Differential regulation and tissue-specific distribution of enzymes of phenylpropanoid pathways in developing parsley seedlings

Characteristic enzymes of general phenylpropanoid metabolism (phenylalanine ammonialyase) and of the flavonoid-glycoside and furanocoumarin branch pathways (chalcone synthase and S-adenosyl-l-methionine: bergaptol O-methyltransferase, respectively) were localized immuno-histochemically in cross-sections of various aerial parts of parsley (Petroselinum crispum) at different stages of seedling development. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase occurred predominantly in epidermal and oil-duct epithelial cells, but was also detectable in other tissue parts. The two pathway-specific enzymes were localized in the epidermis (chalcone synthase) and in oil ducts (bergaptol O-methyl-transferase). High chalcone-synthase concentrations occurred very early in leaf development and then declined. High levels of the methyltransferase were present at all times investigated. The temporal and spatial at all times investigated. The temporal and spatial distribution of all three enzymes is in agreement with the time courses and sites of accumulation of the biosynthetic end products.Abbreviations BMT S-adenosyl-l-methionine: bergaptol O-methyltransferase - CHS chalcone synthase - PAL phenylalanine ammonia-lyase     

Genetical and biochemical evidence that the hydroxylation pattern of the anthocyanin B-ring in Silene dioica is determined at the p-coumaroyl-coenzyme a stage

In petals of Silene dioica, gene P controls the 3′-hydroxylation of the anthocyanin B-ring and the hydroxylation pattern of the hydroxycinnamoyl acyl group bound to the 4″'-hydroxyl group of rhamnose of anthocyanidin 3-rhamnosyl(1→6)glucoside-5-glucoside. In this paper, experiments are presented which show that gene P is involved in the hydroxylation of p-coumaroyl-CoA to caffeoyl-CoA, which is then used both as a precursor in anthocyanin biosynthesis and as a substrate for the final acylation.     

Estimation of Aeration and Agitation Conditions in Respect to Oxygen Supply and Ventilation

In inosine fermentation, the yield of the product was closely related to the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the culture system rather than the bicarbonate ion concentration in the culture liquid. The inhibitory effect of carbon dioxide was restored by the methods of reducing the partial pressure of carbon dioxide lower than a certain level. Both ventilation and chemical absorption were applicable for the restoration of the carbon dioxide inhibition, but ventilation had great advantages over the other method from an industrial view-point. In the estimation of aeration-agitation conditions for the scale-up of submerged fermentation in which carbon dioxide was inhibitory, the rate of aeration was to be established to make sufficient ventilation and overcome this inhibition. A scheme for the procedure for the estimation of aeration-agitation conditions under the consideration of influences of carbon dioxide on submerged fermentation was proposed in this paper.     

Occurrence of Nuclease P1-Malonogalactan Complex

Nuclease P₁ from Penicillium citrinum was found to be produced in a form of complex with malonogalactan (a galactan, 1, 5-β-galactofuranoside polymer esterfied with malonic acid at position 3) in the culture on wheat bran. Neither nuclease P₁-malonogalactan complex nor malonogalactan was produced in a liquid medium. Nuclease P₁-malonogalactan complexes, P₁-MG I, II, and III were purified from an aqueous extract of the culture on wheat bran. The most anionic complex, P₁-MG III, was composed of the protein, carbohydrate and malonic acid in the ratio of 1: 2.6: 0.5 (w/w). The complex was not dissociated by purification procedures including fractionations with acetone and ammonium sulfate, gel filtration and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. A malonogalactan-specific carboxylesterase was found in culture of the same mold on wheat bran. Nuclease P₁-malonogalactan was demalonylated by the esterase to yield nuclease P₁-galactan. The binding of nuclease P₁ to galactan was rather loose so that nuclease P₁-galactan complex was partially dissociated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Attempt to reconstitute the complex from nuclease P₁ and malonogalactan upon mixing was unsuccessful. Exogenously supplemented nuclease P₁ did not associate with malonogalactan in the growing culture on wheat bran, either.

Several extracellular enzymes such as RNase, β-galactosidase and protease were also found in a form of complex with malonogalactan in the culture on wheat bran.     

Oxidation of d-Limonene with Selenium Dioxide-hydrogen Peroxide

Oxidation of d-Iimonene with selenium dioxide-hydrogen peroxide affords (+)-l-hydroxyneodihydrocarveol as the major product formed via cis- and trans-limonene epoxide. Hydrolysis of the former epoxide is much faster than that of the latter, which can therefore be obtained in almost quantitative yield on acid hydrolysis of a mixture of cis- and trans-limonene epoxide (1:1) under mild condition.

Minor significance of oxygenation in an allylic position to a trisubstituted double bond and the difference of accessibility of an allylic position to di- and trisubstituted double bond toward the oxidant were also observed.     

New aspects of biosynthesis and metabolism of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-acyldopamines in rat tissues

Possible biosynthetic pathways of N-acyldopamines in rat tissues were compared. It was shown that an insignificant amount of the conjugation products was formed during the incubation of arachidonic acid and dopamine, whereas the substitution of tyrosine for dopamine resulted in the productive biosynthesis of N-arachidonoyldopamine. The biosynthesis presumably involves several closely conjugated enzymatic stages, and free fatty acids rather than their CoA esters served as the starting substrates. The decarboxylation stage probably precedes the stage of catechol system formation, because N-acetyltyramine (a probable intermediate) was easily oxidized by monophenol monooxygenase to N-acyldopamine, whereas N-acyltyrosine is hydrolyzed under these conditions. Biosynthesis of N-acyldopamines in a cell-free medium was accompanied by their methylation. The possibility of oxidative metabolism of N-acyldopamines, which could serve as co-substrates or inhibitors of different oxidoreductases, was shown for the first time.     

植物中SAM Mtases基因研究进展

SAM Mtases是从多种植物中分离到的一类S-腺苷-L-甲硫氨酸依赖性氧位甲基转移酶基因,该基因对植物体内木质素、类苯基丙烷、类黄酮类、生物碱和脂肪族化合物等许多次生代谢产物合成有直接的影响,并且在植物抗病、抗紫外线、杀虫、抗菌、植物激素生长和信号调节、植物共生、花粉管伸长和花粉生长等生理过程中起重要作用.该文总结了国内外已经克隆到的SAM Mtases同源基因的分离、分类及其功能,为进一步研究SAM Mtases基因在植物生理代谢调控中的地位及在植物抗性及药用成分育种上的应用提供参考.     

石蒜儿茶酚氧位甲基转移酶基因克隆与原核表达

采用同源克隆与RACE相结合的方法,首次从石蒜叶片中克隆到可能与加兰他敏生物合成相关的儿茶酚氧位甲基转移酶基因,命名为LrCOMT。核酸序列分析显示,该cDNA全长1 246bp,开放阅读框1 101bp,编码366氨基酸。氨基酸序列分析与比对发现,LrCOMT编码的氨基酸序列具有COMT蛋白的特征区域,且与鸢尾、玉米、烟草等植物COMT的同源性大于60%。将LrCOMT基因连接到原核表达载体pET-29a上,转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)的原核表达结果显示,重组蛋白受IPTG诱导表达,分子量大小约为40kD,与已报道的其他植物COMT大小基本一致。     

丹参咖啡酸-O-甲基转移酶基因(SmCOMT1)的克隆及其分析

依据丹参转录组数据库得到的咖啡酸-O-甲基转移酶基因序列设计特异性引物,采用RT-PCR方法从丹参分离得到一个新的COMT基因,命名为SmCOMT1(GenBank注册号为JF693491）。该基因cDNA全长1 158 bp,包含一个长为1 095 bp的开放阅读框,编码364个氨基酸。SmCOMT1 gDNA序列长2 275 bp,包含4个外显子和3个内含子。序列分析结果表明,SmCOMT1编码的多肽具有COMT的序列保守元件,与同科植物罗勒COMT编码的多肽高度同源,同源性达到89%。系统进化树分析表明,SmCOMT1与双子叶植物的COMT亲缘关系较近。qRT-PCR结果表明,SmCOMT1基因在丹参不同组织器官中差异表达,其中茎中的表达量最高,并且其表达受茉莉酸甲酯和病原菌的诱导,显示SmCOMT1基因可能在植物防御反应中发挥作用。