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Ye D, Shao YZ, Li WR, Cui ZJ, Gong T, Yang JL, Wang HQ, Dai JG, Feng KP, Ma M, Ma SG, Liu YB, Zhu P, Yu SS. Characterization and Engineering of Two Highly Paralogous Sesquiterpene Synthases Reveal a Regioselective Reprotonation Switch. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202315674. [PMID: 38327006 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202315674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Sesquiterpene synthases (STPSs) catalyze carbocation-driven cyclization reactions that can generate structurally diverse hydrocarbons. The deprotonation-reprotonation process is widely used in STPSs to promote structural diversity, largely attributable to the distinct regio/stereoselective reprotonations. However, the molecular basis for reprotonation regioselectivity remains largely understudied. Herein, we analyzed two highly paralogous STPSs, Artabotrys hexapetalus (-)-cyperene synthase (AhCS) and ishwarane synthase (AhIS), which catalyze reactions that are distinct from the regioselective protonation of germacrene A (GA), resulting in distinct skeletons of 5/5/6 tricyclic (-)-cyperene and 6/6/5/3 tetracyclic ishwarane, respectively. Isotopic labeling experiments demonstrated that these protonations occur at C3 and C6 of GA in AhCS and AhIS, respectively. The cryo-electron microscopy-derived AhCS complex structure provided the structural basis for identifying different key active site residues that may govern their functional disparity. The structure-guided mutagenesis of these residues resulted in successful functional interconversion between AhCS and AhIS, thus targeting the three active site residues [L311-S419-C458]/[M311-V419-A458] that may act as a C3/C6 reprotonation switch for GA. These findings facilitate the rational design or directed evolution of STPSs with structurally diverse skeletons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Zhen Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Rui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhen-Jia Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Ling Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Hai-Qiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun-Gui Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke-Ping Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Ma
- Department State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Institution School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuang-Gang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun-Bao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosynthesis of Natural Products, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Shi-Shan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China
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2
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De Bruyn C, Ruttink T, Lacchini E, Rombauts S, Haegeman A, De Keyser E, Van Poucke C, Desmet S, Jacobs TB, Eeckhaut T, Goossens A, Van Laere K. Identification and characterization of CYP71 subclade cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of bitterness compounds in Cichorium intybus. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1200253. [PMID: 37426959 PMCID: PMC10324620 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1200253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Industrial chicory (Cichorium intybus var. sativum) and witloof (C. intybus var. foliosum) are crops with an important economic value, mainly cultivated for inulin production and as a leafy vegetable, respectively. Both crops are rich in nutritionally relevant specialized metabolites with beneficial effects for human health. However, their bitter taste, caused by the sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) produced in leaves and taproot, limits wider applications in the food industry. Changing the bitterness would thus create new opportunities with a great economic impact. Known genes encoding enzymes involved in the SL biosynthetic pathway are GERMACRENE A SYNTHASE (GAS), GERMACRENE A OXIDASE (GAO), COSTUNOLIDE SYNTHASE (COS) and KAUNIOLIDE SYNTHASE (KLS). In this study, we integrated genome and transcriptome mining to further unravel SL biosynthesis. We found that C. intybus SL biosynthesis is controlled by the phytohormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Gene family annotation and MeJA inducibility enabled the pinpointing of candidate genes related with the SL biosynthetic pathway. We specifically focused on members of subclade CYP71 of the cytochrome P450 family. We verified the biochemical activity of 14 C. intybus CYP71 enzymes transiently produced in Nicotiana benthamiana and identified several functional paralogs for each of the GAO, COS and KLS genes, pointing to redundancy in and robustness of the SL biosynthetic pathway. Gene functionality was further analyzed using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in C. intybus. Metabolite profiling of mutant C. intybus lines demonstrated a successful reduction in SL metabolite production. Together, this study increases our insights into the C. intybus SL biosynthetic pathway and paves the way for the engineering of C. intybus bitterness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte De Bruyn
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Ruttink
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Elia Lacchini
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stephane Rombauts
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annelies Haegeman
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
| | - Ellen De Keyser
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
| | - Christof Van Poucke
- Technology and Food Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
| | | | - Thomas B. Jacobs
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Eeckhaut
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
| | - Alain Goossens
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Katrijn Van Laere
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
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3
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Cankar K, Hakkert JC, Sevenier R, Papastolopoulou C, Schipper B, Baixinho JP, Fernández N, Matos MS, Serra AT, Santos CN, Vahabi K, Tissier A, Bundock P, Bosch D. Lactucin Synthase Inactivation Boosts the Accumulation of Anti-inflammatory 8-Deoxylactucin and Its Derivatives in Chicory ( Cichorium intybus L.). J Agric Food Chem 2023; 71:6061-6072. [PMID: 37036799 PMCID: PMC10119987 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c08959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
For several sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) found in Asteraceae plants, very interesting biomedical activities have been demonstrated. Chicory roots accumulate the guaianolide STLs 8-deoxylactucin, lactucin, and lactucopicrin predominantly in oxalated forms in the latex. In this work, a supercritical fluid extract fraction of chicory STLs containing 8-deoxylactucin and 11β,13-dihydro-8-deoxylactucin was shown to have anti-inflammatory activity in an inflamed intestinal mucosa model. To increase the accumulation of these two compounds in chicory taproots, the lactucin synthase that takes 8-deoxylactucin as the substrate for the regiospecific hydroxylation to generate lactucin needs to be inactivated. Three candidate cytochrome P450 enzymes of the CYP71 clan were identified in chicory. Their targeted inactivation using the CRISPR/Cas9 approach identified CYP71DD33 to have lactucin synthase activity. The analysis of the terpene profile of the taproots of plants with edits in CYP71DD33 revealed a nearly complete elimination of the endogenous chicory STLs lactucin and lactucopicrin and their corresponding oxalates. Indeed, in the same lines, the interruption of biosynthesis resulted in a strong increase of 8-deoxylactucin and its derivatives. The enzyme activity of CYP71DD33 to convert 8-deoxylactucin to lactucin was additionally demonstrated in vitro using yeast microsome assays. The identified chicory lactucin synthase gene is predominantly expressed in the chicory latex, indicating that the late steps in the STL biosynthesis take place in the latex. This study contributes to further elucidation of the STL pathway in chicory and shows that root chicory can be positioned as a crop from which different health products can be extracted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Cankar
- Wageningen
Plant Research, Wageningen University &
Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johanna Christina Hakkert
- Wageningen
Plant Research, Wageningen University &
Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Robert Sevenier
- Keygene
N.V., Agro Business Park
90, 6708PW Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Christina Papastolopoulou
- Wageningen
Plant Research, Wageningen University &
Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bert Schipper
- Wageningen
Plant Research, Wageningen University &
Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - João P. Baixinho
- Instituto
de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET), Av. República, Qta. Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto
de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier,
Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Naiara Fernández
- Instituto
de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET), Av. República, Qta. Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Melanie S. Matos
- Instituto
de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET), Av. República, Qta. Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto
de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier,
Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ana Teresa Serra
- Instituto
de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET), Av. República, Qta. Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto
de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier,
Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Claudia Nunes Santos
- Instituto
de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET), Av. República, Qta. Marquês, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto
de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier,
Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
- iNOVA4Health,
NOVA Medical School Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, NMS|FCM,
Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Khabat Vahabi
- Department
of Cell and Metabolic Biology, Leibniz Institute
of Plant Biochemistry, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Alain Tissier
- Department
of Cell and Metabolic Biology, Leibniz Institute
of Plant Biochemistry, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
- Martin-Luther-Universität
Halle-Wittenberg, Institut für Pharmazie, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Paul Bundock
- Keygene
N.V., Agro Business Park
90, 6708PW Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Dirk Bosch
- Wageningen
Plant Research, Wageningen University &
Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
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4
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Abstract
As the largest family of natural products, terpenoids play valuable roles in medicine, agriculture, cosmetics and food. However, the traditional methods that rely on direct extraction from the original plants not only produce low yields, but also result in waste of resources, and are not applicable at all to endangered species. Modern heterologous biosynthesis is considered a promising, efficient, and sustainable production method, but it relies on the premise of a complete analysis of the biosynthetic pathway of terpenoids, especially the functionalization processes involving downstream cytochrome P450s. In this review, we systematically introduce the biotech approaches used to discover and characterize plant terpenoid-related P450s in recent years. In addition, we propose corresponding metabolic engineering approaches to increase the effective expression of P450 and improve the yield of terpenoids, and also elaborate on metabolic engineering strategies and examples of heterologous biosynthesis of terpenoids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and plant hosts. Finally, we provide perspectives for the biotech approaches to be developed for future research on terpenoid-related P450.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Zhang
- Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Ma
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ping Su
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, USA
| | - Luqi Huang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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5
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Alejaldre L, Lemay-St-Denis C, Pelletier JN, Quaglia D. Tuning Selectivity in CalA Lipase: Beyond Tunnel Engineering. Biochemistry 2023; 62:396-409. [PMID: 36580299 PMCID: PMC9851156 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Engineering studies of Candida (Pseudozyma) antarctica lipase A (CalA) have demonstrated the potential of this enzyme in the selective hydrolysis of fatty acid esters of different chain lengths. CalA has been shown to bind substrates preferentially through an acyl-chain binding tunnel accessed via the hydrolytic active site; it has also been shown that selectivity for substrates of longer or shorter chain length can be tuned, for instance by modulating steric hindrance within the tunnel. Here we demonstrate that, whereas the tunnel region is certainly of paramount importance for substrate recognition, residues in distal regions of the enzyme can also modulate substrate selectivity. To this end, we investigate variants that carry one or more substitutions within the substrate tunnel as well as in distal regions. Combining experimental determination of the substrate selectivity using natural and synthetic substrates with computational characterization of protein dynamics and of tunnels, we deconvolute the effect of key substitutions and demonstrate that epistatic interactions contribute to procuring selectivity toward either long-chain or short/medium-chain fatty acid esters. We demonstrate that various mechanisms contribute to the diverse selectivity profiles, ranging from reshaping tunnel morphology and tunnel stabilization to obstructing the main substrate-binding tunnel, highlighting the dynamic nature of the substrate-binding region. This work provides important insights into the versatility of this robust lipase toward diverse applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorea Alejaldre
- PROTEO,
The Québec Network for Research on Protein, Function, Engineering
and Applications, https://proteo.ca/en/
- CGCC, Center
in Green Chemistry and Catalysis, Montréal, QC, CanadaG1V 0A6
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaH3T 1J4
| | - Claudèle Lemay-St-Denis
- PROTEO,
The Québec Network for Research on Protein, Function, Engineering
and Applications, https://proteo.ca/en/
- CGCC, Center
in Green Chemistry and Catalysis, Montréal, QC, CanadaG1V 0A6
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaH3T 1J4
| | - Joelle N. Pelletier
- PROTEO,
The Québec Network for Research on Protein, Function, Engineering
and Applications, https://proteo.ca/en/
- CGCC, Center
in Green Chemistry and Catalysis, Montréal, QC, CanadaG1V 0A6
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaH3T 1J4
- Department
of Chemistry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaH2V 0B3
| | - Daniela Quaglia
- PROTEO,
The Québec Network for Research on Protein, Function, Engineering
and Applications, https://proteo.ca/en/
- CGCC, Center
in Green Chemistry and Catalysis, Montréal, QC, CanadaG1V 0A6
- Department
of Chemistry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaH2V 0B3
- Department
of Chemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, CanadaK1S 5B6
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6
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Abstract
Compounds that confer a bitter taste on fruits and vegetables (FAVs) play crucial roles in both plant defense and health promotion. This review details the current knowledge of the distribution, properties (toxicity, pharmacological effects and receptors) and environmental plant responses relating to the biosynthesis, catabolism and transcriptional regulation of 53 bitter plant metabolites in diverse species of FAVs. Some bitter compounds, such as flavonoids, are common in all plant species and make a minor contribution to bitter flavor, but many are synthesized only in specific taxa. They make major contributions to the bitter taste of the corresponding species and some also have significant pharmacological effects. Levels of bitter metabolites are genetically determined, but various environmental cues can affect their final concentration during preharvest development and postharvest storage processes. Molecular approaches are helping to unravel the mechanisms of biosynthesis and regulation of bitter compounds in diverse crop species. This review not only discusses the theoretical basis for utilizing breeding programs and other agricultural technologies to produce FAVs with improved safety, favorable taste and healthier profiles, but also suggests new directions for the utilization of bitter compounds in FAVs for the development of natural pesticides and health-promoting medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengyu Liu
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Donald Grierson
- Plant & Crop Sciences Division, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, UK
| | - Wanpeng Xi
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Horticulture Science for Southern Mountainous Regions, Chongqing, China
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7
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Xie D, Zhang Q, Xin L, Wang G, Liu C, Qin M. Cloning and Functional Characterization of Two Germacrene A Oxidases Isolated from Xanthium sibiricum. Molecules 2022; 27:3322. [PMID: 35630799 PMCID: PMC9145264 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27103322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) from the cocklebur Xanthium sibiricum exhibit significant anti-tumor activity. Although germacrene A oxidase (GAO), which catalyzes the production of Germacrene A acid (GAA) from germacrene A, an important precursor of germacrene-type STLs, has been reported, the remaining GAOs corresponding to various STLs’ biosynthesis pathways remain unidentified. In this study, 68,199 unigenes were studied in a de novo transcriptome assembly of X. sibiricum fruits. By comparison with previously published GAO sequences, two candidate X. sibiricum GAO gene sequences, XsGAO1 (1467 bp) and XsGAO2 (1527 bp), were identified, cloned, and predicted to encode 488 and 508 amino acids, respectively. Their protein structure, motifs, sequence similarity, and phylogenetic position were similar to those of other GAO proteins. They were most strongly expressed in fruits, according to a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and both XsGAO proteins were localized in the mitochondria of tobacco leaf epidermal cells. The two XsGAO genes were cloned into the expression vector for eukaryotic expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the enzyme reaction products were detected by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods. The results indicated that both XsGAO1 and XsGAO2 catalyzed the two-step conversion of germacrene A (GA) to GAA, meaning they are unlike classical GAO enzymes, which catalyze a three-step conversion of GA to GAA. This cloning and functional study of two GAO genes from X. sibiricum provides a useful basis for further elucidation of the STL biosynthesis pathway in X. sibiricum.
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8
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Park J, Han F, Lee IS. Biotransformation of (-)-α-Bisabolol by Absidia coerulea. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27030881. [PMID: 35164145 PMCID: PMC8840173 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27030881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
(−)-α-Bisabolol, a bioactive monocyclic sesquiterpene alcohol, has been used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and skin-caring properties. However, the poor water solubility of (−)-α-bisabolol limits its pharmaceutical applications. It has been recognized that microbial transformation is a very useful approach to generate more polar metabolites. Fifteen microorganisms were screened for their ability to metabolize (−)-α-bisabolol in order to obtain its more polar derivatives, and the filamentous fungus Absidia coerulea was selected for scale-up fermentation. Seven new and four known metabolites were obtained from biotransformation of (−)-α-bisabolol (1), and all the metabolites exhibited higher aqueous solubility than that of the parent compound 1. The structures of newly formed metabolites were established as (1R,5R,7S)- and (1R,5S,7S)-5-hydroxy-α-bisabolol (2 and 3), (1R,5R,7S,10S)-5-hydroxybisabolol oxide B (4), (1R,7S,10S)-1-hydroxybisabolol oxide B (5), 12-hydroxy-α-bisabolol (7), (1S,3R,4S,7S)- and (1S,3S,4S,7S)-3,4-dihydroxy-α-bisabolol (8 and 10) on the basis of spectroscopic analyses. These compounds could also be used as reference standards for the detection and identification of the metabolic products of 1 in the mammalian system.
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9
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Cankar K, Hakkert JC, Sevenier R, Campo E, Schipper B, Papastolopoulou C, Vahabi K, Tissier A, Bundock P, Bosch D. CRISPR/Cas9 targeted inactivation of the kauniolide synthase in chicory results in accumulation of costunolide and its conjugates in taproots. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:940003. [PMID: 36105709 PMCID: PMC9465254 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.940003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Chicory taproots accumulate sesquiterpene lactones lactucin, lactucopicrin, and 8-deoxylactucin, predominantly in their oxalated forms. The biosynthetic pathway for chicory sesquiterpene lactones has only partly been elucidated; the enzymes that convert farnesyl pyrophosphate to costunolide have been described. The next biosynthetic step of the conversion of costunolide to the tricyclic structure, guaianolide kauniolide, has so far not been elucidated in chicory. In this work three putative kauniolide synthase genes were identified in chicory named CiKLS1, CiKLS2, and CiKLS3. Their activity to convert costunolide to kauniolide was demonstrated in vitro using yeast microsome assays. Next, introduction of CRISPR/Cas9 reagents into chicory protoplasts was used to inactivate multiple chicory KLS genes and several chicory lines were successfully regenerated. The inactivation of the kauniolide synthase genes in chicory by the CRISPR/Cas9 approach resulted in interruption of the sesquiterpene lactone biosynthesis in chicory leaves and taproots. In chicory taproots, but not in leaves, accumulation of costunolide and its conjugates was observed to high levels, namely 1.5 mg/g FW. These results confirmed that all three genes contribute to STL accumulation, albeit to different extent. These observations demonstrate that three genes oriented in tandem on the chicory genome encode kauniolide synthases that initiate the conversion of costunolide toward the sesquiterpene lactones in chicory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Cankar
- Wageningen Plant Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Katarina Cankar,
| | | | | | - Eva Campo
- Wageningen Plant Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Bert Schipper
- Wageningen Plant Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Khabat Vahabi
- Department of Cell and Metabolic Biology, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Alain Tissier
- Department of Cell and Metabolic Biology, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Dirk Bosch
- Wageningen Plant Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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10
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Abstract
While nepetalactone, the active ingredient in catnip, is a potent insect repellent, its low in planta accumulation limits its commercial viability as an alternative repellent. Here we describe for the first time de novo nepetalactone synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, enabling sustainable and scalable production. Nepetalactone production required introducing eight exogenous genes including the cytochrome P450 geraniol-8-hydroxylase, the bottleneck of the heterologous pathway. Combinatorial assessment of geraniol-8-hydroxylase and cytochrome P450 reductase variants, and copy-number variations were used to overcome this bottleneck. We found that several reductases improved hydroxylation activity and increasing geraniol-8-hydroxylase gene copy number improved 8-hydroxygeraniol titers. The accumulation of an unwanted metabolite implied inefficient channeling of carbon through the pathway. With the native yeast old yellow enzymes previously shown to use monoterpene intermediates as substrates, both homologues were deleted. These deletions increased 8-hydroxygeraniol yield, resulting in 3.10 mg/L/OD600 of nepetalactone from simple sugar in microtiter plates. This optimized pathway will benefit the development of high yielding strains for the scale up production of nepetalactone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan E. Davies
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Daniel Tsyplenkov
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Vincent J. J. Martin
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
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11
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Baek S, Utomo JC, Lee JY, Dalal K, Yoon YJ, Ro DK. The yeast platform engineered for synthetic gRNA-landing pads enables multiple gene integrations by a single gRNA/Cas9 system. Metab Eng 2021; 64:111-121. [PMID: 33549837 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2021.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a versatile microbial platform to build synthetic metabolic pathways for production of diverse chemicals. To expedite the construction of complex metabolic pathways by multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 genome-edit, eight desirable intergenic loci, located adjacent to highly expressed genes selected from top 100 expressers, were identified and fully characterized for three criteria after integrating green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene - CRISPR-mediated GFP integration efficiency, expression competency assessed by levels of GFP fluorescence, and assessing growth rates of GFP integrated strains. Five best performing intergenic loci were selected to build a multiplex CRISPR platform, and a synthetic 23-bp DNA comprised of 20-bp synthetic DNA with a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) was integrated into the five loci using CRISPR-Cas9 in a sequential manner. This process resulted in five different yeast strains harbouring 1-5 synthetic gRNA-binding sites in their genomes. Using these pre-engineered yeast strains, simultaneous integrations of 2-, 3-, 4-, or 5-genes to the targeted loci were demonstrated with efficiencies from 85% to 98% using beet pigment betalain (3-gene pathway), hygromycin and geneticin resistance markers. Integrations of the multiple, foreign genes in the targeted loci with 100% precision were validated by genotyping. Finally, we further developed the strain to have 6th synthetic gRNA-binding site, and the resulting yeast strain was used to generate a yeast strain producing a sesquiterpene lactone, kauniolide by simultaneous 6-gene integrations. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a single gRNA-mediated CRISPR platform to build complex metabolic pathways in yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihyun Baek
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N1N4, Canada
| | | | - Ji Young Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Kunal Dalal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N1N4, Canada
| | - Yeo Joon Yoon
- Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Kyun Ro
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N1N4, Canada.
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12
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Rahimi M, Bouwmeester H. Are sesquiterpene lactones the elusive KARRIKIN-INSENSITIVE2 ligand? Planta 2021; 253:54. [PMID: 33521891 PMCID: PMC7847861 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-021-03571-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION The sunflower sesquiterpene lactones 8-epixanthatin and tomentosin can bind to the hydrophobic pocket of sunflower KAI2 with an affinity much higher than for the exogenous ligand KAR. Sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) are secondary plant metabolites with a wide range of biological, such as anti-microbial, activities. Intriguingly, the STLs have also been implicated in plant development: in several Asteraceae, STL levels correlate with the photo-inhibition of hypocotyl elongation. Although this effect was suggested to be due to auxin transport inhibition, there is no structural-functional evidence for this claim. Intriguingly, the light-induced inhibition of hypocotyl elongation in Arabidopsis has been ascribed to HYPOSENSITIVE TO LIGHT/KARRIKIN-INSENSITIVE2 (HTL/KAI2) signaling. KAI2 was discovered because of its affinity to the smoke-derived karrikin (KAR), though it is generally assumed that KAI2 has another, endogenous but so far elusive, ligand rather than the exogenous KARs. Here, we postulate that the effect of STLs on hypocotyl elongation is mediated through KAI2 signaling. To support this hypothesis, we have generated homology models of the sunflower KAI2s (HaKAI2s) and used them for molecular docking studies with STLs. Our results show that particularly two sunflower STLs, 8-epixanthatin and tomentosin, can bind to the hydrophobic pockets of HaKAI2s with high affinity. Our results are in line with a recent study, showing that these two STLs accumulate in the light-exposed hypocotyls of sunflower. This finding sheds light on the effect of STLs in hypocotyl elongation that has been reported for many decades but without conclusive insight in the elusive mechanism underlying this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehran Rahimi
- Plant Hormone Biology Group, Green Life Sciences Cluster, Swammerdam Institute for Life Science, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Harro Bouwmeester
- Plant Hormone Biology Group, Green Life Sciences Cluster, Swammerdam Institute for Life Science, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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13
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Wang X, Meng J, Deng L, Wang Y, Liu H, Yao JL, Nieuwenhuizen NJ, Wang Z, Zeng W. Diverse Functions of IAA-Leucine Resistant PpILR1 Provide a Genic Basis for Auxin-Ethylene Crosstalk During Peach Fruit Ripening. Front Plant Sci 2021; 12:655758. [PMID: 34054901 PMCID: PMC8149794 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.655758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Auxin and ethylene play critical roles in the ripening of peach (Prunus persica) fruit; however, the interaction between these two phytohormones is complex and not fully understood. Here, we isolated a peach ILR gene, PpILR1, which encodes an indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-amino hydrolase. Functional analyses revealed that PpILR1 acts as a transcriptional activator of 1-amino cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (PpACS1), and hydrolyzes auxin substrates to release free auxin. When Cys137 was changed to Ser137, PpILR1 failed to show hydrolase activity but continued to function as a transcriptional activator of PpACS1 in tobacco and peach transient expression assays. Furthermore, transgenic tomato plants overexpressing PpILR1 exhibited ethylene- and strigolactone-related phenotypes, including premature pedicel abscission, leaf and petiole epinasty, and advanced fruit ripening, which are consistent with increased expression of genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis and fruit ripening, as well as suppression of branching and growth of internodes (related to strigolactone biosynthesis). Collectively, these results provide novel insights into the role of IAA-amino acid hydrolases in plants, and position the PpILR1 protein at the junction of auxin and ethylene pathways during peach fruit ripening. These results could have substantial implications on peach fruit cultivation and storage in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobei Wang
- Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Junren Meng
- Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Li Deng
- Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jia-Long Yao
- Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Zhiqiang Wang
- Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
- Zhiqiang Wang
| | - Wenfang Zeng
- Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wenfang Zeng
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14
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Spring O, Schmauder K, Lackus ND, Schreiner J, Meier C, Wellhausen J, Smith LV, Frey M. Spatial and developmental synthesis of endogenous sesquiterpene lactones supports function in growth regulation of sunflower. Planta 2020; 252:2. [PMID: 32504343 PMCID: PMC7275010 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-020-03409-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Tissue-specific occurrence and formation of endogenous sesquiterpene lactones has been assessed and suggests physiological function as antagonists of auxin-induced plant growth in sunflower. Sunflower, Helianthus annuus, accumulate high concentrations of bioactive sesquiterpene lactones (STL) in glandular trichomes, but in addition, structurally different STL occur in only trace amounts in the inner tissues. The spatial and temporal production of these endogenous STL during early phases of plant development is widely unknown and their physiological function as putative natural growth regulators is yet speculative. By means of HPLC and MS analysis it was shown that costunolide, dehydrocostuslactone, 8-epixanthatin and tomentosin are already present in dry seeds and can be extracted in low amounts from cotyledons, hypocotyls and roots of seedlings during the first days after germination. Semi-quantitative and RT-qPCR experiments with genes of the key enzymes of two independent routes of the endogenous STL biosynthesis confirmed the early and individual expression in these organs and revealed a gradual down regulation during the first 72-96 h after germination. Light irradiation of the plants led to a fast, but transient increase of STL in parts of the hypocotyl which correlated with growth retardation of the stem. One-sided external application of costunolide on hypocotyls conferred reduced growth of the treated side, thus resulting in the curving of the stem towards the side of the application. This indicates the inhibiting effects of STL on plant growth. The putative function of endogenous STL in sunflower as antagonists of auxin in growth processes is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otmar Spring
- Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 30, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Katharina Schmauder
- Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 30, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Nathalie D Lackus
- Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 30, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Jasmin Schreiner
- Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 30, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Carolin Meier
- Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 30, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Jan Wellhausen
- Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 30, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Lisa V Smith
- Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 30, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Maximilian Frey
- Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 30, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany
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15
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Frey M. Traps and Pitfalls-Unspecific Reactions in Metabolic Engineering of Sesquiterpenoid Pathways. Molecules 2020; 25:E1935. [PMID: 32331245 PMCID: PMC7221646 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25081935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The characterization of plant enzymes by expression in prokaryotic and eukaryotic (yeast and plants) heterologous hosts has widely been used in recent decades to elucidate metabolic pathways in plant secondary metabolism. Yeast and plant systems provide the cellular environment of a eukaryotic cell and the subcellular compartmentalization necessary to facilitate enzyme function. The expression of candidate genes in these cell systems and the identification of the resulting products guide the way for the identification of enzymes with new functions. However, in many cases, the detected compounds are not the direct enzyme products but are caused by unspecific subsequent reactions. Even if the mechanisms for these unspecific reactions are in many cases widely reported, there is a lack of overview of potential reactions that may occur to provide a guideline for researchers working on the characterization of new enzymes. Here, an across-the-board summary of rearrangement reactions of sesquiterpenes in metabolic pathway engineering is presented. The different kinds of unspecific reactions as well as their chemical and cellular background are explained and strategies how to spot and how to avoid these unspecific reactions are given. Also, a systematic approach of classification of unspecific reactions is introduced. It is hoped that this mini-review will stimulate a discussion on how to systematically classify unspecific reactions in metabolic engineering and to expand this approach to other classes of plant secondary metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Frey
- Institute of Biology, Dept. of Biochemistry of Plant Secondary Metabolism (190b), University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 30, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany
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16
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Abstract
From structure elucidation and biogenesis to synthetic methodology and total synthesis, terpene natural products have profoundly influenced the development of organic chemistry. Moreover, their myriad functional attributes range from fragrance to pharmaceuticals and have had great societal impact. Ruzicka's formulation of the "biogenetic isoprene rule," a Nobel Prize winning discovery now over 80 years old, allowed for identification of higher order terpene (aka "isoprenoid") structures from simple five-carbon isoprene fragments. Notably, the isoprene rule still holds pedagogical value to students of organic chemistry today. Our laboratory has completed syntheses of over two dozen terpene and meroterpene structures to date, and the isoprene rule has served as a key pattern recognition tool for our synthetic planning purposes. At the strategic level, great opportunity exists in finding unique and synthetically simplifying ways to connect the formal C5 isoprene fragments embedded in terpenes. Biomimetic cationic polyene cyclizations represent the earliest incarnation of this idea, which has facilitated expedient routes to certain terpene polycycle classes. Nonetheless, a large swath of terpene chemical space remains inaccessible using this approach.In this Account, we describe strategic insight into our endeavors in terpene synthesis published over the last five years. We show how biosynthetic understanding, combined with a desire to utilize abundant and inexpensive [C5]n building blocks, has led to efficient, abiotic syntheses of multiple complex terpenes with disparate ring systems. Informed by nature, but unconstrained by its processes, our synthetic assembly exploits chemical reactivity across diverse reaction types-including radical, anionic, pericyclic, and metal-mediated transformations.First, we detail an eight-step synthesis of the cembrane diterpene chatancin from dihydrofarnesal using a bioinspired-but not -mimetic-cycloaddition. Next, we describe the assembly of the antimalarial cardamom peroxide using a polyoxygenation cascade to fuse multiple units of molecular oxygen onto a dimeric skeleton. This three-to-four-step synthesis arises from (-)-myrtenal, an inexpensive pinene oxidation product. We then show how a radical cyclization cascade can forge the hallmark cyclooctane ring system of the complex sesterterpene 6-epi-ophiobolin N from two simple polyprenyl precursors, (-)-linalool and farnesol. To access the related, more complex metabolite 6-epi-ophiobolin A, we exploited the plasticity of our synthetic route and found that use of geraniol (C10) rather than farnesol (C15) gave us the flexibility needed to address the additional oxidation found in this congener. Following this work, we describe two strategies to access several guaianolide sesquiterpenes. Retrosynthetic disconnection to monoterpenes, carvone or (-)-linalool, coupled with a powerful allylation strategy allowed us to address guaianolides with disparate stereochemical motifs. Finally, we examine a semisynthetic approach to the illicium sesquiterpenes from the abundant 15-carbon feedstock terpene (+)-cedrol using an abiotic ring shift and multiple C-H oxidation reactions inspired by a postulated biosynthesis of this natural product class.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Danny Q. Thach
- Department of Chemistry, University of California—Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Karl T. Haelsig
- Department of Chemistry, University of California—Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Thomas J. Maimone
- Department of Chemistry, University of California—Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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17
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Bogdanović M, Cankar K, Dragićević M, Bouwmeester H, Beekwilder J, Simonović A, Todorović S. Silencing of germacrene A synthase genes reduces guaianolide oxalate content in Cichorium intybus L. GM Crops Food 2019; 11:54-66. [PMID: 31668117 PMCID: PMC7064209 DOI: 10.1080/21645698.2019.1681868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is a medicinal and industrial plant from the Asteraceae family that produces a variety of sesquiterpene lactones (STLs), most importantly bitter guaianolides: lactucin, lactucopicrin and 8-deoxylactucin as well as their modified forms such as oxalates. These compounds have medicinal properties; however, they also hamper the extraction of inulin - a very important food industry product from chicory roots. The first step in guaianolide biosynthesis is catalyzed by germacrene A synthase (GAS) which in chicory exists in two isoforms - GAS long (encoded by CiGASlo) and GAS short (encoded by CiGASsh). AmiRNA silencing was used to obtain plants with reduced GAS gene expression and level of downstream metabolites, guaianolide-15-oxalates, as the major STLs in chicory. This approach could be beneficial for engineering new chicory varieties with varying STL content, and especially varieties with reduced bitter compounds more suitable for inulin production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milica Bogdanović
- Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”- National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
| | | | - Milan Dragićević
- Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”- National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
| | - Harro Bouwmeester
- Plant Hormone Biology group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ana Simonović
- Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”- National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
| | - Slađana Todorović
- Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”- National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
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18
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Hu X, Musacchio AJ, Shen X, Tao Y, Maimone TJ. Allylative Approaches to the Synthesis of Complex Guaianolide Sesquiterpenes from Apiaceae and Asteraceae. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:14904-14915. [PMID: 31448610 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b08001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
With hundreds of unique members isolated to date, guaianolide lactones represent a particularly prolific class of terpene natural products. Given their extensive documented therapeutic properties and fascinating chemical structures, these metabolites have captivated the synthetic chemistry community for many decades. As a result of divergent biosynthetic pathways, which produce a wide array of stereochemical and oxidative permutations, a unifying synthetic pathway to this broad family of natural products is challenging. Herein we document the evolution of a chiral-pool-based synthetic program aimed at accessing an assortment of guaianolides, particularly those from the plant family Apiaceae as well as Asteraceae, members of which possess distinct chemical substructures and necessitate deviating synthetic platforms. An initial route employing the linear monoterpene linalool generated a lower oxidation state guaianolide but was not compatible with the majority of family members. A double-allylation disconnection using a carvone-derived fragment was then developed to access first an Asteraceae-type guaianolide and then various Apiaceae congeners. Finally, using these findings in conjunction with a tandem polyoxygenation cascade, we developed a pathway to highly oxygenated nortrilobolide. A variety of interesting observations in metal-mediated aldehyde allylation and alkene polyoxygenation are reported and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Thomas J Maimone
- Department of Chemistry , University of California, Berkeley , 826 Latimer Hall , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
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19
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Beyraghdar Kashkooli A, van der Krol AR, Rabe P, Dickschat JS, Bouwmeester H. Substrate promiscuity of enzymes from the sesquiterpene biosynthetic pathways from Artemisia annua and Tanacetum parthenium allows for novel combinatorial sesquiterpene production. Metab Eng 2019; 54:12-23. [PMID: 30822491 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2019.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The therapeutic properties of complex terpenes often depend on the stereochemistry of their functional groups. However, stereospecific chemical synthesis of terpenes is challenging. To overcome this challenge, metabolic engineering can be employed using enzymes with suitable stereospecific catalytic activity. Here we used a combinatorial metabolic engineering approach to explore the stereospecific modification activity of the Artemisia annua artemisinic aldehyde ∆11(13) double bond reductase2 (AaDBR2) on products of the feverfew sesquiterpene biosynthesis pathway (GAS, GAO, COS and PTS). This allowed us to produce dihydrocostunolide and dihydroparthenolide. For dihydroparthenolide we demonstrate that the preferred order of biosynthesis of dihydroparthenolide is by reduction of the exocyclic methylene of parthenolide, rather than through C4-C5 epoxidation of dihydrocostunolide. Moreover, we demonstrate a promiscuous activity of feverfew CYP71CB1 on dihydrocostunolide and dihydroparthenolide for the production of 3β-hydroxy-dihydrocostunolide and 3β-hydroxy-dihydroparthenolide, respectively. Combined, these results offer new opportunities for engineering novel sesquiterpene lactones with potentially improved medicinal value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arman Beyraghdar Kashkooli
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander R van der Krol
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick Rabe
- Kekulé-Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Straße 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jeroen S Dickschat
- Kekulé-Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Straße 1, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | - Harro Bouwmeester
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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