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Dixon RA, Dickinson AJ. A century of studying plant secondary metabolism-From "what?" to "where, how, and why?". Plant Physiol 2024; 195:48-66. [PMID: 38163637 PMCID: PMC11060662 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad596] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Over the past century, early advances in understanding the identity of the chemicals that collectively form a living plant have led scientists to deeper investigations exploring where these molecules localize, how they are made, and why they are synthesized in the first place. Many small molecules are specific to the plant kingdom and have been termed plant secondary metabolites, despite the fact that they can play primary and essential roles in plant structure, development, and response to the environment. The past 100 yr have witnessed elucidation of the structure, function, localization, and biosynthesis of selected plant secondary metabolites. Nevertheless, many mysteries remain about the vast diversity of chemicals produced by plants and their roles in plant biology. From early work characterizing unpurified plant extracts, to modern integration of 'omics technology to discover genes in metabolite biosynthesis and perception, research in plant (bio)chemistry has produced knowledge with substantial benefits for society, including human medicine and agricultural biotechnology. Here, we review the history of this work and offer suggestions for future areas of exploration. We also highlight some of the recently developed technologies that are leading to ongoing research advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Dixon
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | - Alexandra Jazz Dickinson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Juteršek M, Gerasymenko IM, Petek M, Haumann E, Vacas S, Kallam K, Gianoglio S, Navarro-Llopis V, Heethoff M, Fuertes IN, Patron N, Orzáez D, Gruden K, Warzecha H, Baebler Š. Transcriptome-informed identification and characterization of Planococcus citri cis- and trans-isoprenyl diphosphate synthase genes. iScience 2024; 27:109441. [PMID: 38523795 PMCID: PMC10960109 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109441] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Insect physiology and reproduction depend on several terpenoid compounds, whose biosynthesis is mainly unknown. One enigmatic group of insect monoterpenoids are mealybug sex pheromones, presumably resulting from the irregular coupling activity of unidentified isoprenyl diphosphate synthases (IDSs). Here, we performed a comprehensive search for IDS coding sequences of the pest mealybug Planococcus citri. We queried the available genomic and newly generated short- and long-read P. citri transcriptomic data and identified 18 putative IDS genes, whose phylogenetic analysis indicates several gene family expansion events. In vitro testing confirmed regular short-chain coupling activity with five gene products. With the candidate with highest IDS activity, we also detected low amounts of irregular coupling products, and determined amino acid residues important for chain-length preference and irregular coupling activity. This work therefore provides an important foundation for deciphering terpenoid biosynthesis in mealybugs, including the sex pheromone biosynthesis in P. citri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojca Juteršek
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Iryna M. Gerasymenko
- Plant Biotechnology and Metabolic Engineering, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Marko Petek
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Elisabeth Haumann
- Plant Biotechnology and Metabolic Engineering, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Sandra Vacas
- Instituto Agroforestal del Mediterráneo-CEQA, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, Valencia, Spain
| | - Kalyani Kallam
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Silvia Gianoglio
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) - Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Vicente Navarro-Llopis
- Instituto Agroforestal del Mediterráneo-CEQA, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, Valencia, Spain
| | - Michael Heethoff
- Animal Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Nicola Patron
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Diego Orzáez
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) - Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Kristina Gruden
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Heribert Warzecha
- Plant Biotechnology and Metabolic Engineering, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Špela Baebler
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Smit SJ, Ayten S, Radzikowska BA, Hamilton JP, Langer S, Unsworth WP, Larson TR, Buell CR, Lichman BR. The genomic and enzymatic basis for iridoid biosynthesis in cat thyme (Teucrium marum). Plant J 2024. [PMID: 38489316 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16698] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Iridoids are non-canonical monoterpenoids produced by both insects and plants. An example is the cat-attracting and insect-repelling volatile iridoid nepetalactone, produced by Nepeta sp. (catmint) and aphids. Recently, both nepetalactone biosynthetic pathways were elucidated, showing a remarkable convergent evolution. The iridoid, dolichodial, produced by Teucrium marum (cat thyme) and multiple insect species, has highly similar properties to nepetalactone but its biosynthetic origin remains unknown. We set out to determine the genomic, enzymatic, and evolutionary basis of iridoid biosynthesis in T. marum. First, we generated a de novo chromosome-scale genome assembly for T. marum using Oxford Nanopore Technologies long reads and proximity-by-ligation Hi-C reads. The 610.3 Mb assembly spans 15 pseudomolecules with a 32.9 Mb N50 scaffold size. This enabled identification of iridoid biosynthetic genes, whose roles were verified via activity assays. Phylogenomic analysis revealed that the evolutionary history of T. marum iridoid synthase, the iridoid scaffold-forming enzyme, is not orthologous to typical iridoid synthases but is derived from its conserved paralog. We discovered an enzymatic route from nepetalactol to diverse iridoids through the coupled activity of an iridoid oxidase cytochrome P450 and acetyltransferases, via an inferred acylated intermediate. This work provides a genomic resource for specialized metabolite research in mints and demonstration of the role of acetylation in T. marum iridoid diversity. This work will enable future biocatalytic or biosynthetic production of potent insect repellents, as well as comparative studies into iridoid biosynthesis in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Smit
- Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Sefa Ayten
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, & Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Barbara A Radzikowska
- Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - John P Hamilton
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
- Department of Crop & Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Swen Langer
- Bioscience Technology Facility, Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | | | - Tony R Larson
- Bioscience Technology Facility, Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - C Robin Buell
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, & Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
- Department of Crop & Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Benjamin R Lichman
- Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
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Ji J, Shi Q, Zhang K, Chen L, Zhu X, Li D, Gao X, Niu L, Wang L, Luo J, Cui J. Sexually dimorphic morphology, feeding behavior and gene expression profiles in cotton aphid Aphis gossypii. Pest Manag Sci 2023; 79:5152-5161. [PMID: 37642384 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7718] [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: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual dimorphism exists in most insects; however, less is known about sexual dimorphism in aphids. In this study, we identified sexually dimorphic differences in morphology, feeding behavior and gene expression between sexual females and males of the cotton aphid through electron microscopy, electrical penetration graph techniques and RNA sequencing. RESULTS All males were alate with a slender reddish-yellow body and abdominal yellow-black stripes, whereas all sexual females were apterous with a pudgy green body. Sensillum types on the antennae were identical between the two sexes, although males had more sensilla, possibly because the antennae are significantly longer in males compared with sexual females. In terms of feeding behavior, males spent more time probing mesophyll cells and the phloem sieve, and salivating into the phloem sieve. By contrast, sexual females spent more time ingesting xylem sap. In total, 510 and 724 genes were specifically expressed in sexual females and males, respectively, and were significantly enriched in signaling pathways related to reproduction for sexual females (e.g. ovarian steroidogenesis, oxytocin signaling pathway) and energy and flight for males (e.g. thermogenesis, insulin signaling pathway). Moreover, 8551 differentially expressed genes were identified between the two sexes, of which the 3720 upregulated genes in sexual females were mostly enriched in signaling pathways of metabolism and energy, such as thermogenesis and the citrate cycle. CONCLUSION This study provides insight into sexual dimorphism in aphids and lays a foundation for revealing the molecular mechanism underlying differences between the two sexes in cotton aphid. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jichao Ji
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Qingyu Shi
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Kaixin Zhang
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Lulu Chen
- College of Agronomy, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
| | - Xiangzhen Zhu
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Dongyang Li
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Xueke Gao
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Lin Niu
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Li Wang
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Junyu Luo
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Jinjie Cui
- Zhengzhou Research Base, National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
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Song X, Qin YG, Zhang YH, Zhou YB, Li ZX. Farnesyl/geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases regulate the biosynthesis of alarm pheromone in a unique manner in the vetch aphid Megoura viciae. Insect Mol Biol 2023; 32:229-239. [PMID: 36533988 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12826] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Farnesyl/geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases (FPPS/GGPPS) as the short-chain prenyltransferases catalyse the formation of the acyclic precursors (E)-FPP and (E)-GGPP for isoprenoid biosynthesis. Here, we first cloned the cDNAs encoding FPPS and GGPPS in the vetch aphid Megoura viciae (designated as MvFPPS and MvGGPPS). They had an open reading frame of 1185 and 930 bp in length, encoding 395 and 309 amino acids, with a theoretical isoelectric point of 6.52 and 6.21, respectively. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that MvFPPS and MvGGPPS shared the conserved aspartate-rich motifs characterized by all prenyltransferases identified to date and were clustered with their homologues in two large clades. RNA interference (RNAi) combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed that both MvFPPS and MvGGPPS were involved in the biosynthesis of alarm pheromone. Spatiotemporal expression profiling showed that the expression of MvFPPS and MvGGPPS was significantly higher in embryos than in other tissues. RNAi and GC-MS performed specifically in embryos corroborated the function of MvFPPS and MvGGPPS. In vitro, enzymatic activity assay and product analysis demonstrated that MvFPPS could catalysed the formation of (E)-FPP using DMAPP or (E)-GPP as the allylic cosubstrates in the presence of IPP, while MvGGPPS could only use (E)-GPP or (E)-FPP as cosubstrates. Functional interaction analysis using RNAi revealed that MvGGPPS exerts unidirectional functional compensation for MvFPPS. Moreover, it can regulate the biosynthesis of alarm pheromone by imposing a negative feedback regulation on MvFPPS. Our study helps to understand the molecular regulatory mechanism of terpenoid biosynthesis in the aphid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Song
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Laboratory for Monitoring and Environment-Friendly Control of Crop Pests, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yao-Guo Qin
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Laboratory for Monitoring and Environment-Friendly Control of Crop Pests, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi-Han Zhang
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Laboratory for Monitoring and Environment-Friendly Control of Crop Pests, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Bei Zhou
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Laboratory for Monitoring and Environment-Friendly Control of Crop Pests, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zheng-Xi Li
- Department of Entomology and MOA Key Laboratory for Monitoring and Environment-Friendly Control of Crop Pests, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Schuhmacher M, Hoogendoorn S. Out With a Bang: Celebrating Global Chemical Biology. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:218-222. [PMID: 36648442 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
On November 8-10, 2022, 163 participants from all over the world gathered at the Campus Biotech in Geneva, Switzerland to share in the latest research in chemical biology. The fourth international symposium of the Swiss National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical Biology coincided with the end of this successful research consortium, and as such this event marked a celebration of the past 12 years of chemical biology research in Switzerland. The inspiring talks delivered by the 15 well-known scientists, balanced in gender, expertise, and geographic location, as well as the numerous poster presentations by junior scientists showcased the breadth of global chemical biology and the bright future ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Schuhmacher
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sascha Hoogendoorn
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
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