Effect of light irradiation on anthocyanin production by suspended culture of Perilla frutescens

After a series of experiments on photoperiodicity and light intensity under daylight supplied by an ordinary fluorescent lamp in cultivations using a flask and a roux bottle, it was found that irradiation at 27.2 W/m(2) for the whole period was effective for anthocyanin production by a suspended culture of Perilla frutescens (shiso). A high amount of anthocyanin pigments, 3.0 g/L, was obtained in a bubble column bioreactor after 10 days of cultivation at an aeration rate of 0.1 vvm with light irradiation at 27.2 W/m(2), while 2 g/L was obtained at 13.6 W/m(2) and very little at 54.4 W/m(2). A high amount of anthocyanin pigments, 2.9 g/L, was also produced using an aerated and agitated bioreactor at an agitation speed of 130 rpm, an aeration rate of 0.1 vvm and light irradiation intensity of 27.2 W/m(2). The amount of anthocyanin produced was more than twice that without light irradiation, Keeping the other cultivation conditions the same. The results obtained also showed that the amount of anthocyanin pigment accumulated in a shake flask could be rather well reproduced in bioreactors for both aerated culture, and aerated and agitated culture, by improving the conditions of light irradiation, which conspicuously affects metabolite formation.     

二氢黄酮醇 4 还原酶在花青素合成中的功能及调控研究进展

植物色素主要有花青素、类胡萝卜素和生物碱类色素三大类,其中花青素是决定大部分被子植物组织或器官颜色的重要色素。花青素通过类黄酮途径合成,该途径是生物学上研究较多且较为清楚的代谢途径之一。近年来的研究表明,在该途径中除了查尔酮合成酶(chalcone synthase,CHS)、查尔酮异构酶(chalcone isomerase,CHI)和黄烷酮-3-羟化酶(flavanone-3-hydrolase,F3H)起着关键作用外,二氢黄酮醇-4-还原酶(dihydroflavonol 4-reductase,DFR)对花青素的合成也至关重要。DFR可催化3种二氢黄酮醇和2种黄烷酮生成5种不同的花青素前体,且DFR基因家族不同成员对各个底物的催化效率不同,因此它在一定程度上决定着植物中花青素的种类和含量,从而影响植物组织或器官的颜色。该文对近年来国内外有关DFR在花青素合成过程中的生物学功能与调控,包括DFR的特征、作用机制和系统进化以及环境、转录因子和一些结构基因与DFR的关系等方面的研究进展进行了综述,以期为DFR今后的研究和利用基因工程改变植物组织或器官的颜色提供理论依据。     

Physical interactions among flavonoid enzymes in snapdragon and torenia reveal the diversity in the flavonoid metabolon organization of different plant species

Flavonoid metabolons (weakly‐bound multi‐enzyme complexes of flavonoid enzymes) are believed to occur in diverse plant species. However, how flavonoid enzymes are organized to form a metabolon is unknown for most plant species. We analyzed the physical interaction partnerships of the flavonoid enzymes from two lamiales plants (snapdragon and torenia) that produce flavones and anthocyanins. In snapdragon, protein–protein interaction assays using yeast and plant systems revealed the following binary interactions: flavone synthase II (FNSII)/chalcone synthase (CHS); FNSII/chalcone isomerase (CHI); FNSII/dihydroflavonol 4‐reductase (DFR); CHS/CHI; CHI/DFR; and flavonoid 3′‐hydroxylase/CHI. These results along with the subcellular localizations and membrane associations of snapdragon flavonoid enzymes suggested that FNSII serves as a component of the flavonoid metabolon tethered to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The observed interaction partnerships and temporal gene expression patterns of flavonoid enzymes in red snapdragon petal cells suggested the flower stage‐dependent formation of the flavonoid metabolon, which accounted for the sequential flavone and anthocyanin accumulation patterns therein. We also identified interactions between FNSII and other flavonoid enzymes in torenia, in which the co‐suppression of FNSII expression was previously reported to diminish petal anthocyanin contents. The observed physical interactions among flavonoid enzymes of these plant species provided further evidence supporting the long‐suspected organization of flavonoid metabolons as enzyme complexes tethered to the ER via cytochrome P450, and illustrated how flavonoid metabolons mediate flower coloration. Moreover, the observed interaction partnerships were distinct from those previously identified in other plant species (Arabidopsis thaliana and soybean), suggesting that the organization of flavonoid metabolons may differ among plant species.     

高产花色苷玫瑰茄细胞系的筛选

花色苷在植物中呈现粉红、红、紫红、紫等颜色,可以用作食品、药品及化妆品的着色剂,亦有药用价值。作为食品添加剂,颜色较合成色素自然,且安全无毒性。早在１９８７年,Ｍｉｚukami^[1]就建议用植物细胞培养物生产花色苷类代替合成色素。所有的植物培养细胞都是异源性的。各细胞之间产花色苷的能力相差很大^[2].因为产花色苷的细胞系带有颜色标记,所以容易识别并通过肉眼选择即可获得高产花色苷的细胞系。筛选的方法很多,如平板饲喂法^[3]、小细胞团法^[4]、细胞块法^[5]、肉眼观察直接挑选法及细胞分栋器法^[6]等。高产系花色苷的含量可增加几倍到几十倍,而且产量稳定。本文采用平板法及小细胞团法筛选高产花色苷的玫瑰茄(Hibiscus sabdariffa L.)细胞系。     

桂花查尔酮异构酶OfCHI基因的克隆与表达分析

查尔酮异构酶CHI是花青素苷合成途径中的关键酶。为了解桂花花青苷的合成机理,该研究对3个桂花品种的花青苷含量进行了测定。结果显示:(1)‘橙红丹桂’花中的花青苷含量最高,‘金桂’和‘早银桂’中花青苷含量较低。(2)利用RACE和RT-PCR方法获得了桂花查尔酮异构酶基因(OfCHI)的全长cDNA序列1 069bp,该基因编码248个氨基酸,相对分子量为26.85kD,等电点为6.34。(3)多重序列比对显示,OfCHI与金花茶CnCHI、忍冬LjCHI、石榴PgCHI的相似性分别为68.13%、65.86%和63.53%,氨基酸序列中含有CHI蛋白的活性位点Thr47、Tyr108、Met115以及Ser192;系统进化树分析表明,OfCHI与其他物种起源相同,而与油橄榄OeCHI亲缘关系最近。(4)利用qRT-PCR对不同桂花品种、不同组织中OfCHI的表达量检测结果显示,OfCHI在‘橙红丹桂’花中表达量最高,在‘金桂’和‘早银桂’中表达量较低;OfCHI在‘橙红丹桂’、‘金桂’和‘早银桂’的花、茎、叶中均有表达,且表达趋势相同,均为叶中表达量最高。该研究为揭示桂花青素苷的合成机理奠定了理论基础,并为培育不同花色的桂花新品种提供了基因专利。     

烟草花青素苷转运相关基因NtAN9的分离与表达分析

为研究花青素苷的转运,利用电子克隆和RT-PCR方法,从普通烟草(Nicotiana tabacum)花中分离了1个编码谷胱甘肽转移酶(GST)基因,命名为NtAN9(GenBank登录号KX356542)。NtAN9包含一个690bp的开放阅读框,编码229个氨基酸残基,属于phi型GST。NtAN9基因组结构由3个外显子和2个内含子组成。多序列比对分析表明,NtAN9与矮牵牛(Petunia hybrida)花青素苷转运相关的GST基因PhAN9具有88%的一致性。系统进化分析显示,NtAN9与花青素苷转运相关的GST基因聚为一支,是PhAN9的直系同源基因。定量PCR分析表明,NtAN9基因在含有花青素苷的四个花发育时期中均有表达,其中在开花前的第Ⅲ期(2cm花芽4cm)表达丰度达到最高,而在不含花青素苷的根、茎和叶中不表达。由此推测,分离得到的NtAN9可能具有类似PhAN9的功能,与烟草花青素苷的转运与积累相关。NtAN9基因的分离与表达分析,为进一步研究烟草花青素苷的转运奠定了基础。     

Analysis and characterization of anthocyanins and carotenoids in Japanese blue tomato

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is rich in anthocyanins, which are polyphenolic pigments. This study aimed to analyze and characterize the anthocyanin composition in cultivated blue tomato in Japan. The extracts of peel, seed, and pulp of tomatoes were purified following which anthocyanins and lycopene contents were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Eleven types of anthocyanins were identified, including delphinidin, petunidin, and malvidin. Further, the antioxidant activity of anthocyanins was evaluated using 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radical quenching assays and electron spin resonance. “Blue tomato” extracts exert antioxidant activity. Thus, we showed that petunidin was present in the “blue tomato” peel while lycopene was present in the peel and pulp. Additionally, the blue tomato peel extract was found to significantly inhibit H₂O₂-induced cell death in vitro. This is the first study on cell protective effects of Japanese blue tomato extract and petunidin in murine photoreceptor cells.