Crystal structure of grape dihydroflavonol 4-reductase, a key enzyme in flavonoid biosynthesis

The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent enzyme dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) catalyzes a late step in the biosynthesis of anthocyanins and condensed tannins, two flavonoid classes of importance to plant survival and human nutrition. This enzyme has been widely investigated in many plant species, but little is known about its structural and biochemical properties. To provide a basis for detailed structure-function studies, the crystal structure of Vitis vinifera DFR, heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, has been determined at 1.8 Å resolution. The 3D structure of the ternary complex obtained with the oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate and dihydroquercetin, one of the DFR substrates, presents common features with the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family, i.e., an N-terminal domain adopting a Rossmann fold and a variable C-terminal domain, which participates in substrate binding. The structure confirms the importance of the 131-156 region, which lines the substrate binding site and enlightens the role of a specific residue at position 133 (Asn or Asp), assumed to control substrate recognition. The activity of the wild-type enzyme and its variant N133D has been quantified in vitro, using dihydroquercetin or dihydrokaempferol. Our results demonstrate that position 133 cannot be solely responsible for the recognition of the B-ring hydroxylation pattern of dihydroflavonols.     

Parallelism in hill activity and anthocyanidin content in Euphorbia pulcherrima

Pigment compositions and Hill activities of red-leafy bracts, red-green leaves and green leaves of E. pulcherrima were studied. Interestingly enough, the chloroplasts from anthocyanidin-containing leaves are intrinsically more active than those from green leaves.     

芜菁花青素合成酶基因的克隆、序列分析及表达

目的：克隆津田芜菁和赤丸芜菁花青素合成酶（ANS）基因并研究其表达特性。方法：用UV-A处理津田芜菁和赤丸芜菁块根24h后提取总RNA,通过RT-PCR方法克隆BrANS1和BrANS2基因并进行序列分析,通过Northern杂交检测BrANS1和BrANS2基因的表达。结果：BrANS1和BrANS2的开放读码框为1077bp,编码358个氨基酸残基;BRANS1和BRANS2与甘蓝ANS的同源性达97％,第211-307肽段具有20G-Fe（Ⅱ）加氧酶家族基因的结构域;BrANS1和BRANS2基因具有高度同源性,核苷酸序列在5个位置上存在差异,推导的氨基酸序列完全相同;uv-A可以诱导BrANS1和BrANS2表达,基因的表达量与处理时间相关。结论：克隆了津田芜菁和赤丸芜菁的BRANS1和BrANS2基因,这将为筛选依光型和非依光型花青素生物合成催化酶基因奠定研究基础。     

Identification and active site analysis of the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase catalysing the synthesis of ethylene in Agaricus bisporus

Background

1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (ACO) is a key enzyme that catalyses the final step in the biosynthesis of the plant hormone ethylene. Recently, the first ACO homologue gene was isolated in Agaricus bisporus, whereas information concerning the nature of the ethylene-forming activity of this mushroom ACO is currently lacking.

Methods

Recombinant ACO from A. bisporus (Ab-ACO) was purified and characterised for the first time. Molecular modelling combined with site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic and spectral analysis were used to investigate the property of Ab-ACO.

Results

Ab-ACO has eight amino acid residues that are conserved in the Fe (II) ascorbate family of dioxygenases, including four catalytic residues in the active site, but Ab-ACO lacks a key residue, S289. In comparison to plant ACOs, Ab-ACO requires ACC and Fe (II) but does not require ascorbate. In addition, Ab-ACO had relatively low activity and was completely dependent on bicarbonate, which could be ascribed to the replacement of S289 by G289. Moreover, the ferrous ion could induce a change in the tertiary, but not the secondary, structure of Ab-ACO.

Conclusions

These results provide crucial experimental support for the ability of Ab-ACO to catalyse ethylene formation in a similar manner to that of plant ACOs, but there are differences between the biochemical and catalytic characteristics of Ab-ACO and plant ACOs.

General significance

This work enhances the understanding of the ethylene biosynthesis pathways in fungi and could promote profound physiological research of the role of ethylene in the regulation of mushroom growth and development.     

不同气候条件大花葵花色苷含量的分析

研究对不同气候条件的大花葵花色苷含量进行了分析, 气候条件不同的大花葵花色苷含量有明显差异, 从测定结果上看, 黑龙江哈尔滨产的大花葵花色苷含量要高于辽宁丹东产的大花葵;日照时数长, 昼夜温差大的条件下, 大花葵中的花色苷含量较高。