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Zeng J, Liu X, Dong Z, Zhang F, Qiu F, Zhong M, Zhao T, Yang C, Zeng L, Lan X, Zhang H, Zhou J, Chen M, Tang K, Liao Z. Discovering a mitochondrion-localized BAHD acyltransferase involved in calystegine biosynthesis and engineering the production of 3β-tigloyloxytropane. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3623. [PMID: 38684703 PMCID: PMC11058270 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47968-0] [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: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Solanaceous plants produce tropane alkaloids (TAs) via esterification of 3α- and 3β-tropanol. Although littorine synthase is revealed to be responsible for 3α-tropanol esterification that leads to hyoscyamine biosynthesis, the genes associated with 3β-tropanol esterification are unknown. Here, we report that a BAHD acyltransferase from Atropa belladonna, 3β-tigloyloxytropane synthase (TS), catalyzes 3β-tropanol and tigloyl-CoA to form 3β-tigloyloxytropane, the key intermediate in calystegine biosynthesis and a potential drug for treating neurodegenerative disease. Unlike other cytosolic-localized BAHD acyltransferases, TS is localized to mitochondria. The catalytic mechanism of TS is revealed through molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis. Subsequently, 3β-tigloyloxytropane is synthesized in tobacco. A bacterial CoA ligase (PcICS) is found to synthesize tigloyl-CoA, an acyl donor for 3β-tigloyloxytropane biosynthesis. By expressing TS mutant and PcICS, engineered Escherichia coli synthesizes 3β-tigloyloxytropane from tiglic acid and 3β-tropanol. This study helps to characterize the enzymology and chemodiversity of TAs and provides an approach for producing 3β-tigloyloxytropane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junlan Zeng
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Liu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Zhaoyue Dong
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Fangyuan Zhang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Fei Qiu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Mingyu Zhong
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Tengfei Zhao
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Chunxian Yang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Lingjiang Zeng
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Xiaozhong Lan
- TAAHC-SWU Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, The Provincial and Ministerial Co-founded Collaborative Innovation Center for R&D in Xizang Characteristic Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Resources, Xizang Agricultural and Animal Husbandry College, Nyingchi, 860000, China
| | - Hongbo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Junhui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Min Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Kexuan Tang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Zhihua Liao
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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2
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Qiao D, Yang C, Mi X, Tang M, Liang S, Chen Z. Genome-wide identification of tea plant (Camellia sinensis) BAHD acyltransferases reveals their role in response to herbivorous pests. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:229. [PMID: 38561653 PMCID: PMC10985903 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-04867-2] [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: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND BAHD acyltransferases are among the largest metabolic protein domain families in the genomes of terrestrial plants and play important roles in plant growth and development, aroma formation, and biotic and abiotic stress responses. Little is known about the BAHDs in the tea plant, a cash crop rich in secondary metabolites. RESULTS In this study, 112 BAHD genes (CsBAHD01-CsBAHD112) were identified from the tea plant genome, with 85% (98/112) unevenly distributed across the 15 chromosomes. The number of BAHD gene family members has significantly expanded from wild tea plants to the assamica type to the sinensis type. Phylogenetic analysis showed that they could be classified into seven subgroups. Promoter cis-acting element analysis revealed that they contain a large number of light, phytohormones, and stress-responsive elements. Many members displayed tissue-specific expression patterns. CsBAHD05 was expressed at more than 500-fold higher levels in purple tea leaves than in green tea leaves. The genes exhibiting the most significant response to MeJA treatment and feeding by herbivorous pests were primarily concentrated in subgroups 5 and 6. The expression of 23 members of these two subgroups at different time points after feeding by tea green leafhoppers and tea geometrids was examined via qPCR, and the results revealed that the expression of CsBAHD93, CsBAHD94 and CsBAHD95 was significantly induced after the tea plants were subjected to feeding by both pricking and chewing pests. Moreover, based on the transcriptome data for tea plants being fed on by these two pests, a transcriptional regulatory network of different transcription factor genes coexpressed with these 23 members was constructed. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides new insights into the role of BAHDs in the defense response of tea plants, and will facilitate in-depth studies of the molecular function of BAHDs in resistance to herbivorous pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dahe Qiao
- Guizhou Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, Guizhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources and Germplasm Innovation in Karst Region, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, Guizhou, China.
| | - Chun Yang
- Guizhou Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, Guizhou, China
| | - Xiaozeng Mi
- Guizhou Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, Guizhou, China
| | - Mengsha Tang
- Guizhou Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, Guizhou, China
| | - Sihui Liang
- Guizhou Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, Guizhou, China
| | - Zhengwu Chen
- Guizhou Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, Guizhou, China.
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Simpson JP, Kim CY, Kaur A, Weng JK, Dilkes B, Chapple C. Genome-wide association identifies a BAHD acyltransferase activity that assembles an ester of glucuronosylglycerol and phenylacetic acid. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38558472 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are an effective approach to identify new specialized metabolites and the genes involved in their biosynthesis and regulation. In this study, GWAS of Arabidopsis thaliana soluble leaf and stem metabolites identified alleles of an uncharacterized BAHD-family acyltransferase (AT5G57840) associated with natural variation in three structurally related metabolites. These metabolites were esters of glucuronosylglycerol, with one metabolite containing phenylacetic acid as the acyl component of the ester. Knockout and overexpression of AT5G57840 in Arabidopsis and heterologous overexpression in Nicotiana benthamiana and Escherichia coli demonstrated that it is capable of utilizing phenylacetyl-CoA as an acyl donor and glucuronosylglycerol as an acyl acceptor. We, thus, named the protein Glucuronosylglycerol Ester Synthase (GGES). Additionally, phenylacetyl glucuronosylglycerol increased in Arabidopsis CYP79A2 mutants that overproduce phenylacetic acid and was lost in knockout mutants of UDP-sulfoquinovosyl: diacylglycerol sulfoquinovosyl transferase, an enzyme required for glucuronosylglycerol biosynthesis and associated with glycerolipid metabolism under phosphate-starvation stress. GGES is a member of a well-supported clade of BAHD family acyltransferases that arose by duplication and neofunctionalized during the evolution of the Brassicales within a larger clade that includes HCT as well as enzymes that synthesize other plant-specialized metabolites. Together, this work extends our understanding of the catalytic diversity of BAHD acyltransferases and uncovers a pathway that involves contributions from both phenylalanine and lipid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey P Simpson
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
| | - Colin Y Kim
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
| | - Amanpreet Kaur
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
| | - Jing-Ke Weng
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology & Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02120, USA
- Institute for Plant-Human Interface, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02120, USA
| | - Brian Dilkes
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
| | - Clint Chapple
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
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Martin LBB, Kikuchi S, Rejzek M, Owen C, Reed J, Orme A, Misra RC, El-Demerdash A, Hill L, Hodgson H, Liu Y, Keasling JD, Field RA, Truman AW, Osbourn A. Complete biosynthesis of the potent vaccine adjuvant QS-21. Nat Chem Biol 2024; 20:493-502. [PMID: 38278997 PMCID: PMC10972754 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01538-5] [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: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
QS-21 is a potent vaccine adjuvant currently sourced by extraction from the Chilean soapbark tree. It is a key component of human vaccines for shingles, malaria, coronavirus disease 2019 and others under development. The structure of QS-21 consists of a glycosylated triterpene scaffold coupled to a complex glycosylated 18-carbon acyl chain that is critical for immunostimulant activity. We previously identified the early pathway steps needed to make the triterpene glycoside scaffold; however, the biosynthetic route to the acyl chain, which is needed for stimulation of T cell proliferation, was unknown. Here, we report the biogenic origin of the acyl chain, characterize the series of enzymes required for its synthesis and addition and reconstitute the entire 20-step pathway in tobacco, thereby demonstrating the production of QS-21 in a heterologous expression system. This advance opens up unprecedented opportunities for bioengineering of vaccine adjuvants, investigating structure-activity relationships and understanding the mechanisms by which these compounds promote the human immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Martin Rejzek
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | - James Reed
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | | | - Amr El-Demerdash
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Lionel Hill
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Yuzhong Liu
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Jay D Keasling
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Center for Biosustainability, Danish Technical University, Lyngby, Denmark
- Center for Synthetic Biochemistry, Shenzhen Institutes for Advanced Technologies, Shenzhen, China
| | - Robert A Field
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Anne Osbourn
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
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5
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Kruse LH, Sunstrum FG, Garcia D, López Pérez G, Jancsik S, Bohlmann J, Irmisch S. Improved production of the antidiabetic metabolite montbretin A in Nicotiana benthamiana: discovery, characterization, and use of Crocosmia shikimate shunt genes. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 117:766-785. [PMID: 37960967 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16528] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
The plant-specialized metabolite montbretin A (MbA) is being developed as a new treatment option for type-2 diabetes, which is among the ten leading causes of premature death and disability worldwide. MbA is a complex acylated flavonoid glycoside produced in small amounts in below-ground organs of the perennial plant Montbretia (Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora). The lack of a scalable production system limits the development and potential application of MbA as a pharmaceutical or nutraceutical. Previous efforts to reconstruct montbretin biosynthesis in Nicotiana benthamiana (Nb) resulted in low yields of MbA and higher levels of montbretin B (MbB) and montbretin C (MbC). MbA, MbB, and MbC are nearly identical metabolites differing only in their acyl moieties, derived from caffeoyl-CoA, coumaroyl-CoA, and feruloyl-CoA, respectively. In contrast to MbA, MbB and MbC are not pharmaceutically active. To utilize the montbretia caffeoyl-CoA biosynthesis for improved MbA engineering in Nb, we cloned and characterized enzymes of the shikimate shunt of the general phenylpropanoid pathway, specifically hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (CcHCT), p-coumaroylshikimate 3'-hydroxylase (CcC3'H), and caffeoylshikimate esterase (CcCSE). Gene expression patterns suggest that CcCSE enables the predominant formation of MbA, relative to MbB and MbC, in montbretia. This observation is supported by results from in vitro characterization of CcCSE and reconstruction of the shikimate shunt in yeast. Using CcHCT together with montbretin biosynthetic genes in multigene constructs resulted in a 30-fold increase of MbA in Nb. This work advances our understanding of the phenylpropanoid pathway and features a critical step towards improved MbA production in bioengineered Nb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars H Kruse
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Frederick G Sunstrum
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Daniela Garcia
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Guillermo López Pérez
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sharon Jancsik
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Joerg Bohlmann
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Forest and Conservation Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sandra Irmisch
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Plant Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 BE, Netherlands
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6
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Zhao Y, Liang Y, Luo G, Li Y, Han X, Wen M. Sequence-Structure Analysis Unlocking the Potential Functional Application of the Local 3D Motifs of Plant-Derived Diterpene Synthases. Biomolecules 2024; 14:120. [PMID: 38254720 PMCID: PMC10813164 DOI: 10.3390/biom14010120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant-derived diterpene synthases (PdiTPSs) play a critical role in the formation of structurally and functionally diverse diterpenoids. However, the specificity or functional-related features of PdiTPSs are not well understood. For a more profound insight, we collected, constructed, and curated 199 functionally characterized PdiTPSs and their corresponding 3D structures. The complex correlations among their sequences, domains, structures, and corresponding products were comprehensively analyzed. Ultimately, our focus narrowed to the geometric arrangement of local structures. We found that local structural alignment can rapidly localize product-specific residues that have been validated by mutagenesis experiments. Based on the 3D motifs derived from the residues around the substrate, we successfully searched diterpene synthases (diTPSs) from the predicted terpene synthases and newly characterized PdiTPSs, suggesting that the identified 3D motifs can serve as distinctive signatures in diTPSs (I and II class). Local structural analysis revealed the PdiTPSs with more conserved amino acid residues show features unique to class I and class II, whereas those with fewer conserved amino acid residues typically exhibit product diversity and specificity. These results provide an attractive method for discovering novel or functionally equivalent enzymes and probing the product specificity in cases where enzyme characterization is limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yalan Zhao
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.L.); (G.L.); (X.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Yupeng Liang
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.L.); (G.L.); (X.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Gan Luo
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.L.); (G.L.); (X.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Yi Li
- College of Mathematics and Computer Science, Dali University, Dali 671003, China
| | - Xiulin Han
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.L.); (G.L.); (X.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Mengliang Wen
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (Y.Z.); (Y.L.); (G.L.); (X.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
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7
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Xu D, Wang Z, Zhuang W, Wang T, Xie Y. Family characteristics, phylogenetic reconstruction, and potential applications of the plant BAHD acyltransferase family. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1218914. [PMID: 37868312 PMCID: PMC10585174 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1218914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
The BAHD acyltransferase family is a class of proteins in plants that can acylate a variety of primary and specialized secondary metabolites. The typically acylated products have greatly improved stability, lipid solubility, and bioavailability and thus show significant differences in their physicochemical properties and pharmacological activities. Here, we review the protein structure, catalytic mechanism, and phylogenetic reconstruction of plant BAHD acyltransferases to describe their family characteristics, acylation reactions, and the processes of potential functional differentiation. Moreover, the potential applications of the BAHD family in human activities are discussed from the perspectives of improving the quality of economic plants, enhancing the efficacy of medicinal plants, improving plant biomass for use in biofuel, and promoting stress resistance of land plants. This review provides a reference for the research and production of plant BAHD acyltransferases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghuan Xu
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen), Nanjing, China
| | - Zhong Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen), Nanjing, China
| | - Weibing Zhuang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen), Nanjing, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen), Nanjing, China
| | - Yinfeng Xie
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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8
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Sonawane PD, Gharat SA, Jozwiak A, Barbole R, Heinicke S, Almekias-Siegl E, Meir S, Rogachev I, Connor SEO, Giri AP, Aharoni A. A BAHD-type acyltransferase concludes the biosynthetic pathway of non-bitter glycoalkaloids in ripe tomato fruit. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4540. [PMID: 37500644 PMCID: PMC10374582 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40092-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Tomato is the highest value fruit and vegetable crop worldwide, yet produces α-tomatine, a renowned toxic and bitter-tasting anti-nutritional steroidal glycoalkaloid (SGA) involved in plant defense. A suite of modifications during tomato fruit maturation and ripening converts α-tomatine to the non-bitter and less toxic Esculeoside A. This important metabolic shift prevents bitterness and toxicity in ripe tomato fruit. While the enzymes catalyzing glycosylation and hydroxylation reactions in the Esculeoside A pathway have been resolved, the proposed acetylating step remains, to date, elusive. Here, we discovered that GAME36 (GLYCOALKALOID METABOLISM36), a BAHD-type acyltransferase catalyzes SGA-acetylation in cultivated and wild tomatoes. This finding completes the elucidation of the core Esculeoside A biosynthetic pathway in ripe tomato, allowing reconstitution of Esculeoside A production in heterologous microbial and plant hosts. The involvement of GAME36 in bitter SGA detoxification pathway points to a key role in the evolution of sweet-tasting tomato as well as in the domestication and breeding of modern cultivated tomato fruit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant D Sonawane
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany.
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
| | - Sachin A Gharat
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Adam Jozwiak
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Ranjit Barbole
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
- Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Sarah Heinicke
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Efrat Almekias-Siegl
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Sagit Meir
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Ilana Rogachev
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Sarah E O' Connor
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Ashok P Giri
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
- Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Asaph Aharoni
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
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9
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Moghe G, Irfan M, Sarmah B. Dangerous sugars: Structural diversity and functional significance of acylsugar-like defense compounds in flowering plants. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 73:102348. [PMID: 36842412 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Acylsugars constitute a diverse class of secondary metabolites found in many flowering plant families. Comprising sugar cores and acyl groups connected by ester and/or ether linkages, acylsugar structures vary considerably at all taxonomic levels - from populations of the same species to across species of the same family and across flowering plants, with some species producing hundreds of acylsugars in a single organ. Acylsugars have been most well-studied in the Solanaceae family, but structurally analogous compounds have also been reported in the Convolvulaceae, Martyniaceae, Geraniaceae, Rubiaceae, Rosaceae and Caryophyllaceae families. Focusing on Solanaceae and Convolvulaceae acylsugars, this review highlights their structural diversity, the potential biosynthetic mechanisms that produce this diversity, and its functional significance. Finally, we also discuss the possibility that some of this diversity is merely "noise", arising out of enzyme promiscuity and/or non-adaptive evolutionary mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Moghe
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | - Mohammad Irfan
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Bhaswati Sarmah
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam 785013, India
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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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Sullivan ML. Near-real time determination of BAHD acyl-coenzyme A transferase reaction rates and kinetic parameters using Ellman's reagent. Methods Enzymol 2022; 683:19-39. [PMID: 37087187 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.10.002] [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: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
BAHD acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) acyltransferases play key roles in a large number of biosynthetic reactions involved in plant specialized metabolism. One approach to measure reaction rates for these enzymes is to quantify the amide or ester reaction products following chromatographic separation of reaction components, an approach that can be labor intensive and time consuming, and complicated by a lack of pure standards. We previously developed and validated an alternative approach using 5,5'-dithio-bis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB, Ellman's reagent) to spectrophotometrically monitor reaction progress by the release of free CoA in the reaction. This approach allows near-real time measurement of reaction rates, permitting reaction conditions (buffer, reactant, and enzyme concentrations, etc.) to be changed "on the fly." The ease and rapidity of data collection allows a high density of data points to be collected for determination of kinetic parameters. Here we provide a detailed procedure for using DTNB to measure BAHD acyl-CoA acyltransferase reaction rates, and as an example, use it to determine kinetic parameters for red clover hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:shikimate hydroxycinnamoyltransferase, a BAHD acyl-CoA hydroxycinnamoyltransferase not previously characterized with respect to kinetic parameters. This approach may be more generally applicable to transferases using CoA donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Sullivan
- US Dairy Forage Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Madison, WI, United States.
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