De Novo Biosynthesis of a Polyene-Type Ginsenoside Precursor Dammaradienol in .

Typical dammarane-type ginsenosides are well-known tetracyclic triterpenoids with significant pharmacological effects including antitumor, cardiovascular protection, and neuroprotection. Polyene-type ginsenosides exhibit stronger biological activities than common ginsenosides; however, their contents are low, and most are converted from ginsenosides through a series of processing steps, resulting in higher preparation costs. In this study, a dammaradienol synthase, AarOSC20433, was identified for the first time from H.

Discovering a uniform functional trade-off of the CBC-type 2,3-oxidosqualene cyclases and deciphering its chemical logic.

Many functionally promiscuous plant 2,3-oxidosqualene cyclases (OSCs) have been found, but complete functional reshaping is rarely reported. In this study, we have identified two new plant OSCs: a unique protostadienol synthase (PDS) and a common cycloartenol synthase (CAS) from (Sam.) Juzep.

Genomic characterization of bZIP transcription factors related to andrographolide biosynthesis in Andrographis paniculata.

The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor family plays an important role in various biological processes in plants. Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f) Nees, belonging to the family Acanthaceae, has been widely used as an important traditional herb with a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as antivenom, antiretroviral, anticancer and so on.

Oxidosqualene Cyclases Involved in the Biosynthesis of Diverse Triterpenes in .

is an important economic plant that is rich in lipophilic triterpenols with pharmacological activities including antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. However, the key enzymes related to triterpene biosynthesis have seldom been studied in . Oxidosqualene cyclases (OSCs) are the rate-limiting enzymes related to triterpene biosynthesis.

Transcriptome Analysis and Identification of the Cholesterol Side Chain Cleavage Enzyme BbgCYP11A1 From .

Cantor are precious medicinal animals in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Bufadienolides as the major pharmacological components are generated from the venomous glands of . Bufadienolides are one type of cardiac aglycone with a six-member lactone ring and have properties of antitumor, cardiotonic, tonsillitis, and anti-inflammatory.

Two cardenolide glycosides from the seed fairs of Asclepias curassavica and their cytotoxic activities.

Two cardenolide glycosides, corotoxigenin 3-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-6-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranoside] (1) and coroglaucigenin 3-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-6-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranoside] (2), were isolated from the seed fairs of Asclepias curassavica. The structures of 1-2 were determined based on the combination of the analysis of their MS, NMR spectroscopic data and acid hydrolysis. The inhibitory effects of compounds 1 and 2 on human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT116), non-small cell lung carcinoma cells (A549) and hepatic cancer cells (SMMC-7721) were evaluated.

Six Unusual Meroterpenoids from the Leaves of L. and Their PTP1B Inhibitory Activities.

Six unusual meroterpenoids, psidiguajadiol A-J (-), and three known meroterpenoids (-) were isolated from the leaves of L. Compounds - represent the first examples of 6/8-formyl-5,7-dihydroxy-4-phenylchromane-coupled sesquiterpenoids. The structures of the undescribed compounds, including their absolute configurations, were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, X-ray diffraction, and computational calculations.

Transcriptomic investigation of the biochemical function of 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase 1 from the traditional Chinese medicinal plant Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge.

Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge (Liliaceae) is an important Traditional Chinese Medicine herb, which contains up to 6 % total steroidal saponins (timosaponins) and has multiple pharmacological properties. However, the timosaponin biosynthetic pathway has not been extensively investigated. Here we conducted de novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis of A.

An Unexpected Oxidosqualene Cyclase Active Site Architecture in the Multifunctional α-Amyrin Synthase.

Ordered polycyclization catalyzed by oxidosqualene synthases (OSCs) morph a common linear precursor into structurally complex and diverse triterpene scaffolds with varied bioactivities. We identified three OSCs from . ItOSC2 is a rare multifunctional α-amyrin synthase.

Functional Characterization of a Novel Glycosyltransferase (UGT73CD1) from Iris tectorum Maxim. for the Substrate promiscuity.

Glycosylflavonoids are a class of natural products with multiple pharmacological activities and a lot of glycosyltransferases from various plant species have been reported that they were involved in the biosynthesis of these phytochemicals. However, no corresponding glycosyltransferase has been identified from the famous horticultural and medicinal plant Iris tectorum Maxim. Here, UGT73CD1, a novel glycosyltransferase, was identified from I.

Genomic Characterization of WRKY Transcription Factors Related to Andrographolide Biosynthesis in .

Andrographolide, which is enriched in the leaves of , has been known as "natural antibiotic" due to its pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. Several key enzymes in andrographolide biosynthetic pathway have been studied since the genome sequences were released, but its regulatory mechanism remains unknown. WRKY transcription factors proteins have been reported to regulate plant secondary metabolism, development as well as biotic and abiotic stresses.

[Genome-wide analysis of LBD(lateral organ boundaries domain) gene family in Cannabis sativa of traditional Chinese medicine hemp seed].

LBD(lateral organ boundaries)transcription factors play an important role in the regulation of plant growth, development and secondary metabolism. In order to explore the function of LBD genes in cannabis, the Cannabis sativa genome and transcriptome were used to identify the C. sativa LBD gene family, and analyzed their expression patterns.

Tandem gene duplications drive divergent evolution of caffeine and crocin biosynthetic pathways in plants.

Background: Plants have evolved a panoply of specialized metabolites that increase their environmental fitness. Two examples are caffeine, a purine psychotropic alkaloid, and crocins, a group of glycosylated apocarotenoid pigments. Both classes of compounds are found in a handful of distantly related plant genera (Coffea, Camellia, Paullinia, and Ilex for caffeine; Crocus, Buddleja, and Gardenia for crocins) wherein they presumably evolved through convergent evolution.

Genome-Wide Characterization and Analysis of bHLH Transcription Factors Related to Crocin Biosynthesis in Ellis (Rubiaceae).

Crocins, enriched in fruits, have a pharmacological activity against central nervous system diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer cell growth. The biosynthesis of crocins has been widely explored, but its regulatory mechanism remains unknown. Here, the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors related to crocin biosynthesis were systematically identified on the basis of the genome of .

bHLH transcription factor negatively regulates biosynthesis of phenolic acids and tanshinones in .

Objective: is a valuable herbal medicine with tanshinone and phenolic acid as the main biological active ingredients. The biosynthetic regulation of these bioactive compounds is controlled by a set of transcription factors (TFs). The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor plays an important role in various physiological and biochemical processes in plants.

The AP2/ERF transcription factor SmERF128 positively regulates diterpenoid biosynthesis in Salvia miltiorrhiza.

The novel AP2/ERF transcription factor SmERF128 positively regulates diterpenoid tanshinone biosynthesis by activating the expression of SmCPS1, SmKSL1, and SmCYP76AH1 in Salvia miltiorrhiza. Certain members of the APETALA2/ethylene-responsive factor (AP2/ERF) family regulate plant secondary metabolism. Although it is clearly documented that AP2/ERF transcription factors (TFs) are involved in sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis, the regulation of diterpenoid biosynthesis by AP2/ERF TFs remains elusive.

Genomic survey of bZIP transcription factor genes related to tanshinone biosynthesis in .

Tanshinones are a class of bioactive components in the traditional Chinese medicine , and their biosynthesis and regulation have been widely studied. Current studies show that basic leucine zipper (bZIP) proteins regulate plant secondary metabolism, growth and developmental processes. However, the bZIP transcription factors involved in tanshinone biosynthesis are unknown.

Transcriptome-Guided Mining of Genes Involved in Crocin Biosynthesis.

is used in traditional Chinese medicine and has drawn attention as a rich source of crocin, a compound with reported activity against various cancers, depression and cardiovascular disease. However, genetic information on the crocin biosynthetic pathway of is scarce. In this study, we performed a transcriptome analysis of the leaves, green fruits, and red fruits of to identify and predict the genes that encode key enzymes responsible for crocin production, compared with .

Genome-wide analysis of auxin response factor gene family members in medicinal model plant Salvia miltiorrhiza.

Auxin response factors (ARFs) can function as transcriptional activators or repressors to regulate the expression of auxin response genes by specifically binding to auxin response elements (AuxREs) during plant development. Based on a genome-wide strategy using the medicinal model plant Salvia miltiorrhiza, 25 S. miltiorrhiza ARF (SmARF) gene family members in four classes (class Ia, IIa, IIb and III) were comprehensively analyzed to identify characteristics including gene structures, conserved domains, phylogenetic relationships and expression patterns.

Selection and validation of reference genes for normalization of quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR analysis in Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf (Fuling).

Background: Quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) requires a stable internal control to avoid misinterpretation of data or errors for gene expression normalization. However, there are still no validated reference genes for stable internal control in Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf (Fuling).