高等植物脱落酸生物合成途径及其酶调控

脱落酸（ABA）生物合成一般有两条途径：C15直接途径和C40间接途径, 前者经C15法呢焦磷酸（FPP）直接形成ABA;后者经由类胡萝卜素的氧化裂解间接形成ABA, 是高等植物ABA生物合成的主要途径。9-顺式环氧类胡萝卜素氧化裂解为黄质醛是植物ABA生物合成的关键步骤, 然后黄质醛被氧化形成一种酮, 该过程需NAD为辅因子, 酮再转变形成ABA-醛, ABA-醛氧化最终形成ABA。在该途径中,玉米黄质环氧化酶（ZEP）、9-顺式环氧类胡萝卜素双加氧酶（NCED）和醛氧化酶（AO）可能起重要作用。     

类胡萝卜素裂解双加氧酶及其生理功能

类胡萝卜素是一大类结构相似的化合物,其裂解途径主要有羟化酶途径、双加氧酶裂解途径和氧化酶途径。类胡萝卜素经羟化酶途径可最终转化成脱落酸,经氧化酶途径则最终转化成维生素A;而在裂解双加氧酶(carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases,CCDs)催化下,类胡萝卜素氧化成脱辅基类胡萝卜素。AtCCDs是包括9个成员的小基因家族,CCD1影响果实的色泽和风味;CCD7和CCD8分别编码一个质体区域化蛋白,并参与侧根、侧芽的萌发。9-顺式-环氧类胡萝卜素双氧合酶(NCED)催化的裂解是ABA合成的关键步骤。本文对类胡萝卜素裂解途径及相关酶类的生理功能进行了综述。     

高等植物脱落酸生物合成的酶调控

高等植物ABA的生物合成开始于细胞质内的甲瓦龙酸 (MVA)或位于叶绿体内的丙酮酸_硫胺素焦磷酸 (TPP) ,经一系列反应最后在质体或胞质中形成的。除胁迫或植物发育中生理变化引起的诱导外 ,ABA的合成还受到一系列酶的调控 ,其中 ,玉米黄质环氧化酶 (ZE) ,9_顺环氧类胡萝卜素双加氧酶(NCED)和醛氧化酶 (AO)可能起到重要的调节作用。本文介绍近年来ABA生物合成酶调控的研究进展。     

高等植物脱落酸生物合成的酶调控

高等植物ABA 的生物合成开始于细胞质内的甲瓦龙酸（MVA）或位于叶绿体内的丙酮酸_硫胺素焦磷酸（TPP）,经一系列反应最后在质体或胞质中形成的。除胁迫或植物发育中生理变化引起的诱导外,ABA的合成还受到一系列酶的调控,其中,玉米黄质环氧化酶（ZE）,9_顺环氧类胡萝卜素双加氧酶（NCED）和醛氧化酶（AO）可能起到重要的调节作用。本文介绍近年来ABA生物合成酶调控的研究进展。     

高等植物ABA醛氧化酶的研究进展

ABA醛氧化酶催化ABA生物合成最后一步反应,是ABA合成途径的重要步骤.拟南芥AO3基因编码由1332个氨基酸组成的AOδ蛋白,具有ABA醛氧化酶性质,参与拟南芥叶片的ABA生物合成和调节,其在钼辅因子硫化后才具有活性.AO3由10个外显子和9个内含子组成,其cDNA全长含有198bp5'-非翻译区域,3999bp开放阅读框架区域和121bp3'-非翻译区域,含有与2个铁硫中心和5个钼辅因子结合有关的基序,均为醛氧化酶的保守序列.     

类胡萝卜素生物合成途径及其控制与遗传操作

类胡萝卜素在真菌和植物细胞胞液／内质网上是由乙酰CoA经甲羟戊酸途径合成的,在细菌与植物质体中由磷酸甘油醛与丙酮酸经1-脱氧木酮糖-5-磷酸途径合成。形成的异戊烯基焦磷酸经多次缩合生成第一个类胡萝卜素八氢番茄红素,再经脱氢、环化、羟基化、环氧化等转变为其它类胡萝卜素。类胡萝卜素生物合成中涉及的酶都是膜结合的或整合入膜中的。类胡萝卜素合成是通过底物可利用性与环化分支方式进行控制的。白色体到叶绿体的转变以及花与果实成熟时类胡萝卜素合成增加是在基因转录水平调节的。进行类胡萝卜素合成酶基因的转化,可增加转化体类胡萝卜素的积累。     

茶树CsNCED2基因的克隆和表达分析

该研究以铁观音茶树品种叶片为材料,通过RT-PCR技术,克隆了茶树脱落酸(ABA)合成途径关键限速酶——9-顺式环氧类胡萝卜素裂解双加氧酶(9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase,NCED)基因的全长cDNA序列。该基因cDNA全长1 931bp,包含1 821bp完整开放阅读框,共编码606个氨基酸残基。NCBI同源分析结果表明,与葡萄VvNCED2相似性最高(78%),命名为CsNCED2(NCBI登录号:MF765770)。氨基酸序列分析显示,其具有NCED家族的FLNO2258保守结构域,以及MIAHPKxDP和HDFAITE保守结构域序列;在保守区存在4个Fe2+活性组氨酸结合位点,N-端含有叶绿体转运肽。实时荧光定量PCR分析表明,CsNCED2基因在铁观音叶、茎和花中表达量较高;白茶萎凋和乌龙茶做青均可以诱导CsNCED2基因显著上调表达;除干旱胁迫抑制CsNCED2表达外,ABA和低温胁迫均能够诱导CsNCED2基因显著上调表达。表明CsNCED2基因在茶树ABA合成代谢以及胁迫响应中发挥重要作用。     

拟南芥ABA生物合成基因NCED6对葡萄糖诱导其种子萌发延迟的作用

抑制ABA的生物合成可以缓解葡萄糖抑制拟南芥种子萌发作用,说明ABA的生物合成参与葡萄糖诱导种子萌发的延迟。ABA生物合成基因9-顺式环氧类胡萝卜素双加氧酶6（NCED6）可以被不同浓度的葡萄糖上调表达,而nced6突变体的种子对葡萄糖不敏感。     

枸杞脱落酸生物合成关键酶基因NCED的克隆及表达分析

脱落酸(abscisic acid,ABA)对植物的生长发育具有独特的调控功能,并在植物适应逆境环境中发挥重要作用。9-顺式环氧类胡萝卜素双加氧酶(NCED)是高等植物中ABA生物合成途径的一个关键酶。根据GenBank中的植物NCED基因的同源序列设计简并引物,通过RT-PCR及RACE技术从枸杞叶片中克隆到1个编码NCED的基因,命名为LbNCED。其cDNA全长为2316 bp,含有1个1824 bp的开放阅读框,编码1个含607氨基酸残基,分子量为67.38 kDa、等电点(pI)为6.43的假定蛋白,其氨基酸序列与番茄(Lycopersicon esculentum)和马铃薯(Solanum tuberosum)的同源性达90%,在N-末端具有1个含15个氨基酸的叶绿体转运肽。Southern杂交结果表明,该基因在枸杞基因组中以低拷贝形式存在。盐处理和脱水处理的枸杞叶片中LbNCED基因的表达与内源ABA的积累同步变化。     

环氧角鲨烯合成通路在大肠杆菌中的构建和优化

三萜类化合物是一类广泛应用于医药、保健和化妆品等行业的天然产物,具有巨大的商业价值。生物合成三萜类化合物依赖于环氧角鲨烯的高效合成。角鲨烯环氧化酶是整个合成途径中的关键酶,其催化NADPH依赖的环氧化反应将角鲨烯转变为环氧角鲨烯。通过筛选不同来源的角鲨烯环氧化酶,截短的大鼠角鲨烯环氧化酶(RnSETC)在大肠杆菌Escherichia coli工程菌中表现出最强的活性;进一步考察内源性细胞色素P450还原酶样(CPRL)蛋白对环氧角鲨烯合成的影响显示,在中度拷贝质粒上以Lac启动子调控NADH:醌氧化还原酶(WrbA)的表达使得环氧角鲨烯产量提高近2.5倍。研究结果表明,所构建的环氧角鲨烯合成途径可以在大肠杆菌中实现三萜类合成关键前体环氧角鲨烯的合成,为生物合成三萜类化合物提供了重要借鉴。     

The pathway of biosynthesis of abscisic acid in vascular plants: a review of the present state of knowledge of ABA biosynthesis.

The pathway of biosynthesis of abscisic acid (ABA) can be considered to comprise three stages: (i) early reactions in which small phosphorylated intermediates are assembled as precursors of (ii) intermediate reactions which begin with the formation of the uncyclized C40 carotenoid phytoene and end with the cleavage of 9'-cis-neoxanthin (iii) to form xanthoxal, the C15 skeleton of ABA. The final phase comprising C15 intermediates is not yet completely defined, but the evidence suggests that xanthoxal is first oxidized to xanthoxic acid by a molybdenum-containing aldehyde oxidase and this is defective in the aba3 mutant of Arabidopsis and present in a 1-fold acetone precipitate of bean leaf proteins. This oxidation precludes the involvement of AB-aldehyde as an intermediate. The oxidation of the 4'-hydroxyl group to the ketone and the isomerization of the 1',2'-epoxy group to the 1'-hydroxy-2'-ene may be brought about by one enzyme which is defective in the aba2 mutant and is present in the 3-fold acetone fraction of bean leaves. Isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) is now known to be derived by the pyruvate-triose (Methyl Erythritol Phosphate, MEP) pathway in chloroplasts. (14C)IPP is incorporated into ABA by washed, intact chloroplasts of spinach leaves, but (14C)mevalonate is not, consequently, all three phases of biosynthesis of ABA occur within chloroplasts. The incorporation of labelled mevalonate into ABA by avocado fruit and orange peel is interpreted as uptake of IPP made in the cytoplasm, where it is the normal precursor of sterols, and incorporated into carotenoids after uptake by a carrier in the chloroplast envelope. An alternative bypass pathway becomes more important in aldehyde oxidase mutants, which may explain why so many wilty mutants have been found with this defect. The C-1 alcohol group is oxidized, possibly by a mono-oxygenase, to give the C-1 carboxyl of ABA. The 2-cis double bond of ABA is essential for its biological activity but it is not known how the relevant trans bond in neoxanthin is isomerized.     

A novel inhibitor of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase in abscisic acid biosynthesis in higher plants

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a major regulator in the adaptation of plants to environmental stresses, plant growth, and development. In higher plants, the ABA biosynthesis pathway involves the oxidative cleavage of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoids, which may be the key regulatory step in the pathway catalyzed by 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED). We developed a new inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis targeting NCED and named it abamine (ABA biosynthesis inhibitor with an amine moiety). Abamine is a competitive inhibitor of NCED, with a Ki of 38.8 microm. In 0.4 m mannitol solution, which mimics the effects of osmotic stress, abamine both inhibited stomatal closure in spinach (Spinacia oleracea) leaves, which was restored by coapplication of ABA, and increased luminescence intensity in transgenic Arabidopsis containing the RD29B promoter-luciferase fusion. The ABA content of plants in 0.4 m mannitol was increased approximately 16-fold as compared with that of controls, whereas 50 to 100 microm abamine inhibited about 50% of this ABA accumulation in both spinach leaves and Arabidopsis. Abamine-treated Arabidopsis was more sensitive to drought stress and showed a significant decrease in drought tolerance than untreated Arabidopsis. These results suggest that abamine is a novel ABA biosynthesis inhibitor that targets the enzyme catalyzing oxidative cleavage of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoids. To test the effect of abamine on plants other than Arabidopsis, it was applied to cress (Lepidium sativum) plants. Abamine enhanced radicle elongation in cress seeds, which could be due to a decrease in the ABA content of abamine-treated plants. Thus, it is possible to think that abamine should enable us to elucidate the functions of ABA in cells or plants and to find new mutants involved in ABA signaling.     

Transgenic Plants of Creeping Bent Grass Harboring the Stress Inducible Gene, 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, are Highly Tolerant to Drought and NaCl Stress

Transgenic lines of creeping bent grass were generated by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with the VuNCED1 which was cloned from cow pea has a homology to 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, which is supposed to be involved in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. ABA, a cleavage product of carotenoids, is involved in stress responses in plants. The limiting step of ABA biosynthesis in plants is presumably the cleavage of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoids, the first committed step of ABA biosynthesis. Molecular analyses of transgenic lines as performed by Southern hybridization genomic DNA-PCR revealed integration of the VuNCED1. Challenge studies performed with transgenic plants by exposure to salt stress (up to 10 dS m⁻¹) and water stress (up to 75%) for 10 weeks, revealed that more than 50% of the transgenic plants could survive NaCl and drought stress whereas wild-type was not. ABA levels were measured under drought and normal conditions, endogenous ABA was dramatically increased by drought and NaCl stress in transgenic plants. These results indicate that it is possible to manipulate ABA levels in plants by over expressing the key regulatory gene in ABA biosynthesis and that stress tolerance can be improved by increasing ABA levels. Chenna Reddy Aswath and Sun Hyung Kim - First two authors contributed equally to this work     

Structural insights into maize viviparous14, a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of the phytohormone abscisic acid

The key regulatory step in the biosynthesis of abscisic acid (ABA), a hormone central to the regulation of several important processes in plants, is the oxidative cleavage of the 11,12 double bond of a 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid. The enzyme viviparous14 (VP14) performs this cleavage in maize (Zea mays), making it a target for the rational design of novel chemical agents and genetic modifications that improve plant behavior through the modulation of ABA levels. The structure of VP14, determined to 3.2-Å resolution, provides both insight into the determinants of regio- and stereospecificity of this enzyme and suggests a possible mechanism for oxidative cleavage. Furthermore, mutagenesis of the distantly related CCD1 of maize shows how the VP14 structure represents a template for all plant carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs). In addition, the structure suggests how VP14 associates with the membrane as a way of gaining access to its membrane soluble substrate.     

Abscisic aldehyde oxidase in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone involved in seed development and responses to various environmental stresses. Oxidation of abscisic aldehyde is the last step of ABA biosynthesis and is catalysed by aldehyde oxidase (EC 1.2.3.1). We have reported the occurrence of three isoforms of aldehyde oxidase, AOalpha, AObeta and AOgamma, in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings, but none oxidized abscisic aldehyde. Here we report a new isoform, AOdelta, found in rosette leaf extracts, which efficiently oxidizes abscisic aldehyde. AO delta was specifically recognized by antibodies raised against a recombinant peptide encoded by AAO3, one of four Arabidopsis aldehyde oxidase genes (AAO1, AAO2, AAO3 and AAO4). Functionally expressed AAO3 protein in the yeast Pichia pastoris showed a substrate preference very similar to that of rosette AOdelta. These results indicate that AOdelta is encoded by AAO3. AOdelta produced in P. pastoris exhibited a very low Km value for abscisic aldehyde (0.51 microM), and the oxidation product was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to be ABA. Northern analysis showed that AAO3 mRNA is highly expressed in rosette leaves. When the rosette leaves were detached and exposed to dehydration, AAO3 mRNA expression increased rapidly within 3 h of the treatment. These results suggest that AOdelta, the AAO3 gene product, acts as an abscisic aldehyde oxidase in Arabidopsis rosette leaves.     

Cloning and characterization of two 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase genes, differentially regulated during fruit maturation and under stress conditions, from orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck)

There is now biochemical and genetic evidence that oxidative cleavage of cis-epoxycarotenoids by 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) is the critical step in the regulation of abscisic acid (ABA) synthesis in higher plants. The peel of Citrus fruit accumulates large amounts of ABA during maturation. To understand the regulation of ABA biosynthesis in Citrus, two full-length cDNAs (CsNCED1 and CsNCED2) encoding NCEDs were isolated and characterized from the epicarp of orange fruits (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck). Expression of the CsNCED1 gene increased in the epicarp during natural and ethylene-induced fruit maturation, and in water-stressed leaves, in a pattern consistent with the accumulation of ABA. The second gene, CsNCED2, was not detected in dehydrated leaves and, in fruits, exhibited a differential expression to that of CsNCED1. Taken together, these results suggests that CsNCED1 is likely to play a primary role in the biosynthesis of ABA in both leaves and fruits, while CsNCED2 appears to play a subsidiary role restricted to chromoplast-containing tissue. Furthermore, analysis of 9-cis-violaxanthin and 9'-cis-neoxanthin, as the two possible substrates for NCEDs, revealed that the former was the main carotenoid in the outer coloured part of the fruit peel as the fruit ripened or after ethylene treatment, whereas 9'-cis-neoxanthin was not detected or was in trace amounts. By contrast, turgid and dehydrated leaves contained 9'-cis-neoxanthin but 9-cis-violaxanthin was absent. Based on these results, it is suggested that 9-cis-violaxanthin may be the predominant substrate for NCED in the peel of Citrus fruits, whereas 9'-cis-neoxanthin would be the precursor of ABA in photosynthetic tissues.     

Substrate specificity and kinetics for VP14, a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase in the ABA biosynthetic pathway

The plant growth regulator, abscisic acid (ABA), is synthesized via the oxidative cleavage of an epoxy-carotenoid. Specifically, a double bond is cleaved by molecular oxygen and an aldehyde is formed at the site of cleavage in both products. The Vp14 gene from maize encodes an oxidative cleavage enzyme for ABA biosynthesis and the recombinant VP14 protein catalyzes the cleavage reaction in vitro. The enzyme has a strict requirement for a 9-cis double bond adjacent to the site of cleavage (the 11-12 bond), but shows some plasticity in other features of carotenoids that are cleaved. A kinetic analysis with the 9-cis isomer of five carotenoids displays several substrate activity relationships. One of the carotenoids was not readily cleaved, but inhibited the cleavage of another substrate in mixed assays. Of the remaining four carotenoids used in this study, three of the substrates have similar V(max) values. The V(max) for the cleavage of one carotenoid substrate was significantly higher. Molecular modeling and several three-dimensional quantitative substrate-activity relationship programs were used to analyze these results. In addition to a 9-cis double bond, the presence and orientation of the ring hydroxyl affects substrate binding or the subsequent cleavage. Additional variations that affect substrate cleavage are proposed.