naphthoquinones and 4-hydroxybenzoic-acid

Shikonin and its derivatives are the main active components in the medicinal plant Arnebia euchroma and possess extensive pharmaceutical properties. In this study, we developed an optimized yeast system to obtain high-level production of 3-geranyl-4-hydroxybenzoate acid (GBA), an important intermediate involved in shikonin biosynthesis pathway. For host selection, recombinant expression of p-hydroxybenzoate:geranyltransferase (PGT) derived from A. euchroma was performed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae WAT11U strain and high yield monoterpene strain. In shake flask culture with 1 mM p-hydroxybenzoate acid (PHBA), they could yield GBA at 0.1567 and 20.8624 mg L-1, respectively. Additionally, AePGT6 showed higher enzymatic activity than its homologs. Moreover, by combining improvement in the homologous mevalonate pathway with reconstruction in the heterologous shikimic pathway, a de novo GBA synthesis pathway was constructed in StHP6tHC with co-overexpressed SctHMG1, optimized EcUbiC and AePGT6. A high titer of 179.29 mg L-1 GBA was achieved in StHP6tHC under shake flask fermentation with 1 mM PHBA. These results suggest that yeast could be engineered systematically to enable an efficient monoterpene-quinone or naphthoquinone production.

Topics: Biosynthetic Pathways; Biotransformation; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Enzyme Activation; Fermentation; Gene Expression; Geranyltranstransferase; Metabolic Engineering; Naphthoquinones; Parabens; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Yeasts

The p-hydroxybenzoate geranyltransferases(PGT) play an important role in the biosynthesis pathways of shikonin derivatives. Six PGTs were obtained from transcriptome datebase of Arnebia euchroma by using bioinformatics methods and the proteins＇physiochemical properties they encoded were predicted. The result of protein domain prediction showed all of the six protein sequences contained the conserved domain of Ubia prenyltransferase family and possessed the motif NDxxDxxxD for prenyldiphosphate binding and a GX(K/Y)STAL sequence for putative aromatic ring binding. The phylogenetic tree showed that PGT and p-hydroxybenzoate polyprenyltransferase(PPT) belonged to two different clades. The results of gene expression analyses showed that the expression levels in the red shikonin-proficient line and the overground part of A. euchroma that could produce shikonin derivatives was much higher than the white shikonin-deficient line and the underground part, which suggested a positive correlation between the expression levels of PGT genes and shikonin production. This study aims to lay a foudation for further understanding of the function and enzymatic properties of PGT and provide a basis for the biosynthesis pathways and metabolic regulation of shikonin derivatives.

Topics: Boraginaceae; Computational Biology; Geranyltranstransferase; Naphthoquinones; Parabens; Phylogeny; Transcriptome

Geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP) and p-hydroxybenzoate (PHB) are the basic precursors involved in shikonins biosynthesis. GPP is derived from mevalonate (MVA) and/or 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway(s), depending upon the metabolite and the plant system under consideration. PHB, however, is synthesized by only phenylpropanoid (PP) pathway. GPP and PHB are central moieties to yield shikonins through the synthesis of m-geranyl-p-hydroxybenzoate (GHB). Enzyme p-hydroxybenzoate-m-geranyltransferase (PGT) catalyses the coupling of GPP and PHB to yield GHB. The present research was carried out in shikonins yielding plant arnebia [Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnston], wherein no molecular work has been reported so far. The objective of the work was to identify the preferred GPP synthesizing pathway for shikonins biosynthesis, and to determine the regulatory genes involved in the biosynthesis of GPP, PHB and GHB.. A cell suspension culture-based, low and high shikonins production systems were developed to facilitate pathway identification and finding the regulatory gene. Studies with mevinolin and fosmidomycin, inhibitors of MVA and MEP pathway, respectively suggested MVA as a preferred route of GPP supply for shikonins biosynthesis in arnebia. Accordingly, genes of MVA pathway (eight genes), PP pathway (three genes), and GHB biosynthesis were cloned. Expression studies showed down-regulation of all the genes in response to mevinolin treatment, whereas gene expression was not influenced by fosmidomycin. Expression of all the twelve genes vis-à-vis shikonins content in low and high shikonins production system, over a period of twelve days at frequent intervals, identified critical genes of shikonins biosynthesis in arnebia.. A positive correlation between shikonins content and expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (AeHMGR) and AePGT suggested critical role played by these genes in shikonins biosynthesis. Higher expression of genes of PP pathway was a general feature for higher shikonins biosynthesis.

Topics: Boraginaceae; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes, Plant; Geranyltranstransferase; Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; Naphthoquinones; Parabens; Polyisoprenyl Phosphates

Shikonin, a red naphthoquinone pigment, is produced by cell cultures of Lithospermum erythrorhizon (Boraginaceae). It is biosynthetically derived from two key precursors, 4-hydroxybenzoate (4HB) and geranyldiphosphate (GPP). The bacterial ubiC gene, encoding chorismate pyruvate-lyase (CPL) which converts chorismate to 4-hydroxybenzoate, was expressed in L. erythrorhizon under the control of the strong (ocs)(3)mas-promoter. This introduced an efficient biosynthetic pathway to 4HB, i.e. a one-step reaction from chorismate, in addition to the endogeneous multi-step phenylpropanoid pathway. Feeding experiments with [1,7-(13)C(2)]shikimic acid showed that in the most active transgenic line, 73% of 4HB was synthesized via the genetically introduced pathway. However, there was no correlation between CPL activity and 4HB glucoside or shikonin accumulation in the transgenic lines. HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) is involved in the biosynthesis of GPP in L. erythrorhizon. Two forms of HMGR1 of Arabidopsis thaliana were expressed in Lithospermum under control of the (ocs)(3)mas promoter. Only moderate increases in enzyme activity were obtained with the complete enzyme, but high activity was achieved using the soluble cytosolic domain of HMGR1. Shikonin accumulation remained unchanged even upon high expression of soluble HMGR.

Topics: Arabidopsis; Blotting, Northern; Blotting, Southern; Carbon Isotopes; Cell Surface Extensions; Cloning, Molecular; Culture Techniques; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genetic Vectors; Glucosides; Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; Lithospermum; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Naphthoquinones; Oxo-Acid-Lyases; Parabens; Plant Roots; Plants, Genetically Modified; Polyisoprenyl Phosphates; Shikimic Acid

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antifungal Agents; Atovaquone; Female; Naphthoquinones; Oxidoreductases; Parabens; Pneumocystis; Polyenes; Rats; Ubiquinone

The naphthoquinone atovaquone is effective against Plasmodium and Pneumocystis carinii carinii. In Plasmodium, the primary mechanism of drug action is an irreversible binding to the mitochondrial cytochrome bc(1) complex as an analog of ubiquinone. Blockage of the electron transport chain ultimately inhibits de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis since dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, a key enzyme in pyrimidine biosynthesis, is unable to transfer electrons to ubiquinone. In the present study, the effect of atovaquone was examined on Pneumocystis carinii carinii coenzyme Q biosynthesis (rather than electron transport and respiration) by measuring its effect on the incorporation of radiolabeled p-hydroxybenzoate into ubiquinone in vitro. A triphasic dose-response was observed, with inhibition at 10 nM and then stimulation up to 0.2 microM, followed by inhibition at 1 microM. Since other naphthoquinone drugs may also act as analogs of ubiquinone, diospyrin and two of its derivatives were also tested for their effects on ubiquinone biosynthesis in P. carinii carinii. In contrast to atovaquone, these drugs did not inhibit the incorporation of p-hydroxybenzoate into P. carinii carinii ubiquinone.

Topics: Antifungal Agents; Atovaquone; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Naphthoquinones; Oxygen Consumption; Parabens; Pneumocystis; Ubiquinone

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis system based on a water-acetonitrile gradient program was established for simultaneous quantification of shikimate-derived secondary metabolites in cultured cells of Lithospermum erythrorhizon. The cells cultured in pigment production medium (M-9) are capable of producing five highly hydrophilic compounds such as p-hydroxybenzoic acid-O-glucoside and lithospermic acid B, as well as eleven lipophilic compounds including echinofuran B and acetylshikonin. In addition to the wide polarities of those compounds, many of them are unstable under light, dryness, oxygen and heating. Thus, a new extraction procedure for all these compounds was also established by use of ultrasonication under ice-water chilling with MeOH as the solvent. This procedure was applied to the quantitative analyses of these compounds in cell cultures and hairy root cultures of Lithospermum, and in the intact plants as well.

Topics: Anthraquinones; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Benzofurans; Cells, Cultured; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cold Temperature; Depsides; Furans; Glucosides; Naphthoquinones; Parabens; Plant Roots; Plants, Medicinal; Shikimic Acid; Solvents; Sonication

The oxidation-reduction potential of p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase (4-hydroxybenzoate, NADPH: oxygen oxidoreductase (3-hydroxylating), EC 1.14.13.2) from Pseudomonas fluorescens has been measured in the presence and absence of p-hydroxybenzoate using spectrocoulometry. The native enzyme demonstrated a two-electron midpoint potential of -129 mV during the initial reductive titration. The midpoint potential observed during subsequent oxidative and reductive titrations was -152 mV. This marked hysteresis is proposed to arise from the oxidation and reduction of the known air-sensitive thiol group on the enzyme (Van Berkel, W.J.H. and Müller, F. (1987) Eur. J. Biochem. 167, 35-46). Redox titrations of the enzyme in the presence of substrate showed a two-electron midpoint potential of -177 mV. No spectral or electrochemical evidence for the thermodynamic stabilization of any flavin semiquinone was observed in the titrations performed. These data show that the affinity of the apoenzyme for the hydroquinone form of FAD is 150-fold greater than for the oxidized flavin and that the substrate is bound to the reduced enzyme with a 3-fold lower affinity than to the oxidized enzyme. These data are consistent with the view that the stimulatory effect of substrate binding on the rate of enzyme reduction by NADPH is due to the respective geometries of the bound FAD and NADPH rather than to a large perturbation of the oxidation-reduction potential of the bound flavin coenzyme.

Topics: 4-Hydroxybenzoate-3-Monooxygenase; Coloring Agents; Electrochemistry; Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide; Hydroxybenzoates; Indigo Carmine; Mixed Function Oxygenases; Naphthoquinones; Oxidation-Reduction; Parabens; Paraquat; Pseudomonas fluorescens; Spectrum Analysis; Thermodynamics