1
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Seligmann B, Liu S, Franke J. Chemical tools for unpicking plant specialised metabolic pathways. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 80:102554. [PMID: 38820646 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2024.102554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Elucidating the biochemical pathways of specialised metabolites in plants is key to enable or improve their sustainable biotechnological production. Chemical tools can greatly facilitate the discovery of biosynthetic genes and enzymes. Here, we summarise transdisciplinary approaches where methods from chemistry and chemical biology helped to overcome key challenges of pathway elucidation. Based on recent examples, we describe how state-of-the-art isotope labelling experiments can guide the selection of biosynthetic gene candidates, how affinity-based probes enable the identification of novel enzymes, how semisynthesis can improve the availability of elusive pathway intermediates, and how biomimetic reactions provide a better understanding of inherent chemical reactivity. We anticipate that a wider application of such chemical methods will accelerate the pace of pathway elucidation in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Seligmann
- Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Botany, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Shenyu Liu
- Leibniz University Hannover, Centre of Biomolecular Drug Research (BMWZ), Schneiderberg 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jakob Franke
- Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Botany, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany; Leibniz University Hannover, Centre of Biomolecular Drug Research (BMWZ), Schneiderberg 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
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2
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Putkaradze N, Dato L, Kırtel O, Hansen J, Welner DH. Enzymatic glycosylation of aloesone performed by plant UDP-dependent glycosyltransferases. Glycobiology 2024; 34:cwae050. [PMID: 38995933 PMCID: PMC11273223 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwae050] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Aloesone is a bioactive natural product and biosynthetic precursor of rare glucosides found in rhubarb and some aloe plants including Aloe vera. This study aimed to investigate biocatalytic aloesone glycosylation and more than 400 uridine diphosphate-dependent glycosyltransferase (UGT) candidates, including multifunctional and promiscuous enzymes from a variety of plant species were assayed. As a result, 137 selective aloesone UGTs were discovered, including four from the natural producer rhubarb. Rhubarb UGT72B49 was further studied and its catalytic constants (kcat = 0.00092 ± 0.00003 s-1, KM = 30 ± 2.5 μM) as well as temperature and pH optima (50 °C and pH 7, respectively) were determined. We further aimed to find an efficient aloesone glycosylating enzyme with potential application for biocatalytic production of the glucoside. We discovered UGT71C1 from Arabidopsis thaliana as an efficient aloesone UGT showing a 167-fold higher catalytic efficiency compared to that of UGT72B49. Interestingly, sequence analysis of all the 137 newly identified aloesone UGTs showed that they belong to different phylogenetic groups, with the highest representation in groups B, D, E, F and L. Finally, our study indicates that aloesone C-glycosylation is highly specific and rare, since it was not possible to achieve in an efficient manner with any of the 422 UGTs assayed, including multifunctional GTs and 28 known C-UGTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Putkaradze
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 220, Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Laura Dato
- River Stone Biotech ISG, Fruebjergvej 3, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark
| | - Onur Kırtel
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 220, Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Jørgen Hansen
- River Stone Biotech ISG, Fruebjergvej 3, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark
| | - Ditte Hededam Welner
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 220, Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
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3
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Sirirungruang S, Blay V, Scott YF, Pereira JH, Hammel M, Barnum CR, Adams PD, Shih PM. Structural and biochemical basis for regiospecificity of the flavonoid glycosyltransferase UGT95A1. J Biol Chem 2024:107602. [PMID: 39059496 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107602] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Glycosylation is a predominant strategy plants employ to fine-tune the properties of small molecule metabolites to affect their bioactivity, transport, and storage. It is also important in biotechnology and medicine as many glycosides are utilized in human health. Small molecule glycosylation is largely carried out by family 1 glycosyltransferases. Here, we report a structural and biochemical investigation of UGT95A1, a family 1 GT enzyme from Pilosella officinarum that exhibits a strong, unusual regiospecificity for the 3'-O position of flavonoid acceptor substrate luteolin. We obtained an apo crystal structure to help drive the analyses of a series of binding site mutants, revealing that while most residues are tolerant to mutations, key residues M145 and D464 are important for overall glycosylation activity. Interestingly, E347 is crucial for maintaining the strong preference for 3'-O glycosylation, while R462 can be mutated to increase regioselectivity. The structural determinants of regioselectivity were further confirmed in homologous enzymes. Our study also suggests that the enzyme contains large, highly dynamic, disordered regions. We showed that while most disordered regions of the protein have little to no implication in catalysis, the disordered regions conserved among investigated homologues are important to both the overall efficiency and regiospecificity of the enzyme. This report represents a comprehensive in-depth analysis of a family 1 GT enzyme with a unique substrate regiospecificity and may provide a basis for enzyme functional prediction and engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasilada Sirirungruang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Feedstocks Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA; Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA; Center for Biomolecular Structure, Function and Application, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Vincent Blay
- Biofuels and Bioproducts Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Yasmine F Scott
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jose H Pereira
- Technology Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Michal Hammel
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Collin R Barnum
- Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Paul D Adams
- Technology Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Patrick M Shih
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Feedstocks Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA; Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA; Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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4
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Jo S, El-Demerdash A, Owen C, Srivastava V, Wu D, Kikuchi S, Reed J, Hodgson H, Harkess A, Shu S, Plott C, Jenkins J, Williams M, Boston LB, Lacchini E, Qu T, Goossens A, Grimwood J, Schmutz J, Leebens-Mack J, Osbourn A. Unlocking saponin biosynthesis in soapwort. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01681-7. [PMID: 39043959 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01681-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) is a flowering plant from the Caryophyllaceae family with a long history of human use as a traditional source of soap. Its detergent properties are because of the production of polar compounds (saponins), of which the oleanane-based triterpenoid saponins, saponariosides A and B, are the major components. Soapwort saponins have anticancer properties and are also of interest as endosomal escape enhancers for targeted tumor therapies. Intriguingly, these saponins share common structural features with the vaccine adjuvant QS-21 and, thus, represent a potential alternative supply of saponin adjuvant precursors. Here, we sequence the S. officinalis genome and, through genome mining and combinatorial expression, identify 14 enzymes that complete the biosynthetic pathway to saponarioside B. These enzymes include a noncanonical cytosolic GH1 (glycoside hydrolase family 1) transglycosidase required for the addition of D-quinovose. Our results open avenues for accessing and engineering natural and new-to-nature pharmaceuticals, drug delivery agents and potential immunostimulants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seohyun Jo
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Amr El-Demerdash
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Charlotte Owen
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Vikas Srivastava
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
- Department of Botany, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Jammu, Jammu, India
| | - Dewei Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Shingo Kikuchi
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - James Reed
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Hannah Hodgson
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Alex Harkess
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Shengqiang Shu
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Chris Plott
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Jerry Jenkins
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | | | | | - Elia Lacchini
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Centre for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tongtong Qu
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Centre for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alain Goossens
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Centre for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jane Grimwood
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Jeremy Schmutz
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jim Leebens-Mack
- Department of Plant Biology, Miller Plant Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Anne Osbourn
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
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5
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Duque-Ortiz A, Rivera-Chávez J, Pastor-Palacios G, Lara-González S. The Nicotiana tabacum UGT89A2 enzyme catalyzes the glycosylation of di- and trihydroxylated benzoic acid derivatives. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2024; 226:114203. [PMID: 38969251 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2024.114203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
Glycosyltransferases catalyze the transfer of a glycoside group to a wide range of acceptor compounds to produce glycoconjugates with diverse biological and pharmacological activities. The present work reports the identification and biochemical characterization of Nicotiana tabacum UGT89A2 glycosyltransferase (NtUGT89A2). The enzyme is a monomer in solution that catalyzes the O-β-glucosylation of di- and tri-hydroxylated and chlorinated derivatives of benzoic acid. NtUGT89A2 has a preference for 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHBA) over 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA) and 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,4-DHBA). Other substrates that can be used by NtUGT89A2 include 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid and chlorinated derivatives such as 2-chloro-5-hydroxybenzoic acid (2-Cl-5-HBA). The substrates of NtUGT89A2 were identified by thermal stability experiments, where we observed a maximum increase of the thermal denaturation midpoint (Tm) of 10 °C in the presence of 2,5-DHBA and UDP-glucose. On the other hand, the highest specific activity was obtained with 2,5-DHBA (225 ± 1.7 nkat/mg). Further characterization revealed that the enzyme has a micromolar affinity for its substrates. Notably, the enzyme retains full activity after incubation at 70 °C for 1 h. These results provide a basis for future functional and structural studies of NtUGT89A2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Duque-Ortiz
- IPICYT, División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica A. C., 78216, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P., Mexico
| | - José Rivera-Chávez
- Departamento de Productos Naturales, Instituto de Química., UNAM, 04510, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Guillermo Pastor-Palacios
- Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Ingeniería, Campus Guanajuato, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 36275, Silao de la Victoria, Guanajuato, Mexico.
| | - Samuel Lara-González
- IPICYT, División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica A. C., 78216, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P., Mexico.
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6
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Lucier R, Kamileen MO, Nakamura Y, Serediuk S, Barbole R, Wurlitzer J, Kunert M, Heinicke S, O'Connor SE, Sonawane PD. Steroidal scaffold decorations in Solanum alkaloid biosynthesis. MOLECULAR PLANT 2024:S1674-2052(24)00193-X. [PMID: 38937971 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2024.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are specialized metabolites produced by hundreds of Solanum species, including important vegetable crops such as tomato, potato, and eggplant. Although it has been known that SGAs play important roles in defense in plants and "anti-nutritional" effects (e.g., toxicity and bitterness) to humans, many of these molecules have documented anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-pyretic activities. Among these, α-solasonine and α-solamargine isolated from black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) are reported to have potent anti-tumor, anti-proliferative, and anti-inflammatory activities. Notably, α-solasonine and α-solamargine, along with the core steroidal aglycone solasodine, are the most widespread SGAs produced among the Solanum plants. However, it is still unknown how plants synthesize these bioactive steroidal molecules. Through comparative metabolomic-transcriptome-guided approach, biosynthetic logic, combinatorial expression in Nicotiana benthamiana, and functional recombinant enzyme assays, here we report the discovery of 12 enzymes from S. nigrum that converts the starting cholesterol precursor to solasodine aglycone, and the downstream α-solasonine, α-solamargine, and malonyl-solamargine SGA products. We further identified six enzymes from cultivated eggplant that catalyze the production of α-solasonine, α-solamargine, and malonyl-solamargine SGAs from solasodine aglycone via glycosylation and atypical malonylation decorations. Our work provides the gene tool box and platform for engineering the production of high-value, steroidal bioactive molecules in heterologous hosts using synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalind Lucier
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Mohamed O Kamileen
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Yoko Nakamura
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany; Research Group Biosynthesis and NMR, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Sofiia Serediuk
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Ranjit Barbole
- Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, Maharashtra, India
| | - Jens Wurlitzer
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Maritta Kunert
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Sarah Heinicke
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Sarah E O'Connor
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany.
| | - Prashant D Sonawane
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany.
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7
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Crowe S, Liu Y, Zhao X, Scheller HV, Keasling JD. Advances in Engineering Nucleotide Sugar Metabolism for Natural Product Glycosylation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:1589-1599. [PMID: 38820348 PMCID: PMC11197093 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00737] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Glycosylation is a ubiquitous modification present across all of biology, affecting many things such as physicochemical properties, cellular recognition, subcellular localization, and immunogenicity. Nucleotide sugars are important precursors needed to study glycosylation and produce glycosylated products. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a potentially powerful platform for producing glycosylated biomolecules, but it lacks nucleotide sugar diversity. Nucleotide sugar metabolism is complex, and understanding how to engineer it will be necessary to both access and study heterologous glycosylations found across biology. This review overviews the potential challenges with engineering nucleotide sugar metabolism in yeast from the salvage pathways that convert free sugars to their associated UDP-sugars to de novo synthesis where nucleotide sugars are interconverted through a complex metabolic network with governing feedback mechanisms. Finally, recent examples of engineering complex glycosylation of small molecules in S. cerevisiae are explored and assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha
A. Crowe
- Department
of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- California
Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Joint
BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Yuzhong Liu
- California
Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Joint
BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Xixi Zhao
- California
Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Joint
BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Henrik V. Scheller
- Joint
BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
- Environmental
Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department
of Plant and Microbial Biology, University
of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Jay D. Keasling
- Department
of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- California
Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Joint
BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Division
of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Center
for Biosustainability, Technical University
of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Center
for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institute
of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
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8
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Wang S, Sun S, Du Z, Gao F, Li Y, Han W, Wu R, Yu X. Characterization of CsUGT73AC15 as a Multifunctional Glycosyltransferase Impacting Flavonol Triglycoside Biosynthesis in Tea Plants. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:13328-13340. [PMID: 38805380 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c03824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Flavonol glycosides, contributing to the health benefits and distinctive flavors of tea (Camellia sinensis), accumulate predominantly as diglycosides and triglycosides in tea leaves. However, the UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) mediating flavonol multiglycosylation remain largely uncharacterized. In this study, we employed an integrated proteomic and metabolomic strategy to identify and characterize key UGTs involved in flavonol triglycoside biosynthesis. The recombinant rCsUGT75AJ1 exhibited flavonoid 4'-O-glucosyltransferase activity, while rCsUGT75L72 preferentially catalyzed 3-OH glucosylation. Notably, rCsUGT73AC15 displayed substrate promiscuity and regioselectivity, enabling glucosylation of rutin at multiple sites and kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside (K3R) at the 7-OH position. Kinetic analysis revealed rCsUGT73AC15's high affinity for rutin (Km = 9.64 μM). Across cultivars, CsUGT73AC15 expression inversely correlated with rutin levels. Moreover, transient CsUGT73AC15 silencing increased rutin and K3R accumulation while decreasing their respective triglycosides in tea plants. This study offers new mechanistic insights into the key roles of UGTs in regulating flavonol triglycosylation in tea plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyan Wang
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Center for Plant Metabolomics, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Shuai Sun
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Center for Plant Metabolomics, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Zhenghua Du
- Center for Plant Metabolomics, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Fuquan Gao
- Center for Plant Metabolomics, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yeye Li
- Center for Plant Metabolomics, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Wenbo Han
- Center for Plant Metabolomics, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Ruimei Wu
- Center for Plant Metabolomics, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Xiaomin Yu
- Center for Plant Metabolomics, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
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9
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Lu J, Yan S, Xue Z. Biosynthesis and functions of triterpenoids in cereals. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00211-X. [PMID: 38788922 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.05.021] [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: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Triterpenoids are versatile secondary metabolites with a diverse array of physiological activities, possessing valuable pharmacological effects and influencing the growth and development of plants. As more triterpenoids in cereals are unearthed and characterized, their biological roles in plant growth and development are gaining recognition. AIM OF THE REVIEW This review provides an overview of the structures, biosynthetic pathways, and diverse biological functions of triterpenoids identified in cereals. Our goal is to establish a basis for further exploration of triterpenoids with novel structures and functional activities in cereals, and to facilitate the potential application of triterpenoids in grain breeding, thus accelerating the development of superior grain varieties. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF THE REVIEW This review consolidates information on various triterpenoid skeletons and derivatives found in cereals, and summarizes the pivotal enzyme genes involved, including oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC) and other triterpenoid modifying enzymes like cytochrome P450, glycosyltransferase, and acyltransferase. Triterpenoid-modifying enzymes exhibit specificity towards catalytic sites within triterpenoid skeletons, generating a diverse array of functional triterpenoid derivatives. Furthermore, triterpenoids have been shown to significantly impact the nutritional value, yield, disease resistance, and stress response of cereals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaojiao Lu
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Shan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Zheyong Xue
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China; State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, China National Center for Rice Improvement, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006, China.
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10
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Li L, Peng M, Yan Y, Deng T, Liang Q, Tao X, Li H, Yang J, He G, Yang S, Pu X, Yang X. Combined Metabolite and Transcriptomic Profiling Unveil a Potential Gene Network Involved in the Triterpenoid Metabolism of Rose roxburghii. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5517. [PMID: 38791554 PMCID: PMC11121832 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Rose roxburghii, a horticulturally significant species within the Rosa genus of the Rosaceae family, is renowned for its abundance of secondary metabolites and ascorbate, earning it the title 'king of vitamin C'. Despite this recognition, the mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis and regulation of triterpenoid compounds in R. roxburghii remain largely unresolved. In this study, we conducted high-performance liquid chromatography profiling across various organs of R. roxburghii, including fruit, root, stem, and leaves, revealing distinct distributions of triterpenoid compounds among different plant parts. Notably, the fruit exhibited the highest total triterpenoid content, followed by root and stem, with leaf containing the lowest levels, with leaf containing the lowest levels. Transcriptomic analysis unveiled preferential expression of members from the cytochrome P450 (CYP) and glycosyltransferase (UGT) families, likely contributing to the higher accumulation of both ascorbate and triterpenoid compounds in the fruits of R. roxburghii compared to other tissues of R. roxburghii. Transcriptomic analysis unveiled a potential gene network implicated in the biosynthesis of both ascorbate and triterpenoid compounds in R. roxburghii. These findings not only deepen our understanding of the metabolic pathways in this species but also have implications for the design of functional foods enriched with ascorbate and triterpenoids in R. roxburghii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangqun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; (L.L.); (Y.Y.); (T.D.); (Q.L.); (H.L.); (J.Y.)
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Mei Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; (L.L.); (Y.Y.); (T.D.); (Q.L.); (H.L.); (J.Y.)
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Yanfang Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; (L.L.); (Y.Y.); (T.D.); (Q.L.); (H.L.); (J.Y.)
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Tingfei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; (L.L.); (Y.Y.); (T.D.); (Q.L.); (H.L.); (J.Y.)
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Qiancheng Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; (L.L.); (Y.Y.); (T.D.); (Q.L.); (H.L.); (J.Y.)
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Xian Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; (L.L.); (Y.Y.); (T.D.); (Q.L.); (H.L.); (J.Y.)
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Haodong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; (L.L.); (Y.Y.); (T.D.); (Q.L.); (H.L.); (J.Y.)
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Juan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; (L.L.); (Y.Y.); (T.D.); (Q.L.); (H.L.); (J.Y.)
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Guandi He
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; (G.H.); (S.Y.)
| | - Sanwei Yang
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; (G.H.); (S.Y.)
| | - Xiaojun Pu
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650031, China
| | - Xiaosheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China; (L.L.); (Y.Y.); (T.D.); (Q.L.); (H.L.); (J.Y.)
- Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014, China
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11
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Gharabli H, Welner DH. The sugar donor specificity of plant family 1 glycosyltransferases. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1396268. [PMID: 38756413 PMCID: PMC11096472 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1396268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant family 1 glycosyltransferases (UGTs) represent a formidable tool to produce valuable natural and novel glycosides. Their regio- and stereo-specific one-step glycosylation mechanism along with their inherent wide acceptor scope are desirable traits in biotechnology. However, their donor scope and specificity are not well understood. Since different sugars have different properties in vivo and in vitro, the ability to easily glycodiversify target acceptors is desired, and this depends on our improved understanding of the donor binding site. In the aim to unlock the full potential of UGTs, studies have attempted to elucidate the structure-function relationship governing their donor specificity. These efforts have revealed a complex phenomenon, and general principles valid for multiple enzymes are elusive. Here, we review the studies of UGT donor specificity, and attempt to group the information into key concepts which can help shape future research. We zoom in on the family-defining PSPG motif, on two loop residues reported to interact with the C6 position of the sugar, and on the role of active site arginines in donor specificity. We continue to discuss attempts to alter and expand the donor specificity by enzyme engineering, and finally discuss future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ditte Hededam Welner
- The Novo Nordisk Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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12
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Zhang S, Meng F, Pan X, Qiu X, Li C, Lu S. Chromosome-level genome assembly of Prunella vulgaris L. provides insights into pentacyclic triterpenoid biosynthesis. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 118:731-752. [PMID: 38226777 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Prunella vulgaris is one of the bestselling and widely used medicinal herbs. It is recorded as an ace medicine for cleansing and protecting the liver in Chinese Pharmacopoeia and has been used as the main constitutions of many herbal tea formulas in China for centuries. It is also a traditional folk medicine in Europe and other countries of Asia. Pentacyclic triterpenoids are a major class of bioactive compounds produced in P. vulgaris. However, their biosynthetic mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here, we report a chromosome-level reference genome of P. vulgaris using an approach combining Illumina, ONT, and Hi-C technologies. It is 671.95 Mb in size with a scaffold N50 of 49.10 Mb and a complete BUSCO of 98.45%. About 98.31% of the sequence was anchored into 14 pseudochromosomes. Comparative genome analysis revealed a recent WGD in P. vulgaris. Genome-wide analysis identified 35 932 protein-coding genes (PCGs), of which 59 encode enzymes involved in 2,3-oxidosqualene biosynthesis. In addition, 10 PvOSC, 358 PvCYP, and 177 PvUGT genes were identified, of which five PvOSCs, 25 PvCYPs, and 9 PvUGTs were predicted to be involved in the biosynthesis of pentacyclic triterpenoids. Biochemical activity assay of PvOSC2, PvOSC4, and PvOSC6 recombinant proteins showed that they were mixed amyrin synthase (MAS), lupeol synthase (LUS), and β-amyrin synthase (BAS), respectively. The results provide a solid foundation for further elucidating the biosynthetic mechanism of pentacyclic triterpenoids in P. vulgaris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sixuan Zhang
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Fanqi Meng
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xian Pan
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Qiu
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Caili Li
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Shanfa Lu
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
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13
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Cao Y, Han Z, Zhang Z, He L, Huang C, Chen J, Dai F, Xuan L, Yan S, Si Z, Hu Y, Zhang T. UDP-glucosyltransferase 71C4 controls the flux of phenylpropanoid metabolism to shape cotton seed development. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2024:100938. [PMID: 38689494 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.100938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Seeds play a crucial role in plant reproduction, making it essential to identify genes that affect seed development. In this study, we focused on UDP-glucosyltransferase 71C4 (UGT71C4) in cotton, a member of the glycosyltransferase family that shapes seed width and length, thereby influencing seed index and seed cotton yield. Overexpression of UGT71C4 results in seed enlargement owing to its glycosyltransferase activity on flavonoids, which redirects metabolic flux from lignin to flavonoid metabolism. This shift promotes cell proliferation in the ovule via accumulation of flavonoid glycosides, significantly enhancing seed cotton yield and increasing the seed index from 10.66 g to 11.91 g. By contrast, knockout of UGT71C4 leads to smaller seeds through activation of the lignin metabolism pathway and redirection of metabolic flux back to lignin synthesis. This redirection leads to increased ectopic lignin deposition in the ovule, inhibiting ovule growth and development, and alters yield components, increasing the lint percentage from 41.42% to 43.40% and reducing the seed index from 10.66 g to 8.60 g. Our research sheds new light on seed size development and reveals potential pathways for enhancing seed yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Cao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, the Advanced Seed Institute, Plant Precision Breeding Academy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya, China
| | - Zegang Han
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, the Advanced Seed Institute, Plant Precision Breeding Academy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Lu He
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, the Advanced Seed Institute, Plant Precision Breeding Academy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chujun Huang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, the Advanced Seed Institute, Plant Precision Breeding Academy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jinwen Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, the Advanced Seed Institute, Plant Precision Breeding Academy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fan Dai
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, the Advanced Seed Institute, Plant Precision Breeding Academy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lisha Xuan
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, the Advanced Seed Institute, Plant Precision Breeding Academy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Sunyi Yan
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, the Advanced Seed Institute, Plant Precision Breeding Academy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhanfeng Si
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, the Advanced Seed Institute, Plant Precision Breeding Academy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yan Hu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, the Advanced Seed Institute, Plant Precision Breeding Academy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya, China
| | - Tianzhen Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, the Advanced Seed Institute, Plant Precision Breeding Academy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya, China.
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14
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Kerwin RE, Hart JE, Fiesel PD, Lou YR, Fan P, Jones AD, Last RL. Tomato root specialized metabolites evolved through gene duplication and regulatory divergence within a biosynthetic gene cluster. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn3991. [PMID: 38657073 PMCID: PMC11094762 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn3991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Tremendous plant metabolic diversity arises from phylogenetically restricted specialized metabolic pathways. Specialized metabolites are synthesized in dedicated cells or tissues, with pathway genes sometimes colocalizing in biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). However, the mechanisms by which spatial expression patterns arise and the role of BGCs in pathway evolution remain underappreciated. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms driving acylsugar evolution in the Solanaceae. Previously thought to be restricted to glandular trichomes, acylsugars were recently found in cultivated tomato roots. We demonstrated that acylsugars in cultivated tomato roots and trichomes have different sugar cores, identified root-enriched paralogs of trichome acylsugar pathway genes, and characterized a key paralog required for root acylsugar biosynthesis, SlASAT1-LIKE (SlASAT1-L), which is nested within a previously reported trichome acylsugar BGC. Last, we provided evidence that ASAT1-L arose through duplication of its paralog, ASAT1, and was trichome-expressed before acquiring root-specific expression in the Solanum genus. Our results illuminate the genomic context and molecular mechanisms underpinning metabolic diversity in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E. Kerwin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Jaynee E. Hart
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Paul D. Fiesel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Yann-Ru Lou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Pengxiang Fan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - A. Daniel Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, 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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15
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Crowe SA, Zhao X, Gan F, Chen X, Hudson GA, Astolfi MCT, Scheller HV, Liu Y, Keasling JD. Engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a Biosynthetic Platform of Nucleotide Sugars. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:1215-1224. [PMID: 38467016 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00666] [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: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Glycosylation of biomolecules can greatly alter their physicochemical properties, cellular recognition, subcellular localization, and immunogenicity. Glycosylation reactions rely on the stepwise addition of sugars using nucleotide diphosphate (NDP)-sugars. Making these substrates readily available will greatly accelerate the characterization of new glycosylation reactions, elucidation of their underlying regulation mechanisms, and production of glycosylated molecules. In this work, we engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae to heterologously express nucleotide sugar synthases to access a wide variety of uridine diphosphate (UDP)-sugars from simple starting materials (i.e., glucose and galactose). Specifically, activated glucose, uridine diphosphate d-glucose (UDP-d-Glc), can be converted to UDP-d-glucuronic acid (UDP-d-GlcA), UDP-d-xylose (UDP-d-Xyl), UDP-d-apiose (UDP-d-Api), UDP-d-fucose (UDP-d-Fuc), UDP-l-rhamnose (UDP-l-Rha), UDP-l-arabinopyranose (UDP-l-Arap), and UDP-l-arabinofuranose (UDP-l-Araf) using the corresponding nucleotide sugar synthases of plant and microbial origins. We also expressed genes encoding the salvage pathway to directly activate free sugars to achieve the biosynthesis of UDP-l-Arap and UDP-l-Araf. We observed strong inhibition of UDP-d-Glc 6-dehydrogenase (UGD) by the downstream product UDP-d-Xyl, which we circumvented using an induction system (Tet-On) to delay the production of UDP-d-Xyl to maintain the upstream UDP-sugar pool. Finally, we performed a time-course study using strains containing the biosynthetic pathways to produce five non-native UDP-sugars to elucidate their time-dependent interconversion and the role of UDP-d-Xyl in regulating UDP-sugar metabolism. These engineered yeast strains are a robust platform to (i) functionally characterize sugar synthases in vivo, (ii) biosynthesize a diverse selection of UDP-sugars, (iii) examine the regulation of intracellular UDP-sugar interconversions, and (iv) produce glycosylated secondary metabolites and proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha A Crowe
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Xixi Zhao
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Fei Gan
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Xiaoyue Chen
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Graham A Hudson
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Maria C T Astolfi
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Henrik V Scheller
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Yuzhong Liu
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - Jay D Keasling
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institutes for Advanced Technologies, Shenzhen 518071, China
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16
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Martin LBB, Kikuchi S, Rejzek M, Owen C, Reed J, Orme A, Misra RC, El-Demerdash A, Hill L, Hodgson H, Liu Y, Keasling JD, Field RA, Truman AW, Osbourn A. Complete biosynthesis of the potent vaccine adjuvant QS-21. Nat Chem Biol 2024; 20:493-502. [PMID: 38278997 PMCID: PMC10972754 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01538-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
QS-21 is a potent vaccine adjuvant currently sourced by extraction from the Chilean soapbark tree. It is a key component of human vaccines for shingles, malaria, coronavirus disease 2019 and others under development. The structure of QS-21 consists of a glycosylated triterpene scaffold coupled to a complex glycosylated 18-carbon acyl chain that is critical for immunostimulant activity. We previously identified the early pathway steps needed to make the triterpene glycoside scaffold; however, the biosynthetic route to the acyl chain, which is needed for stimulation of T cell proliferation, was unknown. Here, we report the biogenic origin of the acyl chain, characterize the series of enzymes required for its synthesis and addition and reconstitute the entire 20-step pathway in tobacco, thereby demonstrating the production of QS-21 in a heterologous expression system. This advance opens up unprecedented opportunities for bioengineering of vaccine adjuvants, investigating structure-activity relationships and understanding the mechanisms by which these compounds promote the human immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Martin Rejzek
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | - James Reed
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | | | - Amr El-Demerdash
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Lionel Hill
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Yuzhong Liu
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Jay D Keasling
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Biosustainability, Danish Technical University, Lyngby, Denmark
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institutes for Advanced Technologies, Shenzhen, China
| | - Robert A Field
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Anne Osbourn
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
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17
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Li L, Liu M, Bi H, Liu T. High-level production of Rhodiola rosea characteristic component rosavin from D-glucose and L-arabinose in engineered Escherichia coli. Metab Eng 2024; 82:274-285. [PMID: 38428730 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2024.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Rosavin is the characteristic component of Rhodiola rosea L., an important medicinal plant used widely in the world that has been reported to possess multiple biological activities. However, the endangered status of wild Rhodiola has limited the supply of rosavin. In this work, we successfully engineered an Escherichia coli strain to efficiently produce rosavin as an alternative production method. Firstly, cinnamate: CoA ligase from Hypericum calycinum, cinnamoyl-CoA reductase from Lolium perenne, and uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glycosyltransferase (UGT) from Bacillus subtilis (Bs-YjiC) were selected to improve the titer of rosin in E. coli. Subsequently, four UGTs from the UGT91R subfamily were identified to catalyze the formation of rosavin from rosin, with SlUGT91R1 from Solanum lycopersicum showing the highest activity level. Secondly, production of rosavin was achieved for the first time in E. coli by incorporating the SlUGT91R1 and UDP-arabinose pathway, including UDP-glucose dehydrogenase, UDP-xylose synthase, and UDP-xylose 4-epimerase, into the rosin-producing stain, and the titer reached 430.5 ± 91.4 mg/L. Thirdly, a two-step pathway derived from L-arabinose, composed of L-arabinokinase and UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase, was developed in E. coli to further optimize the supply of the precursor UDP-arabinose. Furthermore, 1203.7 ± 32.1 mg/L of rosavin was produced from D-glucose and L-arabinose using shake-flask fermentation. Finally, the production of rosavin reached 7539.1 ± 228.7 mg/L by fed-batch fermentation in a 5-L bioreactor. Thus, the microbe-based production of rosavin shows great potential for commercialization. This work provides an effective strategy for the biosynthesis of other valuable natural products with arabinose-containing units from D-glucose and L-arabinose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Li
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, China; Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Moshi Liu
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huiping Bi
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China.
| | - Tao Liu
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China; Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China.
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18
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Zhang C, Cai Y, Zhang Z, Zheng N, Zhou H, Su Y, Du S, Hussain A, Xia X. Directed Evolution of the UDP-Glycosyltransferase UGT BL1 for Highly Regioselective and Efficient Biosynthesis of Natural Phenolic Glycosides. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:1640-1650. [PMID: 38213280 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c07850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The O-glycosylation of polyphenols for the synthesis of glycosides has garnered substantial attention in food research applications. However, the practical utility of UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) is significantly hindered by their low catalytic efficiency and suboptimal regioselectivity. The concurrent optimization of the regioselectivity and activity during the glycosylation of polyphenols presents a formidable challenge. Here, we addressed the long-standing activity-regioselectivity tradeoff in glycosyltransferase UGTBL1 through systematic enzyme engineering. The optimal combination of mutants, N61S/I62M/D63W/A208R/P218W/R282W (SMWRW1W2), yielded a 6.1-fold improvement in relative activity and a 17.3-fold increase in the ratio of gastrodin to para-hydroxybenzyl alcohol-4'-O-β-glucoside (with 89.5% regioselectivity for gastrodin) compared to those of the wild-type enzyme and ultimately allowed gram-scale production of gastrodin (1,066.2 mg/L) using whole-cell biocatalysis. In addition, variant SMWRW1W2 exhibited a preference for producing phenolic glycosides from several substrates. This study lays the foundation for the engineering of additional UGTs and the practical applications of UGTs in regioselective retrofitting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenhao Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yongchao Cai
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Zehua Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Nan Zheng
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Huimin Zhou
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yumeng Su
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Shuang Du
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Asif Hussain
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xiaole Xia
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
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19
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Cheng W, Fang X, Guan Z, Yao Y, Xu Z, Bi Y, Ren K, Li J, Chen F, Chen X, Ma W, Chu Z, Deng Z, Zhang Z, Lu L. Functional characterization and structural basis of a reversible glycosyltransferase involves in plant chemical defence. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:2611-2624. [PMID: 37581303 PMCID: PMC10651139 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Plants experience numerous biotic stresses throughout their lifespan, such as pathogens and pests, which can substantially affect crop production. In response, plants have evolved various metabolites that help them withstand these stresses. Here, we show that two specialized metabolites in the herbaceous perennial Belamcanda chinensis, tectorigenin and its glycoside tectoridin, have diverse defensive effects against phytopathogenic microorganisms and antifeeding effects against insect pest. We further functionally characterized a 7-O-uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferase Bc7OUGT, which catalyses a novel reversible glycosylation of tectorigenin and tectoridin. To elucidate the catalytic mechanisms of Bc7OUGT, we solved its crystal structure in complex with UDP and UDP/tectorigenin respectively. Structural analysis revealed the Bc7OUGT possesses a narrow but novel substrate-binding pocket made up by plentiful aromatic residues. Further structure-guided mutagenesis of these residues increased both glycosylation and deglycosylation activities. The catalytic reversibility of Bc7OUGT was also successfully applied in an one-pot aglycon exchange reaction. Our findings demonstrated the promising biopesticide activity of tectorigenin and its glycosides, and the characterization and mechanistic study of Bc7OUGT could facilitate the design of novel reversible UGTs to produce valuable glycosides with health benefits for both plants and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijia Cheng
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western MedicineZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Xueting Fang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Zhifeng Guan
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Yan Yao
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Zhenni Xu
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Yunya Bi
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Kexin Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Department of Genetics, College of Life SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Jiwen Li
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Fangfang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Xiangsong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Department of Genetics, College of Life SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryWuhanChina
| | - Weihua Ma
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryWuhanChina
| | - Zhaohui Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Department of Genetics, College of Life SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryWuhanChina
| | - Zixin Deng
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Zhengyu Zhang
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western MedicineZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Li Lu
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western MedicineZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Hongshan LaboratoryWuhanChina
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20
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Dinday S, Ghosh S. Recent advances in triterpenoid pathway elucidation and engineering. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 68:108214. [PMID: 37478981 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Triterpenoids are among the most assorted class of specialized metabolites found in all the taxa of living organisms. Triterpenoids are the leading active ingredients sourced from plant species and are utilized in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The triterpenoid precursor 2,3-oxidosqualene, which is biosynthesized via the mevalonate (MVA) pathway is structurally diversified by the oxidosqualene cyclases (OSCs) and other scaffold-decorating enzymes such as cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s), UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) and acyltransferases (ATs). A majority of the bioactive triterpenoids are harvested from the native hosts using the traditional methods of extraction and occasionally semi-synthesized. These methods of supply are time-consuming and do not often align with sustainability goals. Recent advancements in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology have shown prospects for the green routes of triterpenoid pathway reconstruction in heterologous hosts such as Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Nicotiana benthamiana, which appear to be quite promising and might lead to the development of alternative source of triterpenoids. The present review describes the biotechnological strategies used to elucidate complex biosynthetic pathways and to understand their regulation and also discusses how the advances in triterpenoid pathway engineering might aid in the scale-up of triterpenoid production in engineered hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Dinday
- CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow 226015, Uttar Pradesh, India; School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141004, Punjab, India
| | - Sumit Ghosh
- CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow 226015, Uttar Pradesh, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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21
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Wang M, Ji Q, Lai B, Liu Y, Mei K. Structure-function and engineering of plant UDP-glycosyltransferase. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:5358-5371. [PMID: 37965058 PMCID: PMC10641439 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.10.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural products synthesized by plants have substantial industrial and medicinal values and are therefore attracting increasing interest in various related industries. Among the key enzyme families involved in the biosynthesis of natural products, uridine diphosphate-dependent glycosyltransferases (UGTs) play a crucial role in plants. In recent years, significant efforts have been made to elucidate the catalytic mechanisms and substrate recognition of plant UGTs and to improve them for desired functions. In this review, we presented a comprehensive overview of all currently published structures of plant UGTs, along with in-depth analyses of the corresponding catalytic and substrate recognition mechanisms. In addition, we summarized and evaluated the protein engineering strategies applied to improve the catalytic activities of plant UGTs, with a particular focus on high-throughput screening methods. The primary objective of this review is to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of plant UGTs and to serve as a valuable reference for the latest techniques used to improve their activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengya Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery and High Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Qiushuang Ji
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery and High Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Bin Lai
- BMBF junior research group Biophotovoltaics, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Yirong Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery and High Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Kunrong Mei
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery and High Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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22
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Carvalho ARV, Reis JDE, Gomes PWP, Ferraz AC, Mardegan HA, Menegatto MBDS, Souza Lima RL, de Sarges MRV, Pamplona SDGSR, Jeunon Gontijo KS, de Magalhães JC, da Silva MN, Magalhães CLDB, Silva CYYE. Untargeted-based metabolomics analysis and in vitro/in silico antiviral activity of extracts from Phyllanthus brasiliensis (Aubl.) Poir. PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS : PCA 2023; 34:869-883. [PMID: 37403427 DOI: 10.1002/pca.3259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study describes the molecular profile and the potential antiviral activity of extracts from Phyllanthus brasiliensis, a plant widely found in the Brazilian Amazon. The research aims to shed light on the potential use of this species as a natural antiviral agent. METHODS The extracts were analysed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) system, a potent analytical technique to discover drug candidates. In the meantime, in vitro antiviral assays were performed against Mayaro, Oropouche, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses. In addition, the antiviral activity of annotated compounds was predicted by in silico methods. RESULTS Overall, 44 compounds were annotated in this study. The results revealed that P. brasiliensis has a high content of fatty acids, flavones, flavan-3-ols, and lignans. Furthermore, in vitro assays revealed potent antiviral activity against different arboviruses, especially lignan-rich extracts against Zika virus (ZIKV), as follows: methanolic extract from bark (MEB) [effective concentration for 50% of the cells (EC50 ) = 0.80 μg/mL, selectivity index (SI) = 377.59], methanolic extract from the leaf (MEL) (EC50 = 0.84 μg/mL, SI = 297.62), and hydroalcoholic extract from the leaf (HEL) (EC50 = 1.36 μg/mL, SI = 735.29). These results were supported by interesting in silico prediction, where tuberculatin (a lignan) showed a high antiviral activity score. CONCLUSIONS Phyllanthus brasiliensis extracts contain metabolites that could be a new kick-off point for the discovery of candidates for antiviral drug development, with lignans becoming a promising trend for further virology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Rhelly V Carvalho
- Laboratory of Liquid Chromatography, Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - José Diogo E Reis
- Laboratory of Liquid Chromatography, Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Chemistry Post-Graduation Programme, Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Paulo Wender P Gomes
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Centre, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ariane Coelho Ferraz
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Horrana A Mardegan
- Laboratory of Liquid Chromatography, Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Post-Graduation Programme, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Marília Bueno da Silva Menegatto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Lameira Souza Lima
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Maria Rosilda V de Sarges
- Laboratory of Liquid Chromatography, Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Post-Graduation Programme, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Sônia das G S R Pamplona
- Laboratory of Liquid Chromatography, Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Chemistry Post-Graduation Programme, Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | | | - José Carlos de Magalhães
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, São João del Rei, Brazil
| | - Milton N da Silva
- Laboratory of Liquid Chromatography, Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Chemistry Post-Graduation Programme, Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Cintia Lopes de Brito Magalhães
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, São João del Rei, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Consuelo Yumiko Yoshioka E Silva
- Laboratory of Liquid Chromatography, Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Post-Graduation Programme, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
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23
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Zhang Y, Fernie AR. Leveraging glycoside-targeted metabolomics to gain insight into biological function. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 28:737-739. [PMID: 37076401 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In plants, uridine diphosphate (UDP)-dependent glycosyltransferases (UGTs) catalyze glycosylation of secondary metabolites, but assigning physiological functions to UGTs is still a daunting task. The recent study of Wu et al. presents a useful method to resolve this problem by elegantly combining modification-specific metabolomics with isotope tracing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjun Zhang
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Center for Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Center for Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
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24
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Lacchini E, Erffelinck ML, Mertens J, Marcou S, Molina-Hidalgo FJ, Tzfadia O, Venegas-Molina J, Cárdenas PD, Pollier J, Tava A, Bak S, Höfte M, Goossens A. The saponin bomb: a nucleolar-localized β-glucosidase hydrolyzes triterpene saponins in Medicago truncatula. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 239:705-719. [PMID: 36683446 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plants often protect themselves from their own bioactive defense metabolites by storing them in less active forms. Consequently, plants also need systems allowing correct spatiotemporal reactivation of such metabolites, for instance under pathogen or herbivore attack. Via co-expression analysis with public transcriptomes, we determined that the model legume Medicago truncatula has evolved a two-component system composed of a β-glucosidase, denominated G1, and triterpene saponins, which are physically separated from each other in intact cells. G1 expression is root-specific, stress-inducible, and coregulated with that of the genes encoding the triterpene saponin biosynthetic enzymes. However, the G1 protein is stored in the nucleolus and is released and united with its typically vacuolar-stored substrates only upon tissue damage, partly mediated by the surfactant action of the saponins themselves. Subsequently, enzymatic removal of carbohydrate groups from the saponins creates a pool of metabolites with an increased broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. The evolution of this defense system benefited from both the intrinsic condensation abilities of the enzyme and the bioactivity properties of its substrates. We dub this two-component system the saponin bomb, in analogy with the mustard oil and cyanide bombs, commonly used to describe the renowned β-glucosidase-dependent defense systems for glucosinolates and cyanogenic glucosides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elia Lacchini
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
| | - Marie-Laure Erffelinck
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
| | - Jan Mertens
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
| | - Shirley Marcou
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
| | - Francisco Javier Molina-Hidalgo
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
| | - Oren Tzfadia
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
| | - Jhon Venegas-Molina
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
| | - Pablo D Cárdenas
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, DK-1871, Denmark
| | - Jacob Pollier
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
| | - Aldo Tava
- CREA Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, Lodi, 26900, Italy
| | - Søren Bak
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, DK-1871, Denmark
| | - Monica Höfte
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
| | - Alain Goossens
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, B-9052, Belgium
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25
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Wu Y, Yang Y, Du L, Zhuang Y, Liu T. Identification of a highly promiscuous glucosyltransferase from Penstemon barbatus for natural product glycodiversification. Org Biomol Chem 2023; 21:4445-4454. [PMID: 37190792 DOI: 10.1039/d3ob00370a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Glycosylation reactions mediated by UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are common post-modifications involved in plant secondary metabolism and significantly improve the solubility and bioactivity of aglycones. Penstemon barbatus is rich in phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs), such as echinacoside and verbascoside. In this study, a promiscuous glycosyltransferase UGT84A95 was identified from P. barbatus. In vitro enzyme assays showed that UGT84A95 catalyzed the glucosylation of the phenol hydroxyl group of PhGs efficiently as well as other structurally diverse phenolic glycosides, including flavonoids, terpenoids, stilbene glycosides, coumarins, and simple polyphenols. By using UGT84A95, 12 glycosylated products were prepared and structurally identified by NMR spectroscopy, among which 7 are new compounds. These findings suggest that UGT84A95 could be a potential biocatalyst to synthesize multi-glycosylated glycosides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Wu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Yihan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Liping Du
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
| | - Yibin Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
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26
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Wang W, Hou L, Li S, Li J. The Functional Characterization of DzCYP72A12-4 Related to Diosgenin Biosynthesis and Drought Adaptability in Dioscorea zingiberensis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098430. [PMID: 37176134 PMCID: PMC10179397 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Dioscorea zingiberensis is a perennial herb famous for the production of diosgenin, which is a valuable initial material for the industrial synthesis of steroid drugs. Sterol C26-hydroxylases, such as TfCYP72A616 and PpCYP72A613, play an important role in the diosgenin biosynthesis pathway. In the present study, a novel gene, DzCYP72A12-4, was identified as C26-hydroxylase and was found to be involved in diosgenin biosynthesis, for the first time in D. zingiberensis, using comprehensive methods. Then, the diosgenin heterogenous biosynthesis pathway starting from cholesterol was created in stable transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) harboring DzCYP90B71(QPZ88854), DzCYP90G6(QPZ88855) and DzCYP72A12-4. Meanwhile, diosgenin was detected in the transgenic tobacco using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography system (Vanquish UPLC 689, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bremen, Germany) tandem MS (Q Exactive Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bremen, Germany). Further RT-qPCR analysis showed that DzCYP72A12-4 was highly expressed in both rhizomes and leaves and was upregulated under 15% polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatment, indicating that DzCYP72A12-4 may be related to drought resistance. In addition, the germination rate of the diosgenin-producing tobacco seeds was higher than that of the negative controls under 15% PEG pressure. In addition, the concentration of malonaldehyde (MDA) was lower in the diosgenin-producing tobacco seedlings than those of the control, indicating higher drought adaptability. The results of this study provide valuable information for further research on diosgenin biosynthesis in D. zingiberensis and its functions related to drought adaptability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weipeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Department of Plant Science, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Lixiu Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Department of Plant Science, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Song Li
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Department of Plant Science, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jiaru Li
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Department of Plant Science, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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27
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Liu Y, Wang Q, Liu X, Cheng J, Zhang L, Chu H, Wang R, Li H, Chang H, Ahmed N, Wang Z, Liao X, Jiang H. pUGTdb: A comprehensive database of plant UDP-dependent glycosyltransferases. MOLECULAR PLANT 2023; 16:643-646. [PMID: 36609142 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuqian Liu
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Xiaonan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Jian Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China.
| | - Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China; Academy of Life Science, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430040, China
| | - Huanyu Chu
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Ruoyu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Haoran Li
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Hong Chang
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Nida Ahmed
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | | | - Xiaoping Liao
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China.
| | - Huifeng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China.
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28
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Reed J, Orme A, El-Demerdash A, Owen C, Martin LBB, Misra RC, Kikuchi S, Rejzek M, Martin AC, Harkess A, Leebens-Mack J, Louveau T, Stephenson MJ, Osbourn A. Elucidation of the pathway for biosynthesis of saponin adjuvants from the soapbark tree. Science 2023; 379:1252-1264. [PMID: 36952412 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf3727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
The Chilean soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria) produces soap-like molecules called QS saponins that are important vaccine adjuvants. These highly valuable compounds are sourced by extraction from the bark, and their biosynthetic pathway is unknown. Here, we sequenced the Q. saponaria genome. Through genome mining and combinatorial expression in tobacco, we identified 16 pathway enzymes that together enable the production of advanced QS pathway intermediates that represent a bridgehead for adjuvant bioengineering. We further identified the enzymes needed to make QS-7, a saponin with excellent therapeutic properties and low toxicity that is present in low abundance in Q. saponaria bark extract. Our results enable the production of Q. saponaria vaccine adjuvants in tobacco and open the way for new routes to access and engineer natural and new-to-nature immunostimulants.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Reed
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Anastasia Orme
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | | | - Charlotte Owen
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | | | - Rajesh C Misra
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Shingo Kikuchi
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Martin Rejzek
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | | | - Alex Harkess
- Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
| | - Jim Leebens-Mack
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Thomas Louveau
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | | | - Anne Osbourn
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
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29
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Parks HM, Cinelli MA, Bedewitz MA, Grabar JM, Hurney SM, Walker KD, Jones AD, Barry CS. Redirecting tropane alkaloid metabolism reveals pyrrolidine alkaloid diversity in Atropa belladonna. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 237:1810-1825. [PMID: 36451537 PMCID: PMC10107824 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Plant-specialized metabolism is complex, with frequent examples of highly branched biosynthetic pathways, and shared chemical intermediates. As such, many plant-specialized metabolic networks are poorly characterized. The N-methyl Δ1 -pyrrolinium cation is a simple pyrrolidine alkaloid and precursor of pharmacologically important tropane alkaloids. Silencing of pyrrolidine ketide synthase (AbPyKS) in the roots of Atropa belladonna (Deadly Nightshade) reduces tropane alkaloid abundance and causes high N-methyl Δ1 -pyrrolinium cation accumulation. The consequences of this metabolic shift on alkaloid metabolism are unknown. In this study, we utilized discovery metabolomics coupled with AbPyKS silencing to reveal major changes in the root alkaloid metabolome of A. belladonna. We discovered and annotated almost 40 pyrrolidine alkaloids that increase when AbPyKS activity is reduced. Suppression of phenyllactate biosynthesis, combined with metabolic engineering in planta, and chemical synthesis indicates several of these pyrrolidines share a core structure formed through the nonenzymatic Mannich-like decarboxylative condensation of the N-methyl Δ1 -pyrrolinium cation with 2-O-malonylphenyllactate. Decoration of this core scaffold through hydroxylation and glycosylation leads to mono- and dipyrrolidine alkaloid diversity. This study reveals the previously unknown complexity of the A. belladonna root metabolome and creates a foundation for future investigation into the biosynthesis, function, and potential utility of these novel alkaloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M. Parks
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI48824USA
| | - Maris A. Cinelli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI48824USA
| | | | - Josh M. Grabar
- Department of HorticultureMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI48824USA
| | - Steven M. Hurney
- Department of ChemistryMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI48824USA
| | - Kevin D. Walker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI48824USA
- Department of ChemistryMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI48824USA
| | - A. Daniel Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI48824USA
| | - Cornelius S. Barry
- Department of HorticultureMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI48824USA
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30
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Sirirungruang S, Barnum CR, Tang SN, Shih PM. Plant glycosyltransferases for expanding bioactive glycoside diversity. Nat Prod Rep 2023. [PMID: 36853278 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00077f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Glycosylation is a successful strategy to alter the pharmacological properties of small molecules, and it has emerged as a unique approach to expand the chemical space of natural products that can be explored in drug discovery. Traditionally, most glycosylation events have been carried out chemically, often requiring many protection and deprotection steps to achieve a target molecule. Enzymatic glycosylation by glycosyltransferases could provide an alternative strategy for producing new glycosides. In particular, the glycosyltransferase family has greatly expanded in plants, representing a rich enzymatic resource to mine and expand the diversity of glycosides with novel bioactive properties. This article highlights previous and prospective uses for plant glycosyltransferases in generating bioactive glycosides and altering their pharmacological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasilada Sirirungruang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Feedstocks Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA.,Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Center for Biomolecular Structure, Function and Application, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Collin R Barnum
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sophia N Tang
- Feedstocks Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA.,Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Patrick M Shih
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Feedstocks Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA.,Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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31
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Singh G, Sharma S, Rawat S, Sharma RK. Plant Specialised Glycosides (PSGs): their biosynthetic enzymatic machinery, physiological functions and commercial potential. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2022; 49:1009-1028. [PMID: 36038144 DOI: 10.1071/fp21294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plants, the primary producers of our planet, have evolved from simple aquatic life to very complex terrestrial habitat. This habitat transition coincides with evolution of enormous chemical diversity, collectively termed as 'Plant Specialised Metabolisms (PSMs)', to cope the environmental challenges. Plant glycosylation is an important process of metabolic diversification of PSMs to govern their in planta stability, solubility and inter/intra-cellular transport. Although, individual category of PSMs (terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, phytohormones, glucosinolates and cyanogenic glycosides) have been well studied; nevertheless, deeper insights of physiological functioning and genomic aspects of plant glycosylation/deglycosylation processes including enzymatic machinery (CYPs, GTs, and GHs) and regulatory elements are still elusive. Therefore, this review discussed the paradigm shift on genomic background of enzymatic machinery, transporters and regulatory mechanism of 'Plant Specialised Glycosides (PSGs)'. Current efforts also update the fundamental understanding about physiological, evolutionary and adaptive role of glycosylation/deglycosylation processes during the metabolic diversification of PSGs. Additionally, futuristic considerations and recommendations for employing integrated next-generation multi-omics (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics), including gene/genome editing (CRISPR-Cas) approaches are also proposed to explore commercial potential of PSGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gopal Singh
- Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur 176061, Himachal Pradesh, India; and Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-HRDC Campus, Ghaziabad 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India; and Present address: Department of Plant Functional Metabolomics, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Shikha Sharma
- Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur 176061, Himachal Pradesh, India; and Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-HRDC Campus, Ghaziabad 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sandeep Rawat
- Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur 176061, Himachal Pradesh, India; and Present address: G. B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Sikkim Regional Centre, Pangthang, Gangtok 737101, Sikkim, India
| | - Ram Kumar Sharma
- Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur 176061, Himachal Pradesh, India; and Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-HRDC Campus, Ghaziabad 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India
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32
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Wu J, Zhu W, Shan X, Liu J, Zhao L, Zhao Q. Glycoside-specific metabolomics combined with precursor isotopic labeling for characterizing plant glycosyltransferases. MOLECULAR PLANT 2022; 15:1517-1532. [PMID: 35996753 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2022.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Glycosylation by uridine diphosphate-dependent glycosyltransferases (UGTs) in plants contributes to the complexity and diversity of secondary metabolites. UGTs are generally promiscuous in their use of acceptors, making it challenging to reveal the function of UGTs in vivo. Here, we described an approach that combined glycoside-specific metabolomics and precursor isotopic labeling analysis to characterize UGTs in Arabidopsis. We revisited the UGT72E cluster, which has been reported to catalyze the glycosylation of monolignols. Glycoside-specific metabolomics analysis reduced the number of differentially accumulated metabolites in the ugt72e1e2e3 mutant by at least 90% compared with that from traditional untargeted metabolomics analysis. In addition to the two previously reported monolignol glycosides, a total of 62 glycosides showed reduced accumulation in the ugt72e1e2e3 mutant, 22 of which were phenylalanine-derived glycosides, including 5-OH coniferyl alcohol-derived and lignan-derived glycosides, as confirmed by isotopic tracing of [13C6]-phenylalanine precursor. Our method revealed that UGT72Es could use coumarins as substrates, and genetic evidence showed that UGT72Es endowed plants with enhanced tolerance to low iron availability under alkaline conditions. Using the newly developed method, the function of UGT78D2 was also evaluated. These case studies suggest that this method can substantially contribute to the characterization of UGTs and efficiently investigate glycosylation processes, the complexity of which have been highly underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wentao Zhu
- Innovation Center of Pesticide Research, Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xiaotong Shan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jinyue Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Lingling Zhao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qiao Zhao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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33
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Selma S, Gianoglio S, Uranga M, Vázquez‐Vilar M, Espinosa‐Ruiz A, Drapal M, Fraser PD, Daròs J, Orzáez D. Potato virus X-delivered CRISPR activation programs lead to strong endogenous gene induction and transient metabolic reprogramming in Nicotiana benthamiana. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 111:1550-1564. [PMID: 35822533 PMCID: PMC9541417 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Programmable transcriptional regulators based on CRISPR architecture are promising tools for the induction of plant gene expression. In plants, CRISPR gene activation is effective with respect to modulating development processes, such as the flowering time or customizing biochemical composition. The most widely used method for delivering CRISPR components into the plant is Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation, either transient or stable. However, as a result of their versatility and their ability to move, virus-derived systems have emerged as an interesting alternative for supplying the CRISPR components to the plant, in particular guide RNA (gRNA), which represents the variable component in CRISPR strategies. In the present study, we describe a Potato virus X-derived vector that, upon agroinfection in Nicotiana benthamiana, serves as a vehicle for delivery of gRNAs, producing highly specific virus-induced gene activation. The system works in combination with a N. benthamiana transgenic line carrying the remaining complementary CRISPR gene activation components, specifically the dCasEV2.1 cassette, which has been shown previously to mediate strong programmable transcriptional activation in plants. Using an easily scalable, non-invasive spraying method, we show that gRNA-mediated activation programs move locally and systemically, generating a strong activation response in different target genes. Furthermore, by activating three different endogenous MYB transcription factors, we demonstrate that this Potato virus X-based virus-induced gene reprogramming strategy results in program-specific metabolic fingerprints in N. benthamiana leaves characterized by distinctive phenylpropanoid-enriched metabolite profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Selma
- Instituto Biología Molecular y celular de PlantasCSIC‐Universitat Politècnica de ValènciaValencia46022Spain
| | - Silvia Gianoglio
- Instituto Biología Molecular y celular de PlantasCSIC‐Universitat Politècnica de ValènciaValencia46022Spain
| | - Mireia Uranga
- Instituto Biología Molecular y celular de PlantasCSIC‐Universitat Politècnica de ValènciaValencia46022Spain
| | - Marta Vázquez‐Vilar
- Instituto Biología Molecular y celular de PlantasCSIC‐Universitat Politècnica de ValènciaValencia46022Spain
| | - Ana Espinosa‐Ruiz
- Instituto Biología Molecular y celular de PlantasCSIC‐Universitat Politècnica de ValènciaValencia46022Spain
| | | | | | - José‐Antonio Daròs
- Instituto Biología Molecular y celular de PlantasCSIC‐Universitat Politècnica de ValènciaValencia46022Spain
| | - Diego Orzáez
- Instituto Biología Molecular y celular de PlantasCSIC‐Universitat Politècnica de ValènciaValencia46022Spain
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34
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Teze D, Bidart GN, Welner DH. Family 1 glycosyltransferases (GT1, UGTs) are subject to dilution-induced inactivation and low chemo stability toward their own acceptor substrates. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:909659. [PMID: 35936788 PMCID: PMC9354691 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.909659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycosylation reactions are essential but challenging from a conventional chemistry standpoint. Conversely, they are biotechnologically feasible as glycosyltransferases can transfer sugar to an acceptor with perfect regio- and stereo-selectivity, quantitative yields, in a single reaction and under mild conditions. Low stability is often alleged to be a limitation to the biotechnological application of glycosyltransferases. Here we show that these enzymes are not necessarily intrinsically unstable, but that they present both dilution-induced inactivation and low chemostability towards their own acceptor substrates, and that these two phenomena are synergistic. We assessed 18 distinct GT1 enzymes against three unrelated acceptors (apigenin, resveratrol, and scopoletin—respectively a flavone, a stilbene, and a coumarin), resulting in a total of 54 enzymes: substrate pairs. For each pair, we varied catalyst and acceptor concentrations to obtain 16 different reaction conditions. Fifteen of the assayed enzymes (83%) displayed both low chemostability against at least one of the assayed acceptors at submillimolar concentrations, and dilution-induced inactivation. Furthermore, sensitivity to reaction conditions seems to be related to the thermal stability of the enzymes, the three unaffected enzymes having melting temperatures above 55°C, whereas the full enzyme panel ranged from 37.4 to 61.7°C. These results are important for GT1 understanding and engineering, as well as for discovery efforts and biotechnological use.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Teze
- *Correspondence: David Teze, ; Ditte Hededam Welner,
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35
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Xu H, Jiang Z, Lin Z, Yu Q, Song R, Wang B. FtUGT79A15 is responsible for rutinosylation in flavonoid diglycoside biosynthesis in Fagopyrum tataricum. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2022; 181:33-41. [PMID: 35428016 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Tartary buckwheat shows health benefits with its high antioxidant activity and abundant flavonoid content. However, glycosylated flavonoid accumulation patterns and their molecular basis remain unidentified in Tartary buckwheat. Here, our metabolomics analysis revealed that F3'H branching was the major flavonoid metabolic flux in Tartary buckwheat. Interestingly, metabolome results also showed that the most abundant flavonoids were mainly in the glycosylated form, including flavonoid glycosides and flavonoid diglycosides in Tartary buckwheat. However, the flavonoid glycosides glycosyltransferase (GGT) gene catalyzing the second glycosylation step of flavonoid diglycoside has not been discovered yet in Tartary buckwheat. Thus, we explored GGT genes in the transcriptome-metabolome correlation network and confirmed that FtUGT79A15 showed the rhamnosyltransferase activity to catalyze quercetin 3-O-glucoside to rutin invitro and inplanta. Overall, FtUGT79A15 was identified to involve in the flavonoid diglycoside biosynthesis pathway in Tartary buckwheat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiting Xu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Zhiqiang Jiang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Zimei Lin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Qinqin Yu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Ruifeng Song
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Bo Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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36
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Chen M, Song F, Qin Y, Han S, Rao Y, Liang S, Lin Y. Improving Thermostability and Catalytic Activity of Glycosyltransferase From Panax ginseng by Semi-Rational Design for Rebaudioside D Synthesis. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:884898. [PMID: 35573234 PMCID: PMC9092651 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.884898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
As a natural sweetener and sucrose substitute, the biosynthesis and application of steviol glycosides containing the component rebaudioside D have attracted worldwide attention. Here, a glycosyltransferase PgUGT from Panax ginseng was first reported for the biosynthesis of rebaudioside D. With the three-dimensional structures built by homology modeling and deep-learning–based modeling, PgUGT was semi-rationally designed by FireProt. After detecting 16 site-directed variants, eight of them were combined in a mutant Mut8 with both improved enzyme activity and thermostability. The enzyme activity of Mut8 was 3.2-fold higher than that of the wild type, with an increased optimum reaction temperature from 35 to 40°C. The activity of this mutant remained over 93% when incubated at 35°C for 2 h, which was 2.42 times higher than that of the wild type. Meanwhile, when the enzymes were incubated at 40°C, where the wild type was completely inactivated after 1 h, the residual activity of Mut8 retained 59.0% after 2 h. This study would provide a novel glycosyltransferase with great potential for the industrial production of rebaudioside D and other steviol glycosides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiqi Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fangwei Song
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuxi Qin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuangyan Han
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yijian Rao
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Shuli Liang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Shuli Liang, ; Ying Lin,
| | - Ying Lin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Shuli Liang, ; Ying Lin,
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37
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UGT72, a Major Glycosyltransferase Family for Flavonoid and Monolignol Homeostasis in Plants. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11030441. [PMID: 35336815 PMCID: PMC8945231 DOI: 10.3390/biology11030441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Phenylpropanoids are specialized metabolites playing crucial roles in plant developmental processes and in plant defense towards pathogens. The attachment of sugar moieties to these small hydrophobic molecules renders them more hydrophilic and increases their solubility. The UDP-glycosyltransferase 72 family (UGT72) of plants has been shown to glycosylate mainly two classes of phenylpropanoids, (i) the monolignols that are the building blocks of lignin, the second most abundant polymer after cellulose, and (ii) the flavonoids, which play determinant roles in plant interactions with other organisms and in response to stress. The purpose of this review is to bring an overview of the current knowledge of the UGT72 family and to highlight its role in the homeostasis of these molecules. Potential applications in pharmacology and in wood, paper pulp, and bioethanol production are given within the perspectives. Abstract Plants have developed the capacity to produce a diversified range of specialized metabolites. The glycosylation of those metabolites potentially decreases their toxicity while increasing their stability and their solubility, modifying their transport and their storage. The UGT, forming the largest glycosyltransferase superfamily in plants, combine enzymes that glycosylate mainly hormones and phenylpropanoids by using UDP-sugar as a sugar donor. Particularly, members of the UGT72 family have been shown to glycosylate the monolignols and the flavonoids, thereby being involved in their homeostasis. First, we explore primitive UGTs in algae and liverworts that are related to the angiosperm UGT72 family and their role in flavonoid homeostasis. Second, we describe the role of several UGT72s glycosylating monolignols, some of which have been associated with lignification. In addition, the role of other UGT72 members that glycosylate flavonoids and are involved in the development and/or stress response is depicted. Finally, the importance to explore the subcellular localization of UGTs to study their roles in planta is discussed.
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Zhou X, Liu Z. Unlocking plant metabolic diversity: A (pan)-genomic view. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 3:100300. [PMID: 35529944 PMCID: PMC9073316 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2022.100300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Plants produce a remarkable diversity of structurally and functionally diverse natural chemicals that serve as adaptive compounds throughout their life cycles. However, unlocking this metabolic diversity is significantly impeded by the size, complexity, and abundant repetitive elements of typical plant genomes. As genome sequencing becomes routine, we anticipate that links between metabolic diversity and genetic variation will be strengthened. In addition, an ever-increasing number of plant genomes have revealed that biosynthetic gene clusters are not only a hallmark of microbes and fungi; gene clusters for various classes of compounds have also been found in plants, and many are associated with important agronomic traits. We present recent examples of plant metabolic diversification that have been discovered through the exploration and exploitation of various genomic and pan-genomic data. We also draw attention to the fundamental genomic and pan-genomic basis of plant chemodiversity and discuss challenges and future perspectives for investigating metabolic diversity in the coming pan-genomics era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Zhou
- Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zhenhua Liu
- Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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Pei T, Yan M, Li T, Li X, Yin Y, Cui M, Fang Y, Liu J, Kong Y, Xu P, Zhao Q. Characterization of UDP-glycosyltransferase family members reveals how major flavonoid glycoside accumulates in the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:169. [PMID: 35232374 PMCID: PMC8888134 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08391-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Flavonoid glycosides extracted from roots of Scutellaria baicalensis exhibit strong pharmaceutical antitumor, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities. UDP glycosyltransferase (UGT) family members are responsible for the transfer of a glycosyl moiety from UDP sugars to a wide range of acceptor flavonoids. Baicalin is the major flavonoid glycoside found in S. baicalensis roots, and its aglycone baicalein is synthesized from a specially evolved pathway that has been elucidated. However, it is necessary to carry out a genome-wide study of genes involved in 7-O-glucuronidation, the final biosynthesis step of baicalin, which might elucidate the relationship between the enzymes and the metabolic accumulation patterns in this medicinal plant. Results We reported the phylogenetic analysis, tissue-specific expression, biochemical characterization and evolutionary analysis of glucosyltransferases (SbUGTs) and glucuronosyltransferases (SbUGATs) genes based on the recently released genome of S. baicalensis. A total of 124 UGTs were identified, and over one third of them were highly expressed in roots. In vitro enzyme assays showed that 6 SbUGTs could use UDP-glucose as a sugar donor and convert baicalein to oroxin A (baicalein 7-O-glucoside), while 4 SbUGATs used only UDP-glucuronic acid as the sugar donor and catalyzed baicalein to baicalin. SbUGAT4 and SbUGT2 are the most highly expressed SbUGAT and SbUGT genes in root tissues, respectively. Kinetic measurements revealed that SbUGAT4 had a lower Km value and higher Vmax/Km ratio to baicalein than those of SbUGT2. Furthermore, tandem duplication events were detected in SbUGTs and SbUGATs. Conclusions This study demonstrated that glucosylation and glucuronidation are two major glycosylated decorations in the roots of S. baicalensis. Higher expression level and affinity to substrate of SbUGAT4, and expansion of this gene family contribute high accumulation of baicalin in the root of S. baicalensis. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08391-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianlin Pei
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China.,National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Mengxiao Yan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Tian Li
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology and Center of Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Li
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology and Center of Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Yijia Yin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Mengying Cui
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Yumin Fang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Yu Kong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Ping Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Qing Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China. .,National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Zhang LJ, Wang DG, Zhang P, Wu C, Li YZ. Promiscuity Characteristics of Versatile Plant Glycosyltransferases for Natural Product Glycodiversification. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:812-819. [PMID: 35076210 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Glycodiversification can optimize the properties of pharmaceutical compounds, and versatile glycosyltransferases (GTs) are the key enzymatic toolkits to achieve this goal. Plant GTs in the GT1 family (GT1-pGTs) have attracted much attention due to their promising substrate promiscuity, but previous investigations on GT1-pGTs were mainly conducted sporadically and without systematic phylogenetic comparisons. In this study, we exemplified the phylogeny-guided characterization of highly promiscuous GT1-pGTs from the contemporary surge of genomic information. All the available GT1-pGT sequences in the database were analyzed to explore the relationships between the substrate promiscuity and the phylogeny of GT1-pGTs. This systematic phylogenetic analysis directed us to choose 29 anonymous GT sequences from different evolutionary branches to probe their substrate promiscuity toward 10 aromatic compounds differing in chemical scaffolds. We found that promiscuous plant GTs (PPGTs) active toward ≥3 substrates were widely distributed in different clades but particularly enriched in the one containing the known promiscuous enzyme GuGT10. Ten highly promiscuous plant GTs were found to tolerate a wide spectrum (≥8) of substrates and inclusively catalyze the formation of O-, N-, and S-glycosidic bonds. The promiscuity of these 10 PPGTs was further tested using 15 sugar donors. Finally, we characterized FiGT2 that simultaneously exhibited pronounced promiscuity in terms of both the sugar acceptor and sugar donor. All in all, this study paves the way to unearth many more PPGTs and thus strengthen the enzymatic toolkit for the sustainable production of valuable glycosides through a synthetic biological approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Juan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 266237 Qingdao, P. R. China
| | - De-Gao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 266237 Qingdao, P. R. China
| | - Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 266237 Qingdao, P. R. China
| | - Changsheng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 266237 Qingdao, P. R. China
| | - Yue-Zhong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 266237 Qingdao, P. R. China
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Baruah IK, Ali SS, Shao J, Lary D, Bailey BA. Changes in Gene Expression in Leaves of Cacao Genotypes Resistant and Susceptible to Phytophthora palmivora Infection. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:780805. [PMID: 35211126 PMCID: PMC8861199 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.780805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Black pod rot, caused by Phytophthora palmivora, is a devastating disease of Theobroma cacao L. (cacao) leading to huge losses for farmers and limiting chocolate industry supplies. To understand resistance responses of cacao leaves to P. palmivora, Stage 2 leaves of genotypes Imperial College Selection 1 (ICS1), Colección Castro Naranjal 51 (CCN51), and Pound7 were inoculated with zoospores and monitored for symptoms up to 48 h. Pound7 consistently showed less necrosis than ICS1 and CCN51 48 h after inoculation. RNA-Seq was carried out on samples 24 h post inoculation. A total of 24,672 expressed cacao genes were identified, and 2,521 transcripts showed induction in at least one P. palmivora-treated genotype compared to controls. There were 115 genes induced in the P. palmivora-treated samples in all three genotypes. Many of the differentially expressed genes were components of KEGG pathways important in plant defense signal perception (the plant MAPK signaling pathway, plant hormone signal transduction, and plant pathogen interactions), and plant defense metabolite biosynthesis (phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, α-linolenic acid metabolism, ethylene biosynthesis, and terpenoid backbone biosynthesis). A search of putative cacao resistance genes within the cacao transcriptome identified 89 genes with prominent leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domains, 170 protein kinases encoding genes, 210 genes with prominent NB-ARC domains, 305 lectin-related genes, and 97 cysteine-rich RK genes. We further analyzed the cacao leaf transcriptome in detail focusing on gene families-encoding proteins important in signal transduction (MAP kinases and transcription factors) and direct plant defense (Germin-like, ubiquitin-associated, lectin-related, pathogenesis-related, glutathione-S-transferases, and proteases). There was a massive reprogramming of defense gene processes in susceptible cacao leaf tissue after infection, which was restricted in the resistant genotype Pound7. Most genes induced in Pound7 were induced in ICS1/CCN51. The level of induction was not always proportional to the infection level, raising the possibility that genes are responding to infection more strongly in Pound7. There were also defense-associated genes constitutively differentially expressed at higher levels in specific genotypes, possibly providing a prepositioned defense. Many of the defense genes occur in blocks where members are constitutively expressed at different levels, and some members are induced by Ppal infection. With further study, the identified candidate genes and gene blocks may be useful as markers for breeding disease-resistant cacao genotypes against P. palmivora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrani K. Baruah
- Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center-West, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Shahin S. Ali
- Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center-West, Beltsville, MD, United States
- Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Jonathan Shao
- United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, Northeast Area, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - David Lary
- Department of Physics, University of Texas, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Bryan A. Bailey
- Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center-West, Beltsville, MD, United States
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Molina-Hidalgo FJ, Vazquez-Vilar M, D'Andrea L, Demurtas OC, Fraser P, Giuliano G, Bock R, Orzáez D, Goossens A. Engineering Metabolism in Nicotiana Species: A Promising Future. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 39:901-913. [PMID: 33341279 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Molecular farming intends to use crop plants as biofactories for high value-added compounds following application of a wide range of biotechnological tools. In particular, the conversion of nonfood crops into efficient biofactories is expected to be a strong asset in the development of a sustainable bioeconomy. The 'nonfood' status combined with the high metabolic versatility and the capacity of high-yield cultivation highlight the plant genus Nicotiana as one of the most appropriate 'chassis' for molecular farming. Nicotiana species are a rich source of valuable industrial, active pharmaceutical ingredients and nutritional compounds, synthesized from highly complex biosynthetic networks. Here, we review and discuss approaches currently used to design enriched Nicotiana species for molecular farming using new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Molina-Hidalgo
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marta Vazquez-Vilar
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP-UPV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Lucio D'Andrea
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Olivia C Demurtas
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Rome, Italy
| | - Paul Fraser
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK
| | - Giovanni Giuliano
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Rome, Italy
| | - Ralph Bock
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Diego Orzáez
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP-UPV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Alain Goossens
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium.
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Identification and Characterization of Glucosyltransferase That Forms 1-Galloyl- β-d-Glucogallin in Canarium album L., a Functional Fruit Rich in Hydrolysable Tannins. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26154650. [PMID: 34361803 PMCID: PMC8347697 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26154650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrolysable tannins (HTs) are useful secondary metabolites that are responsible for pharmacological activities and astringent taste, flavor, and quality in fruits. They are also the main polyphenols in Canarium album L. (Chinese olive) fruit, an interesting and functional fruit that has been cultivated for over 2000 years. The HT content of C. album fruit was 2.3-13 times higher than that of berries with a higher content of HT. 1-galloyl-β-d-glucose (βG) is the first intermediate and the key metabolite in the HT biosynthesis pathway. It is catalyzed by UDP-glucosyltransferases (UGTs), which are responsible for the glycosylation of gallic acid (GA) to form βG. Here, we first reported 140 UGTs in C. album. Phylogenetic analysis clustered them into 14 phylogenetic groups (A, B, D-M, P, and Q), which are different from the 14 typical major groups (A~N) of Arabidopsis thaliana. Expression pattern and correlation analysis showed that UGT84A77 (Isoform0117852) was highly expressed and had a positive correlation with GA and βG content. Prokaryotic expression showed that UGT84A77 could catalyze GA to form βG. These results provide a theoretical basis on UGTs in C. album, which will be helpful for further functional research and availability on HTs and polyphenols.
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Ma X, Vaistij FE, Li Y, Jansen van Rensburg WS, Harvey S, Bairu MW, Venter SL, Mavengahama S, Ning Z, Graham IA, Van Deynze A, Van de Peer Y, Denby KJ. A chromosome-level Amaranthus cruentus genome assembly highlights gene family evolution and biosynthetic gene clusters that may underpin the nutritional value of this traditional crop. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 107:613-628. [PMID: 33960539 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Traditional crops have historically provided accessible and affordable nutrition to millions of rural dwellers but have been neglected, with most modern agricultural systems over-reliant on a small number of internationally traded crops. Traditional crops are typically well-adapted to local agro-ecological conditions and many are nutrient-dense. They can play a vital role in local food systems through enhanced nutrition (particularly where diets are dominated by starch crops), food security and livelihoods for smallholder farmers, and a climate-resilient and biodiverse agriculture. Using short-read, long-read and phased sequencing technologies, we generated a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly for Amaranthus cruentus, an under-researched crop with micronutrient- and protein-rich leaves and gluten-free seed, but lacking improved varieties, with respect to productivity and quality traits. The 370.9 Mb genome demonstrates a shared whole genome duplication with a related species, Amaranthus hypochondriacus. Comparative genome analysis indicates chromosomal loss and fusion events following genome duplication that are common to both species, as well as fission of chromosome 2 in A. cruentus alone, giving rise to a haploid chromosome number of 17 (versus 16 in A. hypochondriacus). Genomic features potentially underlying the nutritional value of this crop include two A. cruentus-specific genes with a likely role in phytic acid synthesis (an anti-nutrient), expansion of ion transporter gene families, and identification of biosynthetic gene clusters conserved within the amaranth lineage. The A. cruentus genome assembly will underpin much-needed research and global breeding efforts to develop improved varieties for economically viable cultivation and realization of the benefits to global nutrition security and agrobiodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Ma
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, 9054, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, 9054, Belgium
| | - Fabián E Vaistij
- Department of Biology, Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP), University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Biology, Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP), University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Willem S Jansen van Rensburg
- Agricultural Research Council, Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants Research Campus, Private Bag X293, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
| | - Sarah Harvey
- Department of Biology, Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP), University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Michael W Bairu
- Agricultural Research Council, Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants Research Campus, Private Bag X293, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
| | - Sonja L Venter
- Agricultural Research Council, Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants Research Campus, Private Bag X293, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
| | - Sydney Mavengahama
- Crop Science Department, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North West University, P/Bag X2046, Mmabatho, 2735, South Africa
| | - Zemin Ning
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Ian A Graham
- Department of Biology, Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP), University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Allen Van Deynze
- Department of Plant Sciences, Seed Biotechnology Center, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Yves Van de Peer
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, 9054, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, 9054, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Katherine J Denby
- Department of Biology, Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP), University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
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Liu T, Liu Y, Li L, Liu X, Guo Z, Cheng J, Zhu X, Lu L, Zhang J, Fan G, Xie N, Lu J, Jiang H. De Novo Biosynthesis of Polydatin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:5917-5925. [PMID: 34018734 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c01557] [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] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Polydatin, with better structural stability and biological activities than resveratrol, is mainly extracted from the traditional Chinese medicinal plant Polygonum cuspidatum. In this study, based on the transcriptome analysis of P. cuspidatum, we identified the key glycosyltransferase of resveratrol and achieved the biosynthesis of polydatin from glucose by incorporation with the resveratrol biosynthesis module, UDP-glucose supply module, and glycosyltransferase expression module. Through metabolic engineering and fermentation optimization, the production of polydatin reached 545 mg/L, and the dry cell weight was 27.83 mg/g DCW, which was about twice that of extracted from the P. cuspidatum root (11.404 mg/g DCW). Therefore, it is possible to replace the production mode of polydatin from plant extraction to microbial chassis in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Liu
- Life Science and Technology College, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Yuqian Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Lan Li
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Translational Research of TCM Prescription and Syndrome, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Xiaonan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Zhaokuan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Jian Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Xiaoxi Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Lina Lu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Junlin Zhang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, Hubei 430023, China
| | - Guanwei Fan
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Translational Research of TCM Prescription and Syndrome, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Nengzhong Xie
- National Engineering Research Center for Non-Food Biorefinery, State Key Laboratory of Non-Food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Biomass Engineering Technology Research Center, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, China
| | - Jian Lu
- Life Science and Technology College, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, China
| | - Huifeng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
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De Coninck T, Gistelinck K, Janse van Rensburg HC, Van den Ende W, Van Damme EJM. Sweet Modifications Modulate Plant Development. Biomolecules 2021; 11:756. [PMID: 34070047 PMCID: PMC8158104 DOI: 10.3390/biom11050756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant development represents a continuous process in which the plant undergoes morphological, (epi)genetic and metabolic changes. Starting from pollination, seed maturation and germination, the plant continues to grow and develops specialized organs to survive, thrive and generate offspring. The development of plants and the interplay with its environment are highly linked to glycosylation of proteins and lipids as well as metabolism and signaling of sugars. Although the involvement of these protein modifications and sugars is well-studied, there is still a long road ahead to profoundly comprehend their nature, significance, importance for plant development and the interplay with stress responses. This review, approached from the plants' perspective, aims to focus on some key findings highlighting the importance of glycosylation and sugar signaling for plant development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tibo De Coninck
- Laboratory of Glycobiology & Biochemistry, Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; (T.D.C.); (K.G.)
| | - Koen Gistelinck
- Laboratory of Glycobiology & Biochemistry, Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; (T.D.C.); (K.G.)
| | - Henry C. Janse van Rensburg
- Laboratory of Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; (H.C.J.v.R.); (W.V.d.E.)
| | - Wim Van den Ende
- Laboratory of Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; (H.C.J.v.R.); (W.V.d.E.)
| | - Els J. M. Van Damme
- Laboratory of Glycobiology & Biochemistry, Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; (T.D.C.); (K.G.)
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Jiang N, Dillon FM, Silva A, Gomez-Cano L, Grotewold E. Rhamnose in plants - from biosynthesis to diverse functions. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 302:110687. [PMID: 33288005 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2020.110687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In plants, the deoxy sugar l-rhamnose is widely present as rhamnose-containing polymers in cell walls and as part of the decoration of various specialized metabolites. Here, we review the current knowledge on the distribution of rhamnose, highlighting the differences between what is known in dicotyledoneuos compared to commelinid monocotyledoneous (grasses) plants. We discuss the biosynthesis and transport of UDP-rhamnose, as well as the transfer of rhamnose from UDP-rhamnose to various primary and specialized metabolites. This is carried out by rhamnosyltransferases, enzymes that can use a large variety of substrates. Some unique characteristics of rhamnose synthases, the multifunctional enzymes responsible for the conversion of UDP-glucose into UDP-rhamnose, are considered, particularly from the perspective of their ability to convert glucose present in flavonoids. Finally, we discuss how little is still known with regards to how plants rescue rhamnose from the many compounds to which it is linked, or how rhamnose is catabolized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Francisco M Dillon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Alexander Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Lina Gomez-Cano
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Erich Grotewold
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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A two-step approach for systematic identification and quality evaluation of wild and introduced Anemone flaccida Fr. Schmidt (Di Wu) based on DNA barcode and UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. Anal Bioanal Chem 2020; 412:1807-1816. [PMID: 32025771 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-020-02426-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 12/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Herbal materials have both medicinal and commercial values. As such, accurate species and content identification and verification are necessary to ensure the safe and effective use for medical and commodity purposes. Herein, we introduce a two-step approach for systematic identification and quality evaluation of wild and introduced Anemone flaccida Fr. Schmidt (aka Di Wu) using DNA barcode and ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS). To begin, a precise and rapid identification method based on internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequence was developed to ensure the authenticity of 'Di Wu' species. Next, the major active components were fully characterized utilizing a targeted profile of oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins, which was established via UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. As a result, 34 oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins were identified or characterized in 'Di Wu.' The qualitative and relative quantitative analysis showed obvious differences between wild and introduced 'Di Wu.' Furthermore, dynamic changes in the contents of triterpenoid saponins throughout various harvesting periods were clearly explained and mid-April was identified as the appropriate harvest time. Moreover, results indicate that the contents of five main saponins (anhuienoside E, glycosideSt-I4a, hemsgiganoside B, flaccidoside II, and hederasaponin B) are more appropriate as a quality evaluation indicator than the current quality standard. The two-step approach provides a suitable strategy to evaluate the genuine quality of wild and introduced 'Di Wu,' and can be applied to the targeted analysis of other triterpenoid saponin analogues for quality evaluation. Graphical Abstract .
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A noncanonical vacuolar sugar transferase required for biosynthesis of antimicrobial defense compounds in oat. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:27105-27114. [PMID: 31806756 PMCID: PMC6936528 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1914652116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants produce an array of natural products with important ecological functions. These compounds are often decorated with oligosaccharide groups that influence bioactivity, but the biosynthesis of such sugar chains is not well understood. Triterpene glycosides (saponins) are a large family of plant natural products that determine important agronomic traits, as exemplified by avenacins, antimicrobial defense compounds produced by oats. Avenacins have a branched trisaccharide moiety consisting of l-arabinose linked to 2 d-glucose molecules that is critical for antifungal activity. Plant natural product glycosylation is usually performed by uridine diphosphate-dependent glycosyltransferases (UGTs). We previously characterized the arabinosyltransferase that initiates the avenacin sugar chain; however, the enzymes that add the 2 remaining d-glucose molecules have remained elusive. Here we characterize the enzymes that catalyze these last 2 glucosylation steps. AsUGT91G16 is a classical cytosolic UGT that adds a 1,2-linked d-glucose molecule to l-arabinose. Unexpectedly, the enzyme that adds the final 1,4-linked d-glucose (AsTG1) is not a UGT, but rather a sugar transferase belonging to Glycosyl Hydrolase family 1 (GH1). Unlike classical UGTs, AsTG1 is vacuolar. Analysis of oat mutants reveals that AsTG1 corresponds to Sad3, a previously uncharacterized locus shown by mutation to be required for avenacin biosynthesis. AsTG1 and AsUGT91G16 form part of the avenacin biosynthetic gene cluster. Our demonstration that a vacuolar transglucosidase family member plays a critical role in triterpene biosynthesis highlights the importance of considering other classes of carbohydrate-active enzymes in addition to UGTs as candidates when elucidating pathways for the biosynthesis of glycosylated natural products in plants.
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