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Winkler TS, Vollmer SK, Dyballa-Rukes N, Metzger S, Stetter MG. Isoform-resolved genome annotation enables mapping of tissue-specific betalain regulation in amaranth. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024. [PMID: 38584577 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Betalains are coloring pigments produced in some families of the order Caryophyllales, where they replace anthocyanins as coloring pigments. While the betalain pathway itself is well studied, the tissue-specific regulation of the pathway remains mostly unknown. We enhance the high-quality Amaranthus hypochondriacus reference genome and produce a substantially more complete genome annotation, incorporating isoform details. We annotate betalain and anthocyanin pathway genes along with their regulators in amaranth and map the genetic control and tissue-specific regulation of the betalain pathway. Our improved genome annotation allowed us to identify causal mutations that lead to a knock-out of red betacyanins in natural accessions of amaranth. We reveal the tissue-specific regulation of flower color via a previously uncharacterized MYB transcription factor, AhMYB2. Downregulation of AhMYB2 in the flower leads to reduced expression of key betalain enzyme genes and loss of red flower color. Our improved amaranth reference genome represents the most complete genome of amaranth to date and is a valuable resource for betalain and amaranth research. High similarity of the flower betalain regulator AhMYB2 to anthocyanin regulators and a partially conserved interaction motif support the co-option of anthocyanin regulators for the betalain pathway as a possible reason for the mutual exclusiveness of the two pigments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom S Winkler
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Susanne K Vollmer
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany
- Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf, 40225, Germany
| | - Nadine Dyballa-Rukes
- MS Platform, Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Sabine Metzger
- MS Platform, Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Markus G Stetter
- Institute for Plant Sciences and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Cologne, 50674, Germany
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2
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Crum AH, Philander L, Busta L, Yang Y. Traditional medicinal use is linked with apparency, not specialized metabolite profiles in the order Caryophyllales. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2024:e16308. [PMID: 38581167 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
PREMISE Better understanding of the relationship between plant specialized metabolism and traditional medicine has the potential to aid in bioprospecting and untangling of cross-cultural use patterns. However, given the limited information available for metabolites in most plant species, understanding medicinal use-metabolite relationships can be difficult. The order Caryophyllales has a unique pattern of lineages of tyrosine- or phenylalanine-dominated specialized metabolism, represented by mutually exclusive anthocyanin and betalain pigments, making Caryophyllales a compelling system to explore the relationship between medicine and metabolites by using pigment as a proxy for dominant metabolism. METHODS We compiled a list of medicinal species in select tyrosine- or phenylalanine-dominant families of Caryophyllales (Nepenthaceae, Polygonaceae, Simmondsiaceae, Microteaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Amaranthaceae, Limeaceae, Molluginaceae, Portulacaceae, Cactaceae, and Nyctaginaceae) by searching scientific literature until no new uses were recovered. We then tested for phylogenetic clustering of uses using a "hot nodes" approach. To test potential non-metabolite drivers of medicinal use, like how often humans encounter a species (apparency), we repeated the analysis using only North American species across the entire order and performed phylogenetic generalized least squares regression (PGLS) with occurrence data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). RESULTS We hypothesized families with tyrosine-enriched metabolism would show clustering of different types of medicinal use compared to phenylalanine-enriched metabolism. Instead, wide-ranging, apparent clades in Polygonaceae and Amaranthaceae are overrepresented across nearly all types of medicinal use. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that apparency is a better predictor of medicinal use than metabolism, although metabolism type may still be a contributing factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex H Crum
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 1445 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, 55108, MN, USA
| | - Lisa Philander
- Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, 1225 Estabrook Drive, St. Paul, 55103, MN, USA
| | - Lucas Busta
- University of Minnesota Duluth, 1038 University Drive, Duluth, 55812, MN, USA
| | - Ya Yang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 1445 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, 55108, MN, USA
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3
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Pucker B, Walker‐Hale N, Dzurlic J, Yim WC, Cushman JC, Crum A, Yang Y, Brockington SF. Multiple mechanisms explain loss of anthocyanins from betalain-pigmented Caryophyllales, including repeated wholesale loss of a key anthocyanidin synthesis enzyme. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:471-489. [PMID: 37897060 PMCID: PMC10952170 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19341] [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: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we investigate the genetic mechanisms responsible for the loss of anthocyanins in betalain-pigmented Caryophyllales, considering our hypothesis of multiple transitions to betalain pigmentation. Utilizing transcriptomic and genomic datasets across 357 species and 31 families, we scrutinize 18 flavonoid pathway genes and six regulatory genes spanning four transitions to betalain pigmentation. We examined evidence for hypotheses of wholesale gene loss, modified gene function, altered gene expression, and degeneration of the MBW (MYB-bHLH-WD40) trasnscription factor complex, within betalain-pigmented lineages. Our analyses reveal that most flavonoid synthesis genes remain conserved in betalain-pigmented lineages, with the notable exception of TT19 orthologs, essential for the final step in anthocyanidin synthesis, which appear to have been repeatedly and entirely lost. Additional late-stage flavonoid pathway genes upstream of TT19 also manifest strikingly reduced expression in betalain-pigmented species. Additionally, we find repeated loss and alteration in the MBW transcription complex essential for canonical anthocyanin synthesis. Consequently, the loss and exclusion of anthocyanins in betalain-pigmented species appear to be orchestrated through several mechanisms: loss of a key enzyme, downregulation of synthesis genes, and degeneration of regulatory complexes. These changes have occurred iteratively in Caryophyllales, often coinciding with evolutionary transitions to betalain pigmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boas Pucker
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
- Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Institute of Plant Biology & BRICSTU Braunschweig38106BraunschweigGermany
| | | | - Jasmina Dzurlic
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
| | - Won C. Yim
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNV89557USA
| | - John C. Cushman
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNV89557USA
| | - Alexandra Crum
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of Minnesota‐Twin CitiesSt PaulMN55108USA
| | - Ya Yang
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of Minnesota‐Twin CitiesSt PaulMN55108USA
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4
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Feng Y, Yan X, Guo F, Wang S, Liu Z, Long W. Identification, expression analysis of quinoa betalain biosynthesis genes and their role in seed germination and cold stress. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2023; 18:2250891. [PMID: 37616475 PMCID: PMC10453985 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2023.2250891] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Betalains provide Chenopodium quinoa bright color, and the key enzyme genes for betalain biosynthesis include CYP76AD, DODA, and GTs. In this study, 59 CqCYP76AD, CqDODA and CqGTs genes in quinoa were identified and characterized by gene structural characteristics, phylogenetic relationships and gene expression patterns. The CqCYP76AD genes were divided into ɑ, β and γ types, CqDODA into ɑ and β types, and CqGTs into CqcDOPA5GT, CqB5GT and CqB6GT types according to phylogenetic relationships. The analysis of co-linearity identified eight pairs of duplicated genes which were subjected to purifying selection during evolution. CqCYP76AD and CqDODA, as well as CqcDOPA5GT and CqB5GT may have been evolutionarily linked in genetic inheritance, based on gene location and gene structure study. The tissue expression specificity of CqCYP76AD, CqDODA, and CqGTs genes in response to seed germination and cold stress was studied by RNA-Seq data. The genes CqCYP76AD, CqDODA, and CqGTs were involved in betalain biosynthesis and cold stress. CqCYP76AD, CqDODA, CqcDOPA5GT and CqB5GT gene sequences were consistent in the eight quinoa samples and showed significant variations in expression. In contrast, the inconsistency between changes in gene expression and betalain accumulation indicates that other factors may influence betalain biosynthesis in quinoa. This study offers the theoretical basis for the roles of the CqCYP76AD, CqDODA, and CqGTs genes in betalain biosynthesis and cold stress in quinoa, as well as a guide for the full utilization of betalains in quinoa plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Feng
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Xingzhu Yan
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Fenggen Guo
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Shiyi Wang
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Zhengjie Liu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Wenhong Long
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
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5
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El-Azaz J, Moore B, Takeda-Kimura Y, Yokoyama R, Wijesingha Ahchige M, Chen X, Schneider M, Maeda HA. Coordinated regulation of the entry and exit steps of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis supports the dual lignin pathway in grasses. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7242. [PMID: 37945591 PMCID: PMC10636026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42587-7] [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: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular plants direct large amounts of carbon to produce the aromatic amino acid phenylalanine to support the production of lignin and other phenylpropanoids. Uniquely, grasses, which include many major crops, can synthesize lignin and phenylpropanoids from both phenylalanine and tyrosine. However, how grasses regulate aromatic amino acid biosynthesis to feed this dual lignin pathway is unknown. Here we show, by stable-isotope labeling, that grasses produce tyrosine >10-times faster than Arabidopsis without compromising phenylalanine biosynthesis. Detailed in vitro enzyme characterization and combinatorial in planta expression uncovered that coordinated expression of specific enzyme isoforms at the entry and exit steps of the aromatic amino acid pathway enables grasses to maintain high production of both tyrosine and phenylalanine, the precursors of the dual lignin pathway. These findings highlight the complex regulation of plant aromatic amino acid biosynthesis and provide novel genetic tools to engineer the interface of primary and specialized metabolism in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge El-Azaz
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Bethany Moore
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Yuri Takeda-Kimura
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University, Yamagata-shi, Japan
| | - Ryo Yokoyama
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Micha Wijesingha Ahchige
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Xuan Chen
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- International Institute of Tea Industry Innovation for "one Belt, one Road", Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Matthew Schneider
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Cell Culture Company, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Hiroshi A Maeda
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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Guerrero-Rubio MA, Walker-Hale N, Guo R, Sheehan H, Timoneda A, Gandia-Herrero F, Brockington SF. Are seven amino acid substitutions sufficient to explain the evolution of high l-DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase activity leading to betalain pigmentation? Revisiting the gain-of-function mutants of Bean et al. (2018). THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 239:2265-2276. [PMID: 37243529 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18981] [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: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
This work revisits a publication by Bean et al. (2018) that reports seven amino acid substitutions are essential for the evolution of l-DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase (DODA) activity in Caryophyllales. In this study, we explore several concerns which led us to replicate the analyses of Bean et al. (2018). Our comparative analyses, with structural modelling, implicate numerous residues additional to those identified by Bean et al. (2018), with many of these additional residues occurring around the active site of BvDODAα1. We therefore replicated the analyses of Bean et al. (2018) to re-observe the effect of their original seven residue substitutions in a BvDODAα2 background, that is the BvDODAα2-mut3 variant. Multiple in vivo assays, in both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Nicotiana benthamiana, did not result in visible DODA activity in BvDODAα2-mut3, with betalain production always 10-fold below BvDODAα1. In vitro assays also revealed substantial differences in both catalytic activity and pH optima between BvDODAα1, BvDODAα2 and BvDODAα2-mut3 proteins, explaining their differing performance in vivo. In summary, we were unable to replicate the in vivo analyses of Bean et al. (2018), and our quantitative in vivo and in vitro analyses suggest a minimal effect of these seven residues in altering catalytic activity of BvDODAα2. We conclude that the evolutionary pathway to high DODA activity is substantially more complex than implied by Bean et al. (2018).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nathanael Walker-Hale
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, CB2 3EA, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rui Guo
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, CB2 3EA, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hester Sheehan
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, CB2 3EA, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alfonso Timoneda
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, CB2 3EA, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fernando Gandia-Herrero
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular A, Unidad Docente de Biología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Regional Campus of International Excellence 'Campus Mare Nostrum', Universidad de Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Samuel F Brockington
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, CB2 3EA, Cambridge, UK
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7
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Milech C, Auler PA, do Amaral MN, Lucho SR, da Silva Dos Santos J, Furlan VJM, Bianchi VJ, Braga EJB. Biosynthesis of Betalains Elicited by Methyl Jasmonate in Two Species of Alternanthera Genus: Antagonistic Regulations Result in Increase of Pigments. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2023:10.1007/s12010-023-04535-5. [PMID: 37119502 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-023-04535-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Natural pigments are components very important in the dye industry. The betalains are pigments found in plants from Caryophyllales order and are relevant in the food manufacturing. The main source of betalains is beetroot, which has unfavorable aftertaste. Therefore, the demand for alternative species producing betalains has increased. Elicitor molecules such as methyl jasmonate (MeJA) induce metabolic reprogramming acting in the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites and can enhance pigment concentrations. Here, we used this strategy to identify if treatment with MeJA at 100 µM can promote the accumulation of betalains and other bioactive compounds in Alternanthera philoxeroides and Alternanthera sessilis. We performed the gene expression, concentration of betalains, phenols, flavonoids, amino acids (phenylalanine and tyrosine), and antioxidant activity. The results showed that MeJA treatment increased betalains and other bioactive compounds in the two Alternanthera species but A. sessilis had a better performance. One key factor in this pathway is related to the phenylalanine and tyrosine concentration. However, the species have distinct metabolic regulation: in A. philoxeroides, high concentrations of betalain pigments increase the tyrosine concentration and gene expression (include ADH) under MeJA and in A. sessilis, high concentrations of betalain pigments reduce the gene expression and tyrosine concentration after 2 days under MeJA. This study brings new questions about betalain biosynthesis and sheds light on the evolution of this pathway in Caryophyllales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristini Milech
- Department of Botany, Biology Institute-Plant Physiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
| | - Priscila Ariane Auler
- Department of Botany, Biology Institute-Plant Physiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Nogueira do Amaral
- Department of Botany, Biology Institute-Plant Physiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Simone Ribeiro Lucho
- Department of Botany, Biology Institute-Plant Physiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | | | | | - Valmor João Bianchi
- Department of Botany, Biology Institute-Plant Physiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
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8
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Deng YJ, Duan AQ, Liu H, Wang YH, Zhang RR, Xu ZS, Xiong AS. Generating colorful carrot germplasm through metabolic engineering of betalains pigments. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2023; 10:uhad024. [PMID: 37786858 PMCID: PMC10541523 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Betalains are tyrosine-derived plant pigments exclusively found in the Caryophyllales order and some higher fungi and generally classified into two groups: red-violet betacyanins and yellow-orange betaxanthins. Betalains attract great scientific and economic interest because of their relatively simple biosynthesis pathway, attractive colors and health-promoting properties. Co-expressing two core genes BvCYP76AD1 and BvDODA1 with or without a glycosyltransferase gene MjcDOPA5GT allowed the engineering of carrot (an important taproot vegetable) to produce a palette of unique colors. The highest total betalains content, 943.2 μg·g-1 DW, was obtained in carrot taproot transformed with p35S:RUBY which produces all of the necessary enzymes for betalains synthesis. Root-specific production of betalains slightly relieved tyrosine consumption revealing the possible bottleneck in betalains production. Furthermore, a unique volcano-like phenotype in carrot taproot cross-section was created by vascular cambium-specific production of betalains. The betalains-fortified carrot in this study is thus anticipated to be used as functional vegetable and colorful carrot germplasm in breeding to promote health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Jie Deng
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Ao-Qi Duan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Hui Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Ya-Hui Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Rong-Rong Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Zhi-Sheng Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Ai-Sheng Xiong
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, China
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9
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Ozber N, Yu L, Hagel JM, Facchini PJ. Strong Feedback Inhibition of Key Enzymes in the Morphine Biosynthetic Pathway from Opium Poppy Detectable in Engineered Yeast. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:419-430. [PMID: 36735832 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Systematic screening of morphine pathway intermediates in engineered yeast revealed key biosynthetic enzymes displaying potent feedback inhibition: 3'-hydroxy-N-methylcoclaurine 4'-methyltransferase (4'OMT), which yields (S)-reticuline, and the coupled salutaridinol-7-O-acetyltransferase (SalAT) and thebaine synthase (THS2) enzyme system that produces thebaine. The addition of deuterated reticuline-d1 to a yeast strain able to convert (S)-norcoclaurine to (S)-reticuline showed reduced product accumulation in response to the feeding of all four successive pathway intermediates. Similarly, the addition of deuterated thebaine-d3 to a yeast strain able to convert salutaridine to thebaine showed reduced product accumulation from exogenous salutaridine or salutaridinol. In vitro analysis showed that reticuline is a noncompetitive inhibitor of 4'OMT, whereas thebaine exerts mixed inhibition on SalAT/THS2. In a yeast strain capable of de novo morphine biosynthesis, the addition of reticuline and thebaine resulted in the accumulation of several pathway intermediates. In contrast, morphine had no effect, suggesting that circumventing the interaction of reticuline and thebaine with 4'OMT and SalAT/THS2, respectively, could substantially increase opiate alkaloid titers in engineered yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natali Ozber
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Lisa Yu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Jillian M Hagel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Peter J Facchini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
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10
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Kruse LH, Fehr B, Chobirko JD, Moghe GD. Phylogenomic analyses across land plants reveals motifs and coexpression patterns useful for functional prediction in the BAHD acyltransferase family. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1067613. [PMID: 36844084 PMCID: PMC9950517 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1067613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The BAHD acyltransferase family is one of the largest enzyme families in flowering plants, containing dozens to hundreds of genes in individual genomes. Highly prevalent in angiosperm genomes, members of this family contribute to several pathways in primary and specialized metabolism. In this study, we performed a phylogenomic analysis of the family using 52 genomes across the plant kingdom to gain deeper insights into its functional evolution and enable function prediction. We found that BAHD expansion in land plants was associated with significant changes in various gene features. Using pre-defined BAHD clades, we identified clade expansions in different plant groups. In some groups, these expansions coincided with the prominence of metabolite classes such as anthocyanins (flowering plants) and hydroxycinnamic acid amides (monocots). Clade-wise motif-enrichment analysis revealed that some clades have novel motifs fixed on either the acceptor or the donor side, potentially reflecting historical routes of functional evolution. Co-expression analysis in rice and Arabidopsis further identified BAHDs with similar expression patterns, however, most co-expressed BAHDs belonged to different clades. Comparing BAHD paralogs, we found that gene expression diverges rapidly after duplication, suggesting that sub/neo-functionalization of duplicate genes occurs quickly via expression diversification. Analyzing co-expression patterns in Arabidopsis in conjunction with orthology-based substrate class predictions and metabolic pathway models led to the recovery of metabolic processes of most of the already-characterized BAHDs as well as definition of novel functional predictions for some uncharacterized BAHDs. Overall, this study provides new insights into the evolution of BAHD acyltransferases and sets up a foundation for their functional characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars H. Kruse
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Benjamin Fehr
- Computational Biology Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Jason D. Chobirko
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Gaurav D. Moghe
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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11
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Xie F, Chen C, Chen J, Chen J, Hua Q, Shah K, Zhang Z, Zhao J, Hu G, Chen J, Qin Y. Betalain biosynthesis in red pulp pitaya is regulated via HuMYB132: a R-R type MYB transcription factor. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 23:28. [PMID: 36635619 PMCID: PMC9837905 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04049-6] [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: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple MYB transcription factors (TFs) are involved in the regulation of plant coloring. Betalain is a kind of natural plant pigment and its biosynthesis is regulated by a number of enzymes. Despite this, little is known about the molecular properties and roles of MYB TFs in pitaya betalain biosynthesis. RESULTS In the present study, we identified a 1R-MYB gene, HuMYB132, which is preferentially expressed in red-pulp pitaya at the mature stage. It was clustered with Arabidopsis R-R-type genes and had two DNA-binding domains and a histidine-rich region. The expression assays in N. benthamiana and yeast indicated that HuMYB132 is a nucleus-localized protein with transcriptional activation activity. Dual luciferase reporter assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) demonstrated that HuMYB132 could promote the transcriptional activities of HuADH1, HuCYP76AD1-1, and HuDODA1 by binding to their promoters. Silencing HuMYB132 reduced betalain accumulation and the expression levels of betalain biosynthetic genes in pitaya pulps. CONCLUSIONS According to our findings, HuMYB132, a R-R type member of 1R-MYB TF subfamily, positively regulates pitaya betalain biosynthesis by regulating the expression of HuADH1, HuCYP76AD1-1, and HuDODA1. The present study provides a new theoretical reference for the management of pitaya betalain biosynthesis and also provides an essential basis for future regulation of betalain biosynthesis in Hylocereus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Xie
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
- College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Canbin Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jiayi Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jiaxuan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Qingzhu Hua
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Kamran Shah
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Zhike Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jietang Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Guibing Hu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jianye Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Yonghua Qin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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12
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Davies KM, Landi M, van Klink JW, Schwinn KE, Brummell DA, Albert NW, Chagné D, Jibran R, Kulshrestha S, Zhou Y, Bowman JL. Evolution and function of red pigmentation in land plants. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:613-636. [PMID: 36070407 PMCID: PMC9670752 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Land plants commonly produce red pigmentation as a response to environmental stressors, both abiotic and biotic. The type of pigment produced varies among different land plant lineages. In the majority of species they are flavonoids, a large branch of the phenylpropanoid pathway. Flavonoids that can confer red colours include 3-hydroxyanthocyanins, 3-deoxyanthocyanins, sphagnorubins and auronidins, which are the predominant red pigments in flowering plants, ferns, mosses and liverworts, respectively. However, some flowering plants have lost the capacity for anthocyanin biosynthesis and produce nitrogen-containing betalain pigments instead. Some terrestrial algal species also produce red pigmentation as an abiotic stress response, and these include both carotenoid and phenolic pigments. SCOPE In this review, we examine: which environmental triggers induce red pigmentation in non-reproductive tissues; theories on the functions of stress-induced pigmentation; the evolution of the biosynthetic pathways; and structure-function aspects of different pigment types. We also compare data on stress-induced pigmentation in land plants with those for terrestrial algae, and discuss possible explanations for the lack of red pigmentation in the hornwort lineage of land plants. CONCLUSIONS The evidence suggests that pigment biosynthetic pathways have evolved numerous times in land plants to provide compounds that have red colour to screen damaging photosynthetically active radiation but that also have secondary functions that provide specific benefits to the particular land plant lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco Landi
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - John W van Klink
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Department of Chemistry, Otago University, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kathy E Schwinn
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - David A Brummell
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Nick W Albert
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - David Chagné
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Rubina Jibran
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Samarth Kulshrestha
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Yanfei Zhou
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - John L Bowman
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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13
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Scott S, Cahoon EB, Busta L. Variation on a theme: the structures and biosynthesis of specialized fatty acid natural products in plants. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 111:954-965. [PMID: 35749584 PMCID: PMC9546235 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plants are able to construct lineage-specific natural products from a wide array of their core metabolic pathways. Considerable progress has been made toward documenting and understanding, for example, phenylpropanoid natural products derived from phosphoenolpyruvate via the shikimate pathway, terpenoid compounds built using isopentyl pyrophosphate, and alkaloids generated by the extensive modification of amino acids. By comparison, natural products derived from fatty acids have received little attention, except for unusual fatty acids in seed oils and jasmonate-like oxylipins. However, scattered but numerous reports show that plants are able to generate many structurally diverse compounds from fatty acids, including some with highly elaborate and unique structural features that have novel bioproduct functionalities. Furthermore, although recent work has shed light on multiple new fatty acid natural product biosynthesis pathways and products in diverse plant species, these discoveries have not been reviewed. The aims of this work, therefore, are to (i) review and systematize our current knowledge of the structures and biosynthesis of fatty acid-derived natural products that are not seed oils or jasmonate-type oxylipins, specifically, polyacetylenic, very-long-chain, and aromatic fatty acid-derived natural products, and (ii) suggest priorities for future investigative steps that will bring our knowledge of fatty acid-derived natural products closer to the levels of knowledge that we have attained for other phytochemical classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Scott
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Minnesota DuluthDuluth55812MNUSA
| | - Edgar B. Cahoon
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Nebraska LincolnLincoln68588NEUSA
- Center for Plant Science InnovationUniversity of Nebraska LincolnLincoln68588NEUSA
| | - Lucas Busta
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Minnesota DuluthDuluth55812MNUSA
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14
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Schenck CA, Busta L. Using interdisciplinary, phylogeny-guided approaches to understand the evolution of plant metabolism. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 109:355-367. [PMID: 34816350 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-021-01220-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
To cope with relentless environmental pressures, plants produce an arsenal of structurally diverse chemicals, often called specialized metabolites. These lineage-specific compounds are derived from the simple building blocks made by ubiquitous core metabolic pathways. Although the structures of many specialized metabolites are known, the underlying metabolic pathways and the evolutionary events that have shaped the plant chemical diversity landscape are only beginning to be understood. However, with the advent of multi-omics data sets and the relative ease of studying pathways in previously intractable non-model species, plant specialized metabolic pathways are now being systematically identified. These large datasets also provide a foundation for comparative, phylogeny-guided studies of plant metabolism. Comparisons of metabolic traits and features like chemical abundances, enzyme activities, or gene sequences from phylogenetically diverse plants provide insights into how metabolic pathways evolved. This review highlights the power of studying evolution through the lens of comparative biochemistry, particularly how placing metabolism into a phylogenetic context can help a researcher identify the metabolic innovations enabling the evolution of structurally diverse plant metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig A Schenck
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
| | - Lucas Busta
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN, USA
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15
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Colinas M, Fitzpatrick TB. Coenzymes and the primary and specialized metabolism interface. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 66:102170. [PMID: 35063913 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2021.102170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In plants, primary and specialized metabolism have classically been distinguished as either essential for growth or required for survival in a particular environment. Coenzymes (organic cofactors) are essential for growth but their importance to specialized metabolism is often not considered. In line with the recent proposal of viewing primary and specialized metabolism as an integrated whole rather than segregated lots with a defined interface, we highlight here the importance of collating information on the regulation of coenzyme supply with metabolic demands using examples of vitamin B derived coenzymes. We emphasize that coenzymes can have enormous influence on the outcome of metabolic as well as engineered pathways and should be taken into account in the era of synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite Colinas
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 80, D-07745 Jena, Germany.
| | - Teresa B Fitzpatrick
- Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
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16
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Watkins JL, Facchini PJ. Compartmentalization at the interface of primary and alkaloid metabolism. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 66:102186. [PMID: 35219143 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102186] [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: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plants produce many compounds used by humans as medicines, including alkaloids of the benzylisoquinoline (BIA), monoterpene indole (MIA) and tropane classes. The biosynthetic pathways of these pharmaceutical alkaloids are complex and spatially segregated across several tissues, cell-types and organelles. This review discusses the origin of primary metabolic inputs required by these specialized biosynthetic pathways and considers aspects relevant to their spatial organization. These factors are important for alkaloid production both in the native plants and for synthetic biology pathway reconstruction in microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta L Watkins
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Peter J Facchini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
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17
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The ease and complexity of identifying and using specialized metabolites for crop engineering. Emerg Top Life Sci 2022; 6:153-162. [PMID: 35302160 PMCID: PMC9023015 DOI: 10.1042/etls20210248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Plants produce a broad variety of specialized metabolites with distinct biological activities and potential applications. Despite this potential, most biosynthetic pathways governing specialized metabolite production remain largely unresolved across the plant kingdom. The rapid advancement of genetics and biochemical tools has enhanced our ability to identify plant specialized metabolic pathways. Further advancements in transgenic technology and synthetic biology approaches have extended this to a desire to design new pathways or move existing pathways into new systems to address long-running difficulties in crop systems. This includes improving abiotic and biotic stress resistance, boosting nutritional content, etc. In this review, we assess the potential and limitations for (1) identifying specialized metabolic pathways in plants with multi-omics tools and (2) using these enzymes in synthetic biology or crop engineering. The goal of these topics is to highlight areas of research that may need further investment to enhance the successful application of synthetic biology for exploiting the myriad of specialized metabolic pathways.
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18
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Lopez-Nieves S, El-Azaz J, Men Y, Holland CK, Feng T, Brockington SF, Jez JM, Maeda HA. Two independently evolved natural mutations additively deregulate TyrA enzymes and boost tyrosine production in planta. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 109:844-855. [PMID: 34807484 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
l-Tyrosine is an essential amino acid for protein synthesis and is also used in plants to synthesize diverse natural products. Plants primarily synthesize tyrosine via TyrA arogenate dehydrogenase (TyrAa or ADH), which are typically strongly feedback inhibited by tyrosine. However, two plant lineages, Fabaceae (legumes) and Caryophyllales, have TyrA enzymes that exhibit relaxed sensitivity to tyrosine inhibition and are associated with elevated production of tyrosine-derived compounds, such as betalain pigments uniquely produced in core Caryophyllales. Although we previously showed that a single D222N substitution is primarily responsible for the deregulation of legume TyrAs, it is unknown when and how the deregulated Caryophyllales TyrA emerged. Here, through phylogeny-guided TyrA structure-function analysis, we found that functionally deregulated TyrAs evolved early in the core Caryophyllales before the origin of betalains, where the E208D amino acid substitution in the active site, which is at a different and opposite location from D222N found in legume TyrAs, played a key role in the TyrA functionalization. Unlike legumes, however, additional substitutions on non-active site residues further contributed to the deregulation of TyrAs in Caryophyllales. The introduction of a mutation analogous to E208D partially deregulated tyrosine-sensitive TyrAs, such as Arabidopsis TyrA2 (AtTyrA2). Moreover, the combined introduction of D222N and E208D additively deregulated AtTyrA2, for which the expression in Nicotiana benthamiana led to highly elevated accumulation of tyrosine in planta. The present study demonstrates that phylogeny-guided characterization of key residues underlying primary metabolic innovations can provide powerful tools to boost the production of essential plant natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Lopez-Nieves
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Jorge El-Azaz
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Yusen Men
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Cynthia K Holland
- Department of Biology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, 01267, USA
| | - Tao Feng
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | | | - Joseph M Jez
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Hiroshi A Maeda
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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19
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El-Azaz J, Cánovas FM, Barcelona B, Ávila C, de la Torre F. Deregulation of phenylalanine biosynthesis evolved with the emergence of vascular plants. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 188:134-150. [PMID: 34633048 PMCID: PMC8774845 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Phenylalanine (Phe) is the precursor of essential secondary products in plants. Here we show that a key, rate-limiting step in Phe biosynthesis, which is catalyzed by arogenate dehydratase, experienced feedback de-regulation during evolution. Enzymes from microorganisms and type-I ADTs from plants are strongly feedback-inhibited by Phe, while type-II isoforms remain active at high levels of Phe. We have found that type-II ADTs are widespread across seed plants and their overproduction resulted in a dramatic accumulation of Phe in planta, reaching levels up to 40 times higher than those observed following the expression of type-I enzymes. Punctual changes in the allosteric binding site of Phe and adjacent region are responsible for the observed relaxed regulation. The phylogeny of plant ADTs evidences that the emergence of type-II isoforms with relaxed regulation occurred at some point in the transition between nonvascular plants and tracheophytes, enabling the massive production of Phe-derived compounds, primarily lignin, a hallmark of vascular plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge El-Azaz
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Universidad de Málaga. Edificio I+D, Málaga 29071, Spain
| | - Francisco M Cánovas
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Universidad de Málaga. Edificio I+D, Málaga 29071, Spain
| | - Belén Barcelona
- Departamento de Genómica y Proteómica, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Unidad de Enzimopatología Estructural, Valencia 46010, Spain
| | - Concepción Ávila
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Universidad de Málaga. Edificio I+D, Málaga 29071, Spain
| | - Fernando de la Torre
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Universidad de Málaga. Edificio I+D, Málaga 29071, Spain
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20
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Sakuta M, Tanaka A, Iwase K, Miyasaka M, Ichiki S, Hatai M, Inoue YT, Yamagami A, Nakano T, Yoshida K, Shimada S. Anthocyanin synthesis potential in betalain-producing Caryophyllales plants. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2021; 134:1335-1349. [PMID: 34477986 PMCID: PMC8930957 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-021-01341-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Although anthocyanins are widely distributed in higher plants, betalains have replaced anthocyanins in most species of the order Caryophyllales. The accumulation of flavonols in Caryophyllales plants implies that the late step of anthocyanin biosynthesis from dihydroflavonols to anthocyanins may be blocked in Caryophyllales. The isolation and characterization of functional dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) and anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) from Caryophyllales plants has indicated a lack of anthocyanins due to suppression of DFR and ANS. In this study, we demonstrated that overexpression of DFR and ANS from Spinacia oleracea (SoDFR and SoANS, respectively) with PhAN9, which encodes glutathione S-transferase (required for anthocyanin sequestration) from Petunia induces ectopic anthocyanin accumulation in yellow tepals of the cactus Astrophytum myriostigma. A promoter assay of SoANS showed that the Arabidopsis MYB transcription factor PRODUCTION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENT1 (PAP1) activated the SoANS promoter in Arabidopsis leaves. The overexpression of Arabidopsis transcription factors with PhAN9 also induced ectopic anthocyanin accumulation in yellow cactus tepals. PAP homologs from betalain-producing Caryophyllales did not activate the promoter of ANS. In-depth characterization of Caryophyllales PAPs and site-directed mutagenesis in the R2R3-MYB domains identified the amino acid residues affecting transactivation of Caryophyllales PAPs. The substitution of amino acid residues recovered the transactivation ability of Caryophyllales PAPs. Therefore, loss of function in MYB transcription factors may suppress expression of genes involved in the late stage of anthocyanin synthesis, resulting in a lack of anthocyanin in betalain-producing Caryophyllales plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaaki Sakuta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 112-8610, Tokyo, Japan.
- Organization for the Strategic Coordination of Research and Intellectual Properties, Meiji University, 214-8571, Kanagawa, Japan.
| | - Asuka Tanaka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 112-8610, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kaori Iwase
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 112-8610, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mizuki Miyasaka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 112-8610, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sachiko Ichiki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 112-8610, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Miho Hatai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 112-8610, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoriko T Inoue
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 112-8610, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ayumi Yamagami
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, 606-8502, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takeshi Nakano
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, 606-8502, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kazuko Yoshida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 112-8610, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Setsuko Shimada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 112-8610, Tokyo, Japan
- Synthetic Genomics Research group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 230-0045, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
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21
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Akan S, Tuna Gunes N, Erkan M. Red beetroot: Health benefits, production techniques, and quality maintaining for food industry. J FOOD PROCESS PRES 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jfpp.15781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Selen Akan
- Faculty of Agriculture Department of Horticulture Ankara University Ankara Turkey
| | - Nurdan Tuna Gunes
- Faculty of Agriculture Department of Horticulture Ankara University Ankara Turkey
| | - Mustafa Erkan
- Faculty of Agriculture Department of Horticulture Akdeniz University Antalya Turkey
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22
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Tomizawa E, Ohtomo S, Asai K, Ohta Y, Takiue Y, Hasumi A, Nishihara M, Nakatsuka T. Additional betalain accumulation by genetic engineering leads to a novel flower color in lisianthus ( Eustoma grandiflorum). PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY (TOKYO, JAPAN) 2021; 38:323-330. [PMID: 34782819 PMCID: PMC8562576 DOI: 10.5511/plantbiotechnology.21.0516a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Betalains, comprising violet betacyanins and yellow betaxanthins, are pigments found in plants belonging to the order Caryophyllales. In this study, we induced the accumulation of betalains in ornamental lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) by genetic engineering. Three betalain biosynthetic genes encoding CYP76AD1, dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) 4,5-dioxygenase (DOD), and cyclo-DOPA 5-O-glucosyltransferase (5GT) were expressed under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter in lisianthus, in which anthocyanin pigments are responsible for the pink flower color. During the selection process on hygromycin-containing media, some shoots with red leaves were obtained. However, most red-colored shoots were suppressed root induction and incapable of further growth. Only clone #1 successfully acclimatized and bloomed, producing pinkish-red flowers, with a slightly greater intensity of red color than that in wild-type flowers. T1 plants derived from clone #1 segregated into five typical flower color phenotypes: wine red, bright pink, pale pink, pale yellow, and salmon pink. Among these, line #1-1 showed high expression levels of all three transgenes and exhibited a novel wine-red flower color. In the flower petals of line #1-1, abundant betacyanins and low-level betaxanthins were coexistent with anthocyanins. In other lines, differences in the relative accumulation of betalain and anthocyanin pigments resulted in flower color variations, as described above. Thus, this study is the first to successfully produce novel flower color varieties in ornamental plants by controlling betalain accumulation through genetic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eri Tomizawa
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Shogo Ohtomo
- Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Kanako Asai
- Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Yuka Ohta
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Yukako Takiue
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Akihiro Hasumi
- Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | | | - Takashi Nakatsuka
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
- Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
- College of Agriculture, Academic Institute, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
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23
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Kasei A, Watanabe H, Ishiduka N, Noda K, Murata M, Sakuta M. Comparative Analysis of the Extradiol Ring-Cleavage Dioxygenase LigB from Arabidopsis and 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine Dioxygenase from Betalain-Producing Plants. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 62:732-740. [PMID: 33638982 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcab031] [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: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Diverse arrays of naturally occurring compounds in plants are synthesized by specialized metabolic enzymes, many of which are distributed taxonomically. Although anthocyanin pigments are widely distributed and ubiquitous, betalains have replaced anthocyanins in most families in Caryophyllales. Anthocyanins and betalains never occur together in the same plant. The formation of betalamic acid, catalyzed by 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) 4,5-extradiol dioxygenase (DOD), is a key step in betalain biosynthesis. DODs in betalain-producing plants are coded by LigB genes, homologs of which have been identified in a wide range of higher plant orders, as well as in certain fungi and bacteria. Two classes of LigB homologs have been reported: those found in anthocyanin-producing species and those found in betalain-producing species, which contain DOD. To gain insight into the evolution of specialized metabolic enzymes involved in betalain biosynthesis, we performed a comparative biochemical analysis of Arabidopsis LigB, an extradiol ring-cleavage dioxygenase in anthocyanin-producing Arabidopsis and Phytolacca DOD1 of betalain-producing Phytolacca americana. We show that Arabidopsis LigB catalyzes 2,3-extradiol cleavage of DOPA to synthesize muscaflavin, whereas Phytolacca DOD1 converts DOPA to betalamic acid via 4,5-extradiol cleavage. Arabidopsis LigB also converts caffeic acid, a ubiquitous phenolic compound in higher plants, to iso-arabidopic acid in vitro via 2,3-extradiol cleavage of the aromatic ring. Amino-acid substitution in Arabidopsis LigB and Phytolacca DOD1 led to variable extradiol ring-cleavage function, supporting the suggestion that catalytic promiscuity serves as a starting point for the divergence of new enzymatic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akane Kasei
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8610 Japan
| | - Hanako Watanabe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8610 Japan
| | - Natsumi Ishiduka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8610 Japan
| | - Kyoko Noda
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8610 Japan
| | - Masatsune Murata
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8610 Japan
| | - Masaaki Sakuta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8610 Japan
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24
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Morales J, Araujo-Sanchez J, Castro-Concha L, Ku A, Pereira-Santana A, Miranda-Ham MDL, Castaño E. Defining Color Change in Pitaya: A Close Look at Betacyanin Synthesis Genes in Stenocereus queretaroensis. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.698195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Betalains are tyrosine-derived plant pigments present in several species of the Caryophyllales order. Betalains are classified in red betacyanins and yellow betaxanthins and are implicated in plant stress tolerance and visual attraction for pollinators. The compounds are used as natural colorants in many industries. Today, there is little information on betalain biosynthesis with several key enzymes that remain unknown on plants of the Caryophyllales order. Omic tools have proven to be very useful in gaining insights into various molecular mechanisms. In this study, we used suspension cells from fruits of the cactus Stenocereus queretaroensis. Two growing conditions were used to perform RNA-seq and differential expression analysis to help identify betalain biosynthesis-related genes. We found 98 differential expressed genes related to aromatic amino acids and betalain biosynthesis pathways. Interestingly, we found that only one gene of the betalain synthesis pathway was differentially expressed. The rest of the genes belong to the aromatic amino acid pathway, including hydroxy phenylpyruvate-related genes, suggesting the possibility of an alternative biosynthetic pathway similar to that observed in legumes.
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25
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Xie F, Hua Q, Chen C, Zhang Z, Zhang R, Zhao J, Hu G, Chen J, Qin Y. Genome-Wide Characterization of R2R3-MYB Transcription Factors in Pitaya Reveals a R2R3-MYB Repressor HuMYB1 Involved in Fruit Ripening through Regulation of Betalain Biosynthesis by Repressing Betalain Biosynthesis-Related Genes. Cells 2021; 10:cells10081949. [PMID: 34440718 PMCID: PMC8391165 DOI: 10.3390/cells10081949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The MYB (myeloblastosis) superfamily constitutes one of the most abundant transcription factors (TFs) regulating various biological processes in plants. However, the molecular characteristics and functions of MYB TFs in pitaya remain unclear. To date, no genome-wide characterization analysis of this gene family has been conducted in the Cactaceae species. In this study, 105 R2R3-MYB members were identified from the genome data of Hylocereus undatus and their conserved motifs, physiological and biochemical characteristics, chromosome locations, synteny relationship, gene structure and phylogeny were further analyzed. Expression analyses suggested that three up-regulated HuMYBs and twenty-two down-regulated HuMYBs were probably involved in fruit ripening of pitaya. Phylogenetic analyses of R2R3-MYB repressors showed that seven HuMYBs (HuMYB1, HuMYB21, HuMYB48, HuMYB49, HuMYB72, HuMYB78 and HuMYB101) were in clades containing R2R3-MYB repressors. HuMYB1 and HuMYB21 were significantly down-regulated with the betalain accumulation during fruit ripening of ‘Guanhuahong’ pitaya (H. monacanthus). However, only HuMYB1 had R2 and R3 repeats with C1, C2, C3 and C4 motifs. HuMYB1 was localized exclusively to the nucleus and exhibited transcriptional inhibition capacities. Dual luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that HuMYB1 inhibited the expression of betalain-related genes: HuADH1, HuCYP76AD1-1 and HuDODA1. These results suggested that HuMYB1 is a potential repressor of betalain biosynthesis during pitaya fruit ripening. Our results provide the first genome-wide analyses of the R2R3-MYB subfamily involved in pitaya betalain biosynthesis and will facilitate functional analysis of this gene family in the future.
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Dávila-Lara A, Reichelt M, Wang D, Vogel H, Mithöfer A. Proof of anthocyanins in the carnivorous plant genus Nepenthes. FEBS Open Bio 2021; 11:2576-2585. [PMID: 34289256 PMCID: PMC8409308 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Yellow to red colored betalains are a chemotaxonomic feature of Caryophyllales, while in most other plant taxa, anthocyanins are responsible for these colors. The carnivorous plant family Nepenthaceae belongs to Caryophyllales; here, red‐pigmented tissues seem to attract insect prey. Strikingly, the chemical nature of red color in Nepenthes has never been elucidated. Although belonging to Caryophyllales, in Nepenthes, some molecular evidence supports the presence of anthocyanins rather than betalains. However, there was previously no direct chemical proof of this. Using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization‐high‐resolution mass spectrometry, we identified cyanidin glycosides in Nepenthes species and tissues. Further, we reveal the existence of a complete set of constitutively expressed anthocyanin biosynthetic genes in Nepenthes. Thus, here we finally conclude the long‐term open question regarding red pigmentation in Nepenthaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Dávila-Lara
- Research Group Plant Defense Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Michael Reichelt
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Ding Wang
- Research Group Plant Defense Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Heiko Vogel
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Axel Mithöfer
- Research Group Plant Defense Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
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Chen JY, Xie FF, Cui YZ, Chen CB, Lu WJ, Hu XD, Hua QZ, Zhao J, Wu ZJ, Gao D, Zhang ZK, Jiang WK, Sun QM, Hu GB, Qin YH. A chromosome-scale genome sequence of pitaya (Hylocereus undatus) provides novel insights into the genome evolution and regulation of betalain biosynthesis. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2021; 8:164. [PMID: 34230458 PMCID: PMC8260669 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-021-00612-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Pitaya (Hylocereus) is the most economically important fleshy-fruited tree of the Cactaceae family that is grown worldwide, and it has attracted significant attention because of its betalain-abundant fruits. Nonetheless, the lack of a pitaya reference genome significantly hinders studies focused on its evolution, as well as the potential for genetic improvement of this crop. Herein, we employed various sequencing approaches, namely, PacBio-SMRT, Illumina HiSeq paired-end, 10× Genomics, and Hi-C (high-throughput chromosome conformation capture) to provide a chromosome-level genomic assembly of 'GHB' pitaya (H. undatus, 2n = 2x = 22 chromosomes). The size of the assembled pitaya genome was 1.41 Gb, with a scaffold N50 of ~127.15 Mb. In total, 27,753 protein-coding genes and 896.31 Mb of repetitive sequences in the H. undatus genome were annotated. Pitaya has undergone a WGT (whole-genome triplication), and a recent WGD (whole-genome duplication) occurred after the gamma event, which is common to the other species in Cactaceae. A total of 29,328 intact LTR-RTs (~696.45 Mb) were obtained in H. undatus, of which two significantly expanded lineages, Ty1/copia and Ty3/gypsy, were the main drivers of the expanded genome. A high-density genetic map of F1 hybrid populations of 'GHB' × 'Dahong' pitayas (H. monacanthus) and their parents were constructed, and a total of 20,872 bin markers were identified (56,380 SNPs) for 11 linkage groups. More importantly, through transcriptomic and WGCNA (weighted gene coexpression network analysis), a global view of the gene regulatory network, including structural genes and the transcription factors involved in pitaya fruit betalain biosynthesis, was presented. Our data present a valuable resource for facilitating molecular breeding programs of pitaya and shed novel light on its genomic evolution, as well as the modulation of betalain biosynthesis in edible fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Ye Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Modern Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Fang-Fang Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Modern Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Ze Cui
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Can-Bin Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Modern Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wang-Jin Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Modern Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiao-di Hu
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Qing-Zhu Hua
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Modern Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Jiang Wu
- Horticulture Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 530007, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Dan Gao
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Ke Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Modern Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wen-Kai Jiang
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Qing-Ming Sun
- Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (MOA)/Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, 510640, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Gui-Bing Hu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Modern Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yong-Hua Qin
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Modern Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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Abstract
Tremendous chemical diversity is the hallmark of plants and is supported by highly complex biochemical machinery. Plant metabolic enzymes originated and were transferred from eukaryotic and prokaryotic ancestors and further diversified by the unprecedented rates of gene duplication and functionalization experienced in land plants. Unlike microbes, which have frequent horizontal gene transfer events and multiple inputs of energy and organic carbon, land plants predominantly rely on organic carbon generated from CO2 and have experienced very few, if any, gene transfers during their recent evolutionary history. As such, plant metabolic networks have evolved in a stepwise manner and on existing networks under various evolutionary constraints. This review aims to take a broader view of plant metabolic evolution and lay a framework to further explore evolutionary mechanisms of the complex metabolic network. Understanding the underlying metabolic and genetic constraints is also an empirical prerequisite for rational engineering and redesigning of plant metabolic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi A Maeda
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA;
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany;
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29
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Yokoyama R, de Oliveira MVV, Kleven B, Maeda HA. The entry reaction of the plant shikimate pathway is subjected to highly complex metabolite-mediated regulation. THE PLANT CELL 2021; 33:671-696. [PMID: 33955484 PMCID: PMC8136874 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koaa042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The plant shikimate pathway directs bulk carbon flow toward biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids (AAAs, i.e. tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan) and numerous aromatic phytochemicals. The microbial shikimate pathway is feedback inhibited by AAAs at the first enzyme, 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase (DHS). However, AAAs generally do not inhibit DHS activities from plant extracts and how plants regulate the shikimate pathway remains elusive. Here, we characterized recombinant Arabidopsis thaliana DHSs (AthDHSs) and found that tyrosine and tryptophan inhibit AthDHS2, but not AthDHS1 or AthDHS3. Mixing AthDHS2 with AthDHS1 or 3 attenuated its inhibition. The AAA and phenylpropanoid pathway intermediates chorismate and caffeate, respectively, strongly inhibited all AthDHSs, while the arogenate intermediate counteracted the AthDHS1 or 3 inhibition by chorismate. AAAs inhibited DHS activity in young seedlings, where AthDHS2 is highly expressed, but not in mature leaves, where AthDHS1 is predominantly expressed. Arabidopsis dhs1 and dhs3 knockout mutants were hypersensitive to tyrosine and tryptophan, respectively, while dhs2 was resistant to tyrosine-mediated growth inhibition. dhs1 and dhs3 also had reduced anthocyanin accumulation under high light stress. These findings reveal the highly complex regulation of the entry reaction of the plant shikimate pathway and lay the foundation for efforts to control the production of AAAs and diverse aromatic natural products in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Yokoyama
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 430 Lincoln Dr. Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Marcos V V de Oliveira
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 430 Lincoln Dr. Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Bailey Kleven
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 430 Lincoln Dr. Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Hiroshi A Maeda
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 430 Lincoln Dr. Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Elucidation of the core betalain biosynthesis pathway in Amaranthus tricolor. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6086. [PMID: 33731735 PMCID: PMC7969944 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85486-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Amaranthus tricolor L., a vegetable Amaranthus species, is an economically important crop containing large amounts of betalains. Betalains are natural antioxidants and can be classified into betacyanins and betaxanthins, with red and yellow colors, respectively. A. tricolor cultivars with varying betalain contents, leading to striking red to green coloration, have been commercially produced. However, the molecular differences underlying betalain biosynthesis in various cultivars of A. tricolor remain largely unknown. In this study, A. tricolor cultivars with different colors were chosen for comparative transcriptome analysis. The elevated expression of AmCYP76AD1 in a red-leaf cultivar of A. tricolor was proposed to play a key role in producing red betalain pigments. The functions of AmCYP76AD1, AmDODAα1, AmDODAα2, and AmcDOPA5GT were also characterized through the heterologous engineering of betalain pigments in Nicotiana benthamiana. Moreover, high and low L-DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase activities of AmDODAα1 and AmDODAα2, respectively, were confirmed through in vitro enzymatic assays. Thus, comparative transcriptome analysis combined with functional and enzymatic studies allowed the construction of a core betalain biosynthesis pathway of A. tricolor. These results not only provide novel insights into betalain biosynthesis and evolution in A. tricolor but also provide a basal framework for examining genes related to betalain biosynthesis among different species of Amaranthaceae.
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31
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Dong NQ, Lin HX. Contribution of phenylpropanoid metabolism to plant development and plant-environment interactions. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 63:180-209. [PMID: 33325112 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 368] [Impact Index Per Article: 122.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Phenylpropanoid metabolism is one of the most important metabolisms in plants, yielding more than 8,000 metabolites contributing to plant development and plant-environment interplay. Phenylpropanoid metabolism materialized during the evolution of early freshwater algae that were initiating terrestrialization and land plants have evolved multiple branches of this pathway, which give rise to metabolites including lignin, flavonoids, lignans, phenylpropanoid esters, hydroxycinnamic acid amides, and sporopollenin. Recent studies have revealed that many factors participate in the regulation of phenylpropanoid metabolism, and modulate phenylpropanoid homeostasis when plants undergo successive developmental processes and are subjected to stressful environments. In this review, we summarize recent progress on elucidating the contribution of phenylpropanoid metabolism to the coordination of plant development and plant-environment interaction, and metabolic flux redirection among diverse metabolic routes. In addition, our review focuses on the regulation of phenylpropanoid metabolism at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, post-translational, and epigenetic levels, and in response to phytohormones and biotic and abiotic stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nai-Qian Dong
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences and Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Hong-Xuan Lin
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences and Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
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32
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Goldman IL, Janick J. Evolution of Root Morphology in Table Beet: Historical and Iconographic. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:689926. [PMID: 34447400 PMCID: PMC8384405 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.689926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The Beta vulgaris complex includes sugar beet, mangel wurzel, Swiss chard, fodder beet, and table beet. Mangel wurzel and fodder beet are considered to be the same general crop type, with the former possessing lower dry matter content (<13%) than the latter. Mangel is likely derived from crosses between table beet and chard, while fodder beet may have a more recent origin, arising from crosses between mangel and sugarbeet. The table beet was derived from the wild sea beet, B. vulgaris (L.) subsp. maritima (L.) Arcang, with small non-spherical roots. Table beet is presently a popular vegetable cultivated for its pigmented roots, typically red but also yellow and other colors. Wild forms were consumed in antiquity mainly for their leaves with roots used medicinally. Beet is referred to in the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the first five books of the Hebrew bible, made in Ptolomeic Egypt in the third century BCE. A beet identified as Beta maritima is included in De Material Medicus of Pedanius Dioscorides written in the first century CE, and the first illustrated version of 512, known as the Juliana Anicia Codex, includes an image with non-spherical root. Beet is mentioned in several tractates of the Talmud, a sixth century collection of history and civil law written in Babylonia. Beta maritima possesses supernumerary root cambia, which facilitated selection of swollen rooted forms. The first colored illustration of swollen rooted table beet, B. vulgaris, can be found in the 1515-1517 frescos of Raphael Sanzio and Giovanni Martina da Udine in the Villa Farnesina in Rome. Swollen roots in Roman beet are illustrated and described in the 1587 French herbal Historia Generalis Plantarum of Jacques Dalechamps. Conically shaped beet roots are found in the market painting of Franz Snijders in the 17th century. Various spherical forms of beet root are found in the work of American painter James Peale in 1826. A complete array of beet root types is found in the Benary catalog of 1876. Modern, spherical beet roots were depicted in 1936 by the Russian painter Zinaida Serebriankov, 1936. Artistic and historical representations of table beet suggest that swollen rooted forms have existed during the past five centuries, but conically shaped roots were gradually replaced by spherically shaped roots during this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irwin L. Goldman
- Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- *Correspondence: Irwin L. Goldman,
| | - Jules Janick
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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Grützner R, Schubert R, Horn C, Yang C, Vogt T, Marillonnet S. Engineering Betalain Biosynthesis in Tomato for High Level Betanin Production in Fruits. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:682443. [PMID: 34177999 PMCID: PMC8220147 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.682443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Betalains are pigments found in plants of the Caryophyllales order, and include the red-purple betacyanins and the yellow-orange betaxanthins. The red pigment from red beets, betanin, is made from tyrosine by a biosynthetic pathway that consists of a cytochrome P450, a L-DOPA dioxygenase, and a glucosyltransferase. The entire pathway was recently reconstituted in plants that do not make betalains naturally including potato and tomato plants. The amount of betanin produced in these plants was however not as high as in red beets. It was recently shown that a plastidic arogenate dehydrogenase gene involved in biosynthesis of tyrosine in plants is duplicated in Beta vulgaris and other betalain-producing plants, and that one of the two encoded enzymes, BvADHα, has relaxed feedback inhibition by tyrosine, contributing to the high amount of betanin found in red beets. We have reconstituted the complete betanin biosynthetic pathway in tomato plants with or without a BvADHα gene, and with all genes expressed under control of a fruit-specific promoter. The plants obtained with a construct containing BvADHα produced betanin at a higher level than plants obtained with a construct lacking this gene. These results show that use of BvADHα can be useful for high level production of betalains in heterologous hosts. Unlike red beets that produce both betacyanins and betaxanthins, the transformed tomatoes produced betacyanins only, conferring a bright purple-fuschia color to the tomato juice.
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Breitel D, Brett P, Alseekh S, Fernie AR, Butelli E, Martin C. Metabolic engineering of tomato fruit enriched in L-DOPA. Metab Eng 2020; 65:185-196. [PMID: 33242649 PMCID: PMC8054910 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2020.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
L-DOPA, also known as Levodopa or L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, is a non-standard amino acid, and the gold standard drug for the treatment for Parkinson's Disease (PD). Recently, a gene encoding the enzyme that is responsible for its synthesis, as a precursor of the coloured pigment group betalains, was identified in beetroot, BvCYP76AD6. We have engineered tomato fruit enriched in L-DOPA through overexpression of BvCYP76AD6 in a fruit specific manner. Analysis of the transgenic fruit revealed the feasibility of accumulating L-DOPA in a non-naturally betalain-producing plant. Fruit accumulating L-DOPA also showed major effects on the fruit metabolome. Some of these changes included elevation of amino acids levels, changes in the levels of intermediates of the TCA and glycolysis pathways and reductions in the levels of phenolic compounds and nitrogen-containing specialised metabolites. Furthermore, we were able to increase the L-DOPA levels further by elevating the expression of the metabolic master regulator, MYB12, specifically in tomato fruit, together with BvCYP76AD6. Our study elucidated new roles for L-DOPA in plants, because it impacted fruit quality parameters including antioxidant capacity and firmness. The L-DOPA levels achieved in tomato fruit were comparable to the levels in other non-seed organs of L-DOPA - accumulating plants, offering an opportunity to develop new biological sources of L-DOPA by widening the repertoire of L-DOPA-accumulating plants. These tomato fruit could be used as an alternative source of this important pharmaceutical. Tomato fruit were engineered to synthesise and accumulate L-DOPA. Co-expression of the transcription factor, MYB12, doubled the levels of L-DOPA in tomato fruit. The accumulation of L-DOPA resulted in additional changes in the profile of primary and secondary metabolites in tomatoes. The L-DOPA tomato fruit exhibited improved shelf life and reduced susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Breitel
- Department of Metabolic Biology and Biological Chemistry, The John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK; Tropic Biosciences, Innovation Centre, Norwich Research Park, NR4 7GJ, UK
| | - Paul Brett
- Department of Metabolic Biology and Biological Chemistry, The John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Saleh Alseekh
- Max-Planck-Institut Fur Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Muhlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institut Fur Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Muhlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Eugenio Butelli
- Department of Metabolic Biology and Biological Chemistry, The John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Cathie Martin
- Department of Metabolic Biology and Biological Chemistry, The John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK.
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35
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Lichman BR. The scaffold-forming steps of plant alkaloid biosynthesis. Nat Prod Rep 2020; 38:103-129. [PMID: 32745157 DOI: 10.1039/d0np00031k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Alkaloids from plants are characterised by structural diversity and bioactivity, and maintain a privileged position in both modern and traditional medicines. In recent years, there have been significant advances in elucidating the biosynthetic origins of plant alkaloids. In this review, I will describe the progress made in determining the metabolic origins of the so-called true alkaloids, specialised metabolites derived from amino acids containing a nitrogen heterocycle. By identifying key biosynthetic steps that feature in the majority of pathways, I highlight the key roles played by modifications to primary metabolism, iminium reactivity and spontaneous reactions in the molecular and evolutionary origins of these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R Lichman
- Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK.
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Sheehan H, Feng T, Walker‐Hale N, Lopez‐Nieves S, Pucker B, Guo R, Yim WC, Badgami R, Timoneda A, Zhao L, Tiley H, Copetti D, Sanderson MJ, Cushman JC, Moore MJ, Smith SA, Brockington SF. Evolution of l-DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase activity allows for recurrent specialisation to betalain pigmentation in Caryophyllales. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 227:914-929. [PMID: 31369159 PMCID: PMC7384185 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of l-DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase activity, encoded by the gene DODA, was a key step in the origin of betalain biosynthesis in Caryophyllales. We previously proposed that l-DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase activity evolved via a single Caryophyllales-specific neofunctionalisation event within the DODA gene lineage. However, this neofunctionalisation event has not been confirmed and the DODA gene lineage exhibits numerous gene duplication events, whose evolutionary significance is unclear. To address this, we functionally characterised 23 distinct DODA proteins for l-DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase activity, from four betalain-pigmented and five anthocyanin-pigmented species, representing key evolutionary transitions across Caryophyllales. By mapping these functional data to an updated DODA phylogeny, we then explored the evolution of l-DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase activity. We find that low l-DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase activity is distributed across the DODA gene lineage. In this context, repeated gene duplication events within the DODA gene lineage give rise to polyphyletic occurrences of elevated l-DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase activity, accompanied by convergent shifts in key functional residues and distinct genomic patterns of micro-synteny. In the context of an updated organismal phylogeny and newly inferred pigment reconstructions, we argue that repeated convergent acquisition of elevated l-DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase activity is consistent with recurrent specialisation to betalain synthesis in Caryophyllales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hester Sheehan
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
| | - Tao Feng
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty AgricultureWuhan Botanical GardenChinese Academy of SciencesWuhan430074China
| | - Nathanael Walker‐Hale
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
| | - Samuel Lopez‐Nieves
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
| | - Boas Pucker
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
- CeBiTec & Faculty of BiologyBielefeld UniversityUniversitaetsstrasseBielefeld33615Germany
| | - Rui Guo
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty AgricultureWuhan Botanical GardenChinese Academy of SciencesWuhan430074China
- College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Won C. Yim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNV89577USA
| | - Roshani Badgami
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
| | - Alfonso Timoneda
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
| | - Lijun Zhao
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMI48109USA
| | - Helene Tiley
- Department of BiologyOberlin CollegeScience Center K111OberlinOH44074USA
| | - Dario Copetti
- Arizona Genomics Institute, School of Plant Sciences, University of ArizonaTucsonAZ85721USA
- Molecular Plant BreedingInstitute of Agricultural SciencesETH Zurich, Universitaetstrasse 28092ZurichSwitzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 1908057ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Michael J. Sanderson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Arizona1041 E. Lowell St.TucsonAZ85721USA
| | - John C. Cushman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNV89577USA
| | - Michael J. Moore
- Department of BiologyOberlin CollegeScience Center K111OberlinOH44074USA
| | - Stephen A. Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMI48109USA
| | - Samuel F. Brockington
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeTennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
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Fan R, Sun Q, Zeng J, Zhang X. Contribution of anthocyanin pathways to fruit flesh coloration in pitayas. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2020; 20:361. [PMID: 32736527 PMCID: PMC7394676 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-020-02566-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Color formation in Hylocereus spp. (pitayas) has been ascribed to the accumulation of betalains. However, several studies have reported the presence of anthocyanins in pitaya fruit and their potential role in color formation has not yet been explored. In this study, we profiled metabolome and transcriptome in fruit of three cultivars with contrasting flesh colors (red, pink and white) to investigate their nutritional quality and the mechanism of color formation involving anthocyanins. RESULTS Results revealed that pitaya fruit is enriched in amino acid, lipid, carbohydrate, polyphenols, vitamin and other bioactive components with significant variation among the three cultivars. Anthocyanins were detected in the fruit flesh and accumulation levels of Cyanidin 3-glucoside, Cyanidin 3-rutinoside, Delphinidin 3-O-(6-O-malonyl)-beta-glucoside-3-O-beta-glucoside and Delphinidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside 5-O-(6-coumaroyl-beta-D-glucoside) positively correlated with the reddish coloration. Transcriptome data showed that the white cultivar tends to repress the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway and divert substrates to other competing pathways. This perfectly contrasted with observations in the red cultivar. The pink cultivar however seems to keep a balance between the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway and the competing pathways. We identified several active transcription factors of the MYB and bHLH families which can be further investigated as potential regulators of the anthocyanin biosynthetic genes. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our results suggest that anthocyanins partly contribute to color formation in pitaya fruit. Future studies aiming at manipulating the biosynthetic pathways of anthocyanins and betalains will better clarify the exact contribution of each pathway in color formation in pitayas. This will facilitate efforts to improve pitaya fruit quality and appeal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyi Fan
- Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (MOA); Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Qingming Sun
- Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (MOA); Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Jiwu Zeng
- Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (MOA); Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Xinxin Zhang
- Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (MOA); Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
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Lynch JH, Dudareva N. Aromatic Amino Acids: A Complex Network Ripe for Future Exploration. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 25:670-681. [PMID: 32526172 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In plants, high carbon flux is committed to the biosynthesis of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, owing to their roles not only in the production of proteins, but also as precursors to thousands of primary and specialized metabolites. The core plastidial pathways that supply the majority of aromatic amino acids (AAAs) have previously been described in detail. More recently, the discovery of cytosolic enzymes contributing to overall AAA biosynthesis, as well as the identification of intracellular transporters and the continuing elucidation of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms, have revealed the complexity of this intercompartmental metabolic network. Here, we review the latest breakthroughs in AAA production and use the newest findings to highlight both longstanding and newly developed questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph H Lynch
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, 175 South University St., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2063, USA
| | - Natalia Dudareva
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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Auber RP, Suttiyut T, McCoy RM, Ghaste M, Crook JW, Pendleton AL, Widhalm JR, Wisecaver JH. Hybrid de novo genome assembly of red gromwell ( Lithospermum erythrorhizon) reveals evolutionary insight into shikonin biosynthesis. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2020; 7:82. [PMID: 32528694 PMCID: PMC7261806 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-020-0301-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Lithospermum erythrorhizon (red gromwell; zicao) is a medicinal and economically valuable plant belonging to the Boraginaceae family. Roots from L. erythrorhizon have been used for centuries based on the antiviral and wound-healing properties produced from the bioactive compound shikonin and its derivatives. More recently, shikonin, its enantiomer alkannin, and several other shikonin/alkannin derivatives have collectively emerged as valuable natural colorants and as novel drug scaffolds. Despite several transcriptomes and proteomes having been generated from L. erythrorhizon, a reference genome is still unavailable. This has limited investigations into elucidating the shikonin/alkannin pathway and understanding its evolutionary and ecological significance. In this study, we obtained a de novo genome assembly for L. erythrorhizon using a combination of Oxford Nanopore long-read and Illumina short-read sequencing technologies. The resulting genome is ∼367.41 Mb long, with a contig N50 size of 314.31 kb and 27,720 predicted protein-coding genes. Using the L. erythrorhizon genome, we identified several additional p-hydroxybenzoate:geranyltransferase (PGT) homologs and provide insight into their evolutionary history. Phylogenetic analysis of prenyltransferases suggests that PGTs originated in a common ancestor of modern shikonin/alkannin-producing Boraginaceous species, likely from a retrotransposition-derived duplication event of an ancestral prenyltransferase gene. Furthermore, knocking down expression of LePGT1 in L. erythrorhizon hairy root lines revealed that LePGT1 is predominantly responsible for shikonin production early in culture establishment. Taken together, the reference genome reported in this study and the provided analysis on the evolutionary origin of shikonin/alkannin biosynthesis will guide elucidation of the remainder of the pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P. Auber
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Thiti Suttiyut
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Rachel M. McCoy
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Manoj Ghaste
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Joseph W. Crook
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Amanda L. Pendleton
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Joshua R. Widhalm
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
| | - Jennifer H. Wisecaver
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
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Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Combining SMRT- and Illumina-Based RNA-Seq Identifies Potential Candidate Genes Involved in Betalain Biosynthesis in Pitaya Fruit. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093288. [PMID: 32384685 PMCID: PMC7246777 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
To gain more valuable genomic information about betalain biosynthesis, the full-length transcriptome of pitaya pulp from ‘Zihonglong’ (red pulp) and ‘Jinghonglong’ (white pulp) in four fruit developmental stages was analyzed using Single-Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing corrected by Illumina RNA-sequence (Illumina RNA-Seq). A total of 65,317 and 91,638 genes were identified in ‘Zihonglong’ and ‘Jinghonglong’, respectively. A total of 11,377 and 15,551 genes with more than two isoforms were investigated from ‘Zihonglong’ and ‘Jinghonglong’, respectively. In total, 156,955 genes were acquired after elimination of redundancy, of which, 120,604 genes (79.63%) were annotated, and 30,875 (20.37%) sequences without hits to reference database were probably novel genes in pitaya. A total of 31,169 and 53,024 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were uncovered from the genes of ‘Zihonglong’ and ‘Jinghonglong’, and 11,650 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in ‘Zihonglong’ and 11,113 lncRNAs in ‘Jinghonglong’ were obtained herein. qRT-PCR was conducted on ten candidate genes, the expression level of six novel genes were consistent with the Fragments Per Kilobase of transcript per Million mapped reads (FPKM) values. In conclusion, we firstly undertook SMRT sequencing of the full-length transcriptome of pitaya, and the valuable resource that was acquired through this sequencing facilitated the identification of additional betalain-related genes. Notably, a list of novel putative genes related to the synthesis of betalain in pitaya fruits was assembled. This may provide new insights into betalain synthesis in pitaya.
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Zulet-González A, Barco-Antoñanzas M, Gil-Monreal M, Royuela M, Zabalza A. Increased Glyphosate-Induced Gene Expression in the Shikimate Pathway Is Abolished in the Presence of Aromatic Amino Acids and Mimicked by Shikimate. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:459. [PMID: 32411158 PMCID: PMC7202288 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The herbicide glyphosate inhibits the plant enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) in the aromatic amino acid (AAA) biosynthetic pathway, also known as the shikimate pathway. Amaranthus palmeri is a fast-growing weed, and several populations have evolved resistance to glyphosate through increased EPSPS gene copy number. The main objective of this study was to elucidate the regulation of the shikimate pathway and determine whether the regulatory mechanisms of glyphosate-sensitive and glyphosate-resistant plants were different. Leaf disks of sensitive and resistant (due to EPSPS gene amplification) A. palmeri plants were incubated for 24 h with glyphosate, AAA, glyphosate + AAA, or several intermediates of the pathway: shikimate, quinate, chorismate and anthranilate. In the sensitive population, glyphosate induced shikimate accumulation and induced the gene expression of the shikimate pathway. While AAA alone did not elicit any change, AAA applied with glyphosate abolished the effects of the herbicide on gene expression. It was not possible to fully mimic the effect of glyphosate by incubation with any of the intermediates, but shikimate was the intermediate that induced the highest increase (three-fold) in the expression level of the genes of the shikimate pathway of the sensitive population. These results suggest that, in this population, the lack of end products (AAA) of the shikimate pathway and shikimate accumulation would be the signals inducing gene expression in the AAA pathway after glyphosate application. In general, the effects on gene expression detected after the application of the intermediates were more severe in the sensitive population than in the resistant population. These results suggest that when EPSPS is overexpressed, as in the resistant population, the regulatory mechanisms of the AAA pathway are disrupted or buffered. The mechanisms underlying this behavior remain to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ana Zabalza
- Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology (IMAB), Universidad Pública de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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Xie F, Hua Q, Chen C, Zhang L, Zhang Z, Chen J, Zhang R, Zhao J, Hu G, Zhao J, Qin Y. Transcriptomics-based identification and characterization of glucosyltransferases involved in betalain biosynthesis in Hylocereus megalanthus. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2020; 152:112-124. [PMID: 32413806 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2020.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Pitaya (Hylocereus spp.) is the only commercial cultivation of fruit containing abundant betalains for consumer. Betalains are water-soluble nitrogen-containing pigments with high nutritional value and bioactivities. In this study, contents of betaxanthins and betacyanins were compared between 'Guanhuabai' (H. undatus) and 'Huanglong' (H. megalanthus) pitayas and key genes involved in betalain biosynthesis were screened from 'Huanglong' pitaya by RNA-Seq technology. Twenty-nine candidate genes related to betalain biosynthesis were obtained from the transcriptome data. Based on expression characteristics and sequence analyses, HmB5GT1 and HmHCGT2 were further analyzed. HmB5GT1 and HmHCGT2 were both conserved in 'PSPG-box' and localized in nucleus. Silencing of HmB5GT1 and HmHCGT2 resulted in a significant reduction in betacyanin and betaxanthin contents. Those results suggested that HmB5GT1 and HmHCGT2 are possibly involved in betalain biosynthesis in H. megalanthus. The present work provides new information on betalain biosynthesis in Hylocereus at the transcriptional level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of South China Horticultural Crop Biology and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Qingzhu Hua
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of South China Horticultural Crop Biology and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Canbin Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of South China Horticultural Crop Biology and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Lulu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of South China Horticultural Crop Biology and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Zhike Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of South China Horticultural Crop Biology and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jianye Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of South China Horticultural Crop Biology and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of South China Horticultural Crop Biology and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Junsheng Zhao
- Institute of Fruit Science in Maoming, Maoming, 525000, China
| | - Guibing Hu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of South China Horticultural Crop Biology and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jietang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of South China Horticultural Crop Biology and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Yonghua Qin
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agrobioresources/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Key Laboratory of South China Horticultural Crop Biology and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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Lin CY, Eudes A. Strategies for the production of biochemicals in bioenergy crops. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2020; 13:71. [PMID: 32318116 PMCID: PMC7158082 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-020-01707-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Industrial crops are grown to produce goods for manufacturing. Rather than food and feed, they supply raw materials for making biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and specialty chemicals, as well as feedstocks for fabricating fiber, biopolymer, and construction materials. Therefore, such crops offer the potential to reduce our dependency on petrochemicals that currently serve as building blocks for manufacturing the majority of our industrial and consumer products. In this review, we are providing examples of metabolites synthesized in plants that can be used as bio-based platform chemicals for partial replacement of their petroleum-derived counterparts. Plant metabolic engineering approaches aiming at increasing the content of these metabolites in biomass are presented. In particular, we emphasize on recent advances in the manipulation of the shikimate and isoprenoid biosynthetic pathways, both of which being the source of multiple valuable compounds. Implementing and optimizing engineered metabolic pathways for accumulation of coproducts in bioenergy crops may represent a valuable option for enhancing the commercial value of biomass and attaining sustainable lignocellulosic biorefineries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Yuan Lin
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA 94608 USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Aymerick Eudes
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA 94608 USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
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Polturak G, Aharoni A. Advances and future directions in betalain metabolic engineering. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 224:1472-1478. [PMID: 31148166 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Betalains are nitrogenous red and yellow pigments found in a single order of plants, the Caryophyllales, and in some higher fungi. They are responsible for the colors observed in many ornamental plants, as well as in various food products, where they are used as natural colorants. Their nutritional properties and attractive colors make them an appealing target for metabolic engineering. This is further heightened by the limited availability of natural betalain sources, arising from their relative scarcity in the plant kingdom, particularly in edible plants. Recent progress in decoding their biosynthetic pathway has facilitated stable heterologous production of betalains in several plant and microbial systems. Here, we provide a brief review of recent advances and discuss current approaches and possible future directions in betalain metabolic engineering, including expanding the chemical diversity of betalains and increasing their yield, exploring new host organisms for their heterologous production, and engineering their secretion from the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Polturak
- Department of Metabolic Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Asaph Aharoni
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
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Schenck CA, Last RL. Location, location! cellular relocalization primes specialized metabolic diversification. FEBS J 2019; 287:1359-1368. [PMID: 31623016 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Specialized metabolites are structurally diverse and cell- or tissue-specific molecules produced in restricted plant lineages. In contrast, primary metabolic pathways are highly conserved in plants and produce metabolites essential for all of life, such as amino acids and nucleotides. Substrate promiscuity - the capacity to accept non-native substrates - is a common characteristic of enzymes, and its impact is especially apparent in generating specialized metabolite variation. However, promiscuity only leads to metabolic diversity when alternative substrates are available; thus, enzyme cellular and subcellular localization directly influence chemical phenotypes. We review a variety of mechanisms that modulate substrate availability for promiscuous plant enzymes. We focus on examples where evolution led to modification of the 'cellular context' through changes in cell-type expression, subcellular relocalization, pathway sequestration, and cellular mixing via tissue damage. These varied mechanisms contributed to the emergence of structurally diverse plant specialized metabolites and inform future metabolic engineering approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig A Schenck
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Robert L Last
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Ding Y, Murphy KM, Poretsky E, Mafu S, Yang B, Char SN, Christensen SA, Saldivar E, Wu M, Wang Q, Ji L, Schmitz RJ, Kremling KA, Buckler ES, Shen Z, Briggs SP, Bohlmann J, Sher A, Castro-Falcon G, Hughes CC, Huffaker A, Zerbe P, Schmelz EA. Multiple genes recruited from hormone pathways partition maize diterpenoid defences. NATURE PLANTS 2019; 5:1043-1056. [PMID: 31527844 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-019-0509-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Duplication and divergence of primary pathway genes underlie the evolution of plant specialized metabolism; however, mechanisms partitioning parallel hormone and defence pathways are often speculative. For example, the primary pathway intermediate ent-kaurene is essential for gibberellin biosynthesis and is also a proposed precursor for maize antibiotics. By integrating transcriptional coregulation patterns, genome-wide association studies, combinatorial enzyme assays, proteomics and targeted mutant analyses, we show that maize kauralexin biosynthesis proceeds via the positional isomer ent-isokaurene formed by a diterpene synthase pair recruited from gibberellin metabolism. The oxygenation and subsequent desaturation of ent-isokaurene by three promiscuous cytochrome P450s and a new steroid 5α reductase indirectly yields predominant ent-kaurene-associated antibiotics required for Fusarium stalk rot resistance. The divergence and differential expression of pathway branches derived from multiple duplicated hormone-metabolic genes minimizes dysregulation of primary metabolism via the circuitous biosynthesis of ent-kaurene-related antibiotics without the production of growth hormone precursors during defence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yezhang Ding
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Katherine M Murphy
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Elly Poretsky
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sibongile Mafu
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Bing Yang
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Si Nian Char
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Shawn A Christensen
- Chemistry Research Unit, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Evan Saldivar
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mengxi Wu
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Qiang Wang
- Institute of Ecological Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lexiang Ji
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | - Karl A Kremling
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Edward S Buckler
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Zhouxin Shen
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Steven P Briggs
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jörg Bohlmann
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Andrew Sher
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gabriel Castro-Falcon
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Chambers C Hughes
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alisa Huffaker
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Philipp Zerbe
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Eric A Schmelz
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Timoneda A, Feng T, Sheehan H, Walker-Hale N, Pucker B, Lopez-Nieves S, Guo R, Brockington S. The evolution of betalain biosynthesis in Caryophyllales. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 224:71-85. [PMID: 31172524 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Within the angiosperm order Caryophyllales, an unusual class of pigments known as betalains can replace the otherwise ubiquitous anthocyanins. In contrast to the phenylalanine-derived anthocyanins, betalains are tyrosine-derived pigments which contain the chromophore betalamic acid. The origin of betalain pigments within Caryophyllales and their mutual exclusion with anthocyanin pigments have been the subject of considerable research. In recent years, numerous discoveries, accelerated by -omic scale data, phylogenetics and synthetic biology, have shed light on the evolution of the betalain biosynthetic pathway in Caryophyllales. These advances include the elucidation of the biosynthetic steps in the betalain pathway, identification of transcriptional regulators of betalain synthesis, resolution of the phylogenetic history of key genes, and insight into a role for modulation of primary metabolism in betalain synthesis. Here we review how molecular genetics have advanced our understanding of the betalain biosynthetic pathway, and discuss the impact of phylogenetics in revealing its evolutionary history. In light of these insights, we explore our new understanding of the origin of betalains, the mutual exclusion of betalains and anthocyanins, and the homoplastic distribution of betalain pigmentation within Caryophyllales. We conclude with a speculative conceptual model for the stepwise emergence of betalain pigmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Timoneda
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Tao Feng
- Wuhan Botanical Garden, T1 Lumo Road, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Hester Sheehan
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Nathanael Walker-Hale
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Boas Pucker
- CeBiTec & Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Universitaetsstrasse, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
| | - Samuel Lopez-Nieves
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Rui Guo
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
- Wuhan Botanical Garden, T1 Lumo Road, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Samuel Brockington
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
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Maeda HA. Harnessing evolutionary diversification of primary metabolism for plant synthetic biology. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:16549-16566. [PMID: 31558606 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev119.006132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants produce numerous natural products that are essential to both plant and human physiology. Recent identification of genes and enzymes involved in their biosynthesis now provides exciting opportunities to reconstruct plant natural product pathways in heterologous systems through synthetic biology. The use of plant chassis, although still in infancy, can take advantage of plant cells' inherent capacity to synthesize and store various phytochemicals. Also, large-scale plant biomass production systems, driven by photosynthetic energy production and carbon fixation, could be harnessed for industrial-scale production of natural products. However, little is known about which plants could serve as ideal hosts and how to optimize plant primary metabolism to efficiently provide precursors for the synthesis of desirable downstream natural products or specialized (secondary) metabolites. Although primary metabolism is generally assumed to be conserved, unlike the highly-diversified specialized metabolism, primary metabolic pathways and enzymes can differ between microbes and plants and also among different plants, especially at the interface between primary and specialized metabolisms. This review highlights examples of the diversity in plant primary metabolism and discusses how we can utilize these variations in plant synthetic biology. I propose that understanding the evolutionary, biochemical, genetic, and molecular bases of primary metabolic diversity could provide rational strategies for identifying suitable plant hosts and for further optimizing primary metabolism for sizable production of natural and bio-based products in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi A Maeda
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
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Plastid phylogenomic insights into the evolution of Caryophyllales. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 134:74-86. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2018.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Kreis W, Munkert J. Exploiting enzyme promiscuity to shape plant specialized metabolism. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:1435-1445. [PMID: 30715457 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The amazing variability of plant metabolism and its rapid divergence during evolution pose fundamental questions as to the driving forces, mechanisms, and players in metabolic differentiation. This review examines concepts that help us understand adaptive pathway evolution, with a particular emphasis on plant specialized metabolism, previously often termed secondary metabolism. Following a general introduction to pathway and metabolite evolution, the focus is directed to enzyme promiscuity and its classification. Promiscuous enzymes (or substrates), 'silent' elements of the metabolome, and the 'underground metabolism' may be used and combined to evolve 'new' metabolic pathways. It appears that new pathways rarely appear from scratch, but instead emerge from 'floppy' enzymes and elements of a 'messy' metabolism, and in this way a range of metabolites is generated, some of which may provide benefits to the plant.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer Munkert
- Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Department of Biology, Division of Pharmaceutical Biology, Erlangen, Germany
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