Diterpene cyclases and the nature of the isoprene fold

The structures and mechanism of action of many terpene cyclases are known, but no structures of diterpene cyclases have yet been reported. Here, we propose structural models based on bioinformatics, site‐directed mutagenesis, domain swapping, enzyme inhibition, and spectroscopy that help explain the nature of diterpene cyclase structure, function, and evolution. Bacterial diterpene cyclases contain ～20 α‐helices and the same conserved “QW” and DxDD motifs as in triterpene cyclases, indicating the presence of a βγ barrel structure. Plant diterpene cyclases have a similar catalytic motif and βγ‐domain structure together with a third, α‐domain, forming an αβγ structure, and in H⁺‐initiated cyclases, there is an EDxxD‐like Mg²⁺/diphosphate binding motif located in the γ‐domain. The results support a new view of terpene cyclase structure and function and suggest evolution from ancient (βγ) bacterial triterpene cyclases to (βγ) bacterial and thence to (αβγ) plant diterpene cyclases. Proteins 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

氮源对灵芝菌丝体液态深层发酵合成灵芝三萜的影响

以沪农灵芝1号为供试菌株,葡萄糖作为碳源,用硫酸铵、氯化铵、鱼粉蛋白胨、胰蛋白胨和酵母粉作为氮源,研究不同种类氮源对灵芝菌丝体液态深层发酵过程的影响。首先,确定了N-10酵母自溶粉作为发酵的氮源,降低了发酵的复杂性和不确定性;其次,考察N-10酵母自溶粉不同浓度对灵芝菌丝体发酵合成灵芝三萜过程中菌丝体的生物量、葡萄糖消耗、灵芝三萜产量等方面的影响,确定了N-10酵母自溶粉的适宜添加浓度。在此基础上,采用响应面中心组合设计,对4因素最佳水平范围进行研究,结果表明,葡萄糖、N-10酵母自溶粉、磷酸二氢钾和七水硫酸镁的含量分别为31.06g/L、2.76g/L、1.77g/L和1.99g/L时,灵芝三萜的理论产量为21.166g/kg干菌丝体,实际发酵产量提高到21.153g/kg干菌丝体。与原工艺相比,新工艺的灵芝三萜产量提高了6.22%。     

Studies on the Constituents of Chinese Traditional Drug Suan Zau Ren

Suan Zau Ren (the seeds of Zizyphus spinosus Hu) is a widely used chinese traditional drag for treatment of insomnia, neurasthenia and sometimes for sleepiness caused by physical emaciation in chinese traditional medicine. Its dichloromethane extract afforded four pentacyclic triterpenes of the lup-20(29)-en group, namely betulin (Ⅱ), betulinic acid(Ⅰ), ceanothic acid(Ⅲ), and alphitolic acid (Ⅳ), and one sterol, daucosterol (Ⅴ). Their structures were identified by the spectroscopic analysis. The later three compounds were isolated from Suan Zau Ren for the first time.     

紫菀中三萜及甾体化合物的研究

从紫菀(Aster tataricusL.f.)的根及根茎中分离得到11个化合物,经IR、NMR、MS、X-ray单晶衍射等波谱方法分别鉴定为紫菀酮(shionone)(1)、木栓酮(friedelin)(2)、表木栓醇(epi-friedelanol)(3)、蒲公英萜醇(taraxerol)(4)、α-菠甾醇(-αspinasterol)(5)、二十二碳酸(decosanoic acid)(6)、豆甾醇(stigmasterol)(7)、β-谷甾醇(-βsitosterol)(8)、α-菠甾醇--βD-葡萄糖苷(-αspinasterol--βD-glucoside)(9)、豆甾醇--βD-葡萄糖苷(stigmasterol--βD-glucoside)(10)、胡萝卜苷(daucosterol)(11)。化合物6为首次从该属植物中获得,化合物5,9,10为首次从该植物中分得。活性实验研究结果表明紫菀酮(1),表木栓醇(3)可显著抑制氨水所致小鼠咳嗽。     

Triterpenes and Meroterpenes with Neuroprotective Effects from Ganoderma leucocontextum

Ganoderma leucocontextum is a well‐known medicinal mushroom cultivated in the Tibet Plateau of China. Chemistry investigation on the fruiting bodies of this mushroom resulted in the isolation of sixteen secondary metabolites including three new lanostane triterpenes, ganoleucoins Q – S ( 1 – 3 ), as well as thirteen known compounds ( 4 – 16 ). The structures of compounds 1 – 3 were determined by NMR, MS, CD spectral analysis, and chemical derivation method. The neuroprotective effects of compounds 1 – 16 were tested on PC12 cells. Compounds 1 and 2 showed protective effects against the H₂O₂ induced damage with the survival rate of 83.19 ± 0.92%, 73.37 ± 1.25% at the concentration of 200 μm , respectively. Meanwhile, compounds 1 and 2 induced neurite outgrowth at 50 – 200 μm . The results from this study suggested that G. leucocontextum and its metabolites may be potential functional food ingredients for the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.     

Triterpenoids and sterols from seeds of Phytolacca esculenta

Chromatographic separation of the chloroform-soluble part of the methanol extract from Phytolacca esculenta seeds resulted in the isolation of acetylaleuritolic acid, 3-acetylmyricadiol, α-spinasterol and stigmast-7-en-3β-ol.     

Diterpenes and sesquiterpenes from Osteospermum species

The investigation of several Osteospermum species afforded in addition to known compounds three diterpenes from the rare cassane type, two further sandaracopimarene derivatives, two 6-desoxyglucosides of cubebol and 13-hydroxycaryophyllene, respectively, an isomer of 7-hydroxycalamenene, two p-hydroxyacetophenone derivatives derived from toxol, a thymol derivative and the palmitates of lupeol, taraxasterol and 3β,20-dihydroxydammarene. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. The chemotaxonomy of the genus is discussed briefly.     

Isoflavone,wax and triterpene constituents of Wyethia mollis

The hexane extract of Wyethia mollis contains the n-alkanes C₁₅-C₁₈, C₂₀-C₂₅, C₂₇ and C₂₉. Linoleic acid was the only detectable acidic component. A mass spectral analysis of the wax ester fraction indicated that it was a mixture of homologues, the saturated even-carbon acids n-C₁₆-C₃₀ esterfield with the saturated even-carbon alcohols n-C₁₈-C₂₆. The chloroform extract yielded the known isoflavones santal and 3′-O-methylorobol along with a new lanostane-type triterpene, 22,25-epoxy-lanosta-7:9(11)-dien-3-one. The wide distribution of n-alkanes and the decreased odd-even carbon ratio are consistent with the proposed primitive nature of this plant.     

Distribution of triterpene alcohols in subcellular fractions from Calendula officinalis flowers

The distribution of the triterpene mono- and dihydroxy alcohols was investigated in the subcellular fractions of the flowers of Calendula officinalis. The triterpene monols were found mainly in the chromoplast fraction (68% of total) with smaller amounts in the cell debris, microsomal and supernatant fractions, the mitochondrial fraction was almost devoid of these compounds. Triterpene diols were present exclusively in the chromoplast fraction, 98% in the form of the 3-monoesters and 2% in the form of diesters. It is suggested that the hydroxylation of the triterpene monols to the corresponding diols proceeds in the chromoplasts and the esterified form of the monols is probably the substrate for this reaction.