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Wang Z, Shi Y, Zhang X, Sun J, Guo D, Luan F, Zhao G, Zou J. Research progress in the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and quality control of Valeriana jatamansi Jones. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 332:118403. [PMID: 38821137 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGIC RELEVANCE Valeriana jatamansi Jones, belongs to the Valerianaceae family, is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine (TIM). This traditional herb has been officially listed in the pharmacopoeia of sixteen countries. Its usage was first described in Diannan Bencao, also known as "Zhizhuxiang", is a famous folk medicine herb with a long history of medicinal usage in China, and it was used to treat indigestion, flu, and mental disorders in the Han, Achang, Bai, Blang, Dai, Jingpo, Naxi, and Wa ethnic groups. In recent years, V. jatamansi has attracted worldwide attention as an important medicinal due to its pharmacological activity especially in nervous and digestive systems, and multiple uses. AIM OF THE STUDY The current review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, and quality control of V. jatamansi. MATERIALS AND METHODS The relevant information of V. jatamansi was obtained from several databases including Web of Science, PubMed, ACS Publications, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, CNKI, Ph.D. and MSc dissertations, using "Valeriana jatamansi Jones", "Valeriana jatamansi", and "" as keywords. After eliminating repetitive and low-quality reports, the remaining reports were analyzed and summarized to prepare this review. Plant information was retrieved by www.worldfloraonline.org and www.gbif.org using "Valeriana jatamansi Jones" as keyword. RESULTS V. jatamansi has been historically utilized as a traditional medicine to treat various diseases, including infectious, inflammatory, neurological, and gastrointestinal disorders. More than 400 compounds have been identified in V. jatamansi including iridoids, volatile oils, lignans, flavonoids, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, sesquiterpenes, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, triterpenes as well as other compounds. The plant extracts and compounds showed various pharmacological activities such as antitumor, cytotoxic, antivirus, etc. In addition, V. jatamansi has found various applications in the agricultural, food, and cosmetics industry. CONCLUSION A review of literature shows V. jatamansi has pharmacological properties valuable in treating diseases, particularly for antianxiety and gastrointestinal disorders. Despite a wide spectrum of effects from specific compounds, research mainly focuses on in vitro and in vivo, with a lack of pharmacokinetics, clinical trials and underlying mechanisms. Consequently, it becomes important to embark on additional researchs to elucidate the pharmacokinetics, material basis and mechanisms of V. jatamansi, thereby realizing the aspiration of its comprehensive utilization and sustainable development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, School of Pharmacy, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Yajun Shi
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, School of Pharmacy, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Xiaofei Zhang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, School of Pharmacy, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Jing Sun
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, School of Pharmacy, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Dongyan Guo
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, School of Pharmacy, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Fei Luan
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, School of Pharmacy, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, Shaanxi, PR China.
| | - Ge Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, PR China.
| | - Junbo Zou
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Fundamentals and New Drugs Research, School of Pharmacy, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 712046, Shaanxi, PR China.
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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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Jung S, Maeda HA. Debottlenecking the L-DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase step with enhanced tyrosine supply boosts betalain production in Nicotiana benthamiana. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:2456-2471. [PMID: 38498597 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic biology provides emerging tools to produce valuable compounds in plant hosts as sustainable chemical production platforms. However, little is known about how supply and utilization of precursors is coordinated at the interface of plant primary and specialized metabolism, limiting our ability to efficiently produce high levels of target specialized metabolites in plants. L-Tyrosine is an aromatic amino acid precursor of diverse plant natural products including betalain pigments, which are used as the major natural food red colorants and more recently a visual marker for plant transformation. Here, we studied the impact of enhanced L-tyrosine supply on the production of betalain pigments by expressing arogenate dehydrogenase (TyrA) from table beet (Beta vulgaris, BvTyrAα), which has relaxed feedback inhibition by L-tyrosine. Unexpectedly, betalain levels were reduced when BvTyrAα was coexpressed with the betalain pathway genes in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves; L-tyrosine and 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (L-DOPA) levels were drastically elevated but not efficiently converted to betalains. An additional expression of L-DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase (DODA), but not CYP76AD1 or cyclo-DOPA 5-O-glucosyltransferase, together with BvTyrAα and the betalain pathway, drastically enhanced betalain production, indicating that DODA is a major rate-limiting step of betalain biosynthesis in this system. Learning from this initial test and further debottlenecking the DODA step maximized betalain yield to an equivalent or higher level than that in table beet. Our data suggest that balancing between enhanced supply ("push") and effective utilization ("pull") of precursor by alleviating a bottleneck step is critical in successful plant synthetic biology to produce high levels of target compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoung Jung
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Hiroshi A Maeda
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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4
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Gouda M, Lv JM, Huang Z, Chen JC, He Y, Li X. Bioprobe-RNA-seq-microRaman system for deep tracking of the live single-cell metabolic pathway chemometrics. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 261:116504. [PMID: 38896978 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116504] [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: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The integration between RNA-sequencing and micro-spectroscopic techniques has recently profiled the advanced transcriptomic discoveries on the cellular level. In the current study, by combining the sensation approach (including bio-molecules structural evaluation, high throughput next-generation sequencing (HT-NGS), and confocal Raman microscopy) the functionality on the single live cancer cells' ferroptosis and apoptosis signaling pathways is visualized. Our study reveals a hydrophobic tunnel by phycocyanin-isoprene molecule (PC-SIM) electrostatic charge within hepatoma cells (HepG2) that activates the ferritin light chain (FTL) and caspase-8 associate protein (CASP8AP2) ferroptosis responsible genes. Moreover, this research proves that PC-vanillin (VAN) stimulation induces the actin-binding factor profilin-1 (PFN1), subsequently in situ tracking its expression at 1139.75 cm-1 microRaman wavenumber. While PC-thymol (THY) induces the lysophospholipase-2 (LYPLA2) (p-value = 0.009) and acetylneuraminate-9-O-acetyltransferase (CASD1) (p-value = 0.022) at 1143.19 cm-1. our findings establish a new concept to promote the cross-disciplinary use of instant cellular-based detection technology for intermediary evaluating the signaling cellular transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Gouda
- College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China; Department of Nutrition & Food Science, National Research Centre, Dokki, 12622, Giza, Egypt.
| | - Ji-Min Lv
- College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Integrative Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhenxiong Huang
- College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Jian-Chu Chen
- College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yong He
- College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Xiaoli Li
- College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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Han J, Miller EP, Li S. Cutting-edge plant natural product pathway elucidation. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103137. [PMID: 38677219 PMCID: PMC11192039 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103137] [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: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Plant natural products (PNPs) play important roles in plant physiology and have been applied across diverse fields of human society. Understanding their biosynthetic pathways informs plant evolution and meanwhile enables sustainable production through metabolic engineering. However, the discovery of PNP biosynthetic pathways remains challenging due to the diversity of enzymes involved and limitations in traditional gene mining approaches. In this review, we will summarize state-of-the-art strategies and recent examples for predicting and characterizing PNP biosynthetic pathways, respectively, with multiomics-guided tools and heterologous host systems and share our perspectives on the systematic pipelines integrating these various bioinformatic and biochemical approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianing Han
- Robert F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Emma Parker Miller
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Sijin Li
- Robert F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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Song Y, Zhang Y, Wang X, Yu X, Liao Y, Zhang H, Li L, Wang Y, Liu B, Li W. Telomere-to-telomere reference genome for Panax ginseng highlights the evolution of saponin biosynthesis. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2024; 11:uhae107. [PMID: 38883331 PMCID: PMC11179851 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhae107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Ginseng (Panax ginseng) is a representative of Chinese traditional medicine, also used worldwide, while the triterpene saponin ginsenoside is the most important effective compound within it. Ginseng is an allotetraploid, with complex genetic background, making the study of its metabolic evolution challenging. In this study, we assembled a telomere-to-telomere ginseng reference genome, constructed of 3.45 Gb with 24 chromosomes and 77 266 protein-coding genes. Additionally, the reference genome was divided into two subgenomes, designated as subgenome A and B. Subgenome A contains a larger number of genes, whereas subgenome B has a general expression advantage, suggesting that ginseng subgenomes experienced asymmetric gene loss with biased gene expression. The two subgenomes separated approximately 6.07 million years ago, and subgenome B shows the closest relation to Panax vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus. Comparative genomics revealed an expansion of gene families associated with ginsenoside biosynthesis in both ginseng subgenomes. Furthermore, both tandem duplications and proximal duplications play crucial roles in ginsenoside biosynthesis. We also screened functional genes identified in previous research and found that some of these genes located in colinear regions between subgenomes have divergence functions, revealing an unbalanced evolution in both subgenomes and the saponin biosynthesis pathway in ginseng. Our work provides important resources for future genetic studies and breeding programs of ginseng, as well as the biosynthesis of ginsenosides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiting Song
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Agricultural Synthetic Biology, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Yating Zhang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Agricultural Synthetic Biology, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Xu Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Xikai Yu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Agricultural Synthetic Biology, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Yi Liao
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130112, China
| | - Linfeng Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of Yangtze River Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yingping Wang
- State-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Ginseng Breeding and Application, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Bao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Wei Li
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Agricultural Synthetic Biology, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
- Kunpeng Institute of Modern Agriculture at Foshan, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
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Zhao Q, Li J, Shang Q, Jiang J, Pu H, Fang X, Qin X, Zhou J, Wang N, Wang X, Gu W. Optimization of the Extraction Process and Biological Activities of Triterpenoids of Schisandra sphenanthera from Different Medicinal Parts and Growth Stages. Molecules 2024; 29:2199. [PMID: 38792061 PMCID: PMC11123978 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29102199] [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: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd. et Wils., as a traditional Chinese medicine, has important medicinal value. In the market, the availability of the fruit of S. sphenanthera mainly relies on wild picking, but many canes and leaves are discarded during wild collection, resulting in a waste of resources. The canes and leaves of S. sphenanthera contain various bioactive ingredients and can be used as spice, tea, and medicine and so present great utilization opportunities. Therefore, it is helpful to explore the effective components and biological activities of the canes and leaves to utilize S. sphenanthera fully. In this study, the response surface method with ultrasound was used to extract the total triterpenoids from the canes and leaves of S. sphenanthera at different stages. The content of total triterpenoids in the leaves at different stages was higher than that in the canes. The total triterpenoids in the canes and leaves had strong antioxidant and antibacterial abilities. At the same time, the antibacterial activity of the total triterpenoids against Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was stronger than that against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. This study provides the foundation for the development and utilization of the canes and leaves that would relieve the shortage of fruit resources of S. sphenanthera.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Xiaorui Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Crude Drugs in Northwest China, The Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China; (Q.Z.); (J.L.); (Q.S.); (J.J.); (H.P.); (X.F.); (X.Q.); (J.Z.); (N.W.)
| | - Wei Gu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Crude Drugs in Northwest China, The Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China; (Q.Z.); (J.L.); (Q.S.); (J.J.); (H.P.); (X.F.); (X.Q.); (J.Z.); (N.W.)
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Syrén PO. Ancestral terpene cyclases: From fundamental science to applications in biosynthesis. Methods Enzymol 2024; 699:311-341. [PMID: 38942509 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2024.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Terpenes constitute one of the largest family of natural products with potent applications as renewable platform chemicals and medicines. The low activity, selectivity and stability displayed by terpene biosynthetic machineries can constitute an obstacle towards achieving expedient biosynthesis of terpenoids in processes that adhere to the 12 principles of green chemistry. Accordingly, engineering of terpene synthase enzymes is a prerequisite for industrial biotechnology applications, but obstructed by their complex catalysis that depend on reactive carbocationic intermediates that are prone to undergo bifurcation mechanisms. Rational redesign of terpene synthases can be tedious and requires high-resolution structural information, which is not always available. Furthermore, it has proven difficult to link sequence space of terpene synthase enzymes to specific product profiles. Herein, the author shows how ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) can favorably be used as a protein engineering tool in the redesign of terpene synthases without the need of a structure, and without excessive screening. A detailed workflow of ASR is presented along with associated limitations, with a focus on applying this methodology on terpene synthases. From selected examples of both class I and II enzymes, the author advocates that ancestral terpene cyclases constitute valuable assets to shed light on terpene-synthase catalysis and in enabling accelerated biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per-Olof Syrén
- School of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden; School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
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9
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Dixon RA, Dickinson AJ. A century of studying plant secondary metabolism-From "what?" to "where, how, and why?". PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:48-66. [PMID: 38163637 PMCID: PMC11060662 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Over the past century, early advances in understanding the identity of the chemicals that collectively form a living plant have led scientists to deeper investigations exploring where these molecules localize, how they are made, and why they are synthesized in the first place. Many small molecules are specific to the plant kingdom and have been termed plant secondary metabolites, despite the fact that they can play primary and essential roles in plant structure, development, and response to the environment. The past 100 yr have witnessed elucidation of the structure, function, localization, and biosynthesis of selected plant secondary metabolites. Nevertheless, many mysteries remain about the vast diversity of chemicals produced by plants and their roles in plant biology. From early work characterizing unpurified plant extracts, to modern integration of 'omics technology to discover genes in metabolite biosynthesis and perception, research in plant (bio)chemistry has produced knowledge with substantial benefits for society, including human medicine and agricultural biotechnology. Here, we review the history of this work and offer suggestions for future areas of exploration. We also highlight some of the recently developed technologies that are leading to ongoing research advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Dixon
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | - Alexandra Jazz Dickinson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Wang HQ, Shi QY, Ma SG, Yu SS. Minor Hydroxylated Triterpenoids Produced in Engineered Yeast by the Enzymes OSC and CYP716s from the Plant Enkianthus chinensis and Their Anti-Inflammatory and Hepatoprotective Activities. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2024. [PMID: 38600636 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.3c01291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Triterpenoids are a type of specialized metabolites that exhibit a wide range of biological activities. However, the availability of some minor triterpenoids in nature is limited, which has hindered our understanding of their pharmacological potential. To overcome this limitation, heterologous biosynthesis of triterpenoids in yeast has emerged as a promising and time-efficient production platform for obtaining these minor compounds. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptomic data of Enkianthus chinensis to identify one oxidosqualene cyclase (EcOSC) gene and four CYP716s. Through heterologous expression of these genes in yeast, nine natural pentacyclic triterpenoids, including three skeleton products (1-3) produced by one multifunctional OSC and six minor oxidation products (4-9) catalyzed by CYP716s, were obtained. Of note, we discovered that CYP716E60 could oxidize ursane-type and oleanane-type triterpenoids to produce 6β-OH derivatives, marking the first confirmed C-6β hydroxylation in an ursuane-type triterpenoid. Compound 9 showed moderate inhibitory activity against NO production and dose-dependently reduced IL-1β and IL-6 production at the transcriptional and protein levels. Compounds 1, 2, 8, and 9 exhibited moderate hepatoprotective activity with the survival rates of HepG2 cells from 61% to 68% at 10 μM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Qiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Qin-Yan Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuang-Gang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Shi-Shan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
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Liu J, Yin X, Kou C, Thimmappa R, Hua X, Xue Z. Classification, biosynthesis, and biological functions of triterpene esters in plants. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 5:100845. [PMID: 38356259 PMCID: PMC11009366 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.100845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Triterpene esters comprise a class of secondary metabolites that are synthesized by decorating triterpene skeletons with a series of oxidation, glycosylation, and acylation modifications. Many triterpene esters with important bioactivities have been isolated and identified, including those with applications in the pesticide, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. They also play essential roles in plant defense against pests, diseases, physical damage (as part of the cuticle), and regulation of root microorganisms. However, there has been no recent summary of the biosynthetic pathways and biological functions of plant triterpene esters. Here, we classify triterpene esters into five categories based on their skeletons and find that C-3 oxidation may have a significant effect on triterpenoid acylation. Fatty acid and aromatic moieties are common ligands present in triterpene esters. We further analyze triterpene ester synthesis-related acyltransferases (TEsACTs) in the triterpene biosynthetic pathway. Using an evolutionary classification of BAHD acyltransferases (BAHD-ATs) and serine carboxypeptidase-like acyltransferases (SCPL-ATs) in Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, we classify 18 TEsACTs with identified functions from 11 species. All the triterpene-skeleton-related TEsACTs belong to BAHD-AT clades IIIa and I, and the only identified TEsACT from the SCPL-AT family belongs to the CP-I subfamily. This comprehensive review of the biosynthetic pathways and bioactivities of triterpene esters provides a foundation for further study of their bioactivities and applications in industry, agricultural production, and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Liu
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration (Northeast Forestry University), Ministry of Education, Harbin 150040, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Xue Yin
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration (Northeast Forestry University), Ministry of Education, Harbin 150040, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Chengxi Kou
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration (Northeast Forestry University), Ministry of Education, Harbin 150040, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Ramesha Thimmappa
- Amity Institute of Genome Engineering, Amity University, Noida, UP India 201313, India
| | - Xin Hua
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration (Northeast Forestry University), Ministry of Education, Harbin 150040, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Zheyong Xue
- Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration (Northeast Forestry University), Ministry of Education, Harbin 150040, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Beijing 100700, P.R. China.
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12
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Vergoten G, Bailly C. Insights into the Mechanism of Action of the Degraded Limonoid Prieurianin. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3597. [PMID: 38612409 PMCID: PMC11011620 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073597] [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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Limonoids are extremely diversified in plants, with many categories of products bearing an intact, rearranged or fragmented oxygenated scaffold. A specific subgroup of fragmented or degraded limonoids derives from the tetranortriterpenoid prieurianin, initially isolated from the tree Trichilia prieuriana but also found in other plants of the Meliaceae family, including the more abundant species Aphanamixis polystachya. Prieurianin-type limonoids include about seventy compounds, among which are dregeanin and rohitukin. Prieurianin and analogs exhibit insecticidal, antimicrobial, antiadipogenic and/or antiparasitic properties but their mechanism of action remains ill-defined at present. Previous studies have shown that prieurianin, initially known as endosidin 1, stabilizes the actin cytoskeleton in plant and mammalian cells via the modulation of the architecture and dynamic of the actin network, most likely via interference with actin-binding proteins. A new mechanistic hypothesis is advanced here based on the recent discovery of the targeting of the chaperone protein Hsp47 by the fragmented limonoid fraxinellone. Molecular modeling suggested that prieurianin and, to a lesser extent dregeanin, can form very stable complexes with Hsp47 at the protein-collagen interface. Hsp-binding may account for the insecticidal action of the product. The present review draws up a new mechanistic portrait of prieurianin and provides an overview of the pharmacological properties of this atypical limonoid and its chemical family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gérard Vergoten
- U1286—INFINITE, Lille Inflammation Research International Center, Institut de Chimie Pharmaceutique Albert Lespagnol (ICPAL), Faculté de Pharmacie, University of Lille, 3 Rue du Professeur Laguesse, 59006 Lille, France
| | - Christian Bailly
- CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR9020-U1277-CANTHER—Cancer Heterogeneity Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, OncoLille Institut, University of Lille, 59000 Lille, France
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Albert Lespagnol (ICPAL), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lille, 59006 Lille, France
- OncoWitan, Scientific Consulting Office, 59290 Lille, France
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13
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Yang C, Wang Y, Su Z, Xiong L, Wang P, Lei W, Yan X, Ma D, Zhao G, Zhou Z. Biosynthesis of the highly oxygenated tetracyclic core skeleton of Taxol. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2339. [PMID: 38490987 PMCID: PMC10942993 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46583-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Taxol is a widely-applied anticancer drug that inhibits microtubule dynamics in actively replicating cells. Although a minimum 19-step biosynthetic pathway has been proposed and 16 enzymes likely involved have been characterized, stepwise biosynthetic reactions from the well-characterized di-oxygenated taxoids to Taxol tetracyclic core skeleton are yet to be elucidated. Here, we uncover the biosynthetic pathways for a few tri-oxygenated taxoids via confirming the critical reaction order of the second and third hydroxylation steps, unearth a taxoid 9α-hydroxylase catalyzing the fourth hydroxylation, and identify CYP725A55 catalyzing the oxetane ester formation via a cascade oxidation-concerted acyl rearrangement mechanism. After identifying a acetyltransferase catalyzing the formation of C7-OAc, the pathway producing the highly-oxygenated 1β-dehydroxybaccatin VI with the Taxol tetracyclic core skeleton is elucidated and its complete biosynthesis from taxa-4(20),11(12)-diene-5α-ol is achieved in an engineered yeast. These systematic studies lay the foundation for the complete elucidation of the biosynthetic pathway of Taxol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengshuai Yang
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Su
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lunyi Xiong
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pingping Wang
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen Lei
- Shanghai Research Institute of Chemical Industry, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing Yan
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Dawei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Guoping Zhao
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Zhihua Zhou
- Key Laboratories of Plant Design and Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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14
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Gan Y, Qi G, Hao L, Xin T, Lou Q, Xu W, Song J. Analysis of Whole-Genome as a Novel Strategy for Animal Species Identification. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2955. [PMID: 38474203 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052955] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Survival crises stalk many animals, especially endangered and rare animals. Accurate species identification plays a pivotal role in animal resource conservation. In this study, we developed an animal species identification method called Analysis of whole-GEnome (AGE), which identifies species by finding species-specific sequences through bioinformatics analysis of the whole genome and subsequently recognizing these sequences using experimental technologies. To clearly demonstrate the AGE method, Cervus nippon, a well-known endangered species, and a closely related species, Cervus elaphus, were set as model species, without and with published genomes, respectively. By analyzing the whole genomes of C. nippon and C. elaphus, which were obtained through next-generation sequencing and online databases, we built specific sequence databases containing 7,670,140 and 570,981 sequences, respectively. Then, the species specificities of the sequences were confirmed experimentally using Sanger sequencing and the CRISPR-Cas12a system. Moreover, for 11 fresh animal samples and 35 commercially available products, our results were in complete agreement with those of other authoritative identification methods, demonstrating AGE's precision and potential application. Notably, AGE found a mixture in the 35 commercially available products and successfully identified it. This study broadens the horizons of species identification using the whole genome and sheds light on the potential of AGE for conserving animal resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Gan
- 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
| | - Guihong Qi
- 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
| | - Lijun Hao
- 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
| | - Tianyi Xin
- 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
| | - Qian Lou
- 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
| | - Wenjie Xu
- 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
| | - Jingyuan Song
- 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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15
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Liu JCT, De La Peña R, Tocol C, Sattely ES. Reconstitution of early paclitaxel biosynthetic network. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1419. [PMID: 38360800 PMCID: PMC10869802 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45574-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Paclitaxel is an anticancer therapeutic produced by the yew tree. Over the last two decades, a significant bottleneck in the reconstitution of early paclitaxel biosynthesis has been the propensity of heterologously expressed pathway cytochromes P450, including taxadiene 5α-hydroxylase (T5αH), to form multiple products. Here, we structurally characterize four new products of T5αH, many of which appear to be over-oxidation of the primary mono-oxidized products. By tuning the promoter strength for T5αH expression in Nicotiana plants, we observe decreased levels of these proposed byproducts with a concomitant increase in the accumulation of taxadien-5α-ol, the paclitaxel precursor, by three-fold. This enables the reconstitution of a six step biosynthetic pathway, which we further show may function as a metabolic network. Our result demonstrates that six previously characterized Taxus genes can coordinatively produce key paclitaxel intermediates and serves as a crucial platform for the discovery of the remaining biosynthetic genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ricardo De La Peña
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christian Tocol
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Sattely
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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16
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Fazekas TJ, Micalizio GC. Progress Toward the Asymmetric De Novo Synthesis of Limonoids. Org Lett 2024; 26:1073-1077. [PMID: 38277646 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c04306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Asymmetric de novo construction of limonoids remains a challenging problem in stereoselective synthesis due to the diverse and complex structures associated with this class of natural products. Here, a unique synthetic pathway to an "intact" limonoid system is described. The synthetic route is based on exploiting an oxidative rearrangement reaction of a densely functionalized late-stage intermediate to simultaneously establish the stereodefined C10 quaternary center and an allylic acetate at C12. This is a unique example of a complex rearrangement reaction that proceeds on a system whose presumed intermediate allyl cation is highly hindered and lacks neighboring protons that are otherwise required for cation termination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Fazekas
- Department of Chemistry, Dartmouth College, Burke Laboratory, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, United States
| | - Glenn C Micalizio
- Department of Chemistry, Dartmouth College, Burke Laboratory, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, United States
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17
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Kruse LH, Sunstrum FG, Garcia D, López Pérez G, Jancsik S, Bohlmann J, Irmisch S. Improved production of the antidiabetic metabolite montbretin A in Nicotiana benthamiana: discovery, characterization, and use of Crocosmia shikimate shunt genes. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 117:766-785. [PMID: 37960967 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16528] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
The plant-specialized metabolite montbretin A (MbA) is being developed as a new treatment option for type-2 diabetes, which is among the ten leading causes of premature death and disability worldwide. MbA is a complex acylated flavonoid glycoside produced in small amounts in below-ground organs of the perennial plant Montbretia (Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora). The lack of a scalable production system limits the development and potential application of MbA as a pharmaceutical or nutraceutical. Previous efforts to reconstruct montbretin biosynthesis in Nicotiana benthamiana (Nb) resulted in low yields of MbA and higher levels of montbretin B (MbB) and montbretin C (MbC). MbA, MbB, and MbC are nearly identical metabolites differing only in their acyl moieties, derived from caffeoyl-CoA, coumaroyl-CoA, and feruloyl-CoA, respectively. In contrast to MbA, MbB and MbC are not pharmaceutically active. To utilize the montbretia caffeoyl-CoA biosynthesis for improved MbA engineering in Nb, we cloned and characterized enzymes of the shikimate shunt of the general phenylpropanoid pathway, specifically hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (CcHCT), p-coumaroylshikimate 3'-hydroxylase (CcC3'H), and caffeoylshikimate esterase (CcCSE). Gene expression patterns suggest that CcCSE enables the predominant formation of MbA, relative to MbB and MbC, in montbretia. This observation is supported by results from in vitro characterization of CcCSE and reconstruction of the shikimate shunt in yeast. Using CcHCT together with montbretin biosynthetic genes in multigene constructs resulted in a 30-fold increase of MbA in Nb. This work advances our understanding of the phenylpropanoid pathway and features a critical step towards improved MbA production in bioengineered Nb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars H Kruse
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Frederick G Sunstrum
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Daniela Garcia
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Guillermo López Pérez
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sharon Jancsik
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Joerg Bohlmann
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Forest and Conservation Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sandra Irmisch
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Plant Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 BE, Netherlands
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18
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Liu Y, Zhou J, Liu P, Hu T, Liu X, Gao J, Ma L, Lu Y, Li D, Jiang Z, Zhang X, Huang L, Gao W, Wu X, Zhang Y, Liu C. Gene identification and semisynthesis of the anti-inflammatory oleanane-type triterpenoid wilforlide A. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:1720-1731. [PMID: 38013483 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19427] [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: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Wilforlide A is one of the main active constituents produced in trace amounts in Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, which has excellent anti-inflammatory and immune suppressive effects. Despite the seeming structural simplicity of the compound, the biosynthetic pathway of wilforlide A remains unknown. Gene-specific expression analysis and genome mining were used to identify the gene candidates, and their functions were studied in vitro and in vivo. A modularized two-step (M2S) technique and CRISPR-Cas9 methods were used to construct engineering yeast. Here, we identified a cytochrome P450, TwCYP82AS1, that catalyses C-22 hydroxylation during wilforlide A biosynthesis. We also found that TwCYP712K1 to K3 can further oxidize the C-29 carboxylation of oleanane-type triterpenes in addition to friedelane-type triterpenes. Reconstitution of the biosynthetic pathway in engineered yeast increased the precursor supply, and combining TwCYP82AS1 and TwCYP712Ks produced abrusgenic acid, which was briefly acidified to achieve the semisynthesis of wilforlide A. Our work presents an alternative metabolic engineering approach for obtaining wilforlide A without relying on extraction from plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
- National Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Jiawei Zhou
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Panting Liu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Tianyuan Hu
- School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Xuan Liu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Jie Gao
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Lin Ma
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Yun Lu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Dan Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Zhouqian Jiang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Xianan Zhang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Luqi Huang
- National Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Wei Gao
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Xiaoyi Wu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Yifeng Zhang
- National Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Changli Liu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
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19
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Ahmad N, Xu Y, Zang F, Li D, Liu Z. The evolutionary trajectories of specialized metabolites towards antiviral defense system in plants. MOLECULAR HORTICULTURE 2024; 4:2. [PMID: 38212862 PMCID: PMC10785382 DOI: 10.1186/s43897-023-00078-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Viral infections in plants pose major challenges to agriculture and global food security in the twenty-first century. Plants have evolved a diverse range of specialized metabolites (PSMs) for defenses against pathogens. Although, PSMs-mediated plant-microorganism interactions have been widely discovered, these are mainly confined to plant-bacteria or plant-fungal interactions. PSM-mediated plant-virus interaction, however, is more complicated often due to the additional involvement of virus spreading vectors. Here, we review the major classes of PSMs and their emerging roles involved in antiviral resistances. In addition, evolutionary scenarios for PSM-mediated interactions between plant, virus and virus-transmitting vectors are presented. These advancements in comprehending the biochemical language of PSMs during plant-virus interactions not only lay the foundation for understanding potential co-evolution across life kingdoms, but also open a gateway to the fundamental principles of biological control strategies and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveed Ahmad
- Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Disease and Pest Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Faheng Zang
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Dapeng Li
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences (CEPMS), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zhenhua Liu
- Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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20
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Zhao Y, Liang F, Xie Y, Duan YT, Andeadelli A, Pateraki I, Makris AM, Pomorski TG, Staerk D, Kampranis SC. Oxetane Ring Formation in Taxol Biosynthesis Is Catalyzed by a Bifunctional Cytochrome P450 Enzyme. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:801-810. [PMID: 38129385 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c10864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Taxol is a potent drug used in various cancer treatments. Its complex structure has prompted extensive research into its biosynthesis. However, certain critical steps, such as the formation of the oxetane ring, which is essential for its activity, have remained unclear. Previous proposals suggested that oxetane formation follows the acetylation of taxadien-5α-ol. Here, we proposed that the oxetane ring is formed by cytochrome P450-mediated oxidation events that occur prior to C5 acetylation. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the genomic and transcriptomic information for Taxus species to identify cytochrome P450 candidates and employed two independent systems, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and plant (Nicotiana benthamiana), for their characterization. We revealed that a single enzyme, CYP725A4, catalyzes two successive epoxidation events, leading to the formation of the oxetane ring. We further showed that both taxa-4(5)-11(12)-diene (endotaxadiene) and taxa-4(20)-11(12)-diene (exotaxadiene) are precursors to the key intermediate, taxologenic oxetane, indicating the potential existence of multiple routes in the Taxol pathway. Thus, we unveiled a long-elusive step in Taxol biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zhao
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
| | - Feiyan Liang
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
| | - Yuman Xie
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
| | - Yao-Tao Duan
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
| | - Aggeliki Andeadelli
- Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research & Technology, Hellas (CERTH), Thessaloniki 57001, Greece
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, Myrina 81100, Lemnos, Greece
| | - Irini Pateraki
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
| | - Antonios M Makris
- Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research & Technology, Hellas (CERTH), Thessaloniki 57001, Greece
| | - Thomas G Pomorski
- Transport Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
| | - Dan Staerk
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Sotirios C Kampranis
- Biochemical Engineering Group, Plant Biochemistry Section, Department of Plant and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C 1871, Denmark
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21
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Ono E, Murata J. Exploring the Evolvability of Plant Specialized Metabolism: Uniqueness Out Of Uniformity and Uniqueness Behind Uniformity. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 64:1449-1465. [PMID: 37307423 PMCID: PMC10734894 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcad057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The huge structural diversity exhibited by plant specialized metabolites has primarily been considered to result from the catalytic specificity of their biosynthetic enzymes. Accordingly, enzyme gene multiplication and functional differentiation through spontaneous mutations have been established as the molecular mechanisms that drive metabolic evolution. Nevertheless, how plants have assembled and maintained such metabolic enzyme genes and the typical clusters that are observed in plant genomes, as well as why identical specialized metabolites often exist in phylogenetically remote lineages, is currently only poorly explained by a concept known as convergent evolution. Here, we compile recent knowledge on the co-presence of metabolic modules that are common in the plant kingdom but have evolved under specific historical and contextual constraints defined by the physicochemical properties of each plant specialized metabolite and the genetic presets of the biosynthetic genes. Furthermore, we discuss a common manner to generate uncommon metabolites (uniqueness out of uniformity) and an uncommon manner to generate common metabolites (uniqueness behind uniformity). This review describes the emerging aspects of the evolvability of plant specialized metabolism that underlie the vast structural diversity of plant specialized metabolites in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiichiro Ono
- Suntory Global Innovation Center Ltd. (SIC), 8-1-1 Seikadai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, 619-0284 Japan
| | - Jun Murata
- Bioorganic Research Institute (SUNBOR), Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, 8-1-1 Seikadai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, 619-0284 Japan
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22
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Wang S, Kuperman LL, Song Z, Chen Y, Liu K, Xia Z, Xu Y, Yu Q. An overview of limonoid synthetic derivatives as promising bioactive molecules. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 259:115704. [PMID: 37544186 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Limonoids, a class of abundant natural tetracyclic triterpenoids, present diverse biological activity and provide a versatile platform amenable by chemical modifications for clinical use. Among all of the limonoids isolated from natural sources, obacunone, nomilin, and limonin are the primary hub of limonoid-based chemical modification research. To date, more than 800 limonoids analogs have been synthesized, some of which possess promising biological activities. This review not only discusses the synthesis of limonoid derivatives as promising therapeutic candidates and details the pharmacological studies of their underlying mechanisms from 2002 to 2022, but also proposes a preliminary limonoid synthetic structure-activity relationship (SAR) and provides future direction of limonoid derivatization research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaochi Wang
- Otorhinolaryngology Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China; Translational Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Laura L Kuperman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20740, USA
| | - Zhihui Song
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20740, USA
| | - Yutian Chen
- Translational Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Kun Liu
- Translational Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Zongping Xia
- Translational Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Yungen Xu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210009, China.
| | - Qiuning Yu
- Otorhinolaryngology Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
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23
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Zhaogao L, Yaxuan W, Mengwei X, Haiyu L, Lin L, Delin X. Molecular mechanism overview of metabolite biosynthesis in medicinal plants. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 204:108125. [PMID: 37883919 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.108125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Medicinal plants are essential and rich resources for plant-based medicines and new drugs. Increasing attentions are paid to the secondary metabolites of medicinal plants due to their unique biological activity, pharmacological action, and high utilization value. However, the development of medicinal plants is constrained by limited natural resources and an unclear understanding of the mechanisms underlying active medicinal ingredients, thereby rendering the utilization and exploration of secondary metabolites more challenging. Besides, with the advancement of research on biosynthesis and molecular metabolism of natural products from medicinal plants, the methods for studying the biological activity and pharmacological effects of these products are constantly evolving. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the biosynthetic pathways and related regulatory genes of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants, which has greatly advanced both basic research and the development of clinical applications for medicinal plants. In this review, we discuss the past two decades of international research on the development of medicinal plant resources, mainly focusing on the biosynthetic pathway of secondary metabolites, intracellular signal transduction processes, multi-omics applications, and the application of gene editing technology in related research progress. We also discuss future development trends to promote the deep mining and development of natural products from medicinal plants, providing a useful reference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhaogao
- Department of Cell Biology, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 Xuefuxi Road Xinpu District of Zunyi City, Zunyi, 563099, Guizhou, China.
| | - Wang Yaxuan
- Department of Cell Biology, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 Xuefuxi Road Xinpu District of Zunyi City, Zunyi, 563099, Guizhou, China.
| | - Xu Mengwei
- Department of Cell Biology, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 Xuefuxi Road Xinpu District of Zunyi City, Zunyi, 563099, Guizhou, China; Department of Medical Instrumental Analysis, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 Xuefuxi Road Xinpu District of Zunyi City, Zunyi, 563099, Guizhou, China.
| | - Liu Haiyu
- Department of Cell Biology, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 Xuefuxi Road Xinpu District of Zunyi City, Zunyi, 563099, Guizhou, China; Guizhou Provincial Demonstration Center of Basic Medical Experimental Teaching, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 Xuefuxi Road Xinpu District of Zunyi City, Zunyi, 563099, Guizhou, China.
| | - Li Lin
- Department of Cell Biology, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 Xuefuxi Road Xinpu District of Zunyi City, Zunyi, 563099, Guizhou, China.
| | - Xu Delin
- Department of Medical Instrumental Analysis, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 Xuefuxi Road Xinpu District of Zunyi City, Zunyi, 563099, Guizhou, China; Guizhou Provincial Demonstration Center of Basic Medical Experimental Teaching, Zunyi Medical University, No.6 Xuefuxi Road Xinpu District of Zunyi City, Zunyi, 563099, Guizhou, China.
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24
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Zhang Y, Kashkooli AB, Blom S, Zhao T, Bouwmeester HJ, Kappers IF. The Capsicum terpenoid biosynthetic module is affected by spider-mite herbivory. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 113:303-321. [PMID: 37995005 PMCID: PMC10721696 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-023-01390-0] [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: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
In response to herbivory, Capsicum annuum leaves adapt their specialized metabolome that may protect the plant against herbivore feeding either directly or indirectly through volatile metabolites acting as cues for natural enemies of the herbivore. The volatile blend of spider-mite infested leaves differs from non-challenged leaves predominantly by a higher contribution of mono- and sesquiterpenes. In addition to these terpenoids released into the headspace, the terpenoid composition of the leaves alters upon herbivory. All this suggests an important role for terpenoids and their biosynthetic machinery in the defence against herbivory. Here, we show that the C. annuum genome contains a terpene synthase (TPS) gene family of 103 putative members of which structural analysis revealed that 27 encode functional enzymes. Transcriptome analysis showed that several TPS loci were differentially expressed upon herbivory in leaves of two C. annuum genotypes, that differ in susceptibility towards spider mites. The relative expression of upstream biosynthetic genes from the mevalonate and the methylerythritol phosphate pathway also altered upon herbivory, revealing a shift in the metabolic flux through the terpene biosynthetic module. The expression of multiple genes potentially acting downstream of the TPSs, including cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, UDP-glucosyl transferases, and transcription factors strongly correlated with the herbivory-induced TPS genes. A selection of herbivory-induced TPS genes was functionally characterized through heterologous expression and the products that these enzymes catalysed matched with the volatile and non-volatile terpenoids induced in response to herbivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Zhang
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Arman B Kashkooli
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Suze Blom
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Bioscience, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tao Zhao
- Biosystematics, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xi'an, China
| | - Harro J Bouwmeester
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Iris F Kappers
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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25
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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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26
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Han Y, Luo L, Li H, Zhang L, Yan Y, Fang M, Yu J, Gao X, Liu Y, Huang C, Fan S. Nomilin and its analogue obacunone alleviate NASH and hepatic fibrosis in mice via enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammation capacity. Biofactors 2023; 49:1189-1204. [PMID: 37401768 DOI: 10.1002/biof.1987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatic fibrosis are leading causes of cirrhosis with rising morbidity and mortality worldwide. Currently, there is no appropriate treatment for NASH and hepatic fibrosis. Many studies have shown that oxidative stress is a main factor inducing NASH. Nomilin (NML) and obacunone (OBA) are limonoid compounds naturally occurring in citrus fruits with various biological properties. However, whether OBA and NML have beneficial effects on NASH remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that OBA and NML inhibited hepatic tissue necrosis, inflammatory infiltration and liver fibrosis progression in methionine and choline-deficient (MCD) diet, carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 )-treated and bile duct ligation (BDL) NASH and hepatic fibrosis mouse models. Mechanistic studies showed that NML and OBA enhanced anti-oxidative effects, including reduction of malondialdehyde (MDA) level, increase of catalase (CAT) activity and the gene expression of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and Nrf2-keap1 signaling. Additional, NML and OBA inhibited the expression of inflammatory gene interleukin 6 (Il-6), and regulated the bile acid metabolism genes Cyp3a11, Cyp7a1, multidrug resistance-associated protein 3 (Mrp3). Overall, these findings indicate that NML and OBA may alleviate NASH and liver fibrosis in mice via enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammation capacity. Our study proposed that NML and OBA may be potential strategies for NASH treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongli Han
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lingling Luo
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongli Li
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lijun Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingxuan Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Minglv Fang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyan Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengjie Fan
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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27
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Chun-Ting Liu J, De La Pena R, Tocol C, Sattely ES. Reconstitution of Early Paclitaxel Biosynthetic Network. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.27.559859. [PMID: 37808792 PMCID: PMC10557666 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.27.559859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Paclitaxel is an anticancer therapeutic produced by the yew tree. Over the last two decades, a significant bottleneck in the reconstitution of early paclitaxel biosynthesis has been the propensity of heterologously expressed pathway cytochromes P450, including taxadiene 5α-hydroxylase (T5αH), to form multiple products. This diverts metabolic flux away from the paclitaxel precursor, taxadien-5α-ol, thus previous attempts of reconstitution have not yielded sufficient material for characterization, regardless of the heterologous host. Here, we structurally characterized four new products of T5αH, many of which appear to be over-oxidation of the primary mono-oxidized products. By tuning the promoter strength for T5αH expression, levels of these proposed byproducts decrease with a concomitant increase in the accumulation of taxadien-5α-ol by four-fold. This engineered system enabled the reconstitution of a six step biosynthetic pathway to produce isolatable 5α,10β-diacetoxy-taxadien-13α-ol. Furthermore, we showed that this pathway may function as a metabolic network rather than a linear pathway. The engineering of the paclitaxel biosynthetic network demonstrates that Taxus genes can coordinatively function for the biosynthetic production of key early stage paclitaxel intermediates and serves as a crucial platform for the discovery of the remaining biosynthetic genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Chun-Ting Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Ricardo De La Pena
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Christian Tocol
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Elizabeth S Sattely
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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28
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Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Mu D, Lu Y, Chen W, Zhang Y, Zhang R, Qin Y, Yuan J, Pan L, Tang Q. Selection of Reference Genes in Evodia rutaecarpa var. officinalis and Expression Patterns of Genes Involved in Its Limonin Biosynthesis. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3197. [PMID: 37765365 PMCID: PMC10534417 DOI: 10.3390/plants12183197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant known for its therapeutic effects, which encompass the promotion of digestion, the dispelling of cold, the alleviation of pain, and the exhibition of anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. The principal active component of this plant, limonin, is a potent triterpene compound with notable pharmacological activities. Despite its significance, the complete biosynthesis pathway of limonin in E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis remains incompletely understood, and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unexplored. The main purpose of this study was to screen the reference genes suitable for expression analysis in E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis, calculate the expression patterns of the genes in the limonin biosynthesis pathway, and identify the relevant enzyme genes related to limonin biosynthesis. The reference genes play a pivotal role in establishing reliable reference standards for normalizing the gene expression data, thereby ensuring precision and credibility in the biological research outcomes. In order to identify the optimal reference genes and gene expression patterns across the diverse tissues (e.g., roots, stems, leaves, and flower buds) and developmental stages (i.e., 17 July, 24 August, 1 September, and 24 October) of E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis, LC-MS was used to analyze the limonin contents in distinct tissue samples and developmental stages, and qRT-PCR technology was employed to investigate the expression patterns of the ten reference genes and eighteen genes involved in limonin biosynthesis. Utilizing a comprehensive analysis that integrated three software tools (GeNorm ver. 3.5, NormFinder ver. 0.953 and BestKeeper ver. 1.0) and Delta Ct method alongside the RefFinder website, the best reference genes were selected. Through the research, we determined that Act1 and UBQ served as the preferred reference genes for normalizing gene expression during various fruit developmental stages, while Act1 and His3 were optimal for different tissues. Using Act1 and UBQ as the reference genes, and based on the different fruit developmental stages, qRT-PCR analysis was performed on the pathway genes selected from the "full-length transcriptome + expression profile + metabolome" data in the limonin biosynthesis pathway of E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis. The findings indicated that there were consistent expression patterns of HMGCR, SQE, and CYP450 with fluctuations in the limonin contents, suggesting their potential involvement in the limonin biosynthesis of E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis. This study lays the foundation for further research on the metabolic pathway of limonin in E. rutaecarpa var. officinalis and provides reliable reference genes for other researchers to use for conducting expression analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Yuxiang Zhang
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Detian Mu
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Ying Lu
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Wenqiang Chen
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Yao Zhang
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Ruiying Zhang
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
| | - Ya Qin
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning 530023, China;
| | - Jianhua Yuan
- Changsha Hemao Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., Ningxiang County, Changsha 410609, China;
| | - Limei Pan
- Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning 530023, China;
| | - Qi Tang
- National Research Center of Engineering Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (D.M.); (Y.L.); (W.C.); (Y.Z.); (R.Z.)
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29
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Jiang YX, Yao JY, Qin N, Tan JJ, Han F, Qu SJ, He SJ, Tan CH. B-seco Limonoids with anti-inflammatory activity from Tetradium fraxinifolium (Hook.) T.G.Hartley. Fitoterapia 2023; 169:105606. [PMID: 37442484 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2023.105606] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Fraxinifolines A-F (1-6), six new B-seco limonoids, together with four known A,D-di-seco ones, were isolated from the twigs with leaves of Tetradium fraxinifolium. Their structures with absolute configurations were elucidated on the basis of analysis of MS, NMR, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and biogenetic pathway. An anti-inflammatory bioassay in vitro showed limonoids 1-3 had significant immunosuppressive effect against the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and/or TNF-α) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Xia Jiang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; Natural Product Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jia-Ying Yao
- Graduate School, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China; Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Nan Qin
- Natural Product Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; School of Pharmacy, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jun-Jie Tan
- Natural Product Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Feng Han
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; Natural Product Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Shi-Jin Qu
- Natural Product Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Shi-Jun He
- Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Chang-Heng Tan
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China; Natural Product Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; School of Pharmacy, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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30
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Ji Z, Fan B, Chen Y, Yue J, Chen J, Zhang R, Tong Y, Liu Z, Liang J, Duan L. Functional characterization of triterpene synthases in Cibotium barometz. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:437-444. [PMID: 37416896 PMCID: PMC10320381 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cibotium barometz (Linn.) J. Sm., a tree fern in the Dicksoniaceae family, is an economically important industrial exported plant in China and widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. C. barometz produces a range of bioactive triterpenes and their metabolites. However, the biosynthetic pathway of triterpenes in C. barometz remains unknown. To clarify the origin of diverse triterpenes in C. barometz, we conducted de novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis of C. barometz rhizomes and leaves to identify the candidate genes involved in C. barometz triterpene biosynthesis. Three C. barometz triterpene synthases (CbTSs) candidate genes were obtained. All of them were highly expressed in C. barometz rhizomes, consisting of the accumulation pattern of triterpenes in C. barometz. To characterize the function of these CbTSs, we constructed a squalene- and oxidosqualene-overproducing yeast chassis by overexpressing all the enzymes in the MVA pathway under the control of GAL-regulated promoter and disrupted the GAL80 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae simultaneously. Heterologous expressing CbTS1, CbTS2, and CbTS3 in engineering yeast strain produced cycloartenol, dammaradiene, and diploptene, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CbTS1 belongs to oxidosqualene cyclase, while CbTS2 and CbTS3 belong to squalene cyclase. These results decipher enzymatic mechanisms underlying the origin of diverse triterpene in C. barometz.
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31
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Schneider K, Barreiro-Hurle J, Rodriguez-Cerezo E. Pesticide reduction amidst food and feed security concerns in Europe. NATURE FOOD 2023; 4:746-750. [PMID: 37735511 PMCID: PMC10516746 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00834-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have estimated the potential yield impacts of pesticide reductions in the European Union. While these estimates guide policy design, they are often based on worst-case assumptions and rarely account for positive ecological feedbacks that would contribute to sustainable crop yields in the long term.
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32
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Chubatsu Nunes HH, Dang TTT. A booster for vaccines from plants. Science 2023; 379:1187-1188. [PMID: 36952422 DOI: 10.1126/science.adg8823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Reconstituting a plant biosynthetic pathway enables a sustainable supply of vaccine adjuvants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena H Chubatsu Nunes
- Department of Chemistry, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Thu-Thuy T Dang
- Department of Chemistry, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
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33
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Chuang L, Liu S, Franke J. Post-Cyclization Skeletal Rearrangements in Plant Triterpenoid Biosynthesis by a Pair of Branchpoint Isomerases. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:5083-5091. [PMID: 36821810 PMCID: PMC9999417 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Triterpenoids possess potent biological activities, but their polycyclic skeletons are challenging to synthesize. The skeletal diversity of triterpenoids in plants is generated by oxidosqualene cyclases based on epoxide-triggered cationic rearrangement cascades. Normally, triterpenoid skeletons then remain unaltered during subsequent tailoring steps. In contrast, the highly modified triterpenoids found in Sapindales plants imply the existence of post-cyclization skeletal rearrangement enzymes that have not yet been found. We report here a biosynthetic pathway in Sapindales plants for the modification of already cyclized tirucallane triterpenoids, controlling the pathway bifurcation between different plant triterpenoid classes. Using a combination of bioinformatics, heterologous expression in plants and chemical analyses, we identified a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase and two isomerases which harness the epoxidation-rearrangement biosynthetic logic of triterpene cyclizations for modifying the tirucallane scaffold. The two isomerases share the same epoxide substrate made by the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP88A154, but generate two different rearrangement products, one containing a cyclopropane ring. Our findings reveal a process for skeletal rearrangements of triterpenoids in nature that expands their scaffold diversity after the initial cyclization. In addition, the enzymes described here are crucial for the biotechnological production of limonoid, quassinoid, apoprotolimonoid, and glabretane triterpenoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Chuang
- Centre of Biomolecular Drug Research, Leibniz University Hannover, Schneiderberg 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany
| | - Shenyu Liu
- Centre of Biomolecular Drug Research, Leibniz University Hannover, Schneiderberg 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jakob Franke
- Centre of Biomolecular Drug Research, Leibniz University Hannover, Schneiderberg 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany.,Institute of Botany, Leibniz University Hannover, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
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