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Escrich A, Jonguitud-Borrego N, Malcı K, Sanchez-Muñoz R, Palazon J, Rios-Solis L, Moyano E. A novel step towards the heterologous biosynthesis of paclitaxel: Characterization of T1βOH taxane hydroxylase. Metab Eng 2024; 85:201-212. [PMID: 39197725 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2024.08.005] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
In the quest for innovative cancer therapeutics, paclitaxel remains a cornerstone in clinical oncology. However, its complex biosynthetic pathway, particularly the intricate oxygenation steps, has remained a puzzle in the decades following the characterization of the last taxane hydroxylase. The high divergence and promiscuity of enzymes involved have posed significant challenges. In this study, we adopted an innovative approach, combining in silico methods and functional gene analysis, to shed light on this elusive pathway. Our molecular docking investigations using a library of potential ligands uncovered TB574 as a potential missing enzyme in the paclitaxel biosynthetic pathway, demonstrating auspicious interactions. Complementary in vivo assays utilizing engineered S. cerevisiae strains as novel microbial cell factory consortia not only validated TB574's critical role in forging the elusive paclitaxel intermediate, T5αAc-1β,10β-diol, but also achieved the biosynthesis of paclitaxel precursors at an unprecedented yield including T5αAc-1β,10β-diol with approximately 40 mg/L. This achievement is highly promising, offering a new direction for further exploration of a novel metabolic engineering approaches using microbial consortia. In conclusion, our study not only furthers study the roles of previously uncharacterized enzymes in paclitaxel biosynthesis but also forges a path for pioneering advancements in the complete understanding of paclitaxel biosynthesis and its heterologous production. The characterization of T1βOH underscores a significant leap forward for future advancements in paclitaxel production using heterologous systems to improve cancer treatment and pharmaceutical production, thereby holding immense promise for enhancing the efficacy of cancer therapies and the efficiency of pharmaceutical manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainoa Escrich
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nestor Jonguitud-Borrego
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, United Kingdom
| | - Koray Malcı
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, United Kingdom
| | - Raul Sanchez-Muñoz
- Laboratory of Functional Plant Biology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Javier Palazon
- Department of Biology, Healthcare and the Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Leonardo Rios-Solis
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3BF, United Kingdom; Department of Biochemical Engineering, The Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 6EB, United Kingdom.
| | - Elisabeth Moyano
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
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2
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Sun MS, Jia Y, Chen XY, Chen JS, Guo Y, Fu FF, Xue LJ. Regulatory microRNAs and phasiRNAs of paclitaxel biosynthesis in Taxus chinensis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1403060. [PMID: 38779066 PMCID: PMC11109412 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1403060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Paclitaxel (trade name Taxol) is a rare diterpenoid with anticancer activity isolated from Taxus. At present, paclitaxel is mainly produced by the semi-synthetic method using extract of Taxus tissues as raw materials. The studies of regulatory mechanisms in paclitaxel biosynthesis would promote the production of paclitaxel through tissue/cell culture approaches. Here, we systematically identified 990 transcription factors (TFs), 460 microRNAs (miRNAs), and 160 phased small interfering RNAs (phasiRNAs) in Taxus chinensis to explore their interactions and potential roles in regulation of paclitaxel synthesis. The expression levels of enzyme genes in cone and root were higher than those in leaf and bark. Nearly all enzyme genes in the paclitaxel synthesis pathway were significantly up-regulated after jasmonate treatment, except for GGPPS and CoA Ligase. The expression level of enzyme genes located in the latter steps of the synthesis pathway was significantly higher in female barks than in male. Regulatory TFs were inferred through co-expression network analysis, resulting in the identification of TFs from diverse families including MYB and AP2. Genes with ADP binding and copper ion binding functions were overrepresented in targets of miRNA genes. The miRNA targets were mainly enriched with genes in plant hormone signal transduction, mRNA surveillance pathway, cell cycle and DNA replication. Genes in oxidoreductase activity, protein-disulfide reductase activity were enriched in targets of phasiRNAs. Regulatory networks were further constructed including components of enzyme genes, TFs, miRNAs, and phasiRNAs. The hierarchical regulation of paclitaxel production by miRNAs and phasiRNAs indicates a robust regulation at post-transcriptional level. Our study on transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of paclitaxel synthesis provides clues for enhancing paclitaxel production using synthetic biology technology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Fang-Fang Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Biotechnology of Educational Department of China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Liang-Jiao Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Biotechnology of Educational Department of China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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3
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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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4
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Xu Z, Zhai Y, Chang H, Yan D, Ge P, Ren G, Zhang L, Yuan Y, Wang R, Li W, Li F, Ren M, Mo H. Heterologous expression of taxane genes confers resistance to fall armyworm in Nicotiana benthamiana. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2024; 43:94. [PMID: 38472660 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-024-03169-z] [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] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Taxadiene synthase, taxadiene-5α-hydroxylase, and taxane 13α-hydroxylase genes were introduced into Nicotiana benthamiana, and the improved resistance to lepidoptera pest fall armyworm was reported. Fall armyworm (FAW) is a serious agricultural pest. Genetic engineering techniques have been used to create pest-resistant plant varieties for reducing pest damage. Paclitaxel is a diterpenoid natural metabolite with antineoplastic effects in medicine. However, the effects of taxanes on the growth and development of lepidoptera pests, such as the FAW, are unknown. Here, selected paclitaxel precursor biosynthesis pathway genes, taxadiene synthase, taxane 5α-hydroxylase, and taxane 13α-hydroxylase, were engineered in the heterologous host Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Bioassay experiments showed that the transgenic N. benthamiana plants displayed improved resistance to FAW infestation, with degeneration of gut tissues and induced expression of apoptosis-related genes. Cytotoxicity experiment showed that the paclitaxel precursor, 10-deacetylbaccatin III, is cytotoxic to Sf9 cells, causing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and disorder of the cytoskeleton. Metabolome analysis showed that heterologous expression of taxane genes in N. benthamiana affected the digestive system, steroid hormone and purine metabolism pathways of FAW larvae. In summary, this study provides a candidate approach for FAW control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenlu Xu
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Yaohua Zhai
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Huimin Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Da Yan
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Pengliang Ge
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430000, China
| | - Guangming Ren
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Lijun Zhang
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Ye Yuan
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Ruoyan Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450003, China
| | - Wentao Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450003, China
| | - Fuguang Li
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China.
| | - Maozhi Ren
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China.
- Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu, 610000, China.
| | - Huijuan Mo
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China.
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5
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Jiang B, Gao L, Wang H, Sun Y, Zhang X, Ke H, Liu S, Ma P, Liao Q, Wang Y, Wang H, Liu Y, Du R, Rogge T, Li W, Shang Y, Houk KN, Xiong X, Xie D, Huang S, Lei X, Yan J. Characterization and heterologous reconstitution of Taxus biosynthetic enzymes leading to baccatin III. Science 2024; 383:622-629. [PMID: 38271490 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj3484] [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: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Paclitaxel is a well known anticancer compound. Its biosynthesis involves the formation of a highly functionalized diterpenoid core skeleton (baccatin III) and the subsequent assembly of a phenylisoserinoyl side chain. Despite intensive investigation for half a century, the complete biosynthetic pathway of baccatin III remains unknown. In this work, we identified a bifunctional cytochrome P450 enzyme [taxane oxetanase 1 (TOT1)] in Taxus mairei that catalyzes an oxidative rearrangement in paclitaxel oxetane formation, which represents a previously unknown enzyme mechanism for oxetane ring formation. We created a screening strategy based on the taxusin biosynthesis pathway and uncovered the enzyme responsible for the taxane oxidation of the C9 position (T9αH1). Finally, we artificially reconstituted a biosynthetic pathway for the production of baccatin III in tobacco.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Jiang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for 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, China
| | - Lei Gao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Haijun Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yaping Sun
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for 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, China
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaolin Zhang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for 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, China
| | - Han Ke
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shengchao Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for 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, China
| | - Pengchen Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Qinggang Liao
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for 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, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for 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, China
| | - Huan Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for 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, China
| | - Yugeng Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for 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, China
| | - Ran Du
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for 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, China
| | - Torben Rogge
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for 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, China
| | - Yi Shang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Potato Biology, The CAAS-YNNU-YINMORE Joint Academy of Potato Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
| | - K N Houk
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xingyao Xiong
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for 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, China
| | - Daoxin Xie
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Sanwen Huang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for 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, China
| | - Xiaoguang Lei
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Institute for Cancer Research, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianbin Yan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for 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, China
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6
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Perez‐Matas E, Hidalgo‐Martinez D, Moyano E, Palazon J, Bonfill M. Overexpression of BAPT and DBTNBT genes in Taxus baccata in vitro cultures to enhance the biotechnological production of paclitaxel. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024; 22:233-247. [PMID: 37772738 PMCID: PMC10754002 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14182] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Paclitaxel is one of the most effective anticancer drugs ever developed. Although the most sustainable approach to its production is provided by plant cell cultures, the yield is limited by bottleneck enzymes in the taxane biosynthetic pathway: baccatin-aminophenylpropanoyl-13-O-transferase (BAPT) and 3'-N-debenzoyltaxol N-benzoyltransferase (DBTNBT). With the aim of enhancing paclitaxel production by overcoming this bottleneck, we obtained distinct lines of Taxus baccata in vitro roots, each independently overexpressing either of the two flux-limiting genes, BAPT or DBTNBT, through a Rhizobium rhizogenes A4-mediated transformation. Due to the slow growth rate of the transgenic Taxus roots, they were dedifferentiated to obtain callus lines and establish cell suspensions. The transgenic cells were cultured in a two-stage system and stimulated for taxane production by a dual elicitation treatment with 1 μm coronatine plus 50 mm of randomly methylated-β-cyclodextrins. A high overexpression of BAPT (59.72-fold higher at 48 h) and DBTNBT (61.93-fold higher at 72 h) genes was observed in the transgenic cell cultures, as well as an improved taxane production. Compared to the wild type line (71.01 mg/L), the DBTNBT line produced more than four times higher amounts of paclitaxel (310 mg/L), while the content of this taxane was almost doubled in the BAPT line (135 mg/L). A transcriptional profiling of taxane biosynthetic genes revealed that GGPPS, TXS and DBAT genes were the most reactive to DBTNBT overexpression and the dual elicitation, their expression increasing gradually and constantly. The same genes exhibited a pattern of isolated peaks of expression in the elicited BAPT-overexpressing line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Perez‐Matas
- Department of Biology, Healthcare and Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food SciencesUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Diego Hidalgo‐Martinez
- Department of Biology, Healthcare and Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food SciencesUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Elisabeth Moyano
- Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la SalutUniversitat Pompeu FabraBarcelonaSpain
| | - Javier Palazon
- Department of Biology, Healthcare and Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food SciencesUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Mercedes Bonfill
- Department of Biology, Healthcare and Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food SciencesUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
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7
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Zhang Y, Wiese L, Fang H, Alseekh S, Perez de Souza L, Scossa F, Molloy J, Christmann M, Fernie AR. Synthetic biology identifies the minimal gene set required for paclitaxel biosynthesis in a plant chassis. MOLECULAR PLANT 2023; 16:1951-1961. [PMID: 37897038 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
The diterpenoid paclitaxel (Taxol) is a chemotherapy medication widely used as a first-line treatment against several types of solid cancers. The supply of paclitaxel from natural sources is limited. However, missing knowledge about the genes involved in several specific metabolic steps of paclitaxel biosynthesis has rendered it difficult to engineer the full pathway. In this study, we used a combination of transcriptomics, cell biology, metabolomics, and pathway reconstitution to identify the complete gene set required for the heterologous production of paclitaxel. We identified the missing steps from the current model of paclitaxel biosynthesis and confirmed the activity of most of the missing enzymes via heterologous expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. Notably, we identified a new C4β-C20 epoxidase that could overcome the first bottleneck of metabolic engineering. We used both previously characterized and newly identified oxomutases/epoxidases, taxane 1β-hydroxylase, taxane 9α-hydroxylase, taxane 9α-dioxygenase, and phenylalanine-CoA ligase, to successfully biosynthesize the key intermediate baccatin III and to convert baccatin III into paclitaxel in N. benthamiana. In combination, these approaches establish a metabolic route to taxoid biosynthesis and provide insights into the unique chemistry that plants use to generate complex bioactive metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjun Zhang
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
| | - Lorenz Wiese
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hao Fang
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Saleh Alseekh
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Leonardo Perez de Souza
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Federico Scossa
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Research Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics (CREA-GB), Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy
| | - John Molloy
- Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Mathias Christmann
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
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8
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Zhang MF, Xie WL, Chen C, Li CX, Xu JH. Computational redesign of taxane-10β-hydroxylase for de novo biosynthesis of a key paclitaxel intermediate. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:7105-7117. [PMID: 37736790 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12784-x] [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: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Paclitaxel (Taxol®) is the most popular anticancer diterpenoid predominantly present in Taxus. The core skeleton of paclitaxel is highly modified, but researches on the cytochrome P450s involved in post-modification process remain exceedingly limited. Herein, the taxane-10β-hydroxylase (T10βH) from Taxus cuspidata, which is the third post-modification enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of taxadiene-5α-yl-acetate (T5OAc) to taxadiene-5α-yl-acetoxy-10β-ol (T10OH), was investigated in Escherichia coli by combining computation-assisted protein engineering and metabolic engineering. The variant of T10βH, M3 (I75F/L226K/S345V), exhibited a remarkable 9.5-fold increase in protein expression, accompanied by respective 1.3-fold and 2.1-fold improvements in turnover frequency (TOF) and total turnover number (TTN). Upon integration into the engineered strain, the variant M3 resulted in a substantial enhancement in T10OH production from 0.97 to 2.23 mg/L. Ultimately, the titer of T10OH reached 3.89 mg/L by fed-batch culture in a 5-L bioreactor, representing the highest level reported so far for the microbial de novo synthesis of this key paclitaxel intermediate. This study can serve as a valuable reference for further investigation of other P450s associated with the artificial biosynthesis of paclitaxel and other terpenoids. KEY POINTS: • The T10βH from T. cuspidata was expressed and engineered in E. coli unprecedentedly. • The expression and activity of T10βH were improved through protein engineering. • De novo biosynthesis of T10OH was achieved in E. coli with a titer of 3.89 mg/L.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Fang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Liang Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun-Xiu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-He Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China.
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9
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Brzycki Newton C, Young EM, Roberts SC. Targeted control of supporting pathways in paclitaxel biosynthesis with CRISPR-guided methylation. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1272811. [PMID: 37915547 PMCID: PMC10616794 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1272811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Plant cell culture biomanufacturing is rapidly becoming an effective strategy for production of high-value plant natural products, such as therapeutic proteins and small molecules, vaccine adjuvants, and nutraceuticals. Many of these plant natural products are synthesized from diverse molecular building blocks sourced from different metabolic pathways. Even so, engineering approaches for increasing plant natural product biosynthesis have typically focused on the core biosynthetic pathway rather than the supporting pathways. Methods: Here, we use both CRISPR-guided DNA methylation and chemical inhibitors to control flux through the phenylpropanoid pathway in Taxus chinensis, which contributes a phenylalanine derivative to the biosynthesis of paclitaxel (Taxol), a potent anticancer drug. To inhibit PAL, the first committed step in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, we knocked down expression of PAL in Taxus chinensis plant cell cultures using a CRISPR-guided plant DNA methyltransferase (NtDRM). For chemical inhibition of downstream steps in the pathway, we treated Taxus chinensis plant cell cultures with piperonylic acid and caffeic acid, which inhibit the second and third committed steps in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis: cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) and 4-coumaroyl-CoA ligase (4CL), respectively. Results: Knockdown of PAL through CRISPR-guided DNA methylation resulted in a profound 25-fold increase in paclitaxel accumulation. Further, through the synergistic action of both chemical inhibitors and precursor feeding of exogenous phenylalanine, we achieve a 3.5-fold increase in paclitaxel biosynthesis and a similar reduction in production of total flavonoids and phenolics. We also observed perturbations to both activity and expression of PAL, illustrating the complex transcriptional co-regulation of these first three pathway steps. Discussion: These results highlight the importance of controlling the metabolic flux of supporting pathways in natural product biosynthesis and pioneers CRISPR-guided methylation as an effective method for metabolic engineering in plant cell cultures. Ultimately, this work demonstrates a powerful method for rewiring plant cell culture systems into next-generation chassis for production of societally valuable compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Susan C. Roberts
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States
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10
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Purification of Two Taxanes from Taxus cuspidata by Preparative High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. SEPARATIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/separations9120446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, an effective method of preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (Prep-HPLC) was established to purify two taxanes in Taxus cuspidata. During the experimental operation, the effects of flow rate, injection volume, and column temperature on the purity of 10-deacetyltaxol (10-DAT) and paclitaxel (PTX) were investigated, and the optimized conditions were as follows: flow rate of 10 mL/min, injection volume of 0.5 mL, and column temperature of 30 °C. Under these conditions, the purity of 10-DAT and PTX reached 95.33% and 99.15%, respectively. The purified products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and electrospray ionization-high resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS). The results demonstrated that preparative HPLC can effectively purify 10-DAT and PTX from Taxus cuspidata with a purity of >95%, which was suitable for the large-scale preparation of 10-DAT and PTX.
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11
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Manz C, Raorane ML, Maisch J, Nick P. Switching cell fate by the actin-auxin oscillator in Taxus: cellular aspects of plant cell fermentation. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2022; 41:2363-2378. [PMID: 36214871 PMCID: PMC9700576 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-022-02928-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Paclitaxel synthesis in Taxus cells correlates with a cell-fate switch that leads to vacuoles of a glossy appearance and vermiform mitochondria. This switch depends on actin and apoplastic respiratory burst. Plant cell fermentation, the production of valuable products in plant cell culture, has great potential as sustainable alternative to the exploitation of natural resources for compounds of pharmaceutical interest. However, the success of this approach has remained limited, because the cellular aspects of metabolic competence are mostly unknown. The production of the anti-cancer alkaloid Paclitaxel has been, so far, the most successful case for this approach. In the current work, we map cellular aspects of alkaloid synthesis in cells of Taxus chinensis using a combination of live-cell imaging, quantitative physiology, and metabolite analysis. We show evidence that metabolic potency correlates with a differentiation event giving rise to cells with large vacuoles with a tonoplast that is of a glossy appearance, agglomerations of lipophilic compounds, and multivesicular bodies that fuse with the plasma membrane. Cellular features of these glossy cells are bundled actin, more numerous peroxisomes, and vermiform mitochondria. The incidence of glossy cells can be increased by aluminium ions, and this increase is significantly reduced by the actin inhibitor Latrunculin B, and by diphenylene iodonium, a specific inhibitor of the NADPH oxidase Respiratory burst oxidase Homologue (RboH). It is also reduced by the artificial auxin Picloram. This cellular fingerprint matches the implications of a model, where the differentiation into the glossy cell type is regulated by the actin-auxin oscillator that in plant cells acts as dynamic switch between growth and defence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Manz
- Botanical Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Manish L Raorane
- Botanical Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacy, Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jan Maisch
- Botanical Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Peter Nick
- Botanical Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany.
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12
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Asgharzadeh P, Sabet MS, Moieni A. Enhancement of paclitaxel production by reduced cellular accumulation and alteration in expression pattern of key genes using multi-walled carbon nanotube in Taxus baccata L. cell suspension culture. BIOCATALYSIS AND AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcab.2022.102550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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13
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Bamneshin M, Mirjalili MH, Naghavi MR, Cusido RM, Palazón J. Gene expression pattern and taxane biosynthesis in a cell suspension culture of Taxus baccata L. subjected to light and a phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) inhibitor. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY. B, BIOLOGY 2022; 234:112532. [PMID: 35908357 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2022.112532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Taxus baccata L. cell culture is a promising commercial method for the production of taxanes with anti-cancer activities. In the present study, a T. baccata cell suspension culture was exposed to white light and 2-aminoindan-2-phosphonic acid (AIP), a phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) inhibitor, and the effects of this treatment on cell growth, PAL activity, total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), taxane production and the expression of some key taxane biosynthetic genes (DXS, GGPPS, T13OH, BAPT, DBTNBT) as well as the PAL were studied. Light reduced cell growth, whereas AIP slightly improved it. Light increased PAL activity up to 2.7-fold relative to darkness. The highest TPC (24.89 mg GAE/g DW) and TFC (66.94 mg RUE/g DW) were observed in cultures treated with light and AIP. Light treatment also resulted in the maximum content of total taxanes (154.78 μg/g DW), increasing extracellular paclitaxel and cephalomannin (3.3-fold) and intracellular 10-deacetyl paclitaxel (2.5-fold). Light significantly increased the expression level of PAL, DBTNBT, BAPT, and T13αOH genes, whereas it had no effect on the expression of DXS, a gene active at the beginning of the taxane biosynthetic pathway. AIP had no significant effect on the expression of the target genes. In conclusion, the light-induced activation of PAL transcription and altered expression of relevant biosynthetic genes reduced cell growth and increased the content of total phenolic compounds and taxanes. These findings can be applied to improve taxane production in controlled cultures and bioreactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Bamneshin
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Mirjalili
- Department of Agriculture, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983969411 Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Reza Naghavi
- Division of Biotechnology, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, College of Agricultural and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Rosa M Cusido
- Laboratorio de Fisiologia Vegetal, Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Palazón
- Laboratorio de Fisiologia Vegetal, Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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14
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Wu QY, Huang ZY, Wang JY, Yu HL, Xu JH. Construction of an Escherichia coli cell factory to synthesize taxadien-5α-ol, the key precursor of anti-cancer drug paclitaxel. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2022; 9:82. [PMID: 38647602 PMCID: PMC10992617 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-022-00569-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Paclitaxel (Taxol™), an alkaloid of diterpenoid family, is one of the most widely used anti-cancer drugs due to its effectiveness against a variety of tumors. Rather than directly extraction and chemical synthesis of paclitaxel or its intermediates from yew plants, construction of a microbial cell factory for paclitaxel biosynthesis will be more efficient and sustainable. The challenge for biosynthesis of paclitaxel lies on the insufficient precursor, such as taxadien-5α-ol. In this study, we report a recombinant Escherichia coli strain constructed with a heterologous mevalonate pathway, a taxadiene synthase from yew, and a cytochrome P450-mediated oxygenation system for the de novo production of taxadien-5α-ol, the first product of the multi-step taxadiene oxygenation metabolism. The key enzymes including taxadiene synthases and cytochrome P450 reductases were screened, and the linker for fusing taxadiene-5α-hydroxylase with its reductase partner cytochrome P450 reductase was optimized. By reducing the metabolic burden and optimizing the fermentation conditions, the final production of total oxygenated taxanes was raised up to 27 mg L-1 in a 50-mL flask cultivation, of which the yield of taxadien-5α-ol was 7.0 mg L-1, representing approximately a 12-fold and 23-fold improvements, respectively, as compared with the initial titers. The engineered MVA pathway for the overproduction of terpenoid precursors can serve as an efficient platform for the production of other valuable terpenoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Yang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, College of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng-Yu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, College of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Yi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, College of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui-Lei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, College of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jian-He Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Centre for Biomanufacturing, College of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
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15
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Sørensen M, Andersen-Ranberg J, Hankamer B, Møller BL. Circular biomanufacturing through harvesting solar energy and CO 2. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 27:655-673. [PMID: 35396170 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Using synthetic biology, it is now time to expand the biosynthetic repertoire of plants and microalgae by utilizing the chloroplast to augment the production of desired high-value compounds and of oil-, carbohydrate-, or protein-enriched biomass based on direct harvesting of solar energy and the consumption of CO2. Multistream product lines based on separate commercialization of the isolated high-value compounds and of the improved bulk products increase the economic potential of the light-driven production system and accelerate commercial scale up. Here we outline the scientific basis for the establishment of such green circular biomanufacturing systems and highlight recent results that make this a realistic option based on cross-disciplinary basic and applied research to advance long-term solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mette Sørensen
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Johan Andersen-Ranberg
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ben Hankamer
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Birger Lindberg Møller
- Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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16
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Taxus yunnanensis genome offers insights into gymnosperm phylogeny and taxol production. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1203. [PMID: 34671091 PMCID: PMC8528922 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02697-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Taxol, a natural product derived from Taxus, is one of the most effective natural anticancer drugs and the biosynthetic pathway of Taxol is the basis of heterologous bio-production. Here, we report a high-quality genome assembly and annotation of Taxus yunnanensis based on 10.7 Gb sequences assembled into 12 chromosomes with contig N50 and scaffold N50 of 2.89 Mb and 966.80 Mb, respectively. Phylogenomic analyses show that T. yunnanensis is most closely related to Sequoiadendron giganteum among the sampled taxa, with an estimated divergence time of 133.4-213.0 MYA. As with most gymnosperms, and unlike most angiosperms, there is no evidence of a recent whole-genome duplication in T. yunnanensis. Repetitive sequences, especially long terminal repeat retrotransposons, are prevalent in the T. yunnanensis genome, contributing to its large genome size. We further integrated genomic and transcriptomic data to unveil clusters of genes involved in Taxol synthesis, located on the chromosome 12, while gene families encoding hydroxylase in the Taxol pathway exhibited significant expansion. Our study contributes to the further elucidation of gymnosperm relationships and the Taxol biosynthetic pathway.
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17
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McKee MC, Wilson SA, Roberts SC. The Interface amongst Conserved and Specialized Pathways in Non-Paclitaxel and Paclitaxel Accumulating Taxus Cultures. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11100688. [PMID: 34677403 PMCID: PMC8538509 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11100688] [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: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant cell cultures derived from Taxus are used to produce valuable metabolites like paclitaxel, a chemotherapeutic drug. Methyl jasmonate elicitation enhances paclitaxel accumulation, but also inhibits culture growth and increases phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, two side effects that detract from taxane accumulation. To understand the connection between all of these processes, a systems approach is applied to investigate cell-wide metabolism in Taxus. Non-paclitaxel and paclitaxel accumulating cultures were elicited over single and multi-generational periods, and subsequent changes in conserved and specialized metabolism were quantified. Methyl jasmonate typically resulted in decreased growth and increased metabolite content in paclitaxel accumulating cultures. Conversely, elicitation typically resulted in either no change or decrease in accumulation of metabolites in the non-paclitaxel accumulating cultures. In both sets of cultures, variability was seen in the response to methyl jasmonate across generations of cell growth. Consolidation of these data determined that paclitaxel accumulation and basal levels of phenolic and flavonoid compounds are indirectly correlated with aggregate size. These approaches assess alternative metabolic pathways that are linked to paclitaxel biosynthesis and provide a comprehensive strategy to both understand the relationship between conserved and specialized metabolism in plants and in the design of strategies to increase natural product yields in plant cell culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C. McKee
- Biology & Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
| | - Sarah A. Wilson
- Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Susan C. Roberts
- Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
- Correspondence:
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18
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Lange BM, Conner CF. Taxanes and taxoids of the genus Taxus - A comprehensive inventory of chemical diversity. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2021; 190:112829. [PMID: 34329937 PMCID: PMC8393860 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The pseudoalkaloid diterpene Taxol® (paclitaxel) emerged as a best-selling anti-cancer drug in the mid-1990s. The compound attracted considerable interest because of its unique mechanism to stabilize microtubules, thus reducing dynamicity and ultimately promoting mitotic arrest. Taxol was originally isolated from members of the genus Taxus. Over the last 50 years, close to 600 metabolites with taxane scaffolds were isolated from various Taxus species and their structures reported. The present review article provides an overview of the known chemical diversity of taxanes, with an emphasis on the functionalization of diterpene scaffolds. The implications of the occurrence of chemically diverse taxane metabolites for unraveling Taxol biosynthesis and enabling pathway engineering are discussed as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Markus Lange
- Institute of Biological Chemistry and M.J. Murdock Metabolomics Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7411, USA.
| | - Caleb F Conner
- Institute of Biological Chemistry and M.J. Murdock Metabolomics Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7411, USA
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19
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Raeispour Shirazi M, Rahpeyma SA, Rashidi Monfared S, Zolala J, Lohrasbi-Nejad A. Identification and in-silico characterization of taxadien-5α-ol-O-acetyltransferase (TDAT) gene in Corylus avellana L. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256704. [PMID: 34449796 PMCID: PMC8396717 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Paclitaxel® (PC) is one of the most effective and profitable anti-cancer drugs. The most promising sources of this compound are natural materials such as tissue cultures of Taxus species and, more recently, hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.). A large part of the PC biosynthetic pathway in the yew tree and a few steps in the hazelnut have been identified. Since understanding the biosynthetic pathway of plant-based medicinal metabolites is an effective step toward their development and engineering, this paper aimed to identify taxadiene-5α-ol-O-acetyltransferase (TDAT) in hazelnut. TDAT is one of the key genes involved in the third step of the PC biosynthetic pathway. In this study, the TDAT gene was isolated using the nested-PCR method and then characterized. The cotyledon-derived cell mass induced with 150 μM of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) was utilized to isolate RNA and synthesize the first-strand cDNA. The full-length cDNA of TDAT is 1423 bp long and contains a 1302 bp ORF encoding 433 amino acids. The phylogenetic analysis of this gene revealed high homology with its ortholog genes in Quercus suber and Juglans regia. Bioinformatics analyses were used to predict the secondary and tertiary structures of the protein. Due to the lack of signal peptide, protein structure prediction suggested that this protein may operate at the cytoplasm. The homologous superfamily of the T5AT protein, encoded by TDAT, has two domains. The highest and lowest hydrophobicity of amino acids were found in proline 142 and lysine 56, respectively. T5AT protein fragment had 24 hydrophobic regions. The tertiary structure of this protein was designed using Modeler software (V.9.20), and its structure was verified based on the results of the Verify3D (89.46%) and ERRAT (90.3061) programs. The T5AT enzyme belongs to the superfamily of the transferase, and the amino acids histidine 164, cysteine 165, leucine 166, histidine 167, and Aspartic acid 168 resided at its active site. More characteristics of TDAT, which would aid PC engineering programs and maximize its production in hazelnut, were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Raeispour Shirazi
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Sara Alsadat Rahpeyma
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
- * E-mail:
| | - Sajad Rashidi Monfared
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jafar Zolala
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Azadeh Lohrasbi-Nejad
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
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20
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Xiong X, Gou J, Liao Q, Li Y, Zhou Q, Bi G, Li C, Du R, Wang X, Sun T, Guo L, Liang H, Lu P, Wu Y, Zhang Z, Ro DK, Shang Y, Huang S, Yan J. The Taxus genome provides insights into paclitaxel biosynthesis. NATURE PLANTS 2021; 7:1026-1036. [PMID: 34267359 PMCID: PMC8367818 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-021-00963-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The ancient gymnosperm genus Taxus is the exclusive source of the anticancer drug paclitaxel, yet no reference genome sequences are available for comprehensively elucidating the paclitaxel biosynthesis pathway. We have completed a chromosome-level genome of Taxus chinensis var. mairei with a total length of 10.23 gigabases. Taxus shared an ancestral whole-genome duplication with the coniferophyte lineage and underwent distinct transposon evolution. We discovered a unique physical and functional grouping of CYP725As (cytochrome P450) in the Taxus genome for paclitaxel biosynthesis. We also identified a gene cluster for taxadiene biosynthesis, which was formed mainly by gene duplications. This study will facilitate the elucidation of paclitaxel biosynthesis and unleash the biotechnological potential of Taxus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyao Xiong
- College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 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, China
| | - Junbo Gou
- 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, China
| | - Qinggang Liao
- 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, China
| | - Yanlin Li
- College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Engineering Research Center for Horticultural Crop Germplasm Creation and New Variety Breeding, Ministry of Education, Changsha, China
| | - Qian Zhou
- 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, China
- Peng Cheng Laboratory Artificial Intelligence Research Center No. 2, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guiqi Bi
- 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, China
| | - Chong 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, China
| | - Ran Du
- 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, China
| | - Xiaotong Wang
- 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, China
| | - Tianshu Sun
- 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, China
| | - Lvjun Guo
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Haifei Liang
- 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, China
| | - Pengjun Lu
- 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, China
| | - Yaoyao Wu
- 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, China
| | - Zhonghua Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Dae-Kyun Ro
- 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, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yi Shang
- The AGISCAAS-YNNU Joint Academy of Potato Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
| | - Sanwen Huang
- 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, China.
| | - Jianbin Yan
- 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, China.
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21
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Cheng J, Wang X, Liu X, Zhu X, Li Z, Chu H, Wang Q, Lou Q, Cai B, Yang Y, Lu X, Peng K, Liu D, Liu Y, Lu L, Liu H, Yang T, Ge Q, Shi C, Liu G, Dong Z, Xu X, Wang W, Jiang H, Ma Y. Chromosome-level genome of Himalayan yew provides insights into the origin and evolution of the paclitaxel biosynthetic pathway. MOLECULAR PLANT 2021; 14:1199-1209. [PMID: 33951484 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2021.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Taxus, commonly known as yew, is a well-known gymnosperm with great ornamental and medicinal value. In this study, by assembling a chromosome-level genome of the Himalayan yew (Taxus wallichiana) with 10.9 Gb in 12 chromosomes, we revealed that tandem duplication acts as the driving force of gene family evolution in the yew genome, resulting in the main genes for paclitaxel biosynthesis, i.e. those encoding the taxadiene synthase, P450s, and transferases, being clustered on the same chromosome. The tandem duplication may also provide genetic resources for the nature to sculpt the core structure of taxoids at different positions and subsequently establish the complex pathway of paclitaxel by neofunctionalization. Furthermore, we confirmed that there are two genes in the cluster encoding isoenzymes of a known enzyme in the paclitaxel biosynthetic pathway. The reference genome of the Himalayan yew will serve as a platform for decoding the complete biosynthetic pathway of paclitaxel and understanding the chemodiversity of taxoids in gymnosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; Jiaxing Synbiolab Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Jiaxing 314006, China
| | - Xiaonan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Xiaoxi Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zihe Li
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, China
| | - Huanyu Chu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - QianQian Lou
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Bijun Cai
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Yiqun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoyun Lu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, China
| | - Kai Peng
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Dingyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Yuwan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Lina Lu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Huan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ting Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qijin Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chengcheng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guichun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Zhiwei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Xun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Wen Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, China.
| | - Huifeng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China.
| | - Yanhe Ma
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin 300308, China
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22
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Escrich A, Almagro L, Moyano E, Cusido RM, Bonfill M, Hosseini B, Palazon J. Improved biotechnological production of paclitaxel in Taxus media cell cultures by the combined action of coronatine and calix[8]arenes. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2021; 163:68-75. [PMID: 33819716 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.03.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Paclitaxel (PTX), a widely used anticancer agent, is found in the inner bark of several Taxus species, although at such low levels that its extraction is ecologically unsustainable. Biotechnological platforms based on Taxus sp. cell cultures offer an eco-friendlier approach to PTX production, with yields that can be improved by elicitation. However, the also limited excretion of target compounds from the producer cells to the medium hampers their extraction and purification. In this context, we studied the effect of treating T. media cell cultures with the elicitor coronatine (COR) and calix[8]arenes (CAL), nanoparticles that can host lipophilic compounds within their macrocyclic scaffold. The highest taxane production (103.5 mg.L-1), achieved after treatment with COR (1 μM) and CAL (10 mg.L-1), was 15-fold greater than in the control, and PTX represented 82% of the total taxanes analyzed. Expression levels of the flux-limiting PTX biosynthetic genes, BAPT and DBTNBT, increased after the addition of COR, confirming its elicitor action, but not CAL. The CAL treatment significantly enhanced taxane excretion, especially when production levels were increased by COR; 98% of the total taxanes were found in the culture medium after COR + CAL treatment. By forming complexes with PTX, the nanoparticles facilitated its excretion to the medium, and by protecting cells from PTX toxicity, its intra-and extra-cellular degradation may have been avoided. The addition of COR and CAL to T. media cell cultures is therefore a bio-sustainable and economically viable system to improve the yield of this important anticancer compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainoa Escrich
- Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Lorena Almagro
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Elisabeth Moyano
- Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Rosa M Cusido
- Secció de Fisiologia Vegetal, Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Mercedes Bonfill
- Secció de Fisiologia Vegetal, Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Bahman Hosseini
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
| | - Javier Palazon
- Secció de Fisiologia Vegetal, Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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23
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Mutanda I, Li J, Xu F, Wang Y. Recent Advances in Metabolic Engineering, Protein Engineering, and Transcriptome-Guided Insights Toward Synthetic Production of Taxol. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:632269. [PMID: 33614616 PMCID: PMC7892896 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.632269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The diterpenoid paclitaxel (Taxol®) is a blockbuster anticancer agent that was originally isolated from the Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) five decades ago. Despite the wealth of information gained over the years on Taxol research, there still remains supply issues to meet increasing clinical demand. Although alternative Taxol production methods have been developed, they still face several drawbacks that cause supply shortages and high production costs. It is highly desired to develop biotechnological production platforms for Taxol, however, there are still gaps in our understanding of the biosynthetic pathway, catalytic enzymes, regulatory and control mechanisms that hamper production of this critical drug by synthetic biology approaches. Over the past 5 years, significant advances were made in metabolic engineering and optimization of the Taxol pathway in different hosts, leading to accumulation of taxane intermediates. Computational and experimental approaches were leveraged to gain mechanistic insights into the catalytic cycle of pathway enzymes and guide rational protein engineering efforts to improve catalytic fitness and substrate/product specificity, especially of the cytochrome P450s (CYP450s). Notable breakthroughs were also realized in engineering the pathway in plant hosts that are more promising in addressing the challenging CYP450 chemistry. Here, we review these recent advances and in addition, we summarize recent transcriptomic data sets of Taxus species and elicited culture cells, and give a bird's-eye view of the information that can be gleaned from these publicly available resources. Recent mining of transcriptome data sets led to discovery of two putative pathway enzymes, provided many lead candidates for the missing steps and provided new insights on the regulatory mechanisms governing Taxol biosynthesis. All these inferences are relevant to future biotechnological production of Taxol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishmael Mutanda
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Fanglin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, He’nan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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24
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Li X, Zhao H, Chen X. Screening of Marine Bioactive Antimicrobial Compounds for Plant Pathogens. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:69. [PMID: 33525648 PMCID: PMC7912171 DOI: 10.3390/md19020069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant diseases have been threatening food production. Controlling plant pathogens has become an important strategy to ensure food security. Although chemical control is an effective disease control strategy, its application is limited by many problems, such as environmental impact and pathogen resistance. In order to overcome these problems, it is necessary to develop more chemical reagents with new functional mechanisms. Due to their special living environment, marine organisms have produced a variety of bioactive compounds with novel structures, which have the potential to develop new fungicides. In the past two decades, screening marine bioactive compounds to inhibit plant pathogens has been a hot topic. In this review, we summarize the screening methods of marine active substances from plant pathogens, the identification of marine active substances from different sources, and the structure and antibacterial mechanism of marine active natural products. Finally, the application prospect of marine bioactive substances in plant disease control was prospected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Li
- College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315832, China; (X.L.); (H.Z.)
| | - Hejing Zhao
- College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315832, China; (X.L.); (H.Z.)
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Provincial Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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25
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Arya SS, Rookes JE, Cahill DM, Lenka SK. Next-generation metabolic engineering approaches towards development of plant cell suspension cultures as specialized metabolite producing biofactories. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 45:107635. [PMID: 32976930 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Plant cell suspension culture (PCSC) has emerged as a viable technology to produce plant specialized metabolites (PSM). While Taxol® and ginsenoside are two examples of successfully commercialized PCSC-derived PSM, widespread utilization of the PCSC platform has yet to be realized primarily due to a lack of understanding of the molecular genetics of PSM biosynthesis. Recent advances in computational, molecular and synthetic biology tools provide the opportunity to rapidly characterize and harness the specialized metabolic potential of plants. Here, we discuss the prospects of integrating computational modeling, artificial intelligence, and precision genome editing (CRISPR/Cas and its variants) toolboxes to discover the genetic regulators of PSM. We also explore how synthetic biology can be applied to develop metabolically optimized PSM-producing native and heterologous PCSC systems. Taken together, this review provides an interdisciplinary approach to realize and link the potential of next-generation computational and molecular tools to convert PCSC into commercially viable PSM-producing biofactories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagar S Arya
- TERI-Deakin Nano Biotechnology Centre, The Energy and Resources Institute, Gurugram, Haryana 122001, India; Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Waurn Ponds Campus, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - James E Rookes
- Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Waurn Ponds Campus, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - David M Cahill
- Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Waurn Ponds Campus, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Sangram K Lenka
- TERI-Deakin Nano Biotechnology Centre, The Energy and Resources Institute, Gurugram, Haryana 122001, India.
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