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Zakaria MM, Kruse LH, Engelhardt A, Ober D. Seeing double: two different homospermidine oxidases are involved in pyrrolizidine alkaloid biosynthesis in different organs of comfrey (Symphytum officinale). THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38815125 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are toxic specialized metabolites produced in several plant species and frequently contaminate herbal teas or livestock feed. In comfrey (Symphytum officinale, Boraginaceae), they are produced in two different organs of the plant, the root and young leaves. In this study, we demonstrate that homospermidine oxidase (HSO), a copper-containing amine oxidase (CuAO) responsible for catalyzing the formation of the distinctive pyrrolizidine ring in PAs, is encoded by two individual genes. Specifically, SoCuAO1 is expressed in young leaves, while SoCuAO5 is expressed in roots. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of socuao5 resulted in hairy roots (HRs) unable to produce PAs, supporting its function as HSO in roots. Plants regenerated from socuao5 knockout HRs remained completely PA-free until the plants began to develop inflorescences, indicating the presence of another HSO that is expressed only during flower development. Stable expression of SoCuAO1 in socuao5 knockout HRs rescued the ability to produce PAs. In vitro assays of both enzymes transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana confirmed their HSO activity and revealed the ability of HSO to control the stereospecific cyclization of the pyrrolizidine backbone. The observation that the first specific step of PA biosynthesis catalyzed by homospermidine synthase requires only one gene copy, while two independent paralogs are recruited for the subsequent homospermidine oxidation in different tissues of the plant, suggests a complex regulation of the pathway. This adds a new level of complexity to PA biosynthesis, a system already characterized by species-specific, tight spatio-temporal regulation, and independent evolutionary origins in multiple plant lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud M Zakaria
- Botanical Institute and Botanic Gardens, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, 44519, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Lars H Kruse
- Botanical Institute and Botanic Gardens, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Annika Engelhardt
- Botanical Institute and Botanic Gardens, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Dietrich Ober
- Botanical Institute and Botanic Gardens, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
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2
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Das S, Kwon M, Kim JY. Enhancement of specialized metabolites using CRISPR/Cas gene editing technology in medicinal plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1279738. [PMID: 38450402 PMCID: PMC10915232 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1279738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Plants are the richest source of specialized metabolites. The specialized metabolites offer a variety of physiological benefits and many adaptive evolutionary advantages and frequently linked to plant defense mechanisms. Medicinal plants are a vital source of nutrition and active pharmaceutical agents. The production of valuable specialized metabolites and bioactive compounds has increased with the improvement of transgenic techniques like gene silencing and gene overexpression. These techniques are beneficial for decreasing production costs and increasing nutritional value. Utilizing biotechnological applications to enhance specialized metabolites in medicinal plants needs characterization and identification of genes within an elucidated pathway. The breakthrough and advancement of CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing in improving the production of specific metabolites in medicinal plants have gained significant importance in contemporary times. This article imparts a comprehensive recapitulation of the latest advancements made in the implementation of CRISPR-gene editing techniques for the purpose of augmenting specific metabolites in medicinal plants. We also provide further insights and perspectives for improving metabolic engineering scenarios in medicinal plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Das
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four Program), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center (PMBBRC), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea
| | - Moonhyuk Kwon
- Division of Life Science, Anti-aging Bio Cell Factory Regional Leading Research Center (ABC-RLRC), Research Institute of Molecular Alchemy (RIMA), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Yean Kim
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four Program), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center (PMBBRC), Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea
- Nulla Bio R&D Center, Nulla Bio Inc., Jinju, Republic of Korea
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3
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Krishna TA, Maharajan T, Krishna TA, Ceasar SA. Insights into Metabolic Engineering of Bioactive Molecules in Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels & Gilg: A Traditional Medicinal Herb. Curr Genomics 2023; 24:72-83. [PMID: 37994327 PMCID: PMC10662378 DOI: 10.2174/0113892029251472230921053135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants are a vital source of bioactive molecules for various drug development processes. Tetrastigma hemsleyanum is one of the endangered medicinal plant species well known to the world due to its wide range of therapeutic effects. Many bioactive molecules have been identified from this plant, including many classes of secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, steroids, alkaloids, etc. Due to its slow growth, it usually takes 3-5 years to meet commercial medicinal materials for this plant. Also, T. hemsleyanum contains low amounts of specific bioactive compounds, which are challenging to isolate easily. Currently, scientists are attempting to increase bioactive molecules' production from medicinal plants in different ways or to synthesize them chemically. The genomic tools helped to understand medicinal plants' genome organization and led to manipulating genes responsible for various biosynthesis pathways. Metabolic engineering has made it possible to enhance the production of secondary metabolites by introducing manipulated biosynthetic pathways to attain high levels of desirable bioactive molecules. Metabolic engineering is a promising approach for improving the production of secondary metabolites over a short time period. In this review, we have highlighted the scope of various biotechnological approaches for metabolic engineering to enhance the production of secondary metabolites for pharmaceutical applications in T. hemsleyanum. Also, we summarized the progress made in metabolic engineering for bioactive molecule enhancement in T. hemsleyanum. It may lead to reducing the destruction of the natural habitat of T. hemsleyanum and conserving them through the cost-effective production of bioactive molecules in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- T.P. Ajeesh Krishna
- Division of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biosciences, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kochi, 683104, Kerala, India
| | - T. Maharajan
- Division of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biosciences, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kochi, 683104, Kerala, India
| | - T.P. Adarsh Krishna
- Research & Development Division, Sreedhareeyam Farmherbs India Pvt. Ltd, Ernakulam, 686-662, Kerala, India
| | - S. Antony Ceasar
- Division of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biosciences, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kochi, 683104, Kerala, India
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4
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Shelake RM, Jadhav AM, Bhosale PB, Kim JY. Unlocking secrets of nature's chemists: Potential of CRISPR/Cas-based tools in plant metabolic engineering for customized nutraceutical and medicinal profiles. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 203:108070. [PMID: 37816270 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.108070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Plant species have evolved diverse metabolic pathways to effectively respond to internal and external signals throughout their life cycle, allowing adaptation to their sessile and phototropic nature. These pathways selectively activate specific metabolic processes, producing plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) governed by genetic and environmental factors. Humans have utilized PSM-enriched plant sources for millennia in medicine and nutraceuticals. Recent technological advances have significantly contributed to discovering metabolic pathways and related genes involved in the biosynthesis of specific PSM in different food crops and medicinal plants. Consequently, there is a growing demand for plant materials rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, marketed as "superfoods". To meet the industrial demand for superfoods and therapeutic PSMs, modern methods such as system biology, omics, synthetic biology, and genome editing (GE) play a crucial role in identifying the molecular players, limiting steps, and regulatory circuitry involved in PSM production. Among these methods, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR associated protein (CRISPR/Cas) is the most widely used system for plant GE due to its simple design, flexibility, precision, and multiplexing capabilities. Utilizing the CRISPR-based toolbox for metabolic engineering (ME) offers an ideal solution for developing plants with tailored preventive (nutraceuticals) and curative (therapeutic) metabolic profiles in an ecofriendly way. This review discusses recent advances in understanding the multifactorial regulation of metabolic pathways, the application of CRISPR-based tools for plant ME, and the potential research areas for enhancing plant metabolic profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Mahadev Shelake
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four Program), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea.
| | - Amol Maruti Jadhav
- Research Institute of Green Energy Convergence Technology (RIGET), Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Pritam Bhagwan Bhosale
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Yean Kim
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four Program), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea; Division of Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea; Nulla Bio Inc, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea.
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5
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Bagal D, Chowdhary AA, Mehrotra S, Mishra S, Rathore S, Srivastava V. Metabolic engineering in hairy roots: An outlook on production of plant secondary metabolites. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 201:107847. [PMID: 37352695 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107847] [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: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Plants are one of the vital sources of secondary metabolites. These secondary metabolites have diverse roles in human welfare, including therapeutic implication. Nevertheless, secondary metabolite yields obtained through the exploitation of natural plant populations is insufficient to meet the commercial demand due to their accumulation in low volumes. Besides, in-planta synthesis of these important metabolites is directly linked with the age and growing conditions of the plant. Such limitations have paved the way for the exploration of alternative production methodologies. Hairy root cultures, induced after the interaction of plants with Rhizobium rhizogenes (Agrobacterium rhizogenes), are a practical solution for producing valuable secondary metabolite at low cost and without the influence of seasonal, geographic or climatic variations. Hairy root cultures also offer the opportunity to get combined with other yield enhancements strategies (precursor feeding, elicitation and metabolic engineering) to further stimulate and/or enhance their production potential. Applications of metabolic engineering in exploiting hairy root cultures attracted the interest of several research groups as a means of yield enhancement. Currently, several engineering approaches like overexpression and silencing of pathway genes, and transcription factor overexpression are used to boost metabolite production, along with the contextual success of genome editing. This review attempts to cover metabolic engineering in hairy roots for the production of secondary metabolites, with a primary emphasis on alkaloids, and discusses prospects for taking this research forward to meet desired production demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diksha Bagal
- Department of Botany, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Jammu, Samba, 181143, Jammu and Kashmir (UT), India
| | - Aksar Ali Chowdhary
- Department of Botany, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Jammu, Samba, 181143, Jammu and Kashmir (UT), India
| | - Shakti Mehrotra
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow, 226020, India.
| | - Sonal Mishra
- Department of Botany, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Jammu, Samba, 181143, Jammu and Kashmir (UT), India.
| | - Sonica Rathore
- Department of Botany, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Jammu, Samba, 181143, Jammu and Kashmir (UT), India
| | - Vikas Srivastava
- Department of Botany, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Jammu, Samba, 181143, Jammu and Kashmir (UT), India.
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6
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Mipeshwaree Devi A, Khedashwori Devi K, Premi Devi P, Lakshmipriyari Devi M, Das S. Metabolic engineering of plant secondary metabolites: prospects and its technological challenges. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1171154. [PMID: 37251773 PMCID: PMC10214965 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1171154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Plants produce a wide range of secondary metabolites that play vital roles for their primary functions such as growth, defence, adaptations or reproduction. Some of the plant secondary metabolites are beneficial to mankind as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Metabolic pathways and their regulatory mechanism are crucial for targeting metabolite engineering. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9-mediated system has been widely applied in genome editing with high accuracy, efficiency, and multiplex targeting ability. Besides its vast application in genetic improvement, the technique also facilitates a comprehensive profiling approach to functional genomics related to gene discovery involved in various plant secondary metabolic pathways. Despite these wide applications, several challenges limit CRISPR/Cas system applicability in genome editing in plants. This review highlights updated applications of CRISPR/Cas system-mediated metabolic engineering of plants and its challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Sudripta Das
- Plant Bioresources Division, Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development, Imphal, Manipur, India
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7
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Prakashrao AS, Beuerle T, Simões ARG, Hopf C, Çiçek SS, Stegemann T, Ober D, Kaltenegger E. The long road of functional recruitment-The evolution of a gene duplicate to pyrrolizidine alkaloid biosynthesis in the morning glories (Convolvulaceae). PLANT DIRECT 2022; 6:e420. [PMID: 35865076 PMCID: PMC9295680 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In plants, homospermidine synthase (HSS) is a pathway-specific enzyme initiating the biosynthesis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which function as a chemical defense against herbivores. In PA-producing Convolvulaceae ("morning glories"), HSS originated from deoxyhypusine synthase at least >50 to 75 million years ago via a gene duplication event and subsequent functional diversification. To study the recruitment of this ancient gene duplicate to PA biosynthesis, the presence of putative hss gene copies in 11 Convolvulaceae species was analyzed. Additionally, various plant parts from seven of these species were screened for the presence of PAs. Although all of these species possess a putative hss copy, PAs could only be detected in roots of Ipomoea neei (Spreng.) O'Donell and Distimake quinquefolius (L.) A.R.Simões & Staples in this study. A precursor of PAs was detected in roots of Ipomoea alba L. Thus, despite sharing high sequence identities, the presence of an hss gene copy does not correlate with PA accumulation in particular species of Convolvulaceae. In vitro activity assays of the encoded enzymes revealed a broad spectrum of enzyme activity, further emphasizing a functional diversity of the hss gene copies. A recently identified HSS specific amino acid motif seems to be important for the loss of the ancestral protein function-the activation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF5A). Thus, the motif might be indicative for a change of function but allows not to predict the new function. This emphasizes the challenges in annotating functions for duplicates, even for duplicates from closely related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arunraj Saranya Prakashrao
- Department Biochemical Ecology and Molecular Evolution, Botanical InstituteChristian‐Albrechts‐UniversityKielGermany
- Present address:
Heart Research Center GöttingenUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany.
| | - Till Beuerle
- Institute of Pharmaceutical BiologyTechnische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
| | - Ana Rita G. Simões
- Royal Botanic Gardens, KewRichmondUK
- Systematic and Evolutionary Botany LabGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - Christina Hopf
- Department of Structural Biology, Zoological InstituteChristian‐Albrechts‐UniversityKielGermany
| | - Serhat Sezai Çiçek
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Pharmaceutical InstituteChristian‐Albrechts‐UniversityKielGermany
| | - Thomas Stegemann
- Department Biochemical Ecology and Molecular Evolution, Botanical InstituteChristian‐Albrechts‐UniversityKielGermany
| | - Dietrich Ober
- Department Biochemical Ecology and Molecular Evolution, Botanical InstituteChristian‐Albrechts‐UniversityKielGermany
| | - Elisabeth Kaltenegger
- Department Biochemical Ecology and Molecular Evolution, Botanical InstituteChristian‐Albrechts‐UniversityKielGermany
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8
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Mora-Vásquez S, Wells-Abascal GG, Espinosa-Leal C, Cardineau GA, García-Lara S. Application of metabolic engineering to enhance the content of alkaloids in medicinal plants. Metab Eng Commun 2022; 14:e00194. [PMID: 35242556 PMCID: PMC8881666 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2022.e00194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants are a rich source of bioactive compounds, many of which have been exploited for cosmetic, nutritional, and medicinal purposes. Through the characterization of metabolic pathways, as well as the mechanisms responsible for the accumulation of secondary metabolites, researchers have been able to increase the production of bioactive compounds in different plant species for research and commercial applications. The intent of the current review is to describe the metabolic engineering methods that have been used to transform in vitro or field-grown medicinal plants over the last decade and to identify the most effective approaches to increase the production of alkaloids. The articles summarized were categorized into six groups: endogenous enzyme overexpression, foreign enzyme overexpression, transcription factor overexpression, gene silencing, genome editing, and co-overexpression. We conclude that, because of the complex and multi-step nature of biosynthetic pathways, the approach that has been most commonly used to increase the biosynthesis of alkaloids, and the most effective in terms of fold increase, is the co-overexpression of two or more rate-limiting enzymes followed by the manipulation of regulatory genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soledad Mora-Vásquez
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, 64849, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | | | - Claudia Espinosa-Leal
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, 64849, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
| | - Guy A. Cardineau
- Arizona State University, Beus Center for Law and Society, Mail Code 9520, 111 E. Taylor Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85004-4467, USA
| | - Silverio García-Lara
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, 64849, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
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9
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Zakaria MM, Stegemann T, Sievert C, Kruse LH, Kaltenegger E, Girreser U, Çiçek SS, Nimtz M, Ober D. Insights into polyamine metabolism: homospermidine is double-oxidized in two discrete steps by a single copper-containing amine oxidase in pyrrolizidine alkaloid biosynthesis. THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:2364-2382. [PMID: 35212762 PMCID: PMC9134089 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Polyamines are important metabolites in plant development and abiotic and biotic stress responses. Copper-containing amine oxidases (CuAOs) are involved in the regulation of polyamine levels in the cell. CuAOs oxidize primary amines to their respective aldehydes and hydrogen peroxide. In plants, aldehydes are intermediates in various biosynthetic pathways of alkaloids. CuAOs are thought to oxidize polyamines at only one of the primary amino groups, a process frequently resulting in monocyclic structures. These oxidases have been postulated to be involved in pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) biosynthesis. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of homospermidine oxidase (HSO), a CuAO of Heliotropium indicum (Indian heliotrope), involved in PA biosynthesis. Virus-induced gene silencing of HSO in H. indicum leads to significantly reduced PA levels. By in vitro enzyme assays after transient in planta expression, we show that this enzyme prefers Hspd over other amines. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry analyses of the reaction products demonstrate that HSO oxidizes both primary amino groups of homospermidine (Hspd) to form a bicyclic structure, 1-formylpyrrolizidine. Using tracer feeding, we have further revealed that 1-formylpyrrolizidine is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of PAs. Our study therefore establishes that HSO, a canonical CuAO, catalyzes the second step of PA biosynthesis and provides evidence for an undescribed and unusual mechanism involving two discrete steps of oxidation that might also be involved in the biosynthesis of complex structures in other alkaloidal pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Ulrich Girreser
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Serhat S Çiçek
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Manfred Nimtz
- Cellular Proteome Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
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10
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Guo M, Chen H, Dong S, Zhang Z, Luo H. CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology and its application prospect in medicinal plants. Chin Med 2022; 17:33. [PMID: 35246186 PMCID: PMC8894546 DOI: 10.1186/s13020-022-00584-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas gene editing technology has opened a new era of genome interrogation and genome engineering because of its ease operation and high efficiency. An increasing number of plant species have been subjected to site-directed gene editing through this technology. However, the application of CRISPR-Cas technology to medicinal plants is still in the early stages. Here, we review the research history, structural characteristics, working mechanism and the latest derivatives of CRISPR-Cas technology, and discussed their application in medicinal plants for the first time. Furthermore, we creatively put forward the development direction of CRISPR technology applied to medicinal plant gene editing. The aim is to provide a reference for the application of this technology to genome functional studies, synthetic biology, genetic improvement, and germplasm innovation of medicinal plants. CRISPR-Cas is expected to revolutionize medicinal plant biotechnology in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaoxian Guo
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyu Chen
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shuting Dong
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Hongmei Luo
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
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11
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Schramm S, Rozhon W, Adedeji-Badmus AN, Liang Y, Nayem S, Winkelmann T, Poppenberger B. The Orphan Crop Crassocephalum crepidioides Accumulates the Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Jacobine in Response to Nitrogen Starvation. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:702985. [PMID: 34394157 PMCID: PMC8355542 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.702985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Crassocephalum crepidioides is an African orphan crop that is used as a leafy vegetable and medicinal plant. Although it is of high regional importance in Sub-Saharan Africa, the plant is still mainly collected from the wild and therefore efforts are made to promote its domestication. However, in addition to beneficial properties, there was first evidence that C. crepidioides can accumulate the highly toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) jacobine and here it was investigated, how jacobine production is controlled. Using ecotypes from Africa and Asia that were characterized in terms of their PA profiles, it is shown that the tetraploid C. crepidioides forms jacobine, an ability that its diploid close relative Crassocephalum rubens appears to lack. Evidence is provided that nitrogen (N) deficiency strongly increases jacobine in the leaves of C. crepidioides, that this capacity depends more strongly on the shoot than the root system, and that homospermidine synthase (HSS) activity is not rate-limiting for this reaction. A characterization of HSS gene representation and transcription showed that C. crepidioides and C. rubens possess two functional versions, one of which is conserved, that the HSS transcript is mainly present in roots and that its abundance is not controlled by N deficiency. In summary, this work improves our understanding of how environmental cues impact PA biosynthesis in plants and provides a basis for the development of PA-free C. crepidioides cultivars, which will aid its domestication and safe use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Schramm
- Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Wilfried Rozhon
- Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Adebimpe N. Adedeji-Badmus
- Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Yuanyuan Liang
- Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Shahran Nayem
- Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Traud Winkelmann
- Woody Plant and Propagation Physiology Section, Institute of Horticultural Production Systems, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Brigitte Poppenberger
- Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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12
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Pálfi P, Bakacsy L, Kovács H, Szepesi Á. Hypusination, a Metabolic Posttranslational Modification of eIF5A in Plants during Development and Environmental Stress Responses. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10071261. [PMID: 34206171 PMCID: PMC8309165 DOI: 10.3390/plants10071261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Hypusination is a unique posttranslational modification of eIF5A, a eukaryotic translation factor. Hypusine is a rare amino acid synthesized in this process and is mediated by two enzymes, deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase (DOHH). Despite the essential participation of this conserved eIF5A protein in plant development and stress responses, our knowledge of its proper function is limited. In this review, we demonstrate the main findings regarding how eIF5A and hypusination could contribute to plant-specific responses in growth and stress-related processes. Our aim is to briefly discuss the plant-specific details of hypusination and decipher those signal pathways which can be effectively modified by this process. The diverse functions of eIF5A isoforms are also discussed in this review.
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