Genetic variation in plant CYP51s confers resistance against voriconazole, a novel inhibitor of brassinosteroid-dependent sterol biosynthesis

Novel Dioxolane Ring Compounds for the Management of Phytopathogen Diseases as Ergosterol Biosynthesis Inhibitors: Synthesis, Biological Activities, and Molecular Docking

Thirty novel dioxolane ring compounds were designed and synthesized. Their chemical structures were confirmed by ¹H NMR, HRMS, and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Bioassays indicated that these dioxolane ring derivatives exhibited excellent fungicidal activity against Rhizoctonia solani, Pyricularia oryae, Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Fusarium oxysporum, Physalospora piricola, Cercospora arachidicola and herbicidal activity against lettuce (Lactuca sativa), bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera), and duckweed (Lemna pausicostata). Among these compounds, 1-((2-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-methyl-1,3-dioxan-2-yl)methyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole (D17), 1-(((4R)-2-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)methyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole (D20), 1-((5-methyl-2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-1,3-dioxan-2-yl)methyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole (D22), and 1-((2-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)methyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole (D26) had broad spectrum fungicidal and herbicidal activity. The IC₅₀ values against duckweed were 20.5 ± 9.0, 14.2 ± 6.7, 24.0 ± 11.0, 8.7 ± 3.5, and 8.0 ± 3.1 μM for D17, D20, D22, and D26 and the positive control difenoconazole, respectively. The EC₅₀ values were 7.31 ± 0.67, 9.74 ± 0.83, 17.32 ± 1.23, 11.96 ± 0.98, and 8.93 ± 0.91 mg/L for D17, D20, D22, and D26 and the positive control difenoconazole against the plant pathogen R. solani, respectively. Germination experiments with Arabidopsis seeds indicated that the target of these dioxolane ring compounds in plants is brassinosteroid biosynthesis. Molecular simulation docking results of compound D26 and difenoconazole with fungal CYP51 P450 confirmed that they both inhibit this enzyme involved in ergosterol biosynthesis. The structure-activity relationships (SAR) are discussed by substituent effect, molecular docking, and density functional theory analysis, which provided useful information for designing more active compounds.

Dissecting cholesterol and phytosterol biosynthesis via mutants and inhibitors

Plants stand out among eukaryotes due to the large variety of sterols and sterol derivatives that they can produce. These metabolites not only serve as critical determinants of membrane structures, but also act as signaling molecules, as growth-regulating hormones, or as modulators of enzyme activities. Therefore, it is critical to understand the wiring of the biosynthetic pathways by which plants generate these distinct sterols, to allow their manipulation and to dissect their precise physiological roles. Here, we review the complexity and variation of the biosynthetic routes of the most abundant phytosterols and cholesterol in the green lineage and how different enzymes in these pathways are conserved and diverged from humans, yeast, and even bacteria. Many enzymatic steps show a deep evolutionary conservation, while others are executed by completely different enzymes. This has important implications for the use and specificity of available human and yeast sterol biosynthesis inhibitors in plants, and argues for the development of plant-tailored inhibitors of sterol biosynthesis.

Transcriptomic analysis of cytochrome P450 genes and pathways involved in chromium toxicity in Oryza sativa

In plants, cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP) plays an important role in detoxifying xenobiotic chemicals and coordinating abiotic stresses. Agilent 44 K rice microarray has been used to focus on the transcriptional profile of osCYP genes in rice seedling exposed to Cr solution containing K₂CrO₄ or Cr(NO₃)₃. Our study showed that expression profiles of 264 osCYP genes identified were tissue, dose and stimulus specific in rice seedlings. Comparative genomics analysis revealed that more differentially expressed osCYP genes were discovered in roots than in shoots under both Cr exposures. Results from Venn diagram analysis of differentially expressed osCYP genes demonstrated that there were common osCYP genes and unique osCYP genes present in different rice tissue as well as in different Cr treatments, which may control and/or regulate involvement of different CYP isoenzymes under Cr exposure individually or combinedly. KEGG analysis indicated that significant up- and down-regulated osCYP genes in rice tissues were chiefly related to "biosynthesis of secondary metabolites". However, involvements of osCYP genes mapped in the "biosynthesis of secondary metabolites" were tissue and dose specific, implying their distinctly responsive and adaptive mechanisms during Cr exposure. Overall, our findings are evident to describe and clarify their individual roles of specific osCYP genes in regulating involvement of CYP isoforms in Cr detoxification by rice seedlings.

Effects of Azole Fungicides on Secreted Metabolomes of Botrytis cinerea

Botrytis cinerea, gray mold, is one of the most notorious phytopathgens, causing serious economic loss in the agricultural industry. The phytotoxic effects are mainly derived from secreted virulence proteins and terpenoid-type secondary metabolites. Azole fungicides are commonly used to manage the disease. However, their biochemical effects other than sterol biosynthesis were not documented, especially toxic secreted metabolites. In this study, six azole fungicides were treated with in vitro and in vivo conditions. Comprehensive profiles of primary and secondary metabolites in culture media were evaluated to assess the fungal metabolomes under pesticide-stressed conditions. The results indicated that extensive metabolic differentiation was induced by azole fungicides. Epoxiconazole clearly reduced the extracellular phytotoxin concentrations, while the level of indole-3-acetic acid was increased. In addition, significant differentiation of primary metabolism could be deduced from secreted metabolite profiles, including the tricarboxylic acid cycle and aromatic amino acid catabolism. Cellular lipid profiles, including fatty acids and sterol, have been altered drastically by azoles, which indicate extensive changes of cellular lipid metabolism. These system-wide metabolic alterations resulted in reduced plant damages, proven by the in vivo assay with tomato. Overall, azole fungicides induced significant changes of endo- and exometabolomes and could reduce the fungal infection. The experimental results will provide a more detailed understanding of physiological changes of phytopathogens under pesticide treatment and information for new pesticide development.

Comprehensive Overview of the Brassinosteroid Biosynthesis Pathways: Substrates, Products, Inhibitors, and Connections

Brassinosteroids (BRs) as a class of steroid plant hormones participate in the regulation of numerous developmental processes, including root and shoot growth, vascular differentiation, fertility, flowering, and seed germination, as well as in responding to environmental stresses. During four decades of research, the BR biosynthetic pathways have been well studied with forward- and reverse genetics approaches. The free BRs contain 27, 28, and 29 carbons within their skeletal structure: (1): 5α-cholestane or 26-nor-24α-methyl-5α-cholestane for C₂₇-BRs; (2) 24α-methyl-5α-cholestane, 24β-methyl-5α-cholestane or 24-methylene-5α-cholestane for C₂₈-BRs; (3) 24α-ethyl-5α-cholestane, 24(Z)-ethylidene-5α-cholestane, 25-methyl-5α-campestane or 24-methylene-25-methyl-5α-cholestane for C₂₉-BRs, as well as different kinds and orientations of oxygenated functions in A- and B-ring. These alkyl substituents are also common structural features of sterols. BRs are derived from sterols carrying the same side chain. The C₂₇-BRs without substituent at C-24 are biosynthesized from cholesterol. The C₂₈-BRs carrying either an α-methyl, β-methyl, or methylene group are derived from campesterol, 24-epicampesterol or 24-methylenecholesterol, respectively. The C₂₉-BRs with an α-ethyl group are produced from sitosterol. Furthermore, the C₂₉ BRs carrying methylene at C-24 and an additional methyl group at C-25 are derived from 24-methylene-25-methylcholesterol. Generally, BRs are biosynthesized via cycloartenol and cycloartanol dependent pathways. Till now, more than 17 compounds were characterized as inhibitors of the BR biosynthesis. For nine of the inhibitors (e.g., brassinazole and YCZ-18) a specific target reaction within the BR biosynthetic pathway has been identified. Therefore, the review highlights comprehensively recent advances in our understanding of the BR biosynthesis, sterol precursors, and dependencies between the C₂₇-C₂₈ and C₂₈-C₂₉ pathways.

Inhibitors of Brassinosteroid Biosynthesis and Signal Transduction

Chemical inhibitors are invaluable tools for investigating protein function in reverse genetic approaches. Their application bears many advantages over mutant generation and characterization. Inhibitors can overcome functional redundancy, their application is not limited to species for which tools of molecular genetics are available and they can be applied to specific tissues or developmental stages, making them highly convenient for addressing biological questions. The use of inhibitors has helped to elucidate hormone biosynthesis and signaling pathways and here we review compounds that were developed for the plant hormones brassinosteroids (BRs). BRs are steroids that have strong growth-promoting capacities, are crucial for all stages of plant development and participate in adaptive growth processes and stress response reactions. In the last two decades, impressive progress has been made in BR inhibitor development and application, which has been instrumental for studying BR modes of activity and identifying and characterizing key players. Both, inhibitors that target biosynthesis, such as brassinazole, and inhibitors that target signaling, such as bikinin, exist and in a comprehensive overview we summarize knowledge and methodology that enabled their design and key findings of their use. In addition, the potential of BR inhibitors for commercial application in plant production is discussed.

24-Epibrassinolide-alleviated drought stress damage influences antioxidant enzymes and autophagy changes in peach (Prunus persicae L.) leaves

Drought stress is a serious threat to agriculture and the environment. Brassinosteroids (BRs) increase tolerance to drought stress of plant. Autophagy plays important roles in plant responses to drought stress; however, there are few reports on autophagy in peach (Prunus persica). In total, 23 putative autophagy-related genes (ATGs) in peach were identified using ATGs from the Arabidopsis thaliana genome as query in BLASTx algorithm-based searches. Under drought stress, the photosynthetic abilities of peach leaves decreased, while antioxidant enzyme activities, autophagy and ATG expression increased. A correlation analysis showed that antioxidant enzyme activities are inversely correlated to the expression levels of the PpATGs. During drought, the PpATG8s and some PpATG18s had the strongest responses. To investigate enhanced drought-stress tolerance, peach was treated with water, 100 nM 24-epibrassinolide (EBR), 1 μM EBR, 10 μM EBR and 1 μM voriconazole. Exogenous EBR at 1 μM decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content under drought stress when compared with water-, 1 μM voriconazole-, 100 nM EBR- and 10 μM EBR-treated peach leaf. The 1-μM EBR application increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione peroxidase (GR) activities during drought stress. In addition, the expression levels of PpATGs were inhibited by EBR. Thus, the 1-μM EBR treatment alleviated drought-stress damage to peach leaves, decreased PpATG expression levels and reduced the number of autophagosomes.

Blasticidin-S deaminase, a new selection marker for genetic transformation of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Most genetic transformation protocols for the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum rely on one of two available antibiotics as selection markers: Zeocin (a formulation of phleomycin D1) or nourseothricin. This limits the number of possible consecutive genetic transformations that can be performed. In order to expand the biotechnological possibilities for P. tricornutum, we searched for additional antibiotics and corresponding resistance genes that might be suitable for use with this diatom. Among the three different antibiotics tested in this study, blasticidin-S and tunicamycin turned out to be lethal to wild-type cells at low concentrations, while voriconazole had no detectable effect on P. tricornutum. Testing the respective resistance genes, we found that the blasticidin-S deaminase gene (bsr) effectively conferred resistance against blasticidin-S to P. tricornutum. Furthermore, we could show that expression of bsr did not lead to cross-resistances against Zeocin or nourseothricin, and that genetically transformed cell lines with resistance against Zeocin or nourseothricin were not resistant against blasticidin-S. In a proof of concept, we also successfully generated double resistant (against blasticidin-S and nourseothricin) P. tricornutum cell lines by co-delivering the bsr vector with a vector conferring nourseothricin resistance to wild-type cells.

Brassinosteroids Are Master Regulators of Gibberellin Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis

Plant growth and development are highly regulated processes that are coordinated by hormones including the brassinosteroids (BRs), a group of steroids with structural similarity to steroid hormones of mammals. Although it is well understood how BRs are produced and how their signals are transduced, BR targets, which directly confer the hormone's growth-promoting effects, have remained largely elusive. Here, we show that BRs regulate the biosynthesis of gibberellins (GAs), another class of growth-promoting hormones, in Arabidopsis thaliana. We reveal that Arabidopsis mutants deficient in BR signaling are severely impaired in the production of bioactive GA, which is correlated with defective GA biosynthetic gene expression. Expression of the key GA biosynthesis gene GA20ox1 in the BR signaling mutant bri1-301 rescues many of its developmental defects. We provide evidence that supports a model in which the BR-regulated transcription factor BES1 binds to a regulatory element in promoters of GA biosynthesis genes in a BR-induced manner to control their expression. In summary, our study underscores a role of BRs as master regulators of GA biosynthesis and shows that this function is of major relevance for the growth and development of vascular plants.

The brassinosteroid chemical toolbox

Chemical biology approaches have been instrumental in understanding the mode of action of brassinosteroids, a group of plant steroid hormones essential for plant development and growth. The small molecules used for such approaches include inhibitors of biosynthetic enzymes and signaling components. Additionally, recent structural data on the brassinosteroid receptor complex together with its ligand brassinolide, the most active brassinosteroid, and knowledge on its different analogs have given us a better view on the recognition of the hormone and signaling initiation. Moreover, a fluorescently labeled brassinosteroid enabled the visualization of the receptor-ligand pair in the cell. Given the insights obtained, small molecules will continue to provide new opportunities for probing brassinosteroid biosynthesis and for unraveling the dynamic and highly interconnected signaling.

Interactions of antiparasitic sterols with sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) of human pathogens

Sterol 14α-demethylase is a validated and an attractive drug target in human protozoan parasites. Pharmacological inactivation of this important enzyme has proven very effective against fungal infections, and it is a target that is being exploited for new antitrypanosomal and antileishmanial chemotherapy. We have used in silico calculations to identify previously reported antiparasitic sterol-like compounds and their structural congeners that have preferential and high docking affinity for CYP51. The sterol 14α-demethylase from Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania infantum, in particular, preferentially dock to taraxerol, epi-oleanolic acid, and α/β-amyrim structural scaffolds. These structural information and predicted interactions can be exploited for fragment/structure-based antiprotozoal drug design.

Consequences of induced brassinosteroid deficiency in Arabidopsis leaves

BACKGROUND

The identification of brassinosteroid (BR) deficient and BR insensitive mutants provided conclusive evidence that BR is a potent growth-promoting phytohormone. Arabidopsis mutants are characterized by a compact rosette structure, decreased plant height and reduced root system, delayed development, and reduced fertility. Cell expansion, cell division, and multiple developmental processes depend on BR. The molecular and physiological basis of BR action is diverse. The BR signalling pathway controls the activity of transcription factors, and numerous BR responsive genes have been identified. The analysis of dwarf mutants, however, may to some extent reveal phenotypic changes that are an effect of the altered morphology and physiology. This restriction holds particularly true for the analysis of established organs such as rosette leaves.

RESULTS

In this study, the mode of BR action was analysed in established leaves by means of two approaches. First, an inhibitor of BR biosynthesis (brassinazole) was applied to 21-day-old wild-type plants. Secondly, BR complementation of BR deficient plants, namely CPD (constitutive photomorphogenic dwarf)-antisense and cbb1 (cabbage1) mutant plants was stopped after 21 days. BR action in established leaves is associated with stimulated cell expansion, an increase in leaf index, starch accumulation, enhanced CO2 release by the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and increased biomass production. Cell number and protein content were barely affected.

CONCLUSION

Previous analysis of BR promoted growth focused on genomic effects. However, the link between growth and changes in gene expression patterns barely provided clues to the physiological and metabolic basis of growth. Our study analysed comprehensive metabolic data sets of leaves with altered BR levels. The data suggest that BR promoted growth may depend on the increased provision and use of carbohydrates and energy. BR may stimulate both anabolic and catabolic pathways.

Bikinin-like inhibitors targeting GSK3/Shaggy-like kinases: characterisation of novel compounds and elucidation of their catabolism in planta

BACKGROUND

Plant GSK-3/Shaggy-like kinases are key players in brassinosteroid (BR) signalling which impact on plant development and participate in response to wounding, pathogens and salt stress. Bikinin was previously identified in a chemical genetics screen as an inhibitor targeting these kinases. To dissect the structural elements crucial for inhibition of GSK-3/Shaggy-like kinases by bikinin and to isolate more potent compounds we synthesised a number of related substances and tested their inhibitory activity in vitro and in vivo using Arabidopsis thaliana.

RESULTS

A pyridine ring with an amido succinic acid residue in position 2 and a halogen in position 5 were crucial for inhibitory activity. The compound with an iodine substituent in position 5, denoted iodobikinin, was most active in inhibiting BIN2 activity in vitro and efficiently induced brassinosteroid-like responses in vivo. Its methyl ester, methyliodobikinin, showed improved cell permeability, making it highly potent in vivo although it had lower activity in vitro. HPLC analysis revealed that the methyl residue was rapidly cleaved off in planta liberating active iodobikinin. In addition, we provide evidence that iodobikinin and bikinin are inactivated in planta by conjugation with glutamic acid or malic acid and that the latter process is catalysed by the malate transferase SNG1.

CONCLUSION

Brassinosteroids participate in regulation of many aspects of plant development and in responses to environmental cues. Thus compounds modulating their action are valuable tools to study such processes and may be an interesting opportunity to modify plant growth and performance in horticulture and agronomy. Here we report the development of bikinin derivatives with increased potency that can activate BR signalling and mimic BR action. Methyliodobikinin was 3.4 times more active in vivo than bikinin. The main reason for the superior activity of methyliodobikinin, the most potent compound, is its enhanced plant tissue permeability. Inactivation of bikinin and its derivatives in planta involves SNG1, which constitutes a novel pathway for modification of xenobiotic compounds.