| 1. |
- Bu, Junling, et al.
(författare)
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Catalytic promiscuity of O-methyltransferases from Corydalis yanhusuo leading to the structural diversity of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids
- 2022
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Ingår i: Horticulture Research. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2662-6810 .- 2052-7276. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- O-methyltransferases play essential roles in producing structural diversity and improving the biological properties of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) in plants. In this study, Corydalis yanhusuo, a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine due to the analgesic effects of its BIA-active compounds, was employed to analyze the catalytic characteristics of O-methyltransferases in the formation of BIA diversity. Seven genes encoding O-methyltransferases were cloned, and functionally characterized using seven potential BIA substrates. Specifically, an O-methyltransferase (CyOMT2) with highly efficient catalytic activity of both 4′- and 6-O-methylations of 1-BIAs was found. CyOMT6 was found to perform two sequential methylations at both 9- and 2-positions of the essential intermediate of tetrahydroprotoberberines, (S)-scoulerine. Two O-methyltransferases (CyOMT5 and CyOMT7) with wide substrate promiscuity were found, with the 2-position of tetrahydroprotoberberines as the preferential catalytic site for CyOMT5 (named scoulerine 2-O-methyltransferase) and the 6-position of 1-BIAs as the preferential site for CyOMT7. In addition, results of integrated phylogenetic molecular docking analysis and site-directed mutation suggested that residues at sites 172, 306, 313, and 314 in CyOMT5 are important for enzyme promiscuity related to O-methylations at the 6- and 7-positions of isoquinoline. Cys at site 253 in CyOMT2 was proved to promote the methylation activity of the 6-position and to expand substrate scopes. This work provides insight into O-methyltransferases in producing BIA diversity in C. yanhusuo and genetic elements for producing BIAs by metabolic engineering and synthetic biology.
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| 2. |
- Li, Qishuang, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of the cytochrome P450s responsible for the biosynthesis of two types of aporphine alkaloids and their de novo biosynthesis in yeast
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Integrative Plant Biology. - 1672-9072 .- 1744-7909. ; In Press
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aporphine alkaloids have diverse pharmacological activities; however, our understanding of their biosynthesis is relatively limited. Previous studies have classified aporphine alkaloids into two categories based on the configuration and number of substituents of the D-ring and have proposed preliminary biosynthetic pathways for each category. In this study, we identified two specific cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP80G6 and CYP80Q5) with distinct activities toward (S)-configured and (R)-configured substrates from the herbaceous perennial vine Stephania tetrandra, shedding light on the biosynthetic mechanisms and stereochemical features of these two aporphine alkaloid categories. Additionally, we characterized two CYP719C enzymes (CYP719C3 and CYP719C4) that catalyzed the formation of the methylenedioxy bridge, an essential pharmacophoric group, on the A- and D-rings, respectively, of aporphine alkaloids. Leveraging the functional characterization of these crucial cytochrome P450 enzymes, we reconstructed the biosynthetic pathways for the two types of aporphine alkaloids in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) for the de novo production of compounds such as (R)-glaziovine, (S)-glaziovine, and magnoflorine. This study provides key insight into the biosynthesis of aporphine alkaloids and lays a foundation for producing these valuable compounds through synthetic biology.
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| 3. |
- Li, Xinyi, et al.
(författare)
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Phylogenetic analysis and functional characterization of norcoclaurine synthase involved in benzylisoquinoline alkaloids biosynthesis in Stephania tetrandra
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Cellular Physiology. - 1097-4652 .- 0021-9541. ; In Press
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are a class of secondary metabolites that possess diverse pharmaceutical properties and are exclusively accumulated in specific plant genera. The Pictet–Spengler condensation, catalyzed by norcoclaurine synthase (NCS), represents a key enzymatic reaction in the biosynthetic pathway of BIAs. While NCS genes have been identified in several plant families such as Papaveraceae, Berberidaceae, and Ranunculaceae, no NCS genes have been reported in Menispermaceae, which is another genus known to accumulate BIAs. Here, NCSs were isolated and functionally characterized from the Menispermaceae family plant Stephania tetrandra. In vitro enzyme assay identified two functional StNCSs which could catalyze the formation of (S)-norcoclaurine. These functionally characterized genes were then integrated into engineered yeast to enable the production of norcoclaurine. Phylogenetic analysis of the NCS enzymes revealed that the StNCSs predominantly clustered into two clades. The functional StNCSs clustered with known NCSs, highlighting the presence of a specific NCS catalytic domain. This study not only provides additional genetic components for the synthetic biology-based production of BIAs in yeast but also contributes to the understanding of the phylogenetic relationships and structure–function relationship of NCS genes involved in the origin and production of BIAs.
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| 4. |
- Liu, Xiuyu, et al.
(författare)
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Functional characterization of (S)–N-methylcoclaurine 3′-hydroxylase (NMCH) involved in the biosynthesis of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids in Corydalis yanhusuo
- 2021
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Ingår i: Plant Physiology and Biochemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0981-9428. ; 168, s. 507-515
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are compounds naturally found in plants and can have significant value in clinical settings. Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology are both promising approaches for the heterologous acquisition of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids. (S)–N-methylcoclaurine 3′-hydroxylase (NMCH), a member of the CYP80 family of CYP450, is the penultimate catalytic enzyme that forms the central branch-point intermediate (S)-reticuline and plays a key role in the biosynthesis of BIAs. In this study, an NMCH gene was cloned from Corydalis yanhusuo, while in vitro reactions demonstrated that CyNMCH can catalyze (S)–N-methylcoclaurine to produce (S)-3′-hydroxy-N-methylcoclaurine. The Km and Kcat of CyNMCH were estimated and compared with those identified in Eschscholzia californica and Coptis japonica. This newly discovered CyNMCH will provide alternative genetic resources for the synthetic biological production of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids and provides a foundation to help analyze the biosynthetic pathway of BIAs biosynthesis in C. yanhusuo.
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| 5. |
- Liu, Xiuyu, et al.
(författare)
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Structure-function analysis of CYP719As involved in methylenedioxy bridge-formation in the biosynthesis of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids and its de novo production
- 2023
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Ingår i: Microbial Cell Factories. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1475-2859. ; 22:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) are a type of secondary metabolite with clinical application value. (S)-stylopine is a special BIA which contains methylenedioxy bridge structures. CYP719As could catalyze the methylenedioxy bridge-formation on the A or D rings of protoberberine alkaloids, while displaying significant substrate regiospecificity. To explore the substrate preference of CYP719As, we cloned and identified five CyCYP719A candidates from Corydalis yanhusuo. Two CyCYP719As (CyCYP719A39 and CyCYP719A42) with high catalytic efficiency for the methylenedioxy bridge-formation on the D or A rings were characterized, respectively. The residues (Leu 294 for CyCYP719A42 and Asp 289 for CyCYP719A39) were identified as the key to controlling the regioselectivity of CYP719As affecting the methylenedioxy bridge-formation on the A or D rings by homology modeling and mutation analysis. Furthermore, for de novo production of BIAs, CyCYP719A39, CyCYP719A42, and their mutants were introduced into the (S)-scoulerine-producing yeast to produce 32 mg/L (S)-stylopine. These results lay a foundation for understanding the structure-function relationship of CYP719A-mediated methylenedioxy bridge-formation and provide yeast strains for the BIAs production by synthetic biology.
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