Research progress in key enzymes involved in biosynthesis of Panax notoginseng saponins and their regulation / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS), which belong to dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins, are the main active components of a precious Chinese materia medica (CMM) named Notoginseng Radix. PNS have better protective effects on the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and immune system, and have been widely used in the treatment of diseases including fibrosis, aging, and neoplasm. This review summarized the research progress in the key enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of PNS, such as farnesyl pyrophaophate synthase (FPS), squalene synthase (SS), squalene oxidase (SE), dammarenediol-II synthase (DS), cycloartenol synthase (CAS), cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP450), and glycosyltransferase (GT) in terms of catalytic mechanism, gene cloning, and expression regulation on the transcriptional level, as well as the specificity in expression patterns and expression tissues and organs. Meanwhile, the effects of polymorphism and environmental stress on the regulation of gene expression have been first summarized. This review provides a basis for artificial synthesis of PNS using metabolic engineering.