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Malik AH, Khurshaid N, Shabir N, Ashraf N. Transcriptome wide identification, characterization and expression analysis of PHD gene family in Crocus sativus. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 2024; 30:81-91. [PMID: 38435850 PMCID: PMC10902251 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-024-01410-3] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Crocus sativus L., of the Iridaceae family, yields world's most prized spice, saffron. Saffron is well known for its distinctive aroma, odour and colour, which are imputed to the presence of some specific glycosylated apocarotenoids. Even though the main biosynthetic pathway and most of the enzymes leading to apocarotenoid production have been identified, the regulatory mechanisms that govern the developmental stage and tissue specific production of apocarotenoids in Crocus remain comparatively unravelled. Towards this, we report identification, and characterization of plant homeodomain (PHD) finger transcription factor family in Crocus sativus. We also report cloning and characterisation of CstPHD27 from C. sativus. CstPHD27 recorded highest expression in stigma throughout flower development. CstPHD27 exhibited expression pattern which corresponded to the apocarotenoid accumulation in Crocus stigmas. CstPHD27 is nuclear localized and transcriptionally active in yeast Y187 strain. Over-expression of CstPHD27 in Crocus stigmas enhanced apocarotenoid content by upregulating the biosynthetic pathway genes. This report on PHD finger transcription factor family from C. sativus may offer a basis for elucidating role of this gene family in this traditionally and industrially prized crop. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-024-01410-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubid Hussain Malik
- Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Division, CSIR—Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190005 India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002 India
| | - Nargis Khurshaid
- Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Division, CSIR—Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190005 India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002 India
| | - Najwa Shabir
- Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Division, CSIR—Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190005 India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002 India
| | - Nasheeman Ashraf
- Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Division, CSIR—Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir 190005 India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002 India
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Morote L, Rubio-Moraga Á, López-Jiménez AJ, Argandoña J, Niza E, Ahrazem O, Gómez-Gómez L. A carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4 from Paulownia tomentosa determines visual and aroma signals in flowers. Plant Sci 2023; 329:111609. [PMID: 36737005 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Paulownia tomentosa is an economically important fast-growing tree, and its flowers and fruits are a rich source of biologically active secondary metabolites. In addition, the flowers of P. tomentosa are distinguished by a strong aroma and are also excellent nectariferous plants. The flowers are pale lilac and characterized by the presence of yellow nectar guides, whose color changes during the development of the flower, representing reliable signals to pollinators while enhancing reproductive success. The chemical analyses of the nectar guides revealed the presence of carotenoids as the pigments responsible for the observed coloration, with β-carotene levels determining the color changes observed after anthesis, with a reduction at anthesis and further increase and accumulation in post anthesis. To understand how β-carotene accumulation was controlled in the nectar guides, the expression of genes related to carotenoid biosynthesis and metabolism was analyzed. Carotenogenic gene expression was not associated with the observed changes in β-carotene during flower development. However, the expression of a gene encoding a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase, CCD4-4, was co-related with the levels of β-carotene in the nectar guides. In addition, CCD4-4 cleavage β-carotene at C9-C10 and C9'-C10' positions, resulting in the generation of β-ionone, which was detected in flowers at anthesis. The obtained results indicated a developmental stage specific regulation of apocarotenoid formation through β-carotene cleavage, resulting in color changes and volatile production as key traits for plant-pollinator interactions. DATA AVAILABILITY: Data will be made available on request.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Morote
- Instituto Botánico, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Ángela Rubio-Moraga
- Instituto Botánico, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain; Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y de Montes y Biotecnología, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Alberto José López-Jiménez
- Instituto Botánico, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain; Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y de Montes y Biotecnología, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Javier Argandoña
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y de Montes y Biotecnología, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Enrique Niza
- Instituto Botánico, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain; Facultad de Farmacia, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Oussama Ahrazem
- Instituto Botánico, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain; Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y de Montes y Biotecnología, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - Lourdes Gómez-Gómez
- Instituto Botánico, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain; Facultad de Farmacia, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain.
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Meng K, Eldar-Liebreich M, Nawade B, Yahyaa M, Shaltiel-Harpaz L, Coll M, Sadeh A, Ibdah M. Analysis of apocarotenoid volatiles from lettuce ( Lactuca sativa) induced by insect herbivores and characterization of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase gene. 3 Biotech 2023; 13:94. [PMID: 36845074 PMCID: PMC9943837 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03511-4] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant apocarotenoids have been shown to have a diverse biological role in herbivore-plant interactions. Despite their importance, little is known about herbivores' effect on apocarotenoid emissions in Lactuca sativa. In this study, we examined changes in apocarotenoid emissions in lettuce leaves after infestation by two insects, viz., Spodoptera littoralis larvae and Myzus persicae aphids. We found that β-ionone and β-cyclocitral showed higher concentrations than the other apocarotenoids, with a significant increase as per the intensity of infestation of both herbivore species. Furthermore, we performed functional characterization of Lactuca sativa carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 1 (LsCCD1) genes. Three LsCCD1 genes were overexpressed in E. coli strains, and recombinant proteins were assayed for cleavage activity on an array of carotenoid substrates. The LsCCD1 protein cleaved β-carotene at the 9,10 (9',10') positions producing β-ionone. The transcript analysis of LsCCD1 genes revealed differential expression patterns under varying levels of herbivores' infestation, but the results were inconsistent with the pattern of β-ionone concentrations. Our results suggest that LsCCD1 is involved in the production of β-ionone, but other regulatory factors might be involved in its induction in response to herbivory. These results provide new insights into apocarotenoid production in response to insect herbivory in lettuce. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03511-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Meng
- Plant Sciences Institute, Newe Yaar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Ramat Yishay, 30095 Israel
- Present Address: Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Michal Eldar-Liebreich
- Agroecology Lab, Department of Natural Resources, Newe Yaar Research Center, ARO, Ramat Yishay, 30095 Israel
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot , 7610001 Israel
| | - Bhagwat Nawade
- Plant Sciences Institute, Newe Yaar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Ramat Yishay, 30095 Israel
| | - Mosaab Yahyaa
- Plant Sciences Institute, Newe Yaar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Ramat Yishay, 30095 Israel
| | | | - Moshe Coll
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot , 7610001 Israel
| | - Asaf Sadeh
- Agroecology Lab, Department of Natural Resources, Newe Yaar Research Center, ARO, Ramat Yishay, 30095 Israel
| | - Mwafaq Ibdah
- Plant Sciences Institute, Newe Yaar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Ramat Yishay, 30095 Israel
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Teige M, Jones M, Toledo-Ortiz G. Plant organellar signalling-back and forth and intertwined with cellular signalling. J Exp Bot 2022; 73:7103-7104. [PMID: 36402134 PMCID: PMC9675588 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
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Li F, Gong X, Liang Y, Peng L, Han X, Wen M. Characteristics of a new carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase NtCCD10 derived from Nicotiana tabacum. Planta 2022; 256:100. [PMID: 36251100 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-022-04013-y] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
A new carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase NtCCD10 from tobacco was characterized. There is some difference between NtCCD10 and CCD1 in structure. NtCCD10 can cleave the C5-C6 (C5'-C6') and C9-C10 (C9'-C10') double bonds of carotenoids and has high catalytic activity. Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) cleave carotenoids to produce a variety of apocarotenoids, which have important biological functions for organisms in nature. There are eleven CCDs subfamilies in the plant kingdom, many of which have been extensively characterized in their functions. However, as a newly classified subfamily, the function of CCD10 has rarely been studied. In this work, the function of an NtCCD10 gene from dicotyledonous Nicotiana tabacum was cloned and characterized, and its phylogeny, molecular structural modeling and protein structure were also systematically analyzed. Like other CCDs, NtCCD10 also possesses a seven bladed β-propeller with Fe2+ cofactor in its center constituting the active site of the enzyme. The Fe2+ is also coordinated bonding with four conserved histidine residues. Meanwhile, NtCCD10 also has many unique features, such as its α1 and α3 helixes are not anti-parallel, a special β-sheet and a longer access tunnel for substrates. When expressed in engineered Escherichia coli (producing phytoene, lycopene, β-carotene, and zeaxanthin) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (producing β-carotene), NtCCD10 could symmetrically cleave phytoene and β-carotene at the C9-C10 and C9'-C10' positions to produce geranylacetone and β-ionone, respectively. In addition, NtCCD10 could also cleave the C5-C6 and C5'-C6' double bonds of lycopene to generate 6-methyl-5-heptene-2-one (MHO). NtCCD10 has higher catalytic activity than PhCCD1 in yeast, which provides a good candidate CCD for biosynthesis of β-ionone and has potential applications in biotechnological industry. This study identified the taxonomic position and catalytic activity of the first NtCCD10 in dicotyledonous plants. This will provide a reference for the discovery and functional identification of CCD10 enzymes in dicotyledons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Li
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiaowei Gong
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, Yunnan, China
- R & D Center of China Tobacco Yunnan Industrial Co., Ltd, Kunming, 650231, Yunnan, China
| | - Yupeng Liang
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, Yunnan, China
| | - Lijuan Peng
- Yunnan Tobacco Quality Supervision and Test Station, Kunming, 650106, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiulin Han
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, Yunnan, China.
| | - Mengliang Wen
- National Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, Yunnan, China.
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Dhami N, Pogson BJ, Tissue DT, Cazzonelli CI. A foliar pigment-based bioassay for interrogating chloroplast signalling revealed that carotenoid isomerisation regulates chlorophyll abundance. Plant Methods 2022; 18:18. [PMID: 35177117 PMCID: PMC8851705 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-022-00847-5] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some plastid-derived metabolites can control nuclear gene expression, chloroplast biogenesis, and chlorophyll biosynthesis. For example, norflurazon (NFZ) induced inhibition of carotenoid biosynthesis in leaves elicits a protoporphyrin IX (Mg-ProtoIX) retrograde signal that controls chlorophyll biosynthesis and chloroplast development. Carotenoid cleavage products, known as apocarotenoids, also regulate plastid development. The key steps in carotenoid biosynthesis or catabolism that can regulate chlorophyll biosynthesis in leaf tissues remain unclear. Here, we established a foliar pigment-based bioassay using Arabidopsis rosette leaves to investigate plastid signalling processes in young expanding leaves comprising rapidly dividing and expanding cells containing active chloroplast biogenesis. RESULTS We demonstrate that environmental treatments (extended darkness and cold exposure) as well as chemical (norflurazon; NFZ) inhibition of carotenoid biosynthesis, reduce chlorophyll levels in young, but not older leaves of Arabidopsis. Mutants with disrupted xanthophyll accumulation, apocarotenoid phytohormone biosynthesis (abscisic acid and strigolactone), or enzymatic carotenoid cleavage, did not alter chlorophyll levels in young or old leaves. However, perturbations in acyclic cis-carotene biosynthesis revealed that disruption of CAROTENOID ISOMERASE (CRTISO), but not ZETA-CAROTENE ISOMERASE (Z-ISO) activity, reduced chlorophyll levels in young leaves of Arabidopsis plants. NFZ-induced inhibition of PHYTOENE DESATURASE (PDS) activity caused higher phytoene accumulation in younger crtiso leaves compared to WT indicating a continued substrate supply from the methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway. CONCLUSION The Arabidopsis foliar pigment-based bioassay can be used to differentiate signalling events elicited by environmental change, chemical treatment, and/or genetic perturbation, and determine how they control chloroplast biogenesis and chlorophyll biosynthesis. Genetic perturbations that impaired xanthophyll biosynthesis and/or carotenoid catabolism did not affect chlorophyll biosynthesis. The lack of CAROTENOID ISOMERISATION reduced chlorophyll accumulation, but not phytoene biosynthesis in young leaves of Arabidopsis plants growing under a long photoperiod. Findings generated using the newly customised foliar pigment-based bioassay implicate that carotenoid isomerase activity and NFZ-induced inhibition of PDS activity elicit different signalling pathways to control chlorophyll homeostasis in young leaves of Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Dhami
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- School of Health and Allied Sciences, Pokhara University, Pokhara 30, Kaski, Gandaki, 33700, Nepal
| | - B J Pogson
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - D T Tissue
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - C I Cazzonelli
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
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Daruwalla A, Sui X, Kiser PD. Preparation of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases for X-ray crystallography. Methods Enzymol 2021; 671:243-271. [PMID: 35878980 PMCID: PMC10809780 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.10.020] [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] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) constitute a superfamily of enzymes that are found in all domains of life where they play key roles in the metabolism of carotenoids and apocarotenoids as well as certain phenylpropanoids such as resveratrol. Interest in these enzymes stems not only from their biological importance but also from their remarkable catalytic properties including their regioselectivity, their ability to accommodate diverse substrates, and the additional activities (e.g., isomerase) that some of these enzyme possess. X-ray crystallography is a key experimental approach that has allowed detailed investigation into the structural basis behind the interesting biochemical features of these enzymes. Here, we describe approaches used by our lab that have proven successful in generating single crystals of these enzymes in resting or ligand-bound states for high-resolution X-ray diffraction analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anahita Daruwalla
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Xuewu Sui
- Department of Molecular Metabolism, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Philip D Kiser
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States; Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Translational Vision Research, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States; Research Service, VA Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA, United States.
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Li X, Sun J, Chen Z, Jiang J, Jackson A. Metabolite profile and genes/proteins expression in β-citraturin biosynthesis during fruit ripening in Chinese raspberry (Rubus chingii Hu). Plant Physiol Biochem 2021; 163:76-86. [PMID: 33819717 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids are one of the most abundant pigments in raspberries. Rubus chingii Hu, indigenous to China, is traditionally consumed for health benefits. However, the carotenoid composition and pathways of R. chingii have not yet been studied. In this study, the components of carotenoids and genes/proteins involved in their biosynthesis were investigated during four fruit ripening phases via LC-MS/MS. Zeaxanthin, β-citraurin and its esters, first identified in Rubus, gradually accumulated during fruit maturation. These compounds, rather than anthocyanins, were responsible for the ripe fruit coloration. In carotenoid metabolism, upstream synthesis genes of RcPSY2 (CL1406.Contig2), RcPDS1 (CL7625.Contig2), RcZDS1 (CL590.Contig6) and RcCRTISO1 (CL6919.Contig2) were up-regulated in gene/protein expression to accelerate carotene biosynthesis. Downstream genes of RcLUT5CHYB/CYP97A (CL8884.Contig3) and RcCHYB/BCH (CL7966.Contig1) were up-regulated in gene/protein expression, while RcCHYE/CYP97C (CL9380.Contig1/2) were maintained at low levels. RcLCYE (Unigene19570) was down-regulated while RcLCYB (CL7586.Contig1) was up-regulated and then down-regulated. These differential gene/protein expressions between LCYB and LCYE, and between CHYE and CHYB led to zeaxanthin accumulation by elevating its biosynthetic enzymes and lowering enzymes for lutein biosynthesis. In apocarotenoid biosynthesis, RcCCD (CL1310.Contig3) was up-regulated in gene/protein expression, which raised the content of β-citraurin and its esters. Additionally, these genes/proteins diverged into different subgroups with distinct pattens of expression, suggesting their difference in function. For example, RcPSY1/3, RcZDS2, and RcCRTISO2/3 genes were expressed at very low levels, suggesting that they may be active in other tissues rather than in fruit. The mechanism of zeaxanthin and β-citraurin biosynthesis is responsible for fruit coloration, which is completely novel to Rubus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobai Li
- Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310021, China.
| | - Jian Sun
- Zhejiang Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, 310023, China.
| | - Zhen Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China.
| | - Jingyong Jiang
- Taizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Linhai, 317000, China.
| | - Aaron Jackson
- Aaron Jackson, South Oak, Stuttgart, AR, 72160, USA.
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Liu T, Yu S, Xu Z, Tan J, Wang B, Liu YG, Zhu Q. Prospects and progress on crocin biosynthetic pathway and metabolic engineering. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:3278-3286. [PMID: 33209212 PMCID: PMC7653203 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Crocins are a group of highly valuable apocarotenoid-derived pigments mainly produced in Crocus sativus stigmas and Gardenia jasminoides fruits, which display great pharmacological activities for human health, such as anticancer, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis, and preventing Alzheimer's disease. However, traditional sources of crocins are no longer sufficient to meet current demands. The recent clarification of the crocin biosynthetic pathway opens up the possibility of large-scale production of crocins by synthetic metabolic engineering methods. In this review, we mainly introduce the crocin biosynthetic pathway, subcellular route, related key enzymes, and its synthetic metabolic engineering, as well as its challenges and prospects, with a view to providing useful references for further studies on the synthetic metabolic engineering of crocins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taoli Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Suize Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhichao Xu
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jiantao Tan
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Bin Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yao-Guang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Qinlong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510642, China
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Fang Q, Li Y, Liu B, Meng X, Yang Z, Yang S, Bao T, Kimani S, Gao X, Wang L. Cloning and functional characterization of a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 2 gene in safranal and crocin biosynthesis from Freesia hybrida. Plant Physiol Biochem 2020; 154:439-450. [PMID: 32912484 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2020.06.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Safranal and crocin, commonly derived from the oxidative cleavage reaction of zeaxanthin in plants, are two kinds of apocarotenoids with versatile functions, which were only found in limited number of plant species. In this study, both metabolites were detected and varied concomitantly with the expression of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD) genes in Freesia hybrida, Red River® and Ambiance cultivars. The newly isolated CCD, denoted here as FhCCD2, was phylogenetically clustered with other reported saffron CCD2s. Besides, ten introns were also observed in the genomic DNA sequence of FhCCD2 and the presence of N-terminal transporter peptide suggested its plastidial sub-localization. Biochemical analysis showed that the FhCCD2 cleaved zeaxanthin at the 7, 8 and 7', 8' double bonds to generate intermediates prerequisite for the biosynthesis of safranal and crocin. Further, gene transient expression analysis showed that the promoter of FhCCD2 was functional in Ambiance as well as Red River® cultivars, even with slight variation in their promoter sequence. At present, CCD2 proteins have only been found in Freesia and Crocus genus of Iridaceae family. Phylogenetic and intron position analysis infer that CCD2 perhaps emerged after the intron loss during evolutionary process of CCD1 or their shared ancestry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Fang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China; School of Chemistry and Life Science, Changchun University of Technology, Changchun, China
| | - Yueqing Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
| | - Baofeng Liu
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Xiangyu Meng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhongzhou Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Song Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Tingting Bao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Shadrack Kimani
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China; School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Karatina University, Karatina, Kenya
| | - Xiang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China; National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Li Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
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Wang JY, Lin PY, Al-Babili S. On the biosynthesis and evolution of apocarotenoid plant growth regulators. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 109:3-11. [PMID: 32732130 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [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: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids are an important source of metabolites with regulatory function, which include the plant hormones abscisic acid (ABA) and strigolactones (SLs), and several recently identified growth regulators and signaling molecules. These carotenoid-derivatives originate from oxidative breakdown of double bonds in the carotenoid polyene, a common metabolic process that gives rise to diverse carbonyl cleavage-products known as apocarotenoids. Apocarotenoids exert biologically important functions in all taxa. In plants, they are a major regulator of plant growth, development and response to biotic and abiotic environmental stimuli, and mediate plant's communication with surrounding organisms. In this article, we provide a general overview on the biology of plant apocarotenoids, focusing on ABA, SLs, and recently identified apocarotenoid growth regulators. Following an introduction on carotenoids, we describe plant apocarotenoid biosynthesis, signal transduction, and evolution and summarize their biological functions. Moreover, we discuss the evolution of these intriguing metabolites, which has not been adequately addressed in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian You Wang
- The BioActives Lab, Center for Desert Agriculture (CDA), Biological and Environment Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pei-Yu Lin
- The BioActives Lab, Center for Desert Agriculture (CDA), Biological and Environment Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Salim Al-Babili
- The BioActives Lab, Center for Desert Agriculture (CDA), Biological and Environment Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
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Nawade B, Shaltiel-Harpaz L, Yahyaa M, Bosamia TC, Kabaha A, Kedoshim R, Zohar M, Isaacson T, Ibdah M. Analysis of apocarotenoid volatiles during the development of Ficus carica fruits and characterization of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase genes. Plant Sci 2020; 290:110292. [PMID: 31779901 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2019.110292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
In plants the oxidative cleavage of carotenoid substrates produces volatile apocarotenoids, including β-ionone, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol, and α-ionone; these compounds are important in herbivore-plant communication. Combined chemical, biochemical, and molecular studies were conducted to evaluate the differential accumulation of carotenoids and volatile apocarotenoids during the development of pollinated and parthenocarpic fig fruits. Pollinated fig fruits showed less emission of apocarotenoid volatiles than the parthenocarpic figs, while in the case of carotenoid pigments, pollinated figs manifested higher accumulation. The apocarotenoids, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol and β-cyclogeraniol, showed a marked increase after the two weeks of hand-pollination in pollinated and parthenocarpic figs; but afterwards these volatile levels decreased during further fruit development. In addition, we report a transcriptome-based identification and functional characterization of the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (FcCCD) genes. These genes were overexpressed in Escherichia coli strains previously engineered to produce different carotenoids. The recombinant FcCCD1A enzyme showed specificity for the 9,10 (9',10') double bond position of cyclic carotenoids to generate α-ionone and β-ionone, while FcCCD1B cleaved lycopene and an acyclic moiety of δ-carotene, producing 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one. The qRT-PCR analysis of FcCCD genes revealed differential gene expression during fig fruit development. Our results suggest a role for the FcCCD1genes in apocarotenoid biosynthesis in fig fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhagwat Nawade
- Newe Yaar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P. O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel
| | - Liora Shaltiel-Harpaz
- Tel Hai College, Upper Galilee 12210, Israel; Migal Galilee Research Institute, P.O. Box 831, Kiryat Shmona, 11016, Israel
| | - Mosaab Yahyaa
- Newe Yaar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P. O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel
| | - Tejas C Bosamia
- ICAR-Directorate of Groundnut Research, P.O. Box 362001, Junagadh, Gujarat, India
| | - Anas Kabaha
- Newe Yaar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P. O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel
| | - Rika Kedoshim
- Migal Galilee Research Institute, P.O. Box 831, Kiryat Shmona, 11016, Israel
| | - Matat Zohar
- Newe Yaar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P. O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel
| | - Tal Isaacson
- Newe Yaar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P. O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel
| | - Mwafaq Ibdah
- Newe Yaar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P. O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel.
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Abstract
Volatile compounds derived from carotenoid cleavage are biologically relevant molecules in plants, as they are involved in different processes of plant communication and also have a significant effect on our perception of food flavor.Here we describe two methods for the determination of volatile apocarotenoids in fruit based on extraction by means of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and separation and detection by means of gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The first method is optimised for the detection of the complete volatile profile in Citrus fruit, including those compounds derived from carotenoids. The second is a shorter method focused to the detection of volatile apocarotenoids in the tomato fruit.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L Rambla
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, CSIC- Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Ingeniero Fausto Elio s/n, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Jaume I University, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| | - Antonio Granell
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, CSIC- Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Ingeniero Fausto Elio s/n, Valencia, Spain.
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von Lintig J, Moon J, Lee J, Ramkumar S. Carotenoid metabolism at the intestinal barrier. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2020; 1865:158580. [PMID: 31794861 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2019.158580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids exert a rich variety of physiological functions in mammals and are beneficial for human health. These lipids are acquired from the diet and metabolized to apocarotenoids, including retinoids (vitamin A and its metabolites). The small intestine is a major site for their absorption and bioconversion. From here, carotenoids and their metabolites are distributed within the body in triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins to support retinoid signaling in peripheral tissues and photoreceptor function in the eyes. In recent years, much progress has been made in identifying carotenoid metabolizing enzymes, transporters, and binding proteins. A diet-responsive regulatory network controls the activity of these components and adapts carotenoid absorption and bioconversion to the bodily requirements of these lipids. Genetic variability in the genes encoding these components alters carotenoid homeostasis and is associated with pathologies. We here summarize the advanced state of knowledge about intestinal carotenoid metabolism and its impact on carotenoid and retinoid homeostasis of other organ systems, including the eyes, liver, and immune system. The implication of the findings for science-based intake recommendations for these essential dietary lipids is discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Carotenoids recent advances in cell and molecular biology edited by Johannes von Lintig and Loredana Quadro.
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Rivers JY, Truong TT, Pogson BJ, McQuinn RP. Volatile apocarotenoid discovery and quantification in Arabidopsis thaliana: optimized sensitive analysis via HS-SPME-GC/MS. Metabolomics 2019; 15:79. [PMID: 31087204 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-019-1529-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In the field of carotenoid metabolism researchers' focus has been directed recently toward the discovery and quantification of carotenoid cleavage products (i.e. apocarotenoids, excluding the well-studied carotenoid-derived hormones abscisic acid and strigolactones), due to their emerging roles as putative signaling molecules. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and sample preparation via headspace solid phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) are widely used analytical techniques for broad untargeted metabolomics studies and until now, no optimized quantitative targeted HS-SPME-GC/MS method has been developed specifically for volatile apocarotenoids (VAs) in planta. OBJECTIVES Optimization and subsequent validation of the HS-SPME technique for extracting and quantifying volatile apocarotenoids in planta. METHODS Factors considered during method optimization were HS-SPME parameters; vial storage conditions; different adsorbent SPME fibre coating chemistries; plant tissue matrix effects; and fresh tissues to be analyzed. RESULTS Mean linear regression in planta calibration correlation coefficients (R2) for VAs was 0.974. The resultant method mean limits of detection (LOD) and lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) for VAs using in planta standard additions were 0.384 ± 0.139 and 0.640 ± 0.231 µg/L, respectively. VAs remained stable at elevated SPME incubation temperatures, with no observable effects of thermal and photo-stereoisomerisation and oxidation. The bipolar 50/30 µm divinylbenzene/carboxen on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS/DVB/CAR) was identified as the optimal fibre for broad molecular weight range VA analysis. CONCLUSIONS An optimized HS-SPME-GC/MS method for VA detection and quantification was validated in vitro and in planta: based on biological replicates and stringent QA/QC approaches, thereby providing robust detection and quantification of VAs across a broad range of Arabidopsis tissues, fifteen of which were identified for the first time in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Y Rivers
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Thy T Truong
- Joint Mass Spectrometry Facility, Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Barry J Pogson
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Ryan P McQuinn
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
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Alagoz Y, Nayak P, Dhami N, Cazzonelli CI. cis-carotene biosynthesis, evolution and regulation in plants: The emergence of novel signaling metabolites. Arch Biochem Biophys 2018; 654:172-84. [PMID: 30030998 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2018.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids are isoprenoid pigments synthesised by plants, algae, photosynthetic bacteria as well as some non-photosynthetic bacteria, fungi and insects. Abundant carotenoids found in nature are synthesised via a linear route from phytoene to lycopene after which the pathway bifurcates into cyclised α- and β-carotenes. Plants evolved additional steps to generate a diversity of cis-carotene intermediates, which can accumulate in fruits or tissues exposed to an extended period of darkness. Enzymatic or oxidative cleavage, light-mediated photoisomerization and histone modifications can affect cis-carotene accumulation. cis-carotene accumulation has been linked to the production of signaling metabolites that feedback and forward to regulate nuclear gene expression. When cis-carotenes accumulate, plastid biogenesis and operational control can become impaired. Carotenoid derived metabolites and phytohormones such as abscisic acid and strigolactones can fine-tune cellular homeostasis. There is a hunt to identify a novel cis-carotene derived apocarotenoid signal and to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which it facilitates communication between the plastid and nucleus. In this review, we describe the biosynthesis and evolution of cis-carotenes and their links to regulatory switches, as well as highlight how cis-carotene derived apocarotenoid signals might control organelle communication, physiological and developmental processes in response to environmental change.
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Malik AH, Ashraf N. Transcriptome wide identification, phylogenetic analysis, and expression profiling of zinc-finger transcription factors from Crocus sativus L. Mol Genet Genomics 2017; 292:619-33. [PMID: 28247040 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-017-1295-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Crocus sativus belongs to Iridaceae family and is the only plant species which produces apocarotenoids like crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal in significant quantities. Besides their organoleptic properties, Crocus apocarotenoids have been found to possess remarkable pharmacological potential. Although apocarotenoid biosynthetic pathway has been worked out to a great degree, but the mechanism that regulates the tissue and developmental stage-specific production of Crocus apocarotenoids is not known. To identify the genes regulating apocarotenoid biosynthesis in Crocus, transcriptome wide identification of zinc-finger transcription factors was undertaken. 81 zinc-finger transcription factors were identified which grouped into eight subfamilies. C2H2, C3H, and AN20/AN1 were the major subfamilies with 29, 20, and 14 members, respectively. Expression profiling revealed CsSAP09 as a potential candidate for regulation of apocarotenoid biosynthesis. CsSAP09 was found to be highly expressed in stigma at anthesis stage corroborating with the accumulation pattern of apocarotenoids. CsSAP09 was nuclear localized and activated reporter gene transcription in yeast. It was highly induced in response to oxidative, salt and dehydration stresses, ABA and methyl jasmonate. Furthermore, upstream region of CsSAP09 was found to contain stress and light responsive elements. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the study of a gene family in C. sativus and may provide basic insights into the putative role of zinc finger genes. It may also serve as a valuable resource for functional characterization of these genes aimed towards unraveling their role in regulation of apocarotenoid biosynthesis.
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Ahrazem O, Rubio-Moraga A, Argandoña-Picazo J, Castillo R, Gómez-Gómez L. Intron retention and rhythmic diel pattern regulation of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 2 during crocetin biosynthesis in saffron. Plant Mol Biol 2016; 91:355-374. [PMID: 27071403 PMCID: PMC4884571 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-016-0473-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 2, a new member of the CCD family, catalyzes the conversion of zeaxanthin into crocetin-dialdehyde in Crocus. CCD2 is expressed in flowers, being responsible for the yellow, orange and red colorations displayed by tepals and stigma. Three CsCCD2 genes were identified in Crocus sativus, the longest contains ten exons and the shorter is a truncated copy with no introns and which lacks one exon sequence. Analysis of RNA-seq datasets of three developmental stages of saffron stigma allowed the determination of alternative splicing in CsCCD2, being intron retention (IR) the prevalent form of alternative splicing in CsCCD2. Further, high IR was observed in tissues that do not accumulate crocetin. The analysis of one CsCCD2 promoter showed cis-regulatory motifs involved in the response to light, temperature, and circadian regulation. The light and circadian regulation are common elements shared with the previously characterized CsLycB2a promoter, and these shared common cis-acting elements may represent binding sites for transcription factors responsible for co-regulation of these genes during the development of the stigma in saffron. A daily coordinated rhythmic regulation for CsCCD2 and CsLycB2a was observed, with higher levels of mRNA occurring at low temperatures during darkness, confirming the results obtained in the in silico promoter analysis. In addition, to the light and temperature dependent regulation of CsCCD2 expression, the apocarotenoid β-cyclocitral up-regulated CsCCD2 expression and could acts as a mediator of chromoplast-to-nucleus signalling, coordinating the expression of CsCCD2 with the developmental state of the chromoplast in the developing stigma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oussama Ahrazem
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Instituto Botánico, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071, Albacete, Spain
- Fundación Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071, Albacete, Spain
| | - Angela Rubio-Moraga
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Instituto Botánico, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071, Albacete, Spain
| | - Javier Argandoña-Picazo
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Instituto Botánico, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071, Albacete, Spain
| | - Raquel Castillo
- VITAB Laboratorios, Polígono Industrial Garysol C/Pino, parcela 53, La Gineta, 02110, Albacete, Spain
| | - Lourdes Gómez-Gómez
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agroforestal y Genética, Facultad de Farmacia, Instituto Botánico, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071, Albacete, Spain.
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Cataldo VF, López J, Cárcamo M, Agosin E. Chemical vs. biotechnological synthesis of C13- apocarotenoids: current methods, applications and perspectives. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 100:5703-18. [PMID: 27154347 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-016-7583-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [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: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 04/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Apocarotenoids are natural compounds derived from the oxidative cleavage of carotenoids. Particularly, C13-apocarotenoids are volatile compounds that contribute to the aromas of different flowers and fruits and are highly valued by the Flavor and Fragrance industry. So far, the chemical synthesis of these terpenoids has dominated the industry. Nonetheless, the increasing consumer demand for more natural and sustainable processes raises an interesting opportunity for bio-production alternatives. In this regard, enzymatic biocatalysis and metabolically engineered microorganisms emerge as attractive biotechnological options. The present review summarizes promising bioengineering approaches with regard to chemical production methods for the synthesis of two families of C13-apocarotenoids: ionones/dihydroionones and damascones/damascenone. We discuss each method and its applicability, with a thorough comparative analysis for ionones, focusing on the production process, regulatory aspects, and sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente F Cataldo
- Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, Chile
| | - Javiera López
- Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, Chile
| | - Martín Cárcamo
- Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eduardo Agosin
- Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, Chile.
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Cáceres LA, Lakshminarayan S, Yeung KKC, McGarvey BD, Hannoufa A, Sumarah MW, Benitez X, Scott IM. Repellent and Attractive Effects of α-, β-, and Dihydro-β- Ionone to Generalist and Specialist Herbivores. J Chem Ecol 2016; 42:107-17. [PMID: 26852133 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0669-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [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: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In plants, the oxidative cleavage of carotenoid substrates produces volatile apocarotenoids, including α-ionone, β-ionone, and dihydro-β-ionone, compounds that are important in herbivore-plant communication. For example, β-ionone is part of an induced defense in canola, Brassica napus, and is released following wounding by herbivores. The objectives of the research were to evaluate whether these volatile compounds would: 1) be released in higher quantities from plants through the over-expression of the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase1 (CCD1) gene and 2) cause herbivores to be repelled or attracted to over-expressing plants relative to the wild-type. In vivo dynamic headspace collection of volatiles coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to determine volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the headspace of the Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia-0 (L.) over-expressing the AtCCD1 gene. The analytical method allowed the detection of β-ionone in the Arabidopsis headspace where emission rates ranged between 2 and 5-fold higher compared to the wild type, thus corroborating the in vivo enhancement of gene expression. A two chamber choice test between wild type and AtCCD1 plants revealed that crucifer flea beetle Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze) adults were repelled by the AtCCD1 plants with the highest transcription and β-ionone levels. α-Ionone and dihydro-β-ionone were not found in the headspace analysis, but solutions of the three compounds were tested in the concentration range of β-ionone found in the Arabidopsis headspace (0.05 to 0.5 ng/μl) in order to assess their biological activity with crucifer flea beetle, two spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae (Koch), and silverleaf whiteflies Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius). Choice bioassays demonstrated that β-ionone has a strong repellent effect toward both the flea beetle and the spider mite, and significant oviposition deterrence to whiteflies. In contrast, dihydro-β-ionone had attractant properties, especially to the crucifer flea beetle, while α-ionone did not show any significant activity. These findings demonstrate how regulating genes of the carotenoid pathway can increase herbivore deterrent volatiles, a novel tool for insect pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Cáceres
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON, N5V 4T3, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - S Lakshminarayan
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON, N5V 4T3, Canada
| | - K K-C Yeung
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - B D McGarvey
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON, N5V 4T3, Canada
| | - A Hannoufa
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON, N5V 4T3, Canada
| | - M W Sumarah
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON, N5V 4T3, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - X Benitez
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON, N5V 4T3, Canada
| | - I M Scott
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON, N5V 4T3, Canada.
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Anantharaman A, Priya RR, Hemachandran H, Sivaramakrishna A, Babu S, Siva R. Studies on interaction of norbixin with DNA: multispectroscopic and in silico analysis. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2015; 144:163-169. [PMID: 25754392 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2015.02.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 09/21/2014] [Revised: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of food colorant norbixin with calf thymus DNA (CTDNA) was investigated through UV-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Circular Dichroism (CD), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), DNA melting studies, electrophoretic analysis, histological staining technique and molecular docking studies. The results indicated that norbixin interacted with CTDNA by partial intercalation mode. The binding constant (K) of norbixin with CTDNA was calculated to be 5.08×10(5) Mol(-1) L. FTIR and CD studies were coupled with (1)H NMR spectra revealed that norbixin intercalates partially and binds to the groove's, phosphate group, deoxyribose sugar of DNA and also induces conformational transition of B-form to A-form DNA. Agarose gel electrophoretic and histological staining technique results further prove that, norbixin specifically binds to the DNA in the cell. Moreover, molecular docking studies on the specific binding of norbixin with CTDNA have exhibited lowest conformation energy score of -3.2. Therefore, this food colorant has the ability to interact with DNA and it could emerge as a promising class of natural DNA targeted therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Anantharaman
- School of Bio Sciences and Technology, VIT University, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Rajendra Rao Priya
- School of Bio Sciences and Technology, VIT University, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Hridya Hemachandran
- School of Bio Sciences and Technology, VIT University, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Subramanian Babu
- School of Bio Sciences and Technology, VIT University, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ramamoorthy Siva
- School of Bio Sciences and Technology, VIT University, Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India.
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22
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Sun J, Narayanasamy S, Curley RW, Harrison EH. β-Apo-13-carotenone regulates retinoid X receptor transcriptional activity through tetramerization of the receptor. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:33118-24. [PMID: 25324544 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.610501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinoid X receptor (RXRα) is activated by 9-cis-retinoic acid (9cRA) and regulates transcription as a homodimer or as a heterodimer with other nuclear receptors. We have previously demonstrated that β-apo-13-carotenone, an eccentric cleavage product of β-carotene, antagonizes the activation of RXRα by 9cRA in mammalian cells overexpressing this receptor. However, the molecular mechanism of β-apo-13-carotenone's modulation on the transcriptional activity of RXRα is not understood and is the subject of this report. We performed transactivation assays using full-length RXRα and reporter gene constructs (RXRE-Luc) transfected into COS-7 cells, and luciferase activity was examined. β-Apo-13-carotenone was compared with the RXRα antagonist UVI3003. The results showed that both β-apo-13-carotenone and UVI3003 shifted the dose-dependent RXRα activation by 9cRA. In contrast, the results of assays using a hybrid Gal4-DBD:RXRαLBD receptor reporter cell assay that detects 9cRA-induced coactivator binding to the ligand binding domain demonstrated that UVI3003 significantly inhibited 9cRA-induced coactivator binding to RXRαLBD, but β-apo-13-carotenone did not. However, both β-apo-13-carotenone and UVI3003 inhibited 9-cRA induction of caspase 9 gene expression in the mammary carcinoma cell line MCF-7. To resolve this apparent contradiction, we investigated the effect of β-apo-13-carotenone on the oligomeric state of purified recombinant RXRαLBD. β-Apo-13-carotenone induces tetramerization of the RXRαLBD, although UVI3003 had no effect on the oligomeric state. These observations suggest that β-apo-13-carotenone regulates RXRα transcriptional activity by inducing the formation of the "transcriptionally silent" RXRα tetramer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Sun
- From the Department of Human Sciences and
| | - Sureshbabu Narayanasamy
- From the Department of Human Sciences and College of Pharmacy, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Robert W Curley
- College of Pharmacy, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
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23
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Bruno M, Hofmann M, Vermathen M, Alder A, Beyer P, Al-Babili S. On the substrate- and stereospecificity of the plant carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 7. FEBS Lett 2014; 588:1802-7. [PMID: 24685691 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2014.03.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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: 02/11/2014] [Revised: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Strigolactones are phytohormones synthesized from carotenoids via a stereospecific pathway involving the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases 7 (CCD7) and 8. CCD7 cleaves 9-cis-β-carotene to form a supposedly 9-cis-configured β-apo-10'-carotenal. CCD8 converts this intermediate through a combination of yet undetermined reactions into the strigolactone-like compound carlactone. Here, we investigated the substrate and stereo-specificity of the Arabidopsis and pea CCD7 and determined the stereo-configuration of the β-apo-10'-carotenal intermediate by using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Our data unequivocally demonstrate the 9-cis-configuration of the intermediate. Both CCD7s cleave different 9-cis-carotenoids, yielding hydroxylated 9-cis-apo-10'-carotenals that may lead to hydroxylated carlactones, but show highest affinity for 9-cis-β-carotene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Bruno
- Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Faculty of Biology, Schaenzlestr. 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Manuel Hofmann
- Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Faculty of Biology, Schaenzlestr. 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Martina Vermathen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Adrian Alder
- Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Faculty of Biology, Schaenzlestr. 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Peter Beyer
- Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Faculty of Biology, Schaenzlestr. 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Salim Al-Babili
- Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Faculty of Biology, Schaenzlestr. 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany; Center for Desert Agriculture, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), 23955-6900 Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
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24
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Rodrigo MJ, Alquézar B, Alós E, Medina V, Carmona L, Bruno M, Al-Babili S, Zacarías L. A novel carotenoid cleavage activity involved in the biosynthesis of Citrus fruit-specific apocarotenoid pigments. J Exp Bot 2013; 64:4461-78. [PMID: 24006419 PMCID: PMC3808326 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ert260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Citrus is the first tree crop in terms of fruit production. The colour of Citrus fruit is one of the main quality attributes, caused by the accumulation of carotenoids and their derivative C30 apocarotenoids, mainly β-citraurin (3-hydroxy-β-apo-8'-carotenal), which provide an attractive orange-reddish tint to the peel of oranges and Mandarins. Though carotenoid biosynthesis and its regulation have been extensively studied in Citrus fruits, little is known about the formation of C30 apocarotenoids. The aim of this study was to the identify carotenoid cleavage enzyme(s) [CCD(s)] involved in the peel-specific C30 apocarotenoids. In silico data mining revealed a new family of five CCD4-type genes in Citrus. One gene of this family, CCD4b1, was expressed in reproductive and vegetative tissues of different Citrus species in a pattern correlating with the accumulation of C30 apocarotenoids. Moreover, developmental processes and treatments which alter Citrus fruit peel pigmentation led to changes of β-citraurin content and CCD4b1 transcript levels. These results point to the involvement of CCD4b1 in β-citraurin formation and indicate that the accumulation of this compound is determined by the availability of the presumed precursors zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin. Functional analysis of CCD4b1 by in vitro assays unequivocally demonstrated the asymmetric cleavage activity at the 7',8' double bond in zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin, confirming its role in C30 apocarotenoid biosynthesis. Thus, a novel plant carotenoid cleavage activity targeting the 7',8' double bond of cyclic C40 carotenoids has been identified. These results suggest that the presented enzyme is responsible for the biosynthesis of C30 apocarotenoids in Citrus which are key pigments in fruit coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- María J. Rodrigo
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Berta Alquézar
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Enriqueta Alós
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Víctor Medina
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lourdes Carmona
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mark Bruno
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Salim Al-Babili
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lorenzo Zacarías
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
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25
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Sui X, Kiser PD, Lintig JV, Palczewski K. Structural basis of carotenoid cleavage: from bacteria to mammals. Arch Biochem Biophys 2013; 539:203-13. [PMID: 23827316 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2013.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [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: 04/22/2013] [Revised: 06/12/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids and their metabolic derivatives serve critical functions in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, including pigmentation, photoprotection and photosynthesis as well as cell signaling. These organic compounds are also important for visual function in vertebrate and non-vertebrate organisms. Enzymatic transformations of carotenoids to various apocarotenoid products are catalyzed by a family of evolutionarily conserved, non-heme iron-containing enzymes named carotenoid cleavage oxygenases (CCOs). Studies have revealed that CCOs are critically involved in carotenoid homeostasis and essential for the health of organisms including humans. These enzymes typically display a high degree of regio- and stereo-selectivity, acting on specific positions of the polyene backbone located in their substrates. By oxidatively cleaving and/or isomerizing specific double bonds, CCOs generate a variety of apocarotenoid isomer products. Recent structural studies have helped illuminate the mechanisms by which CCOs mobilize their lipophilic substrates from biological membranes to perform their characteristic double bond cleavage and/or isomerization reactions. In this review, we aim to integrate structural and biochemical information about CCOs to provide insights into their catalytic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuewu Sui
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 2109 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106-4965, USA
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Mir JI, Ahmed N, Wafai AH, Qadri RA. Relative expression of CsZCD gene and apocarotenoid biosynthesis during stigma development in Crocus sativus L. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 2012; 18:371-5. [PMID: 24082500 PMCID: PMC3550554 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-012-0131-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Crocus sativus is a triploid sterile plant characterized by its red stigmas, which produce significant quantities of carotenoid derivatives formed from the oxidative cleavage of β-carotene and zeaxanthin. The accumulation of three major carotenoid derivatives- crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal- is responsible for the color, bitter taste, and aroma of saffron, which is obtained from the dried stigma of Crocus. Maximum apocarotenoid accumulation occurs during fully developed scarlet stage of stigma development. Zeaxanthin is the precursor for biosynthesis of apocarotenoids. Crocus zeaxanthin 7, 8 (7, 8)-cleavage dioxygenase gene (CsZCD) encodes a chromoplast enzyme that initiates the biogenesis of these apocarotenoids by cleaving zeaxanthin. The Reverse Transcription-PCR analysis revealed that CsZCD gene expression followed different patterns during stigma development. Highest levels of CsZCD gene expression was observed in fully developed scarlet stage of stigma. Real Time PCR analysis showed that there is a sharp increase in gene expression from yellow to orange and orange to scarlet stages of stigma development. Increase in CsZCD gene expression parallels with the apocarotenoid content during the development of stigma, suggesting its regulatory role for apocarotenoid biosynthesis and stigma development in saffron.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. I. Mir
- />University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J & K, India 190006
| | - N. Ahmed
- />Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar, J & K, India 190007
| | - A. H. Wafai
- />University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J & K, India 190006
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