Root restriction affected anthocyanin composition and up-regulated the transcription of their biosynthetic genes during berry development in ‘Summer Black’ grape

Root restriction was applied to ‘Summer black’ grape (Vitis vinifera L. × Vitis labrusca L.) to investigate its effect on anthocyanin biosynthesis in grape berry during development. Anthocyanin composition and expression patterns of 16 genes in anthocyanin pathway were thus analyzed. The results showed that the anthocyanin levels in berry skin were significantly increased and the anthocyanin profile was enriched. Gene expression pattern revealed that the increased anthocyanins coincide with the up-regulated expression of all 16 genes investigated, including phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, 4-coumarate CoA ligase, chalcone synthase 1, chalcone synthase 2, chalcone synthase 3, chalcone isomerase, flavanone 3-hydroxylase 1, flavanone 3-hydroxylase 2, flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase (F3′H), flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylase (F3′5′H), di-hydroflavonol 4-reductase, leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase, O-methyltransferases (OMT), UDP-glucose:flavonoid 3-O-glucosyl-transferase (3GT), UDP-glucose:flavonoid 5-O-glucosyl-transferase (5GT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST). The increased total anthocyanins predominantly resulted from the increase of tri-hydroxylated, methoxylated and mono-glycosylated rather than di-hydroxylated, non-methoxylated, and di-glycosylated forms, which might be due to the differential regulation of F3′5′H/F3′H, OMT and 3GT, respectively.     

O-methylation of flavonoids by cell-free extracts of calamondin orange

Cell-free extracts of calamondin orange (Citrus mitis) catalysed the O-methylation of almost all hydroxyls of a number of flavonoids, indicating the existence in citrus tissues of ortho, meta, para and 3-O-methyltransferases. The latter, hitherto unreported enzyme, catalysed the formation of 3-O-methyl ethers of galangin and quercetin. The stepwise O-methylation of a number of compounds, especially quercetin and quercetagetin, tends to suggest a coordinated sequence of O-methylations on the surface of a multienzyme complex. The methyl acceptor abilities of the flavonoid substrates used are discussed in relation to their hydroxyl substitution patterns and their negative electron density distribution.     

Two Herbivore-Induced Cytochrome P450 Enzymes CYP79D6 and CYP79D7 Catalyze the Formation of Volatile Aldoximes Involved in Poplar Defense

Aldoximes are known as floral and vegetative plant volatiles but also as biosynthetic intermediates for other plant defense compounds. While the cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP) from the CYP79 family forming aldoximes as biosynthetic intermediates have been intensively studied, little is known about the enzymology of volatile aldoxime formation. We characterized two P450 enzymes, CYP79D6v3 and CYP79D7v2, which are involved in herbivore-induced aldoxime formation in western balsam poplar (Populus trichocarpa). Heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae revealed that both enzymes produce a mixture of different aldoximes. Knockdown lines of CYP79D6/7 in gray poplar (Populus × canescens) exhibited a decreased emission of aldoximes, nitriles, and alcohols, emphasizing that the CYP79s catalyze the first step in the formation of a complex volatile blend. Aldoxime emission was found to be restricted to herbivore-damaged leaves and is closely correlated with CYP79D6 and CYP79D7 gene expression. The semi-volatile phenylacetaldoxime decreased survival and weight gain of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) caterpillars, suggesting that aldoximes may be involved in direct defense. The wide distribution of volatile aldoximes throughout the plant kingdom and the presence of CYP79 genes in all sequenced genomes of angiosperms suggest that volatile formation mediated by CYP79s is a general phenomenon in the plant kingdom.     

Three New O-Methyltransferases Are Sufficient for All O-Methylation Reactions of Ipecac Alkaloid Biosynthesis in Root Culture of Psychotria ipecacuanha

The medicinal plant Psychotria ipecacuanha produces ipecac alkaloids, a series of monoterpenoid-isoquinoline alkaloids such as emetine and cephaeline, whose biosynthesis derives from condensation of dopamine and secologanin. Here, we identified three cDNAs, IpeOMT1–IpeOMT3, encoding ipecac alkaloid O-methyltransferases (OMTs) from P. ipecacuanha. They were coordinately transcribed with the recently identified ipecac alkaloid β-glucosidase Ipeglu1. Their amino acid sequences were closely related to each other and rather to the flavonoid OMTs than to the OMTs involved in benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis. Characterization of the recombinant IpeOMT enzymes with integration of the enzymatic properties of the IpeGlu1 revealed that emetine biosynthesis branches off from N-deacetylisoipecoside through its 6-O-methylation by IpeOMT1, with a minor contribution by IpeOMT2, followed by deglucosylation by IpeGlu1. The 7-hydroxy group of the isoquinoline skeleton of the aglycon is methylated by IpeOMT3 prior to the formation of protoemetine that is condensed with a second dopamine molecule, followed by sequential O-methylations by IpeOMT2 and IpeOMT1 to form cephaeline and emetine, respectively. In addition to this central pathway of ipecac alkaloid biosynthesis, formation of all methyl derivatives of ipecac alkaloids in P. ipecacuanha could be explained by the enzymatic activities of IpeOMT1–IpeOMT3, indicating that they are sufficient for all O-methylation reactions of ipecac alkaloid biosynthesis.     

Cytochrome P450s in flavonoid metabolism

In this review, cytochrome P450s characterized at the molecular level catalyzing aromatic hydroxylations, aliphatic hydroxylations and skeleton formation in the flavonoid metabolism are surveyed. They are involved in the biosynthesis of anthocyanin pigments and condensed tannin (CYP75, flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylase and 3′-hydroxylase), flavones [CYP93B, (2S)-flavanone 2-hydroxylase and flavone synthase II], and leguminous isoflavonoid phytoalexins [CYP71D9, flavonoid 6-hydroxylase; CYP81E, isoflavone 2′-hydroxylase and 3′-hydroxylase; CYP93A, 3,9-dihydroxypterocarpan 6a-hydroxylase; CYP93C, 2-hydroxyisoflavanone synthase (IFS)]. Other P450s of the flavonoid metabolism include methylenedioxy bridge forming enzyme, cyclases producing glyceollins, flavonol 6-hydroxylase and 8-dimethylallylnaringenin 2′-hydroxylase. Mechanistic studies on the unusual aryl migration by CYP93C, regulation of IFS expression in plant organs and its biotechnological applications are introduced, and flavonoid metabolisms by non-plant P450s are also briefly discussed.     

Discovery and characterization of new O-methyltransferase from the genome of the lignin-degrading fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium for enhanced lignin degradation

Using bioinformatic homology search tools, this study utilized sequence phylogeny, gene organization and conserved motifs to identify members of the family of O-methyltransferases from lignin-degrading fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The heterologous expression and characterization of O-methyltransferases from P. chrysosporium were studied. The expressed protein utilized S-(5′-adenosyl)-l-methionine p-toluenesulfonate salt (SAM) and methylated various free-hydroxyl phenolic compounds at both meta and para site. In the same motif, O-methyltransferases were also identified in other white-rot fungi including Bjerkandera adusta, Ceriporiopsis (Gelatoporia) subvermispora B, and Trametes versicolor. As free-hydroxyl phenolic compounds have been known as inhibitors for lignin peroxidase, the presence of O-methyltransferases in white-rot fungi suggested their biological functions in accelerating lignin degradation in white-rot basidiomycetes by converting those inhibitory groups into non-toxic methylated phenolic ones.     

Flavonoid glycosides from the aerial parts of Curcuma comosa

Four new flavonoid glycosides, curcucomosides A–D (1–4), three known flavonoid glycosides, 5–7, and four known diarylheptanoids, 8–11, were isolated from the ethanol extract of the aerial parts of Curcuma comosa. The structures of the new compounds were established as rhamnazin 3-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside (1), rhamnocitrin 3-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside (2), rhamnazin 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside (3), and rhamnocitrin 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-α-l-arabinopyranoside (4) by spectroscopic analysis and chemical reactions whereas those of the known compounds were identified by spectral comparison with those of the reported values.     

Plant Disease and the Regulation of Enzymes Involved in Lignification: Increased Rate of De Novo Synthesis of the Three Tobacco O-Methyltransferases during the Hypersensitive Response to Infection by Tobacco Mosaic Virus

The mechanism underlying the increase of activity of the three O-methyltransferases of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) after infection by tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) has been investigated with a density-labeling method. The three O-methyltransferases from healthy or TMV-infected leaves fed with H₂O or ²H₂O were purified by ion-exchange chromatography and their mean buoyant densities were calculated from their respective distribution profiles after centrifugation to equilibrium on RbCl gradients. Densities were corrected with respect to the mean buoyant density of a radioactive density marker prepared from tobacco leaves floated on a solution containing l-[³H]leucine and selected on a preparative gradient for its density close to those of the O-methyltransferases. The introduction of ²H into the pool of amino acids from which the enzymic proteins were synthesized was monitored. By measurement of the labeling of β-galactosidase synthesized by bacteria from the plant amino acids, it was shown that infection did not alter the rate of labeling of the pool of amino acids. The buoyant-density values of the three O-methyltransferases were determined, and density-labeled enzymes from healthy and infected materials were compared. The largest density shifts from the native enzyme were measured for O-methyltransferases from infected leaves. These results show that the increase in activity of the three enzymes after infection is due to the stimulation of the rate of de novo synthesis of enzyme proteins.     

The Multifunctional Enzyme CYP71B15 (PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT3) Converts Cysteine-Indole-3-Acetonitrile to Camalexin in the Indole-3-Acetonitrile Metabolic Network of Arabidopsis thaliana

Accumulation of camalexin, the characteristic phytoalexin of Arabidopsis thaliana, is induced by a great variety of plant pathogens. It is derived from Trp, which is converted to indole-3-acetonitrile (IAN) by successive action of the cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP79B2/B3 and CYP71A13. Extracts from wild-type plants and camalexin biosynthetic mutants, treated with silver nitrate or inoculated with Phytophthora infestans, were comprehensively analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. This metabolomics approach was combined with precursor feeding experiments to characterize the IAN metabolic network and to identify novel biosynthetic intermediates and metabolites of camalexin. Indole-3-carbaldehyde and indole-3-carboxylic acid derivatives were shown to originate from IAN. IAN conjugates with glutathione, γ-glutamylcysteine, and cysteine [Cys(IAN)] accumulated in challenged phytoalexin deficient3 (pad3) mutants. Cys(IAN) rescued the camalexin-deficient phenotype of cyp79b2 cyp79b3 and was itself converted to dihydrocamalexic acid (DHCA), the known substrate of CYP71B15 (PAD3), by microsomes isolated from silver nitrate–treated Arabidopsis leaves. Surprisingly, yeast-expressed CYP71B15 also catalyzed thiazoline ring closure, DHCA formation, and cyanide release with Cys(IAN) as substrate. In conclusion, in the camalexin biosynthetic pathway, IAN is derivatized to the intermediate Cys(IAN), which serves as substrate of the multifunctional cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP71B15.     

Production of kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside from glucose using engineered Escherichia coli

Flavonoids are ubiquitous phenolic compounds and at least 9,000 have been isolated from plants. Most flavonoids have been isolated and assessed in terms of their biological activities. Microorganisms such as Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae are efficient systems for the synthesis of flavonoids. Kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside has notable biological activities such as the inhibition of the proliferation of breast cancer cells, the absorption of glucose in the intestines, and the inhibition of the self-assembly of beta amyloids. We attempted to synthesize kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside from glucose in E. coli. Five flavonoid biosynthetic genes [tyrosine ammonia lyase (TAL), 4-coumaroyl CoA ligase (4CL), chalcone synthase (CHS), flavonol synthase (FLS), and flavonol 3-O-rhamnosyltransferase (UGT78D1)] from tyrosine were introduced into E. coli that was engineered to increase tyrosine production. By using this approach, the production of kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside increased to 57 mg/L.     

CYP93G2 Is a Flavanone 2-Hydroxylase Required for C-Glycosylflavone Biosynthesis in Rice

C-Glycosylflavones are ubiquitous in the plant kingdom, and many of them have beneficial effects on human health. They are a special group of flavonoid glycosides in which the sugars are C-linked to the flavone skeleton. It has been long presumed that C-glycosylflavones have a different biosynthetic origin from O-glycosylflavonoids. In rice (Oryza sativa), a C-glucosyltransferase (OsCGT) that accepts 2-hydroxyflavanone substrates and a dehydratase activity that selectively converts C-glucosyl-2-hydroxyflavanones to 6C-glucosylflavones were recently described. In this study, we provide in vitro and in planta evidence that the rice P450 CYP93G2 protein encoded by Os06g01250 is a functional flavanone 2-hydroxylase. CYP93G2 is related to the CYP93B subfamily, which consists of dicot flavone synthase II enzymes. In the presence of NADPH, recombinant CYP93G2 converts naringenin and eriodictyol to the corresponding 2-hydroxyflavanones. In addition, CYP93G2 generates 2-hydroxyflavanones, which are modified by O-glycosylation in transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Coexpression of CYP93G2 and OsCGT in Arabidopsis resulted in the production of C-glucosyl-2-hydroxyflavanones in the dibenzoylmethane tautomeric form. The same structure was reported previously for the in vitro OsCGT reaction products. Thus, CYP93G2 generates 2-hydroxyflavanone substrates from flavanones for C-glucosylation by OsCGT in planta. Furthermore, knocking down Os06g01250 in rice (O. sativa subsp. japonica ''Zhonghua 11'') preferentially depleted the accumulation of C-glycosylapigenin, C-glycosylluteolin, and C-glycosylchrysoeriol but did not affect the levels of tricin, which is frequently present as O-glycosides in cereals. Taken together, our work conclusively assigned CYP93G2 as the first enzyme that channels flavanones to C-glycosylflavone biosynthesis in rice.Flavonoids are common and widespread secondary metabolites in plants. They are frequently present as C- or O-glycosides. The sugars of C-glycosides are attached directly to the flavonoid skeleton by a C-C bond that is resistant to acid hydrolysis. On the other hand, sugars O-linked at the phenolic hydroxyl groups of flavonoids are acid hydrolyzable. Most flavonoid C-glycosides are flavones that have been found in bryophytes, ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms (Harborne, 1993). In cereals such as rice (Oryza sativa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and maize (Zea mays), C-glycosylflavones are the major class of flavonoids, accumulating with a diverse range of physiological functions. For example, several C-glycosylflavones isolated from rice were found to function as probing stimulants of planthoppers (Besson et al., 1985). In addition, accumulation of C-glycosylflavones was enhanced by UV-B light in a UV-tolerant rice cultivar but absent in a susceptible cultivar, suggesting their possible UV light protective roles (Markham et al., 1998). One of the UV-B light-induced rice flavones, an isovitexin (6C-glucosylapigenin) derivative, was shown to reduce the number of fertile eggs in African bollworms dramatically when included in their artificial diets (Cassi-Lit et al., 2007). In maize, maysin is an O-glycosylated C-glycosylluteolin well known to confer natural resistance in silk tissues toward different lepidopteran larval pests (McMullen et al., 2004). In contrast to the above flavones, tricin (3′,5′-dimethoxylated flavone) is usually detected as O-glycosides in cereals (Cavaliere et al., 2005; Brazier-Hicks et al., 2009). Tricin and its O-glycosides have been shown to function as allelopathic compounds in rice, interfering with weeds and harmful microorganisms in paddy soil (Kong et al., 2004, 2007).The perceived health benefits of flavonoids have made them attractive targets for metabolic engineering of rice (Shin et al., 2006). Both isovitexin and tricin derivatives have been widely reported as healthy phytochemical constituents in rice hull and bran. For example, isovitexin extracted from rice bran was shown to confer strong antioxidant activities and to prevent reactive oxygen species damage in an in vitro system (Lin et al., 2002) and mouse microphages (Lin et al., 2005). On the other hand, tricin has in vitro antiproliferative activities on breast and colon cancer cell lines at submicromolar concentrations (Hudson et al., 2000). It effectively inhibits cyclooxygenase enzymes and interferes with murine gastrointestinal carcinogenesis (Cai et al., 2005). However, the preferred consumed form, white rice, consists exclusively of endosperm tissue, which is poor in phytochemicals. Understanding the molecular biology of the flavone biosynthesis pathway in rice will provide insights for metabolic engineering of edible tissues that normally do not accumulate these health-beneficial phytochemicals.Flavonoid biosynthesis is initiated by chalcone synthase, followed by the activity of chalcone isomerase. The resulting flavanones are precursors for different classes of flavonoids, including flavones, flavonols, proanthocyanidins, and anthocyanins. Two distinct flavone synthase (FNS) systems specified by either FNSI or FNSII have been described in a number of dicot species. FNSI is a soluble Fe²⁺/2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (DOX) restricted to members of Apiaceae (Martens and Mithöfer, 2005). FNSI shows high sequence identity to flavanone 3β-hydroxylase, another DOX enzyme that uses the same flavanone substrates. Results from site-directed mutagenesis strongly suggested that the parsley (Petroselinum crispum) FNSI was evolved from functional diversification after flavanone 3β-hydroxylase gene duplication (Gebhardt et al., 2007). On the other hand, FNSII is a P450 enzyme found in other flavone-accumulating dicot families including Leguminosae, Asteraceae, Plantaginaceae, and Lamiaceae (Martens and Mithöfer, 2005). All the dicot FNSII enzymes belong to the CYP93B subfamily. When expressed in heterologous systems, FNSI and most FNSII enzymes converted flavanones directly to flavones through C2,C3-cis-desaturation (Martens and Mithöfer, 2005). Interestingly, CYP93B members from the legumes licorice (Glycyrrhiza echinata) and Medicago truncatula showed flavanone 2-hydroxylation activities in recombinant enzyme assays, and flavones were formed from the reaction products after acid treatments (Akashi et al., 1998; Zhang et al., 2007). The biosynthesis of flavones was largely unknown in monocots until recent years. A recombinant rice DOX protein, designated as OsFNS1-1, was found to convert naringenin directly to apigenin, and it represented the first FNSI reported outside Apiaceae (Lee et al., 2007). On the other hand, we recently described a sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) pathogen-inducible P450 gene that resulted in the accumulation of 2-hydroxyflavanone O-hexosides in transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana; Du et al., 2010). The encoded protein is a new member (CYP93G3) belonging to the CYP93G subfamily, which was first annotated in the rice genome (Nelson et al., 2004).It has long been suggested that C-glycosylation takes place as an early reaction during flavonoid biosynthesis, while O-glycosylation usually occurs at terminal stages. For example, early radioisotope tracer experiments in a few Lemnaceae plants indicated that flavone aglycones can be O-glycosylated but not C-glycosylated (Wallace et al., 1969). By contrast, ¹⁴C-labeled flavanones were incorporated into C-glycosylflavones in the same species (Wallace and Grisebach, 1973). More evidence for isovitexin and vitexin formation was later obtained with buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) enzyme preparations. 2-Hydroxyflavanones, not flavanones or flavones, were identified to be substrates for C-glucosylation (Kerscher and Franz, 1987, 1988). Consistent with this, the rice C-glucosyltransferase OsCGT was recently demonstrated to catalyze the UDP-Glc-dependent C-glucosylation of 2-hydroxyflavanone substrates (Brazier-Hicks et al., 2009). In addition, dehydratase activities that preferentially converted 2-hydroxyflavanone C-glucosides to 6C-glucosylflavones were demonstrated in both rice and wheat extracts (Brazier-Hicks et al., 2009). Apparently, enzyme activities that generate 2-hydroxyflavanones are necessary for channeling flavanones to C-glycosylflavone production in rice. In this study, we have filled the remaining gap in this biosynthetic route with the characterization of the rice P450 CYP93G2 protein. Flavanone 2-hydroxylation activities of the rice enzyme were established by recombinant enzyme assays and transgenic Arabidopsis analysis. In addition, Arabidopsis plants overexpressing both CYP93G2 and OsCGT were demonstrated to accumulate C-glucosyl-2-hydroxyflavanones. Furthermore, metabolite profiling experiments revealed the depletion of C-glycosylflavone accumulation in the CYP93G2 T-DNA insertion rice mutant.     

Biosynthesis of bioactive O-methylated flavonoids in Escherichia coli

Two bioactive O-methylflavonoids, sakuranetin (7-O-methylnaringenin) and ponciretin (7-O-methylnaringenin), were synthesized in Escherichia coli. Sakuranetin inhibits germination of Magnaporthe grisea, and ponciretin is a potential inhibitor of Helicobacter pylori. To achieve this, we reconstructed the naringenin biosynthesis pathway in E. coli. First, the shikimic acid pathway, which leads to the biosynthesis of tyrosine, was engineered in E. coli to increase the amount of available tyrosine. Second, several genes for the biosynthesis of ponciretin and sakuranetin such as tyrosine ammonia lyase (TAL), 4-coumaroyl CoA ligase (4CL), chalcone synthase (CHS), and O-methyltransferase (OMT) were overexpressed. In order to increase the supply the Coenzyme A (CoA), one gene (icdA, isocitrate dehydrogenase) was deleted. Using these strategies, we synthesized ponciretin and sakuranetin from glucose in E. coli at the concentration of 42.5 mg/L and 40.1 mg/L, respectively.     

Microsomal flavonoid 3'-monooxygenase from maize seedlings

Identification of flavonoid 3′-monooxygenase establishes another reaction in the biosynthesis of flavonoid compounds in maize (Zea mays L.). The flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase was obtained as a microsomal enzyme preparation by buffer extraction of 5 day old maize seedlings and ultracentrifugation. Seedlings were exposed to light 24 hours prior to enzyme extraction. The extraction buffer required the addition of sucrose or glycerin and dithiothreitol to obtain an active hydroxylase that retained its activity on storage at −70°C. Enzymic activity required O₂ and NADPH, was optimum at pH 8.5 and 30°C, and could be inhibited 79% by carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide inhibition could be reduced to 21% by irradiation of the samples with 450 nanometer light during incubation. Kaempferol, a flavonol; naringenin, a flavanone; and apigenin, a flavone, all served as substrates for the hydroxylase. Treatment of the microsomal enzyme preparation, previously reduced with sodium dithionite, with carbon monoxide gave a 455 nanometer absorption peak which disappeared on oxidation of the preparation with the formation of a 420 nanometer peak. These results suggest a cytochrome P-450 type monooxygenase enzyme. The concentration of cytochrome P-450 was 0.21 nanomoles per milligram protein. Identification of the monooxygenase provides further biochemical information about a biosynthetic sequence for which the genetics have been studied intensely.