Production of taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene by transgenic Physcomitrella patens

Taxadiene synthase gene from Taxus brevifolia was constitutively expressed in the moss Physcomitrella patens using a ubiquitin promoter to produce taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene, the precursor of the anticancer drug paclitaxel. In stable moss transformants, taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene was produced up to 0.05% fresh weight of tissue, without significantly affecting the amounts of the endogenous diterpenoids (ent-kaurene and 16-hydroxykaurane). Unlike higher plants that had been genetically modified to produce taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene, transgenic P. patens did not exhibit growth inhibition due to alteration of diterpenoid metabolic pools. Thus we propose that P. patens is a promising alternative host for the biotechnological production of paclitaxel and its precursors.     

Redirection of carotenoid metabolism for the efficient production of taxadiene [taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene] in transgenic tomato fruit

The taxanes are a group of polycyclic diterpenes produced by various species of yew. The potent anticancer drug paclitaxel (marketed as Taxol™) is the commercially most important taxane with annual sales in 2000 exceeding $1.6 billion. Paclitaxel is currently obtained either by direct extraction from yew trees or by the extraction of the precursor 10-deactilbaccatin III, which is then converted to paclitaxel by semi-synthesis. Apart from cost, one of the main draw backs to taxol in cancer treatment is the development of resistance by tumours, commonly due to the expression of ABC transporter efflux pumps which remove the drug from the target cell. A number of natural taxanes and semisynthetic derivates, have recently been shown to act as potent inhibitors of ABC transport proteins. These compounds have no effect upon microtubule polymerization (the normal target of paclitaxel), but have the ability to restore drug sensitivity when given in combination with paclitaxel to resistant cell lines. In work to be described elsewhere, we sort to carry out a structure function analysis of the ability of novel oxidised taxanes to act as ABC transporter inhibitors. For this study 100 mg or more of taxadiene [taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene], the first taxane in the paclitaxel pathway, was required as starting material from which to synthesize these compounds. Taxadiene is synthesised directly from geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP), which is found in most plant tissues where it serves as a common precursor for many metabolites. The synthesis and use of GGDP are tightly regulated in most vegetative organs, however, in tomato fruit it is used almost exclusively for the production of coloured carotenoids which accumulate to high levels in the plastid as lycopene crystals. Expressing taxadiene synthase in a yellow-fruited tomato line that lacks the ability to utilise GGPP for carotenoid synthesis allowed GGPP normally utilised for making carotenoids to be re-routed for the production of taxadiene, allowing the facile extraction of 160 mg of highly pure taxadiene from 1 kg of freeze dried fruit.     

Heterologous expression and characterization of a "Pseudomature" form of taxadiene synthase involved in paclitaxel (Taxol) biosynthesis and evaluation of a potential intermediate and inhibitors of the multistep diterpene cyclization reaction

The diterpene cyclase taxadiene synthase from yew (Taxus) species transforms geranylgeranyl diphosphate to taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene as the first committed step in the biosynthesis of the anti-cancer drug Taxol. Taxadiene synthase is translated as a preprotein bearing an N-terminal targeting sequence for localization to and processing in the plastids. Overexpression of the full-length preprotein in Escherichia coli and purification are compromised by host codon usage, inclusion body formation, and association with host chaperones, and the preprotein is catalytically impaired. Since the transit peptide-mature enzyme cleavage site could not be determined directly, a series of N-terminally truncated enzymes was created by expression of the corresponding cDNAs from a suitable vector, and each was purified and kinetically evaluated. Deletion of up to 79 residues yielded functional protein; however, deletion of 93 or more amino acids resulted in complete elimination of activity, implying a structural or catalytic role for the amino terminus. The pseudomature form of taxadiene synthase having 60 amino acids deleted from the preprotein was found to be superior with respect to level of expression, ease of purification, solubility, stability, and catalytic activity with kinetics comparable to the native enzyme. In addition to the major product, taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene (94%), this enzyme produces a small amount of the isomeric taxa-4(20), 11(12)-diene ( approximately 5%), and a product tentatively identified as verticillene ( approximately 1%). Isotopically sensitive branching experiments utilizing (4R)-[4-(2)H(1)]geranylgeranyl diphosphate confirmed that the two taxadiene isomers, and a third (taxa-3(4),11(12)-diene), are derived from the same intermediate taxenyl C4-carbocation. These results, along with the failure of the enzyme to utilize 2, 7-cyclogeranylgeranyl diphosphate as an alternate substrate, indicate that the reaction proceeds by initial ionization of the diphosphate ester and macrocyclization to the verticillyl intermediate, followed by a secondary cyclization to the taxenyl cation and deprotonation (i.e., formation of the A-ring prior to B/C-ring closure). Two potential mechanism-based inhibitors were tested with recombinant taxadiene synthase but neither provided time-dependent inactivation nor afforded more than modest competitive inhibition.     

Taxanes with C-5-amino-side chains from the needles of Taxus canadensis

Five taxanes with an amino-side chain on C-5 were identified for the first time in the needles of the Canadian yew, Taxus canadensis. Their structures were characterized as 2alpha,7beta,9alpha,10beta,13-pentaacetoxy-11beta-hydroxy-5alpha-(3'-N,N-dimethylamino-3'-phenyl)-propionyloxytaxa-4(20),12-diene (1), 2alpha,9alpha-dihydroxy-10beta,13alpha-diacetoxy-5alpha-(3'-methylamino-3'-phenyl)-propionyloxytaxa-4(20),11-diene (2), 2alpha17-dihydroxy-9alpha,10beta,13alpha-triacetoxy-5alpha-(3'-N,N-dimethylamino-3'-phenyl)-propionyloxytaxa-4(20),11-diene (3), 2alpha-hydroxy-7beta,9alpha,10beta,13alpha-tetraacetoxy-5alpha-(2'-hydroxy-3'-N,N-dimethylamino-3'-phenyl)-propionyloxytaxa-4(20),11-diene (4), and 9alpha-hydroxy-2alpha,10beta,13alpha-triacetoxy-5alpha-(3'-N,N-dimethylamino-3'-phenyl)-propionyloxytaxa-4(20),11-diene (5) on the basis of 1D-, 2D-NMR spectroscopic data and high-resolution fast atom bombardment MS analyses. Metabolite (1) was isolated from the needles of the Canadian yew for the first time but had previously been detected in the stems of the Japanese yew, whereas taxanes (2-5) are only now reported. Metabolite (3) is the first reported nitrogen-containing taxane with a 17-hydroxyl substitution.     

牻牛儿基牻牛儿基焦磷酸合酶和紫杉二烯合酶基因在灰盖鬼伞中的组合表达

紫杉二烯是紫杉醇合成途径中的前体物质。紫杉醇是红豆杉的一种重要的次级代谢产物,是一种重要的新型抗癌药物。然而,紫杉醇在植物中含量低且难提取,限制了高效应用。利用基因工程手段,借助担子菌类真菌灰盖鬼伞具有的内源类异戊二烯合成途径,构建含有牻牛儿基牻牛儿基焦磷酸(Geranylgeranyl diphosphate,GGPP)合酶和紫杉二烯合酶的融合基因表达载体p Bg GGTS和独立表达盒表达载体p Bg GGg TS,并分别转入灰盖鬼伞LT2菌株中,经过选择性筛选、PCR鉴定、Southern blotting杂交验证,分别获得了5株融合表达的灰盖鬼伞工程菌和5株独立表达盒的灰盖鬼伞工程菌株。各随机挑选了1株工程菌株,分别提取菌丝体和发酵液分析。GC-MS分析表明,两种工程菌株与原出发菌株的菌丝提取物无明显差异峰,而与出发菌株的发酵液提取物相比,两种转基因灰盖鬼伞的发酵液中均出现了明显的差异峰,采用GC-MS特征质量离子分析方法判定为紫杉二烯,分别为44 ng/L(转化p Bg GGg TS)和30 ng/L(转化p Bg GGTS)。结果表明,通过在灰盖鬼伞融合基因或各自独立表达的形式共表达ggpps和ts基因,可以生物合成紫杉二烯。     

Substrate specificity for the hydroxylation of polyoxygenated 4(20),11-taxadienes by Ginkgo cell suspension cultures

Three C-14 oxygenated taxanes isolated from callus cultures of Taxus spp., 2alpha,5alpha,10beta,14beta-tetra-acetoxy-4(20),11-taxadiene 3, 2alpha,5alpha,10beta-triacetoxy-14beta-propionyloxy-4(20),11-taxadiene 4, 2alpha,5alpha,10beta-triacetoxy-14beta-(2-methylbutyryl)-oxy-4(20),11-taxadiene 5, and three deacetylated derivatives of 3, 10beta-hydroxy-2alpha,5alpha,14beta-triacetoxy-4(20),11-taxadiene 6, 14beta-hydroxy-2alpha,5alpha,10beta-triacetoxy-4(20),11-taxadiene 7, 10beta,14beta-dihydroxy-2alpha,5alpha-diacetoxy-4(20),11-taxadiene 8, could all be regio- and stereo-selectively hydroxylated at the 9alpha-position by Ginkgo cell suspension cultures to yield a series of new 9alpha,14beta-dihydroxylated taxoids. The effects of functional groups, especially at C-14 of the substrates, on the biotransformation were also investigated. The results revealed that substrates with an acetoxyl group at C-14 could be more efficiently 9alpha-hydroxylated than those with a longer ester chain or a hydroxyl group at C-14. An acetoxyl or hydroxyl group at C-10 had no effect on the conversion rates of the substrates, but substrates with the hydroxyl group (compared with the acetoxyl analogues) could be converted into 9alpha-hydroxylated products more easily.     

Taxol biosynthesis: differential transformations of taxadien-5 alpha-ol and its acetate ester by cytochrome P450 hydroxylases from Taxus suspension cells

The biosynthesis of the diterpenoid antineoplastic drug Taxol in Taxus species involves the cyclization of the ubiquitous isoprenoid intermediate geranylgeranyl diphosphate to taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene followed by cytochrome P450-mediated hydroxylation (with allylic rearrangement) of this olefin precursor to taxa-4(20),11(12)-dien-5 alpha-ol, and further oxygenation and acylation reactions. Based on the abundances of naturally occurring taxoids, the subsequent order of oxygenation of the taxane core is considered to occur at C10, then C2 and C9, followed by C13, and finally C7 and C1. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the acetylation of taxadien-5 alpha-ol may constitute the third specific step of Taxol biosynthesis. To determine whether taxadienol or the corresponding acetate ester serves as the direct precursor of subsequent oxygenation reactions, microsomal preparations isolated from induced Taxus cells and optimized for cytochrome P450 catalysis were incubated with each potential substrate. Both taxadienol and taxadienyl acetate were oxygenated to the level of a diol and to higher polyols at comparable rates by cytochrome P450 enzymes of the microsomal preparation. Preparative-scale incubation allowed the isolation of sufficient quantities of the diol derived from taxadienol to permit the NMR-based structural elucidation of this metabolite as taxa-4(20),11(12)-dien-5 alpha,13 alpha-diol, which may represent an alternate route of taxoid metabolism in induced cells. GC-MS-based structural definition of the diol monoacetate derived in microsomes from taxadienyl acetate confirmed this metabolite as taxa-4(20),11(12)-dien-5 alpha-acetoxy-10 beta-ol, thereby indicating that acetylation at C5 of taxadienol precedes the cytochrome P450-mediated insertion of the C10-beta-hydroxyl group of Taxol.     

Biotransformation of a 4(20),11(12)-taxadiene derivative

A 4(20),11(12)-taxadiene derivative was converted to hydroxylated derivatives by Cunninghamella elegans AS3.2033 and Cunninghamella elegans var chibaensis ATCC 20230. Both microorganisms led to C-1 hydroxylations and conversion to a C-15-hydroxylated abeo-taxane. Additional products from the two fungi differed: a C-14 oxidation and a trans-cis isomerization of the cinnamoyl for one and an unprecedented hydroxylation at C-17 for the other.     

Molecular cloning of a taxa-4(20),11(12)-dien-5alpha-ol-O-acetyl transferase cDNA from Taxus and functional expression in Escherichia coli

The taxa-4(20),11(12)-dien-5alpha-ol-O-acetyl transferase which catalyzes the third step of Taxol biosynthesis has been isolated from methyl jasmonate-induced Taxus cells, and partially purified and characterized (K. Walker, R. E. B. Ketchum, M. Hezari, D. Gatfield, M. Golenowski, A. Barthol, and R. Croteau, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 364, 273-279 1999). A revised purification method allowed internal amino acid microsequencing of the enzyme, from which primers were designed and employed to amplify a transacetylase gene-specific fragment. This radiolabeled, 900-bp amplicon was used as a hybridization probe to screen a cDNA library constructed from poly(A)(+) RNA isolated from induced Taxus cells, from which a full-length transacetylase sequence was obtained. Expression of this clone from pCWori(+) in Escherichia coli JM109 cells yielded the functional enzyme, as determined by radiochemical assay and combined capillary gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric verification of the acetylated product. The full-length DNA has an open-reading frame of 1317 nucleotides corresponding to a deduced amino acid sequence of 439 residues that exhibits high sequence identity to the proteolytic fragments of the native enzyme, which the recombinant transacetylase resembles in properties. Consistent with the size of the operationally soluble native enzyme, the DNA appears to encode a monomeric protein of molecular weight 49,079 that bears no N-terminal organellar targeting information. Sequence comparison of the taxadien-5alpha-ol-O-acetyl transferase with the few other known acyl transferases of plant origin indicates a significant degree of similarity between these enzymes (64-67%). The efficient conversion of taxadien-5alpha-yl acetate to further hydroxylated intermediates of the Taxol pathway confirms the significance of this acylation step and suggests this taxadienol transacetylase to be an important target for genetic manipulation to improve Taxol production.     

Interaction of CYP11B1 (cytochrome P-45011 beta) with CYP11A1 (cytochrome P-450scc) in COS-1 cells.

The interactions of CYP11B1 (cytochrome P-45011beta), CYP11B2 (cytochrome P-450aldo) and CYP11A1 (cytochrome P-450scc) were investigated by cotransfection of their cDNA into COS-1 cells. The effect of CYP11A1 on CYP11B isozymes was examined by studying the conversion of 11-deoxycorticosterone to corticosterone, 18-hydroxycorticosterone and aldosterone. It was shown that when human or bovine CYP11B1 and CYP11A1 were cotransfected they competed for the reducing equivalents from the limiting source contained in COS-1 cells; this resulted in a decrease of the CYP11B activities without changes in the product formation patterns. The competition of human CYP11A1 with human CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 could be diminished with excess expression of bovine adrenodoxin. However, the coexpression of bovine CYP11B1 and CYP11A1 in the presence of adrenodoxin resulted in a stimulation of 11beta-hydroxylation activity of CYP11B1 and in a decrease of the 18-hydroxycorticosterone and aldosterone formation. These results suggest that the interactions of CYP11A1 with CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 do not have an identical regulatory function in human and in bovine adrenal tissue.     

Contributions of cytoplasmic free and membrane-bound ribosomes to the synthesis of mitochondrial cytochrome P-450(SCC) and P-450(11 beta) and microsomal cytochrome P-450(C-21) in bovine adrenal cortex

Rabbit antibodies against cytochrome P-450 (SCC), P-450 (11 beta), and P-450 (C-21) from bovine adrenal cortex were prepared, and it was confirmed that these three cytochrome P-450 species are immunologically distinct from one another. Cytoplasmic sites of synthesis of P-450 (SCC), P-450 (11 beta), and P-450 (C-21) in bovine adrenal cortex were determined by examining the presence of their nascent peptides on isolated free and bound ribosomes. Nascent peptides were released in vitro from ribosomes by [3H]puromycin in a high salt buffer in the presence of a detergent, and the nascent peptides of P-450 (SCC), P-450 (11 beta), and P-450 (C-21) were isolated by immunoprecipitation. The nascent peptides of these three cytochrome P-450 species were found in both free and bound ribosomal fractions, suggesting that they share common sites of synthesis in the cytoplasm. However, the nascent peptides of mitochondrial P-450 (SCC) and P-450 (11 beta) were more concentrated in the free ribosomal fraction, whereas those of microsomal P-450 (C-21) were more abundant in the bound ribosomal fraction. The nascent peptides of the three cytochrome P-450 species were released from the membrane-bound ribosomes of rough microsomes into the cytoplasmic surface of microsomal vesicles by puromycin treatment.     

11(R),12(S),15(S)-trihydroxyeicosa-5(Z),8(Z),13(E)-trienoic acid: an endothelium-derived 15-lipoxygenase metabolite that relaxes rabbit aorta

Previous studies indicate that 11,12,15-trihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (11,12,15-THETA), an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor in the rabbit aorta, mediates a portion of the relaxation response to acetylcholine by sequential metabolism of arachidonic acid by 15-lipoxygenase, hydroperoxide isomerase, and epoxide hydrolase. To determine the stereochemical configuration of the endothelial 11,12,15-THETA, its activity and chromatographic migration were compared with activity and migration of eight chemically synthesized stereoisomers of 11,12,15(S)-THETA. Of the eight isomers, only 11(R),12(S),15(S)-trihydroxyeicosa-5(Z),8(Z),13(E)-trienoic acid comigrated with the biological 11,12,15-THETA on reverse- and normal-phase HPLC and gas chromatography. The same THETA isomer (10(-7)-10(-4) M) relaxed the rabbit aorta in a concentration-related manner (maximum relaxation = 69 +/- 5%). These relaxations were blocked by apamin (10(-7) M), an inhibitor of small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels. In comparison, 11(S),12(R),15(S),5(Z),8(Z),13(E)-THETA (10(-4) M) relaxed the aorta by 22%. The other six stereoisomers were inactive in this assay. With use of the whole cell patch-clamp technique, it was shown that 10(-4) M 11(R),12(S),15(S),5(Z),8(Z),13(E)-THETA increased outward K+ current in isolated aortic smooth muscle cells by 119 +/- 36% at +60 mV, whereas 10(-4) M 11(R),12(R),15(S),5(Z),8(Z),13(E)-THETA increased outward K+ current by only 20 +/- 2%. The 11(R),12(S),15(S),5(Z),8(Z),13(E)-THETA-stimulated increase in K+ current was blocked by pretreatment with apamin. These studies suggest that 11(R),12(S),15(S)-trihydroxyeicosa-5(Z),8(Z),13(E)-trienoic acid is the active stereoisomer produced by the rabbit aorta. It relaxes smooth muscle by activating K+ channels. The specific structural and stereochemical requirements for K+ channel activation suggest that a specific binding site or receptor of 11,12,15-THETA is involved in these actions.     

Novel Taxa-4(20),12-diene and 2(3→20)Abeotaxane from Needles of Taxus canadensis

A novel 6/8/6-membered taxane with a rare C-12(13)-double bond and rare 2(3→20)abeotaxane were isolated from the needles of Taxus canadensis. Their structures were characterized as 7β,9α,10β-triacetoxytaxa-4(20),12-diene-2α,5α,11β-triol (1) and 2α,7β,10β-triacetoxy-5α-hydroxy-2(3→20)abeotaxa-4(20),11-diene-9,13-dione (2) on the basis of 1D and 2D spectroscopic data. 1 is the first example of a natural taxane without substitution at both C-13 and C-14.     

Occurrence of 14-hydroxylated taxoids in the plant in vitro cell cultures of different yew species (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Taxus</Emphasis> spp.)

This is the first study to show that the formation of 14β-hydroxylated derivatives of taxa-4(20),11-diene is a specific feature of in vitro cultured dedifferentiated yew cells that distinguishes them from intact plant cells. This may be due to a lower toxicity of the 14-OH taxoids for proliferating plant cells compared to the 13-OH derivatives.     

Design and syntheses of putative bioactive taxanes

Reduction of 5 alpha-hydroxy-7 beta,9 alpha,10 beta-triacetoxy-4(20), 11(12)-taxadien-13-one 1 with activated zinc in glacial acetic acid led to rearranged products, including compounds with double bonds at C3-C4, C10-C11 or with an epoxide at C11-C12. Molecular modeling studies suggested that addition of a side chain at C-20 or C-5 of the taxanes with a C3-C4 double bond might lead to bioactivity. Semi-syntheses and results of bioactivities are discussed.     

Production of 19-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone and 19-oxo-11-deoxycorticosterone from 11-deoxycorticosterone by cytochrome P-450(11)beta

Incubation of 11-deoxycorticosterone with a cytochrome P-450(11)beta-reconstituted system yielded, in addition to corticosterone and 18-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone, a new steroid product. The retention time of the new product was identical with that of authentic 19-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The turnover number of 19-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone formation was 7.0 mol/min/mol P-450. When a large amount of cytochrome P-450(11)beta was used for the reaction and the products were analyzed by HPLC, the 19-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone peak disappeared from the chromatogram and concomitantly new unidentified peaks appeared. These results suggest that 19-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone was further metabolized to other steroids by cytochrome P-450(11)beta. Therefore, we next incubated 19-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone with cytochrome P-450(11)beta and analyzed the reaction products by HPLC. The above-mentioned unidentified peaks appeared again in the chromatogram. The retention time of one of the peaks coincided with that of authentic 19-oxo-11-deoxycorticosterone. This peak substance was purified by repeated HPLC and subjected to mass spectrometry and 1H NMR analyses. Its field desorption mass spectrum (FD-MS) showed a M+ peak at m/e 344. The 1H NMR spectrum showed the signal of an aldehyde proton instead of those of hydroxymethyl protons at the C-19 position. These results suggest that cytochrome P-450(11)beta can catalyze the 19-hydroxylation of 11-deoxycorticosterone, and the 19-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone produced is further oxidized at the C-19 position to 19-oxo-11-deoxycorticosterone.     

Stereochemical requirements for substrate specificity of LTB4 20-hydroxylase

LTB4 20-hydroxylase (P-450LTB) is the cytochrome P-450 in the microsomes of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes that catalyzes the omega-oxidation of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) to 20-OH LTB4. The activity of P-450LTB for LTB4 compared to isomers and analogs of LTB4 at a concentration of 0.3 microM revealed a preference of P-450LTB for both the triene bond configuration of LTB4 and for the chirality of the 5S and 12R hydroxyl groups. 15S-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, 8(R/S), 15S-dihydroxy-5-cis-9,11,13-trans-eicosatetraenoic acid, 8R,15S-dihydroxy-5,13-cis-9,11-trans-eicosatetraenoic acid, and 5S,15S-dihydroxy-6,13-trans-8,11-cis-eicosatetraenoic acid were each not subject to omega-oxidation, indicating a negative effect of the presence of a 15-hydroxyl group on substrate recognition. At a concentration of 1.5 microM, 12R- and 12S-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid were converted to their respective 20-OH derivatives at rates that were 34.2 +/- 11.6% (mean +/- S.D., n = 3) and 3.5 +/- 4.3% (mean +/- S.D., n = 4), respectively, of that of LTB4 to 20-OH LTB4, further indicating that P-450LTB can distinguish the chirality of the 12-hydroxyl group. The lower Km of LTB4 (2.0 microM), as compared to those of its 6-trans-12-epi isomer (3.8 microM) and 5-epi-LTB4 (6.6 microM) confirmed the preference of P-450LTB for the specific triene bond structure of LTB4 and its preference for the chirality of the hydroxyl groups of LTB4 within this structurally related class of molecules. At equal 1.5-microM concentrations, LTB4 completely inhibited the omega-oxidation of all other substrates and partially suppressed that of leukotriene B5, consistent with the lower Km of LTB4 and indicating that P-450LTB catalyzed the omega-oxidation of all substrates. Thus, P-450LTB is a novel cytochrome P-450 of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes with substrate recognition determined by the triene bond configuration and the chirality of the hydroxyl groups.     

Partial purification and characterization of acetyl coenzyme A: taxa-4(20),11(12)-dien-5alpha-ol O-acetyl transferase that catalyzes the first acylation step of taxol biosynthesis

The acetylation of taxa-4(20),11(12)-dien-5alpha-ol is considered to be the third specific step of Taxol biosynthesis that precedes further hydroxylation of the taxane nucleus. An operationally soluble acetyl CoA:taxadienol-O-acetyl transferase was demonstrated in extracts of Taxus canadensis and Taxus cuspidata cells induced with methyl jasmonate to produce Taxol. The reaction was dependent on both cosubstrates and active enzyme, and the product of this acetyl transferase was identified by radiochromatographic and GC-MS analysis. Following determination of the time course of acetyl transferase appearance in induced cell cultures, the operationally soluble enzyme was partially purified by a combination of anion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and affinity chromatography on immobilized coenzyme A resin. This acetyl transferase has a pI and pH optimum of 4.7 and 9.0, respectively, and a molecular weight of about 50,000 as determined by gel permeation chromatography. The enzyme shows high selectivity and high affinity for both cosubstrates, with Km values of 4.2 and 5.5 microM for taxadienol and acetyl CoA, respectively. The enzyme does not acetylate the more advanced Taxol precursors, 10-deacetylbaccatin III or baccatin III. This acetyl transferase is insensitive to monovalent and divalent metal ions, is only weakly inhibited by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate, N-ethylmaleimide, and coenzyme A, and resembles in general properties the few other O-acetyl transferases of higher plant origin that have been examined.