The Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization, and Expression Analysis of the Strictosidine Synthase-like Family in Maize (Zea mays L.)

Maize is often subjected to various environmental stresses. The strictosidine synthase-like (SSL) family is thought to catalyze the key step in the monoterpene alkaloids synthesis pathway in response to environmental stresses. However, the role of ZmSSL genes in maize growth and development and its response to stresses is unknown. Herein, we undertook the systematic identification and analysis of maize SSL genes. Twenty SSL genes were identified in the maize genome. Except for chromosomes 3, 5, 6, and 10, they were unevenly distributed on the remaining 6 chromosomes. A total of 105 SSL genes from maize, sorghum, rice, Aegilops tauschii, and Arabidopsis were divided into five evolutionary groups, and ZmSSL gene structures and conserved protein motifs in the same group were similar. A collinearity analysis showed that tandem duplication plays an important role in the evolution of the SSL family in maize, and ZmSSL genes share more collinear genes in crops (maize, sorghum, rice, and Ae. tauschii) than in Arabidopsis. Cis-element analysis in the ZmSSL gene promoter region revealed that most genes contained many development and stress response elements. We evaluated the expression levels of ZmSSL genes under normal conditions and stress treatments. ZmSSL4-9 were widely expressed in different tissues and were positively or negatively regulated by heat, cold, and infection stress from Colletotrichum graminicola and Cercospora zeina. Moreover, ZmSSL4 and ZmSSL5 were localized in the chloroplast. Taken together, we provide insight into the evolutionary relationships of the ZmSSL genes, which would be useful to further identify the potential functions of ZmSSLs in maize.

Genome-scale metabolic model led engineering of Nothapodytes nimmoniana plant cells for high camptothecin production

Camptothecin (CPT) is a vital monoterpene indole alkaloid used in anti-cancer therapeutics. It is primarily derived from Camptotheca acuminata and Nothapodytes nimmoniana plants that are indigenous to Southeast Asia. Plants have intricate metabolic networks and use them to produce secondary metabolites such as CPT, which is a prerequisite for rational metabolic engineering design to optimize their production. By reconstructing metabolic models, we can predict plant metabolic behavior, facilitating the selection of suitable approaches and saving time, cost, and energy, over traditional hit and trial experimental approaches. In this study, we reconstructed a genome-scale metabolic model for N. nimmoniana (NothaGEM iSM1809) and curated it using experimentally obtained biochemical data. We also used in silico tools to identify and rank suitable enzyme targets for overexpression and knockout to maximize camptothecin production. The predicted over-expression targets encompass enzymes involved in the camptothecin biosynthesis pathway, including strictosidine synthase and geraniol 10-hydroxylase, as well as targets related to plant metabolism, such as amino acid biosynthesis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The top-ranked knockout targets included reactions responsible for the formation of folates and serine, as well as the conversion of acetyl CoA and oxaloacetate to malate and citrate. One of the top-ranked overexpression targets, strictosidine synthase, was chosen to generate metabolically engineered cell lines of N. nimmoniana using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. The transformed cell line showed a 5-fold increase in camptothecin production, with a yield of up to 5 µg g-1.

Uncovering the Mechanism of Azepino-Indole Skeleton Formation via Pictet-Spengler Reaction by Strictosidine Synthase: A Quantum Chemical Investigation

Strictosidine synthase (STR) catalyzes the Pictet-Spengler (PS) reaction of tryptamine and secologanin to produce strictosidine. Recent studies demonstrated that the enzyme can also catalyze the reaction of non-natural substrates to form new alkaloid skeletons. For example, the PS condensation of 1H-indole-4-ethanamine with secologanin could be promoted by the STR from Rauvolfia serpentina (RsSTR) to generate a rare class of skeletons with a seven-membered ring, namely azepino-[3,4,5-cd]-indoles, which are precursors for the synthesis of new compounds displaying antimalarial activity. In the present study, the detailed reaction mechanism of RsSTR-catalyzed formation of the rare seven-membered azepino-indole skeleton through the PS reaction was revealed at the atomic level by quantum chemical calculations. The structures of the transition states and intermediates involved in the reaction pathway were optimized, and the energetics of the complete reaction were analyzed. Based on our calculation results, the most likely pathway of the enzyme-catalyzed reaction was determined, and the rate-determining step of the reaction was clarified. The mechanistic details obtained in the present study are important in understanding the promiscuous activity of RsSTR in the formation of the rare azepino-indole skeleton molecule and are also helpful in designing STR enzymes for the synthesis of other new alkaloid skeleton molecules.

Chromosome-level assembly of the Neolamarckia cadamba genome provides insights into the evolution of cadambine biosynthesis

Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.), a close relative of Coffea canephora and Ophiorrhiza pumila, is an important traditional medicine in Southeast Asia. Three major glycosidic monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs), cadambine and its derivatives 3β-isodihydrocadambine and 3β-dihydrocadambine, accumulate in the bark and leaves, and exhibit antimalarial, antiproliferative, antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. Here, we report a chromosome-scale N. cadamba genome, with 744.5 Mb assembled into 22 pseudochromosomes with contig N50 and scaffold N50 of 824.14 Kb and 29.20 Mb, respectively. Comparative genomic analysis of N. cadamba with Co. canephora revealed that N. cadamba underwent a relatively recent whole-genome duplication (WGD) event after diverging from Co. canephora, which contributed to the evolution of the MIA biosynthetic pathway. We determined the key intermediates of the cadambine biosynthetic pathway and further showed that NcSTR1 catalyzed the synthesis of strictosidine in N. cadamba. A new component, epoxystrictosidine (C27H34N2O10, m/z 547.2285), was identified in the cadambine biosynthetic pathway. Combining genome-wide association study (GWAS), population analysis, multi-omics analysis and metabolic gene cluster prediction, this study will shed light on the evolution of MIA biosynthetic pathway genes. This N. cadamba reference sequence will accelerate the understanding of the evolutionary history of specific metabolic pathways and facilitate the development of tools for enhancing bioactive productivity by metabolic engineering in microbes or by molecular breeding in plants.

Solanum lycopersicum microRNA1916 targets multiple target genes and negatively regulates the immune response in tomato

MicroRNA1916 (miR1916) is one of the nonconserved miRNAs that respond to various stresses in plants, but little has been known at present about its mechanisms in biotic stresses. In this study, the expression of Solanum lycopersicum (sly)-miR1916 in tomato was found to be down-regulated after infection with Phytophthora infestans or Botrytis cinerea. Tomato plants that overexpressed sly-miR1916 displayed significant enhancement in susceptibility to P. infestans and B. cinerea infection, as well as increased tendency to produce reactive oxygen species. Silencing of sly-miR1916 by short tandem target mimic and artificial microRNA strategies caused the tomato plants to become more tolerant to adverse conditions. In addition, lower sly-miR1916 expression could up-regulate the expression of strictosidine synthase (STR-2), UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs), late blight resistance protein homolog R1B-16, disease resistance protein RPP13-like, and MYB transcription factor (MYB12), which ultimately resulted in the accumulation of α-tomatine and anthocyanins via STR-2, UGT, and MYB12. Furthermore, ectopic expression of sly-miR1916/STR-2 significantly changed the tolerance of tobacco to B. cinerea. Taken together, the results demonstrated that sly-miR1916 might regulate the expression of STR-2, UGT, and MYB12 in tomato plant, conferring sensitivity to biotic stress via modulating α-tomatine and anthocyanins.

Analysis of the Dendrobium officinale transcriptome reveals putative alkaloid biosynthetic genes and genetic markers

Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (Orchidaceae) is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant. The stem contains an alkaloid that is the primary bioactive component. However, the details of alkaloid biosynthesis have not been effectively explored because of the limited number of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) available in GenBank. In this study, we analyzed RNA isolated from the stem of D. officinale using a single half-run on the Roche 454 GS FLX Titanium platform to generate 553,084 ESTs with an average length of 417 bases. The ESTs were assembled into 36,407 unique putative transcripts. A total of 69.97% of the unique sequences were annotated, and a detailed view of alkaloid biosynthesis was obtained. Functional assignment based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) terms revealed 69 unique sequences representing 25 genes involved in alkaloid backbone biosynthesis. A series of qRT-PCR experiments confirmed that the expression levels of 5 key enzyme-encoding genes involved in alkaloid biosynthesis are greater in the leaves of D. officinale than in the stems. Cytochrome P450s, aminotransferases, methyltransferases, multidrug resistance protein (MDR) transporters and transcription factors were screened for possible involvement in alkaloid biosynthesis. Furthermore, a total of 1061 simple sequence repeat motifs (SSR) were detected from 36,407 unigenes. Dinucleotide repeats were the most abundant repeat type. Of these, 179 genes were associated with a metabolic pathway in KEGG. This study is the first to produce a large volume of transcriptome data from D. officinale. It extends the foundation to facilitate gene discovery in D. officinale and provides an important resource for the molecular genetic and functional genomic studies in this species.

Analysis of the Dendrobium officinale transcriptome reveals putative alkaloid biosynthetic genes and genetic markers

Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (Orchidaceae) is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant. The stem contains an alkaloid that is the primary bioactive component. However, the details of alkaloid biosynthesis have not been effectively explored because of the limited number of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) available in GenBank. In this study, we analyzed RNA isolated from the stem of D. officinale using a single half-run on the Roche 454 GS FLX Titanium platform to generate 553,084 ESTs with an average length of 417 bases. The ESTs were assembled into 36,407 unique putative transcripts. A total of 69.97% of the unique sequences were annotated, and a detailed view of alkaloid biosynthesis was obtained. Functional assignment based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) terms revealed 69 unique sequences representing 25 genes involved in alkaloid backbone biosynthesis. A series of qRT-PCR experiments confirmed that the expression levels of 5 key enzyme-encoding genes involved in alkaloid biosynthesis are greater in the leaves of D. officinale than in the stems. Cytochrome P450s, aminotransferases, methyltransferases, multidrug resistance protein (MDR) transporters and transcription factors were screened for possible involvement in alkaloid biosynthesis. Furthermore, a total of 1061 simple sequence repeat motifs (SSR) were detected from 36,407 unigenes. Dinucleotide repeats were the most abundant repeat type. Of these, 179 genes were associated with a metabolic pathway in KEGG. This study is the first to produce a large volume of transcriptome data from D. officinale. It extends the foundation to facilitate gene discovery in D. officinale and provides an important resource for the molecular genetic and functional genomic studies in this species.