Evaluation of the anticancer activity of enzymatically synthesized Baccatin III: an intermediate precursor of Taxol®.

Baccatin III is an important precursor for the synthesis of clinically important anticancer drug Taxol. Previously, we have characterized a key enzyme of 10-deacetylbaccatin III-10-β--acetyltransferase (DBAT) which catalyses the 10-deacetylbaccatin III into baccatin III in taxol biosynthesis. Here, in the present study, we have evaluated and compared the cytotoxic properties of the enzymatically synthesized baccatin III (ESB III) with standard baccatin III in different human cancer cell lines, namely human cervical cancer (HeLa), human lung cancer (A549), human skin cancer (A431) and human liver cancer cells (HepG2).

Biochemical insights into the recombinant 10-deacetylbaccatin III-10-β-O-acetyltransferase enzyme from the Taxol-producing endophytic fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae.

10-deacetylbaccatin III-10-β-O-acetyltransferase (DBAT) is a key rate-limiting enzyme of the Taxol biosynthetic pathway, which is uncharacterized in Taxol-producing endophytic fungi. Here, an open reading frame of DBAT was cloned from the Taxol-producing endophytic fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae (LtDBAT). The LtDBAT enzyme was heterologously expressed and purified by the affinity and gel filtration chromatography methods.

Cloning and sequence analysis of 10-deacetylbaccatin III-10-O-acetyl transferase gene and WRKY1 transcription factor from taxol-producing endophytic fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromea.

In this study, we have isolated an endophytic fungal strain Lasiodiplodia theobromae from non-Taxus host plant Piper nigrum. The strain L. theobromae identity was confirmed by morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis.