Functional analyses of OcRhS1 and OcUER1 involved in UDP-L-rhamnose biosynthesis in Ornithogalum caudatum

Functional characterization of a Flavonol 3-O-rhamnosyltransferase and two UDP-rhamnose synthases from Hypericum monogynum

Rhamnosyltransferase (RT) and rhamnose synthase (Rhs) are the key enzymes that are responsible for the biosynthesis of rhamnosides and UDP-l-rhamnose (UDP-Rha) in plants, respectively. How to discover such enzymes efficiently for use is still a problem to be solved. Here, we identified HmF3RT, HmRhs1, and HmRhs2 from Hypericum monogynum, which is abundant in flavonol rhamnosides, with the help of a full-length and high throughput transcriptome sequencing platform. HmF3RT could regiospecifically transfer the rhamnose moiety of UDP-Rha onto the 3-OH position of flavonols and has weakly catalytic for UDP-xylose (UDP-Xyl) and UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc). HmF3RT showed well quercetin substrate affinity and high catalytic efficiency with K_m of 5.14 μM and k_cat/K_m of 2.21 × 10⁵ S^-1 M^-1, respectively. Docking, dynamic simulation, and mutagenesis studies revealed that V129, D372, and N373 are critical residues for the activity and sugar donor recognition of HmF3RT, mutant V129A, and V129T greatly enhance the conversion rate of catalytic flavonol glucosides. HmRhs1 and HmRhs2 convert UDP-Glc to UDP-Rha, which could be further used by HmF3RT. The HmF3RT and HmRhs1 co-expressed strain RTS1 could produce quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside (quercitrin), kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside (afzelin), and myricetin 3-O-rhamnoside (myricitrin) at yields of 85.1, 110.7, and 77.6 mg L^-1, respectively. It would provide a valuable reference for establishing a better and more efficient biocatalyst for preparing bioactive flavonol rhamnosides by identifying HmF3RT and HmRhs.

PhRHMs play important roles in leaf and flower development and anthocyanin synthesis in petunia

Anthocyanins, vital metabolites in plants, are formed by anthocyanidins combined with various monosaccharides, including glucose, rhamnose, and arabinose. Rhamnose contributes greatly to the glycosylation of anthocyanidins. There are two kinds of rhamnose synthase (RS): rhamnose biosynthesis (RHM), and nucleotide-RS/epimerase-reductase (UER1). Nevertheless, no RS isoform was reported to be involved in anthocyanin synthesis. Here, three homologous PhRHM genes, namely PhRHM1, PhRHM2, and PhRHM3, and one PhUER1 gene from petunia were cloned and characterized. Green fluorescent protein fusion protein assays revealed that PhRHMs and PhUER1 are localized in the cytoplasm. We obtained PhRHM1 or/and PhRHM2 or PhUER1 silenced petunia plants and did not attempt to obtain PhRHM3 silenced plants since PhRHM3 mRNA was not detected in petunia organs examined. PhRHM1 and PhRHM2 (PhRHM1-2) silencing induced abnormal plant growth and decreased the contents of l-rhamnose, photosynthetic pigments and total anthocyanins, while PhUER1 silencing did not cause any visible phenotypic changes. Flavonoid metabolome analysis further revealed that PhRHM1-2 silencing reduced the contents of anthocyanins with rhamnose residue. These results revealed that PhRHMs contribute to the biosynthesis of rhamnose and that PhRHMs participate in the anthocyanin rhamnosylation in petunia, while PhUER1 does not.

Nucleotide sugar dehydratases: Structure, mechanism, substrate specificity, and application potential

Nucleotide sugar (NS) dehydratases play a central role in the biosynthesis of deoxy and amino sugars, which are involved in a variety of biological functions in all domains of life. Bacteria are true masters of deoxy sugar biosynthesis as they can produce a wide range of highly specialized monosaccharides. Indeed, deoxy and amino sugars play important roles in the virulence of gram-positive and gram-negative pathogenic species and are additionally involved in the biosynthesis of diverse macrolide antibiotics. The biosynthesis of deoxy sugars relies on the activity of NS dehydratases, which can be subdivided into three groups based on their structure and reaction mechanism. The best-characterized NS dehydratases are the 4,6-dehydratases that, together with the 5,6-dehydratases, belong to the NS-short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily. The other two groups are the less abundant 2,3-dehydratases that belong to the Nudix hydrolase superfamily and 3-dehydratases, which are related to aspartame aminotransferases. 4,6-Dehydratases catalyze the first step in all deoxy sugar biosynthesis pathways, converting nucleoside diphosphate hexoses to nucleoside diphosphate-4-keto-6-deoxy hexoses, which in turn are further deoxygenated by the 2,3- and 3-dehydratases to form dideoxy and trideoxy sugars. In this review, we give an overview of the NS dehydratases focusing on the comparison of their structure and reaction mechanisms, thereby highlighting common features, and investigating differences between closely related members of the same superfamilies.

Biosynthesis and Transport of Nucleotide Sugars for Plant Hemicellulose

Hemicellulose is entangled with cellulose through hydrogen bonds and meanwhile acts as a bridge for the deposition of lignin monomer in the secondary wall. Therefore, hemicellulose plays a vital role in the utilization of cell wall biomass. Many advances in hemicellulose research have recently been made, and a large number of genes and their functions have been identified and verified. However, due to the diversity and complexity of hemicellulose, the biosynthesis and regulatory mechanisms are yet unknown. In this review, we summarized the types of plant hemicellulose, hemicellulose-specific nucleotide sugar substrates, key transporters, and biosynthesis pathways. This review will contribute to a better understanding of substrate-level regulation of hemicellulose synthesis.

Rhamnose in plants - from biosynthesis to diverse functions

In plants, the deoxy sugar l-rhamnose is widely present as rhamnose-containing polymers in cell walls and as part of the decoration of various specialized metabolites. Here, we review the current knowledge on the distribution of rhamnose, highlighting the differences between what is known in dicotyledoneuos compared to commelinid monocotyledoneous (grasses) plants. We discuss the biosynthesis and transport of UDP-rhamnose, as well as the transfer of rhamnose from UDP-rhamnose to various primary and specialized metabolites. This is carried out by rhamnosyltransferases, enzymes that can use a large variety of substrates. Some unique characteristics of rhamnose synthases, the multifunctional enzymes responsible for the conversion of UDP-glucose into UDP-rhamnose, are considered, particularly from the perspective of their ability to convert glucose present in flavonoids. Finally, we discuss how little is still known with regards to how plants rescue rhamnose from the many compounds to which it is linked, or how rhamnose is catabolized.

Functional analysis of PpRHM1 and PpRHM2 involved in UDP-l-rhamnose biosynthesis in Prunus persica

UDP-l-rhamnose (UDP-Rha) is an important sugar donor for glycosylation of various cell molecules in plant. Rhamnosides are widely present in different plant tissues and play important biological roles under different developmental or environmental conditions. However, enzymes involved in UDP-Rha biosynthesis and their encoding genes have been identified in few plants, which limits the functional analysis of plant rhamnosides. Here, two UDP-Rha biosynthesis genes, named PpRHM1 (2028 bp) and PpRHM2 (2016 bp), were isolated and characterized from Prunus persica, which is rich sources of flavonol rhamnosides. Both recombinant RHM proteins can catalyze the transformation from UDP-d-glucose (UDP-Glc) to UDP-Rha, which was confirmed by LC-MS and formation of flavonol rhamnosides. Biochemical analysis showed that both recombinant RHM proteins preferred alkaline conditions in pH range of 8.0-9.0 and had optimal reaction temperature between 25 and 30 °C. PpRHM1 showed the better UDP-Glc substrate affinity with K_m of 360.01 μM. Gene expression analysis showed different transcript levels of both RHMs in all plant tissues tested, indicating the involvement of rhamnosides in various tissues in plant. Such results provide better understanding of UDP-Rha biosynthesis in fruit tree and may be helpful for further investigation of various rhamnose derivatives and their biological functions.

Enhancing UDP-Rhamnose Supply for Rhamnosylation of Flavonoids in Escherichia coli by Regulating the Modular Pathway and Improving NADPH Availability

UDP-rhamnose is the main type of sugar donor and endows flavonoids with special activity, selectivity, and pharmacological properties by glycosylation. In this study, several UDP-glucose synthesis pathways and UDP-rhamnose synthases were screened to develop an efficient UDP-rhamnose biosynthesis pathway in Escherichia coli. Maximal UDP-rhamnose production reached 82.2 mg/L in the recombinant strain by introducing the cellobiose phosphorolysis pathway and Arabidopsis thaliana UDP-rhamnose synthase (AtRHM). Quercitrin production of 3522 mg/L was achieved in the recombinant strain by coupling the UDP-rhamnose generation system with A. thaliana rhamnosyltransferase (AtUGT78D1) to recycle UDP-rhamnose. To further increase UDP-rhamnose supply, an NADPH-independent fusion enzyme was constructed, the UTP supply was improved, and NADPH regenerators were overexpressed in vivo. Finally, by optimizing the bioconversion conditions, the highest quercitrin production reached 7627 mg/L with the average productivity of 141 mg/(L h), which is the highest yield of quercitrin and efficiency of UDP-rhamnose supply reported to date in E. coli. Therefore, the method described herein for the regeneration of UDP-rhamnose from cellobiose may be widely used for the rhamnosylation of flavonoids and other bioactive substances.

Characterization of two flavonol synthases with iron-independent flavanone 3-hydroxylase activity from Ornithogalum caudatum Jacq

BACKGROUND

Flavonol synthase (FLS) is the key enzyme responsible for the biosynthesis of flavonols, the most abundant flavonoids, which have diverse pharmaceutical effects. Flavonol synthase has been previously found in other species, but not yet in Ornithogalum caudatum.

RESULTS

The transcriptome-wide mining and functional characterisation of a flavonol synthase gene family from O. caudatum were reported. Specifically, a small FLS gene family harbouring two members, OcFLS1 and OcFLS2, was isolated from O. caudatum based on transcriptome-wide mining. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the two proteins showed the closest relationship with FLS proteins. In vitro enzymatic assays indicated OcFLS1 and OcFLS2 were flavonol synthases, catalysing the conversion of dihydroflavonols to flavonols in an iron-dependent fashion. In addition, the two proteins were found to display flavanone 3β-hydroxylase (F3H) activity, hydroxylating flavanones to form dihydroflavonols. Unlike single F3H enzymes, the F3H activity of OcFLS1 and OcFLS2 did not absolutely require iron. However, the presence of sufficient Fe²⁺ was demonstrated to be conducive to successive catalysis of flavanones to flavonols. The qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that both genes were expressed in the leaves, bulbs, and flowers, with particularly high expression in the leaves. Moreover, their expression was regulated by developmental and environmental conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

OcFLS1 and OcFLS2 from O. caudatum were demonstrated to be flavonol synthases with iron-independent flavanone 3-hydroxylase activity.

The enzymatic biosynthesis of acylated steroidal glycosides and their cytotoxic activity

Herein we describe the discovery and functional characterization of a steroidal glycosyltransferase (SGT) from Ornithogalum saundersiae and a steroidal glycoside acyltransferase (SGA) from Escherichia coli and their application in the biosynthesis of acylated steroidal glycosides (ASGs). Initially, an SGT gene, designated as OsSGT1, was isolated from O. saundersiae. OsSGT1-containing cell free extract was then used as the biocatalyst to react with 49 structurally diverse drug-like compounds. The recombinant OsSGT1 was shown to be active against both 3β- and 17β-hydroxyl steroids. Unexpectedly, in an effort to identify OsSGT1, we found the bacteria lacA gene in lac operon actually encoded an SGA, specifically catalyzing the acetylations of sugar moieties of steroid 17β-glucosides. Finally, a novel enzymatic two-step synthesis of two ASGs, acetylated testosterone-17-O-β-glucosides (AT-17β-Gs) and acetylated estradiol-17-O-β-glucosides (AE-17β-Gs), from the abundantly available free steroids using OsSGT1 and EcSGA1 as the biocatalysts was developed. The two-step process is characterized by EcSGA1-catalyzed regioselective acylations of all hydroxyl groups on the sugar unit of unprotected steroidal glycosides (SGs) in the late stage, thereby significantly streamlining the synthetic route towards ASGs and thus forming four monoacylates. The improved cytotoxic activities of 3′-acetylated testosterone17-O-β-glucoside towards seven human tumor cell lines were thus observable.

OcUGT1-Catalyzed Glucosylation of Sulfuretin Yields Ten Glucosides

Sulfuretin glucosides are important sources of innovative drugs. However, few glucosides of sulfuretin have been observed in nature. Therefore, it is urgent to diversify sulfuretin glycosides. Herein, glycosyltransferase (GT)-catalyzed glycodiversification of sulfuretin was achieved. Specifically, a flavonoid GT designated as OcUGT1 was used as a biocatalyst for the glucosylation of sulfuretin with UDP-Glc. The OcUGT1-assisted glucosylation of sulfuretin yielded ten glycosylated products, including three monoglucosides, five diglucosides and two triglucosides. The three monoglucosides were thus identified to be sulfuretin 3′-, 4′- and 6-glucoside according to HR-ESI-TOFMS data and their coelution with respective standards. A major diglucoside was assigned as sulfuretin 4′,6-diglucoside by HR-ESI-TOFMS in conjunction with NMR analysis. The exact structure of the other four diglucosides was not well characterized due to their trace amount. However, they were reasonably inferred as sulfuretin 3′,6-diglucoside, sulfuretin 3′,4′-diglucoside and two disaccharide glucosides. In addition, the structural identification of the remaining two triglucosides was not performed because of their small amount. However, one of the triglucosides was deduced to be sulfuretin 3′,4′,6-triglucoside based on the catalytic behavior of OcUGT1. Of the ten sulfuretin glucosides, at least six were new compounds. This is the first time to obtain monoglucosides, diglucosides and triglucosides of sulfuretin simultaneously by a single glycosyltransferase.

Biosynthesis of 7,8-dihydroxyflavone glycosides via OcUGT1-catalyzed glycosylation and transglycosylation

Herein, a flavonoid glycosyltransferase (GT) OcUGT1 was determined to be able to attack C-8 position of 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) via both glycosylation and transglycosylation reactions. OcUGT1-catalyzed glycosylation of 7,8-DHF resulted in the formation of two monoglycosides 7-O-β-D-glucosyl-8-hydroxyflavone (1a), 7-hydroxy-8-O-β-D-glucosylflavone (1b), as well as one diglycoside 7,8-di-O-β-D-glucosylflavone (1c). Under the action of OcUGT1, inter-molecular trans-glycosylations from aryl β-glycosides to 7,8-DHF to form monoglycosides 1a and 1b were observable.

Isolation and characterization of a multifunctional flavonoid glycosyltransferase from Ornithogalum caudatum with glycosidase activity

Glycosyltransferases (GTs) are bidirectional biocatalysts catalyzing the glycosylation of diverse molecules. However, the extensive applications of GTs in glycosides formation are limited due to their requirements of expensive nucleotide diphosphate (NDP)-sugars or NDP as the substrates. Here, in an effort to characterize flexible GTs for glycodiversification of natural products, we isolated a cDNA, designated as OcUGT1 from Ornithogalum caudatum, which encoded a flavonoid GT that was able to catalyze the trans-glycosylation reactions, allowing the formation of glycosides without the additions of NDP-sugars or NDP. In addition, OcUGT1 was observed to exhibit additional five types of functions, including classical sugar transfer reaction and three reversible reactions namely NDP-sugar synthesis, sugars exchange and aglycons exchange reactions, as well as enzymatic hydrolysis reaction, suggesting OcUGT1 displays both glycosyltransferase and glycosidase activities. Expression profiles revealed that the expression of OcUGT1 was development-dependent and affected by environmental factors. The unusual multifunctionality of OcUGT1 broadens the applicability of OcUGT1, thereby generating diverse carbohydrate-containing structures.

A regiospecific rhamnosyltransferase from Epimedium pseudowushanense catalyzes the 3-O-rhamnosylation of prenylflavonols

A novel rhamnosyltransferase and a UDP-rhamnose synthase were characterized and applied to the biosynthesis of bioactive prenylflavonol rhamnosides.