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Zhan T, Li F, Lan J, Li L, Yang Z, Xie C, Wang H, Zheng X. Functional characterization of four mono-terpene synthases (TPSs) provided insight into the biosynthesis of volatile monoterpenes in the medicinal herb Blumea balsamifera. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 2023; 29:459-469. [PMID: 37187774 PMCID: PMC10172412 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-023-01306-8] [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: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Blumea balsamifera, a wooden plant belonging to the family Asteraceae, is a medicinal herb with anticancer, antiviral, and multiple pharmacological effects, which are believed to be caused by its essential oil. The essential oil from B. balsamifera is comprised of mono- and sesqui-terpenes as the majority. Unfortunately, this plant has been facing the challenge of resource shortage, which could be effectively alleviated by biological engineering. Therefore, the identification of key elements involved in the biosynthesis of active ingredients becomes an indispensable prerequisite. In this study, candidate genes encoding monoterpene synthase were screened by transcriptome sequencing combined with metabolomics profiling in the roots, stems, and leaves of B. balsamifera. Then, these candidates were successfully cloned and verified by heterologous expression and in vitro enzyme activity assays. As a result, six candidate BbTPS genes were isolated from B. balsamifera, of which three encoded single-product monoterpene synthases and one encoded a multi-product monoterpene synthase. Among them, BbTPS1, BbTPS3, and BbTPS4 could catalyze the formation of D-limonene, α-phellandrene, and L-borneol, respectively. Meanwhile, BbTPS5 functioned in catalyzing GPP into terpinol, β-phellandrene, β-myrcene, D-limonene, and 2-carene in vitro. In general, our results provided important elements for the synthetic biology of volatile terpenes in B. balsamifera, which laid a foundation for subsequent heterologous production of these terpenoids through metabolic engineering and increasing their yield, as well as promoting sustainable development and utilization of B. balsamifera. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-023-01306-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Zhan
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Physiology and Ecology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Fuyu Li
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Physiology and Ecology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Jun Lan
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Physiology and Ecology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Linhuan Li
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Physiology and Ecology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Zerui Yang
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Physiology and Ecology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Chunzhu Xie
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Physiology and Ecology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Hongbin Wang
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Physiology and Ecology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Xiasheng Zheng
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Physiology and Ecology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006 China
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Sun M, Zhu L, Zhang Y, Liu N, Zhang J, Li H, Bai H, Shi L. Creation of new germplasm resources, development of SSR markers, and screening of monoterpene synthases in thyme. BMC Plant Biol 2023; 23:13. [PMID: 36604636 PMCID: PMC9817278 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-022-04029-2] [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] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thyme derived essential oil and its components have numerous applications in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries, owing to their antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. To obtain thyme essential oil with different terpene composition, we developed new germplasm resources using the conventional hybridization approach. RESULTS Phenotypic characteristics, including essential oil yield and composition, glandular trichome density, plant type, and fertility, of three wild Chinese and seven European thyme species were evaluated. Male-sterile and male-fertile thyme species were crossed in different combinations, and two F1 populations derived from Thymus longicaulis (Tl) × T. vulgaris 'Fragrantissimus' (Tvf) and T. vulgaris 'Elsbeth' (Tve) × T. quinquecostatus (Tq) crosses were selected, with essential oil yield and terpene content as the main breeding goals. Simultaneously, simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers were developed based on the whole-genome sequence of T. quinquecostatus to authenticate the F1 hybrids. A total of 300 primer pairs were selected, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out on the parents of the two hybrid populations (Tl, Tvf, Tve, and Tq). Based on the chemotype of the parents and their F1 progenies, we examined the expression of genes encoding two γ-terpinene synthases, one α-terpineol synthase, and maybe one geraniol synthase in all genotypes by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). CONCLUSION We used hybridization to create new germplasm resources of thyme, developed SSR markers based on the whole-genome sequence of T. quinquecostatus, and screened the expression of monoterpene synthase genes in thyme. The results of this study provide a strong foundation for the creation of new germplasm resources, construction of the genetic linkage maps, and identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs), and help gain insight into the mechanism of monoterpenoids biosynthesis in thyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiyu Sun
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Li Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yanan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ningning Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jinzheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Hui Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Hongtong Bai
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China.
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Ma Q, Ma R, Su P, Jin B, Guo J, Tang J, Chen T, Zeng W, Lai C, Ling F, Yao Y, Cui G, Huang L. Elucidation of the essential oil biosynthetic pathways in Cinnamomum burmannii through identification of six terpene synthases. Plant Sci 2022; 317:111203. [PMID: 35193750 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111203] [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: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cinnamomum burmannii is a traditional plant that has long been used as a spice, food preservative, and food flavoring. Essential oils in C. burmannii, which mainly consist of mono- and sesquiterpenes such borneol, linalool, and caryophyllene, have impressive pharmaceutical properties. Although the transcriptome-based discovery of (+)-bornyl diphosphate synthase (CbTPS1) from C. burmannii was reported in our previous study, the remaining terpene synthases (TPSs) corresponding to various terpene biosynthesis pathways remain unidentified. In this study, we report the results of RNA-sequencing of a borneol type plant and functional characterization of six additional full-length candidate TPS genes (named CbTPS2-7). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CbTPS2 and CbTPS3 together with the previously identified CbTPS1 protein belong to the TPS-b subfamily, and enzyme assays using geranyl diphosphate (GPP) and farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) as substrates revealed that CbTPS1, CbTPS2 and CbTPS3 catalyze the formation of monoterpenes. CbTPS4, CbTPS5, and CbTPS6, which belong to the TPS-a clade, generated monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. CbTPS7, which belongs to the TPS-g clade, showed linalool/nerolidol synthase activity. These CbTPSs identified in C. burmannii produced a total of 10 monoterpenes and 14 sesquiterpenes in an in vitro assay. These findings clarify the biosynthesis pathways of 13 monoterpenoids and 12 sesquiterpenoids in the leaf essential oil of C. burmannii and shed light on terpene biosynthesis in Cinnamomum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Ma
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Rui Ma
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China; School of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450008, China.
| | - Ping Su
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Baolong Jin
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Juan Guo
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Jinfu Tang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Tong Chen
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Wen Zeng
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Changjiangsheng Lai
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Fengqing Ling
- Huaqingyuan Biotech (Guangdong) Co., Ltd, Meizhou, 514700, China.
| | - Yanfei Yao
- Huaqingyuan Biotech (Guangdong) Co., Ltd, Meizhou, 514700, China.
| | - Guanghong Cui
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Luqi Huang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
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Lei D, Qiu Z, Qiao J, Zhao GR. Plasticity engineering of plant monoterpene synthases and application for microbial production of monoterpenoids. Biotechnol Biofuels 2021; 14:147. [PMID: 34193244 PMCID: PMC8247113 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-021-01998-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Plant monoterpenoids with structural diversities have extensive applications in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels. Due to the strong dependence on the geographical locations and seasonal annual growth of plants, agricultural production for monoterpenoids is less effective. Chemical synthesis is also uneconomic because of its high cost and pollution. Recently, emerging synthetic biology enables engineered microbes to possess great potential for the production of plant monoterpenoids. Both acyclic and cyclic monoterpenoids have been synthesized from fermentative sugars through heterologously reconstructing monoterpenoid biosynthetic pathways in microbes. Acting as catalytic templates, plant monoterpene synthases (MTPSs) take elaborate control of the monoterpenoids production. Most plant MTPSs have broad substrate or product properties, and show functional plasticity. Thus, the substrate selectivity, product outcomes, or enzymatic activities can be achieved by the active site mutations and domain swapping of plant MTPSs. This makes plasticity engineering a promising way to engineer MTPSs for efficient production of natural and non-natural monoterpenoids in microbial cell factories. Here, this review summarizes the key advances in plasticity engineering of plant MTPSs, including the fundamental aspects of functional plasticity, the utilization of natural and non-natural substrates, and the outcomes from product isomers to complexity-divergent monoterpenoids. Furthermore, the applications of plasticity engineering for improving monoterpenoids production in microbes are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dengwei Lei
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135, Jinnan District, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Zetian Qiu
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135, Jinnan District, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Jianjun Qiao
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135, Jinnan District, Tianjin, 300350, China
- SynBio Research Platform, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135, Jinnan District, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Guang-Rong Zhao
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135, Jinnan District, Tianjin, 300350, China.
- SynBio Research Platform, Collaborative Innovation Centre of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135, Jinnan District, Tianjin, 300350, China.
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Leferink NGH, Ranaghan KE, Karuppiah V, Currin A, van der Kamp MW, Mulholland AJ, Scrutton NS. Experiment and Simulation Reveal How Mutations in Functional Plasticity Regions Guide Plant Monoterpene Synthase Product Outcome. ACS Catal 2019; 8:3780-3791. [PMID: 31157124 PMCID: PMC6542672 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.8b00692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Monoterpenes (C10 isoprenoids) are a structurally diverse group of natural compounds that are attractive to industry as flavours and fragrances. Monoterpenes are produced from a single linear substrate, geranyl diphosphate, by a group of enzymes called the monoterpene cyclases/synthases (mTC/Ss) that catalyse high-energy cyclisation reactions involving unstable carbocation intermediates. Efforts towards producing monoterpenes via biocatalysis or metabolic engineering often result in the formation of multiple products due to the nature of the highly branched reaction mechanism of mTC/Ss. Rational engineering of mTC/Ss is hampered by the lack of correlation between the active site sequence and cyclisation type. We used available mutagenesis data to show that amino acids involved in product outcome are clustered and spatially conserved within the mTC/S family. Consensus sequences for three such plasticity regions were introduced in different mTC/S with increasingly complex cyclisation cascades, including the model enzyme limonene synthase (LimS). In all three mTC/S studied, mutations in the first two regions mostly give rise to products that result from premature quenching of the linalyl or α-terpinyl cations, suggesting that both plasticity regions are involved in the formation and stabilisation of cations early in the reaction cascade. A LimS variant with mutations in the second region (S454G, C457V, M458I), produced mainly more complex bicyclic products. QM/MM MD simulations reveal that the second cyclisation is not due to compression of the C2-C7 distance in the α-terpinyl cation, but is the result of an increased distance between C8 of the α-terpinyl cation and two putative bases (W324, H579) located on the other side of the active site, preventing early termination by deprotonation. Such insights into the impact of mutations can only be obtained using integrated experimental and computational approaches, and will aid the design of altered mTC/S activities towards clean monoterpenoid products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole G. H. Leferink
- Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre for Fine and Speciality Chemicals (SYNBIOCHEM), Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, U.K
| | - Kara E. Ranaghan
- Centre for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, U.K
| | - Vijaykumar Karuppiah
- Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre for Fine and Speciality Chemicals (SYNBIOCHEM), Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, U.K
| | - Andrew Currin
- Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre for Fine and Speciality Chemicals (SYNBIOCHEM), Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, U.K
| | - Marc W. van der Kamp
- Centre for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, U.K
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, U.K
| | - Adrian J. Mulholland
- Centre for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, U.K
| | - Nigel S. Scrutton
- Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Centre for Fine and Speciality Chemicals (SYNBIOCHEM), Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, U.K
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Rabiei B, Bahador S, Kordrostami M. The expression of monoterpene synthase genes and their respective end products are affected by gibberellic acid in Thymus vulgaris. J Plant Physiol 2018; 230:101-108. [PMID: 30368030 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2018.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 10/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Thymus vulgaris L. (Lamiaceae), a well-known aromatic medicinal herb, has many important essential constituents in its oil, including γ-terpinene, carvacrol, thymol, and p-cymene. Gibberellins comprise hundreds of components, which regulate several various growths and underlying developmental processes, such as cell division and elongation, shoot elongation, seed germination, and gene expression. In this study, we investigated the influence of sprayed gibberellic acid (GA3) treatments on the internode length, leaf morphology, length of new shoot, expression of monoterpene synthase genes and monoterpenes content during two plant growth stages. Our results showed that increasing of internode length was a clear effect of GA3 that was varied with internode position. The results also showed that all internodes displayed a dramatic increase in the highest concentration of GA3. Also, the foliar application of GA3 resulted in not only an increased expression level of monoterpene synthase genes, but also the improved production of a monoterpene, especially in the moderate concentration of GA3 that they were up-regulated. In the lowest GA3 concentrations, relative expression levels were similar or lower than the control plants and a notable downregulation in those genes was observed in the application of the highest concentration of GA3 rather than the moderate concentrations. Overall, the expression of two out of five monoterpene synthase genes, TPS and CYP71D181, showed a correlation with the level of γ-terpinene and carvacrol, respectively, indicating that they are regulated at the transcriptional levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babak Rabiei
- Dept. of Agronomy & Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, P.O. Box: 41635-1314, Rasht, Iran.
| | - Somaye Bahador
- Dept. of Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, P.O Box: 41635-1314, Rasht, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Kordrostami
- Dept. of Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, P.O Box: 41635-1314, Rasht, Iran; Rice Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Rasht, Iran
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Toh C, Mohd-Hairul AR, Ain NM, Namasivayam P, Go R, Abdullah NAP, Abdullah MO, Abdullah JO. Floral micromorphology and transcriptome analyses of a fragrant Vandaceous Orchid, Vanda Mimi Palmer, for its fragrance production sites. BMC Res Notes 2017; 10:554. [PMID: 29096695 PMCID: PMC5669028 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-017-2872-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 08/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Vanda Mimi Palmer (VMP) is commercially valuable for its strong fragrance but little is known regarding the fragrance production and emission sites on the flowers. Results Olfactory perception detected fragrance only from the petals and sepals. Light and Environmental Scanning Electron microscopy analyses on fresh tissues showed distributions of stomata and trichomes concentrated mostly around the edges. These results paralleled the rich starch deposits and intense neutral red stain, indicating strong fragrance and trichomes as potential main fragrance release sites. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) transcriptomic data of adaxial and abaxial layers of the tissues showed monoterpene synthase transcripts specifically linalool and ocimene synthases distributed throughout the tissues. qPCR analyses taken at different time points revealed high levels of linalool and ocimene synthases transcripts in the early morning with maximal level at 4.00 am but remained low throughout daylight hours. Conclusions Knowledge of the VMP floral anatomy and its fragrance production characteristics, which complemented our previous molecular and biochemical data on VMP, provided additional knowledge on how fragrance and flower morphology are closely intertwined. Further investigation on the mechanisms of fragrance biosynthesis and interaction of potential pollinators would elucidate the evolution of the flower morphology to maximize the reproduction success of this plant. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-017-2872-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conie Toh
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Ab Rahim Mohd-Hairul
- Faculty of Industrial Sciences and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Gambang, 26300, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
| | - Nooraini Mohd Ain
- Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Parameswari Namasivayam
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Rusea Go
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nur Ashikin Psyquay Abdullah
- Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus, 97008, Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Meilina Ong Abdullah
- Malaysian Palm Oil Board, 6 Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000, Kajang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Janna Ong Abdullah
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
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Adal AM, Sarker LS, Lemke AD, Mahmoud SS. Isolation and functional characterization of a methyl jasmonate-responsive 3-carene synthase from Lavandula x intermedia. Plant Mol Biol 2017; 93:641-657. [PMID: 28258552 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-017-0588-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [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: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A methyl jasmonate responsive 3-carene synthase (Li3CARS) gene was isolated from Lavandula x intermedia and functionally characterized in vitro. Lavenders produce essential oils consisting mainly of monoterpenes, including the potent antimicrobial and insecticidal monoterpene 3-carene. In this study we isolated and functionally characterized a leaf-specific, methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-responsive monoterpene synthase (Li3CARS) from Lavandula x intermedia. The ORF excluding transit peptides encoded a 64.9 kDa protein that was expressed in E. coli, and purified with Ni-NTA agarose affinity chromatography. The recombinant Li3CARS converted GPP into 3-carene as the major product, with K m and k cat of 3.69 ± 1.17 µM and 2.01 s-1 respectively. Li3CARS also accepted NPP as a substrate to produce multiple products including a small amount of 3-carene. The catalytic efficiency of Li3CARS to produce 3-carene was over ten fold higher for GPP (k cat /K m = 0.56 µM-1s-1) than NPP (k cat /K m = 0.044 µM-1s-1). Production of distinct end product profiles from different substrates (GPP versus NPP) by Li3CARS indicates that monoterpene metabolism may be controlled in part through substrate availability. Li3CARS transcripts were found to be highly abundant in leaves (16-fold) as compared to flower tissues. The transcriptional activity of Li3CARS correlated with 3-carene production, and was up-regulated (1.18- to 3.8-fold) with MeJA 8-72 h post-treatment. The results suggest that Li3CARS may have a defensive role in Lavandula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayelign M Adal
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, 1177 Research Rd, Kelowna, BC. V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Lukman S Sarker
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, 1177 Research Rd, Kelowna, BC. V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Ashley D Lemke
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, 1177 Research Rd, Kelowna, BC. V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Soheil S Mahmoud
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, 1177 Research Rd, Kelowna, BC. V1V 1V7, Canada.
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Rand K, Bar E, Ari MB, Davidovich-Rikanati R, Dudareva N, Inbar M, Lewinsohn E. Differences in Monoterpene Biosynthesis and Accumulation in Pistacia palaestina Leaves and Aphid-Induced Galls. J Chem Ecol 2017; 43:143-52. [PMID: 28108840 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0817-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Certain insect species can induce gall formation on numerous plants species. Although the mechanism of gall development is largely unknown, it is clear that insects manipulate their hosts' anatomy, physiology, and chemistry for their own benefit. It is well known that insect-induced galls often contain vast amounts of plant defensive compounds as compared to non-colonized tissues, but it is not clear if defensive compounds can be produced in situ in the galled tissues. To answer this question, we analyzed terpene accumulation patterns and possible independent biosynthetic potential of galls induced by the aphid Baizongia pistaciae L. on the terminal buds of Pistacia palaestina Boiss. We compared monoterpene levels and monoterpene synthase enzyme activity in galls and healthy leaves from individual trees growing in a natural setting. At all developmental stages, monoterpene content and monoterpene synthase activity were consistently (up to 10 fold on a fresh weight basis) higher in galls than in intact non-colonized leaves. A remarkable tree to tree variation in the products produced in vitro from the substrate geranyl diphosphate by soluble protein extracts derived from individual trees was observed. Furthermore, galls and leaves from the same trees displayed enhanced and often distinct biosynthetic capabilities. Our results clearly indicate that galls possess independent metabolic capacities to produce and accumulate monoterpenes as compared to leaves. Our study indicates that galling aphids manipulate the enzymatic machinery of their host plant, intensifying their own defenses against natural enemies.
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Ma X, Guo J, Ma Y, Jin B, Zhan Z, Yuan Y, Huang L. Characterization of a monoterpene synthase from Paeonia lactiflora producing α-pinene as its single product. Biotechnol Lett 2016; 38:1213-9. [PMID: 27053081 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-016-2098-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To identify a terpene synthase that catalyzes the conversion of geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP) to α-pinene and is involved in the biosynthesis of paeoniflorin. RESULTS Two new terpene synthase genes were isolated from the transcriptome data of Peaonia lactiflora. Phylogenetic analysis and sequence characterization revealed that one gene, named PlPIN, encoded a monoterpene synthase that might be involved in the biosynthesis of paeoniflorin. In vitro enzyme assay showed that, in contrast to most monoterpene synthases, PlPIN encoded an α-pinene synthase which converted GPP into α-pinene as a single product. CONCLUSIONS This newly identified α-pinene synthase could be used for improving paeoniflorin accumulation by metabolic engineering or for producing α-pinene via synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Ma
- Pharmacy College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, People's Republic of China
| | - Juan Guo
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Ma
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, People's Republic of China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Protection and Application of Chinese Medicinal Resources, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, People's Republic of China
| | - Baolong Jin
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhilai Zhan
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, People's Republic of China.
| | - Luqi Huang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Dao-di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, People's Republic of China.
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