The (seco)iridoids and their derivatives, the monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs), form two large families of plant-derived bioactive compounds with a wide spectrum of high-value pharmacological and insect-repellent activities. Vinblastine and vincristine, MIAs used as anticancer drugs, are produced by Catharanthus roseus in extremely low levels, leading to high market prices and poor availability. Their biotechnological production is hampered by the fragmentary knowledge of their biosynthesis. Here we report the discovery of the last four missing steps of the (seco)iridoid biosynthesis pathway. Expression of the eight genes encoding this pathway, together with two genes boosting precursor formation and two downstream alkaloid biosynthesis genes, in an alternative plant host, allows the heterologous production of the complex MIA strictosidine. This confirms the functionality of all enzymes of the pathway and highlights their utility for synthetic biology programmes towards a sustainable biotechnological production of valuable (seco)iridoids and alkaloids with pharmaceutical and agricultural applications.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3992524 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4606 | DOI Listing |
PLoS One
December 2024
Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
This study aimed to increase the concentrations of vindoline (VDL) and catharanthine (CAT) in Catharanthus roseus plants cultivated in an indoor farming system using artificial lighting and plasma-activated water (PAW). After a 61-days pre-treatment period under fluorescent lamps, plants were exposed to four treatments: white light (W) from the same fluorescent lamps, red light (R) from LEDs, W with PAW, and R with PAW. These combinations were evaluated at two sampling times: 45 days (T1) and 70 days (T2) after the end of pre-treatment (DAP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDF3 Biotech
January 2025
Division of Plant Pathology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012 India.
During November-December of 2019, severe witches' broom along with little leaf and stunting symptoms was observed in at Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh with an average disease incidence of 20%. An amplicon of ~ 1.3 kb of 16S rRNA gene was amplified in symptomatic .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhysiol Plant
December 2024
College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.
Valsa canker, caused by fungal pathogens in Valsa species, is a fungal disease of apple and pear growing in China and even in Asia. Malectin-like kinases play crucial roles in plant recognition of the pathogen-induced signals and subsequent activation of partially host immune responses. However, the role of MEDOS1 (MDS1), a Malectin-like kinase, in plant immunity has not yet been extensively explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrop Med Health
December 2024
School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 4001, South Africa.
Background: Sub-Saharan Africa faces one of the highest burdens of venereal diseases (VDs) globally. This review aims to critically evaluate the existing literature on the diverse Indigenous knowledge and medicinal plants utilised for treating VDs in sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods: We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol to guide the execution of the review.
Plant Cell Environ
December 2024
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
The evolutionary arms race between plants and insects has led to key adaptive innovations that drive diversification. Alkaloids are well-documented anti-herbivory compounds in plant chemical defences, but how these specialized metabolites are allocated to cope with both biotic and abiotic stresses concomitantly is largely unknown. To examine how plants prioritize their metabolic resources responding to herbivory and cold, we integrated dietary toxicity bioassay in insects with co-expression analysis, hierarchical clustering, promoter assay, and protein-protein interaction in plants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!