße 35 A, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
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