香榧中不存在紫杉醇的化学及分子生物学证据

香榧(Torreya grandis Fort.ex Lindl.cv.Merrillii)是红豆杉科榧树属的一个种。由于香榧与红豆杉属植物具有较近的亲缘关系,研究者认为香榧也可以合成紫杉醇,并利用HPLC法验证其中含有紫杉醇。但他们仅仅依靠HPLC中出峰时间来判断,并没有质谱的分析结果。本研究利用LC-MS对香榧茎叶的化学提取物进行分析发现香榧并不能合成紫杉醇。为了进一步证明香榧不能合成紫杉醇,我们利用欧洲红豆杉(Taxus baccata L.)紫杉醇生物合成关键基因-紫杉二烯合成酶基因(Taxadiene synthase gene,Tb TS)TBLASTN比对香榧本地转录组,从中找出并克隆得到与Tb TS同源性最高的Tgr TSL1基因。利用原核表达对Tgr TSL1基因进行功能分析,发现该基因不具有紫杉二烯合成酶编码基因的功能。这样,我们从化学和生物学两个方面对香榧无法合成紫杉醇这个结论进行了证明。这为以后通过植物学和化学分类学等研究穗花杉的分类学地位提供了新的有用信息。     

红豆杉分子生物学研究进展

红豆杉作为抗癌药物紫杉醇的药源植物得到了国际上的广泛关注。本文综述了近年来国内外关于红豆杉分子生物学方面的研究进展,主要包括编码紫杉醇生物合成的紫杉二烯合成酶、羟基化酶、酰基转移酶等功能基因以及相关转录因子编码基因的分离克隆、表达转化的研究,红豆杉遗传多样性、紫杉醇含量相关的分子标记研究,红豆杉谱系地理学的研究以及解析紫杉醇合成分子机理的红豆杉转录组和代谢组研究等;最后对当前研究的不足和对今后利用分子手段研究红豆杉的发展前景进行了展望。     

紫杉醇合成代谢途径中紫杉烯合成酶cDNA的克隆

紫杉烯合成酶(Taxadienesynthase)被认为在紫杉醇合成代谢途径中起着限速酶的作用。为进一步研究紫杉烯合成酶的作用机理和紫杉醇生物合成代谢调控机制,采用RTPCR技术从东北红豆杉(Taxuscuspidata)愈伤组织中获得了紫杉烯合成酶基因片段,将该片段克隆在载体pGEMTEasyVector上,并转化到大肠杆菌JM109中,经EcoRI酶切检测,Southernblotting及部分cDNA序列分析证实该片段确为紫杉烯合成酶基因,与国外报道的从太平洋红豆杉(Taxus.brevifolia)幼茎中得到的紫杉烯合成酶基因序列具有很高的同源性。     

紫杉醇生物合成相关酶类的研究进展

紫杉醇是红豆杉属植物次生代谢产物之一,是近20年来抗癌药物研究领域的重要发现。弄清楚紫杉醇合成途径和相关酶的反应可以从根本上大大提高紫杉醇的产量。综述近几年来紫杉醇生物合成途径中相关酶的研究工作,包括已经得到相应cDNA克隆的紫杉二烯合成酶,细胞色素P450氧化酶和3个紫杉烷的乙酰转移酶,由于GGPP是紫杉醇合成的必需前体,HMGR和GGPP合成酶的相关情况也有简述。     

南方红豆杉紫杉烷13α-羟化酶基因的克隆及序列分析

目的:紫杉烷13α-羟化酶是紫杉醇下游合成途径关键酶之一,负责催化紫杉二烯-5α-醇的C13侧链发生羟基化反应生成紫杉二烯-5α、13α-二醇.该研究从南方红豆杉中克隆出紫杉烷13α-羟化酶基因并对其序列进行生物信息学分析.方法:利用南方红豆杉的总DNA和总RNA为模板,采用PCR和RT-PCR技术克隆出紫杉烷13α-羟化酶基因的DNA序列和cDNA序列,利用swiss-prot、DNAMAN等生物信息学工具对其核酸序列和蛋白序列进行分析.结果:测序结果显示其cDNA序列长度为1 651bp,含有一个1 458bp的开放阅读框,同源性比较分析结果表明,其氨基酸序列与已经报道的蔓地亚红豆杉的紫杉烷13α-羟化酶氨基酸序列的一致性为96%.结论:成功克隆出南方红豆杉紫杉烷13α-羟化酶基因,为利用合成生物学工程技术生产紫杉醇或其前体物质提供了分子基础.     

云南红豆杉紫杉烷2α-O-苯甲酰转运酶基因的克隆及定性

通过RACE技术,克隆了云南红豆杉紫杉烷2α-O-苯甲酰转运酶基因(TyTBT),该酶催化2-去苯甲酰-7,13-二乙酰巴卡亭Ⅲ生成7,13-二乙酰巴卡亭Ⅲ,是紫杉醇合成途径中的关键酶之一.TyTBT基因cDNA全长1481 bp,含有1 320 bp的开放读码框,编码440个氨基酸的多肽,分子量为50 050 Da,等电点为6.17.氨基酸序列比对表明TyTBT同植物酰化酶家族的其它成员有较高的相似性,超过67%,同东北红豆杉和曼地亚红豆杉的紫杉烷2α-O-苯甲酰转运酶氨基酸序列的一致性和相似性达到最高,分别为95%和96%.广泛地比对分析证明这种较高的相似性在红豆杉属的其它酶家族中具有普遍性,进化树分析表明同东北红豆杉和曼地亚红豆杉的紫杉烷2α-O-苯甲酰转运酶(TBT)的相似性高于紫杉醇合成途径中的其它酰化酶.     

利用云南红豆杉悬浮细胞生产紫杉醇和紫杉烷类化合物

云南红豆杉(Taxus yunnanensis Cheng et L. K. Fu)的一株紫杉醇高产细胞系经过8年多的继代培养,仍保持较稳定的紫杉烷类化合物的生物合成能力.从此株紫杉醇高产细胞系的悬浮培养物中分离到8个紫杉烷类化合物,经核磁共振光谱和质谱数据分析,它们的化学结构分别是2,5,10-三乙酰氧基-14-丙酰氧基紫杉二烯(1)、 2,5,10-三乙酰氧基-14-(2′-甲基丙酰氧基)紫杉二烯(2)、 2,5,10,14-四乙酰氧基紫杉二烯(3)、 2,5,10-三乙酰氧基-14-(2′-甲基-3′-羟基丁酰氧基)紫杉二烯及其差向异构体(4和5)、巴卡亭Ⅳ(6)、巴卡亭Ⅲ (7)和紫杉醇(8).化合物3、 5-7为首次从云南红豆杉细胞培养物中分离到.定性分析表明,云南红豆杉细胞悬浮培养液中的化学成分与培养细胞中的相似.另外,此株紫杉醇高产细胞系的紫杉醇含量可高达0.3%,可用来进行大规模培养.     

利用云南红豆杉悬浮细胞生产紫杉醇和紫杉烷类化合物(英文)

云南红豆杉 (TaxusyunnanensisChengetL .K .Fu)的一株紫杉醇高产细胞系经过 8年多的继代培养 ,仍保持较稳定的紫杉烷类化合物的生物合成能力。从此株紫杉醇高产细胞系的悬浮培养物中分离到 8个紫杉烷类化合物 ,经核磁共振光谱和质谱数据分析 ,它们的化学结构分别是 2 ,5 ,10_三乙酰氧基_14_丙酰氧基紫杉二烯 (1)、2 ,5 ,10_三乙酰氧基_14_(2′_甲基丙酰氧基 )紫杉二烯 (2 )、2 ,5 ,10 ,14_四乙酰氧基紫杉二烯 (3)、2 ,5 ,10_三乙酰氧基_14_(2′_甲基_3′_羟基丁酰氧基 )紫杉二烯及其差向异构体 (4和 5 )、巴卡亭Ⅳ (6 )、巴卡亭Ⅲ (7)和紫杉醇 (8)。化合物 3、5 - 7为首次从云南红豆杉细胞培养物中分离到。定性分析表明 ,云南红豆杉细胞悬浮培养液中的化学成分与培养细胞中的相似。另外 ,此株紫杉醇高产细胞系的紫杉醇含量可高达 0 .3% ,可用来进行大规模培养     

中国红豆杉愈伤组织紫杉烯合成酶cDNA片段的分离(简报)

从红豆杉的组织培养物中,筛选得到紫杉烷类化合物的高产株系,构建该株系的cDNA库,利用紫杉烯合成酶的特异性PCR引物对构建的cD－NA库进行PCR扩增,将得到的片段克隆后测序,该82bp片段与太平洋红豆杉紫杉烯合成酶相同片段完全一致。     

中国红豆杉紫杉烯合酶cDNA的分离、表达和鉴定

紫杉烯合酶是一种二萜环化酶,催化牛儿基牛儿基焦磷酸形成紫杉醇生物合成过程中的中间体紫杉烯.利用PCR扩增同源探针筛选cDNA文库,克隆了一个编码中国红豆杉(Taxus chinensis (Pilg.) Rehd.)紫杉烯合酶3′端的2 151 bp的cDNA片段,也通过PCR扩增得到了该基因5′端的611 bp的cDNA片段,将这两个cDNA片段拼接在一起,得到长2 712 bp的cDNA片段,具有一个2 586个碱基的开放阅读框架(ORF),编码包括质体转移肽在内的共862个氨基酸残基;该酶与太平洋红豆杉紫杉烯合酶有97%的同源性(identity),与其他植物萜类环化酶也有较高的同源性.利用融合表达载体pET-32a在大肠杆菌BL21trxB中表达,所表达的融合蛋白以包含体形式存在.包含体经过变性、复性和再折叠,利用His残基亲和凝胶柱层析得到融合的紫杉烯合酶.用毛细管气相色谱-质谱联用对酶促反应产物进行分析,结果表明,融合的紫杉烯合酶能催化产生4(5),11(12)-紫杉烯.     

In vitro screening of taxol,an anticancer drug produced by the fungus,Colletotrichum capsici

The fungus Colletotrichum capsici was isolated from the diseased fruits of Chilli plant, Capsicum annuum. The isolated test fungus was identified by its morphological and molecular characteristic features. For the first time, the fungus was screened for the production of taxol on modified liquid medium. The presence of taxol was confirmed by the spectroscopic and chromatographic methods of analyses. The amount of taxol produced by this fungus was quantified by HPLC. The maximum amount of fungal taxol production was recorded as 687 μg/L. The production rate was 13 740‐fold higher than that, previously reported for the fungus Taxomyces andreanae. The extracted fungal taxol showed a strong cytotoxic activity in an in vitro culture of human cancer cells indicating that the increase in taxol concentration induces increased cell death. A PCR‐based screening for taxadiene synthase (ts), a unique gene in the formation of the taxane skeleton, confirmed the molecular blueprint for taxol biosynthesis. The results show that the fungus C. capsici is an excellent candidate for an alternate source of taxol supply and can serve as a potential species for genetic engineering to enhance the production of taxol to a higher level.     

Screening of taxol-producing endophytic fungi from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taxus chinensis</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">mairei</Emphasis>

A total of 38 endophytic fungus strains were isolated from Taxus chinensis var. mairei by the aseptic technique. Genomic DNA was extracted from isolated endophytic fungi and subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis for the presence of the Taxus taxadiene synthase (TS) gene, a rate-limiting enzyme gene in the taxol biosynthetic pathway. Twelve out of 38 isolated endophytic fungus strains showed PCR positive for the ts gene. Subsequently, taxol and its related compounds were extracted from culture filtrates and mycelia of the PCR positive strains, separated by column chromatography, and analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrum. The analysis result showed that 3 strains could produce taxol and its related compounds at the detectible level. This study indicates that molecular detection of the ts gene is an efficient method for primary screening of taxol or its related compound-producing endophytic fungi, which can improve prominently screening efficiency. Published in Russian in Prikladnaya Biokhimiya i Mikrobiologiya, 2007, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 490–494. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

A new endophytic taxane production fungus from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taxus chinensis</Emphasis>

More than 50 kinds of endophytic fungi associated with Taxus chinensis were isolated and examined as a potential source of the imposing anticancer drug taxol. Of these, four isolates show ability to produce taxane when measured with the competitive inhibition enzyme immunoassay method. The most promising clone, DA10, identified as Mucor rouxianus sp., is the first rouxianus reported as taxol production fungus. The presence of taxol and its important precursors, such as 10-diacetyl baccatinIII (10-DAB) and baccatinIII, in theculture of this fungus was confirmed by reactivity with a taxane-specific monoclonal antibody, comparative chromatographic and mass spectrometric behavior, cytotoxity to liver carcinoma 7402, and molecular cloning of kernel fragment of taxadiene synthase gene. Published in Russian in Prikladnaya Biokhimiya i Mikrobiologiya, 2009, Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 92–96. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

代谢工程酵母菌合成紫杉烯的研究

紫杉烯是紫杉醇生物合成的重要中间体,为在酿酒酵母(Saccharomyces cerevisiae)中建立一个生物合成紫杉烯的代谢途径,克隆了酵母的羟甲基戊二酰CoA(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A,HMG-CoA)还原酶基因和=牛儿基=牛儿基二磷酸(geranylgeranyl diphosphate,GGDP)合酶基因,并构建了其融合表达载体pGBT9/HG;同时构建了包含紫杉烯合酶基因的表达载体pADH/TS;将这两个表达载体共转化酵母细胞,通过GC-MS分析检测工程酵母的代谢产物,结果表明获得的工程酵母能够合成紫杉烯,即在酵母细胞中建立了一个合成紫杉烯的代谢途径。     

Low genetic diversity and significant population structuring in the relict Amentotaxus argotaenia complex (Taxaceae) based on ISSR fingerprinting

Amentotaxus, a genus of the Taxaceae, represents an ancient lineage that has long existed in Eurasia. All Amentotaxus species experienced frequent population expansion and contraction over periodical glaciations in Tertiary and Quaternary. Among them, Amentotaxus argotaenia complex consists of three morphologically alike species, A. argotaenia, Amentotaxus yunnanensis, and Amentotaxus formosana. This complex is distributed in the subtropical region of mainland China and Taiwan where many Pleistocene refugia have been documented. In this study, genetic diversity and population structuring within and between species were investigated based on the inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) fingerprinting. Mean genetic diversity within populations was estimated in three ways: (1) the percentage of polymorphic loci out of all loci (P) (2) Neis unbiased expected heterozygosity (He), and (3) Shannons index of phenotypic diversity. For a total of 310 individuals of 15 populations sampled from the three species, low levels of ISSR genetic variation within populations were detected, with P=4.66–16.58%, He=0.0176–0.0645 and Hpop=0.0263–0.0939, agreeing with their seriously threatened status. AMOVA analyses revealed that the differences between species only accounted for 27.38% of the total variation, whereas differences among populations and within populations were 57.70 and 14.92%, respectively, indicating substantial isolation between the patch-like populations. A neighbor-joining tree identified a close affinity between A. yunnanensis and A. formosana. Genetic drift due to small population size, plus limited current gene flow, resulted in significant genetic structuring. Low levels of intrapopulational genetic variation and considerable interpopulational divergence were also attributable to demographic bottlenecks during and/or after the Pleistocene glaciations.     

Production of taxadiene by engineering of mevalonate pathway in Escherichia coli and endophytic fungus Alternaria alternata TPF6

Taxol (paclitaxel) is a diterpenoid compound with significant and extensive applications in the treatment of cancer. The production of Taxol and relevant intermediates by engineered microbes is an attractive alternative to the semichemical synthesis of Taxol. In this study, based on a previously developed platform, the authors first established taxadiene production in mutant E. coli T2 and T4 by engineering of the mevalonate (MVA) pathway. The authors then developed an Agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated transformation (ATMT) method and verified the strength of heterologous promoters in Alternaria alternata TPF6. The authors next transformed the taxadiene‐producing platform into A. alternata TPF6, and the MVA pathway was engineered, with introduction of the plant taxadiene‐forming gene. Notably, by co‐overexpression of isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (Idi), a truncated version of 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐CoA reductase (tHMG1), and taxadiene synthase (TS), the authors could detect 61.9 ± 6.3 μg/L taxadiene in the engineered strain GB127. This is the first demonstration of taxadiene production in filamentous fungi, and the approach presented in this study provides a new method for microbial production of Taxol. The well‐established ATMT method and the known promoter strengths facilitated further engineering of taxaenes in this fungus.     

Isolation and identification of an anticancer drug,taxol from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phyllosticta tabernaemontanae</Emphasis>, a leaf spot fungus of an angiosperm, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Wrightia tinctoria</Emphasis>

Phyllosticta tabernaemontanae, a leaf spot fungus isolated from the diseased leaves of Wrightia tinctoria, showed the production of taxol, an anticancer drug, on modified liquid medium (MID) and potato dextrose broth (PDB) medium in culture for the first time. The presence of taxol was confirmed by spectroscopic and chromatographic methods of analysis. The amount of taxol produced by this fungus was quantified using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The maximum amount of taxol production was recorded in the fungus grown on MID medium (461 μg/L) followed by PDB medium (150 μg/L). The production rate was increased to 9.2 × 10³ fold than that found in the culture broth of earlier reported fungus, Taxomyces andreanae. The results designate that P. tabernaemontanae is an excellent candidate for taxol production. The fungal taxol extracted also showed a strong cytotoxic activity in the in vitro culture of tested human cancer cells by apoptotic assay.     

穗花杉属——陕西省红豆杉科一新记录属

报道了陕西省红豆杉科一新记录属——穗花杉属(Amentotaxus Pilg.),其新记录种为穗花杉[A.argotaenia(Hance) Pilg.]。文中提供了形态描述和野外照片,凭证标本藏于陕西理工大学植物标本馆。     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In silico</Emphasis> analysis and experimental improvement of taxadiene heterologous biosynthesis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

The biosynthesis of terpenoids in heterologous hosts has become increasingly popular. Isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) is the central precursor of all isoprenoids, and the synthesis can proceed via two separate pathways in different organisms: The 1-deoxylulose 5-phosphate (DXP) pathway and the mevalonate (MVA) pathway. In this study, an in silico comparison was made between the maximum theoretical IPP yields and the thermodynamic properties of the DXP and MVA pathways using different hosts and carbon sources. We found that Escherichia coli and its DXP pathway have the most potential for IPP production. Consequently, codon usage redesign, and combinations of chromosomal engineering and various strains were considered for optimizing taxadiene biosynthesis through the endogenic DXP pathway. A high production strain yielding 876 ± 60 mg/L taxadiene, with an overall volumetric productivity of 8.9 mg/(L × h), was successfully obtained by combining the chromosomal engineered upstream DXP pathway and the downstream taxadiene biosynthesis pathway. This is the highest yield thus far reported for taxadiene production in a heterologous host. These results indicate that genetic manipulation of the DXP pathway has great potential to be used for production of terpenoids, and that chromosomal engineering is a powerful tool for heterologous biosynthesis of natural products.