Identification of O-Methyltransferases Potentially Contributing to the Structural Diversity of 2-(2-Phenylethyl)chromones in Agarwood.

2-(2-Phenylethyl)chromones (PECs) are the primary constituents responsible for the promising pharmacological activities and unique fragrance of agarwood. However, the O-methyltransferases (OMTs) involved in the formation of diverse methylated PECs have not been reported. In this study, we identified one Mg2+-dependent caffeoyl-CoA-OMT subfamily enzyme (AsOMT1) and three caffeic acid-OMT subfamily enzymes (AsOMT2-4) from NaCl-treated Aquilaria sinensis calli. AsOMT1 not only converts caffeoyl-CoA to feruloyl-CoA but also performs nonregioselective methylation at either the 6-OH or 7-OH position of 6,7-dihydroxy-PEC. On the other hand, AsOMT2-4 preferentially utilizes PECs as substrates to produce structurally diverse methylated PECs. Additionally, AsOMT2-4 also accepts nonPEC-type substrates such as caffeic acid and apigenin to generate methylated products. Protein structure prediction and site-directed mutagenesis revealed that residues of L313 and I318 in AsOMT3, as well as S292 and F313 in AsOMT4 determine the distinct regioselectivity of these two OMTs toward apigenin. These findings provide important biochemical evidence of the remarkable structural diversity of PECs in agarwood.

Molecular characterization and structure basis of a malonyltransferase with both substrate promiscuity and catalytic regiospecificity from Cistanche tubulosa.

Enzymatic malonylation of natural glycosides provides a promising alternative method for drug-like malonylated glycosides supply. However, the catalytic potential and structural basis of plant malonyltransferase are far from being fully elucidated. This work identified a new malonyltransferase CtMaT1 from Cistanche tubulosa. It displayed unprecedented mono- and/or di-malonylation activity toward diverse glucosides with different aglycons. A "one-pot" system by CtMaT1 and a malonyl-CoA synthetase was established to biosynthesize nine new malonylated glucosides. Structural investigations revealed that CtMaT1 possesses an adequately spacious acyl-acceptor pocket capable of accommodating diverse glucosides. Additionally, it recognizes malonyl-CoA through strong electrotactic and hydrogen interactions. QM/MM calculation revealed the H167-mediated SN2 reaction mechanism of CtMaT1, while dynamic simulations detected the formation of stable hydrogen bonds between the glucose-6-OH group and H167, resulting in its high malonylation regiospecificity. Calculated energy profiles of two isomeric glycosides highlighted lower reaction energy barriers towards glucoside substrates, emphasizing CtMaT1's preference for glucosides. Furthermore, a mutant CtMaT1H36A with notably increased di-malonylation activity was obtained. The underlying molecular mechanism was illuminated through MM/GBSA binding free energy calculation. This study significantly advances the understanding of plant acyltransferases from both functional and protein structural perspectives, while also providing a versatile tool for enzymatic malonylation applications in pharmacology.

Discovery of plant chemical defence mediated by a two-component system involving ß-glucosidase in Panax species.

Plants usually produce defence metabolites in non-active forms to minimize the risk of harm to themselves and spatiotemporally activate these defence metabolites upon pathogen attack. This so-called two-component system plays a decisive role in the chemical defence of various plants. Here, we discovered that Panax notoginseng, a valuable medicinal plant, has evolved a two-component chemical defence system composed of a chloroplast-localized ß-glucosidase, denominated PnGH1, and its substrates 20(S)-protopanaxadiol ginsenosides. The ß-glucosidase and its substrates are spatially separated in cells under physiological conditions, and ginsenoside hydrolysis is therefore activated only upon chloroplast disruption, which is caused by the induced exoenzymes of pathogenic fungi upon exposure to plant leaves. This activation of PnGH1-mediated hydrolysis results in the production of a series of less-polar ginsenosides by selective hydrolysis of an outer glucose at the C-3 site, with a broader spectrum and more potent antifungal activity in vitro and in vivo than the precursor molecules. Furthermore, such ß-glucosidase-mediated hydrolysis upon fungal infection was also found in the congeneric species P. quinquefolium and P. ginseng. Our findings reveal a two-component chemical defence system in Panax species and offer insights for developing botanical pesticides for disease management in Panax species.

Identification of a diarylpentanoid-producing polyketide synthase in the biosynthesis of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones in agarwood.

Agarwood has been valued as an exquisite, high-grade fragrant wood since ancient times. Due to the scarcity of high-quality agarwood, it is quite expensive, and the number of original plants has been drastically reduced due to overharvesting, including illegal logging. Despite this, a reliable method of agarwood cultivation has yet to be developed. Thus, identifying the biosynthetic pathways of the fragrant components in agarwood might help developers to optimize the culture conditions and create artificial agarwood, by monitoring the expression of the biosynthetic enzymes or their genes. This review presents the characteristics of our recently identified key enzyme, 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone precursor synthase (PECPS), which generates the common precursor of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones (PECs), the main fragrances in agarwood, as well as our reasoning to reach these conclusions. We also discuss the biosynthetic pathway of PECs, unveiled following the identification of PECPS.

[LC-MS analysis of 2-(2-phenylethyl) chromones in sodium chloride-treated suspension cells of Aquilaria sinensis].

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of 2-(2-phenylethyl) chromones in sodium chloride(NaCl)-treated suspension cells of Aquilaria sinensis was conducted by UPLC-Q-Exactive-MS and UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS. Both analyses were performed on a Waters T3 column(2.1 mm×50 mm, 1.8 µm) with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution(A)-acetonitrile(B) as mobile phases at gradient elution. MS data were collected by electrospray ionization in positive ion mode. Forty-seven phenylethylchromones was identified from NaCl-treated suspension cell samples of A. sinensis using UPLC-Q-Exactive-MS, including 22 flindersia-type 2-(2-phenylethyl) chromones and their glycosides, 10 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(2-phenylethyl) chromones and 15 mono-epoxy or diepoxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(2-phenylethyl) chromones. Additionally, 25 phenylethylchromones were quantitated by UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS. Overall, the rapid and efficient qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenylethylchromones in NaCl-treated suspension cells of A. sinensis by two LC-MS techniques, provides an important reference for the yield of phenylethylchromones in Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum using in vitro culture and other biotechnologies.

[Research progress on application of multi-enzyme-catalyzed cascade reactions in enzymatic synthesis of natural products].

As a biocatalyst, enzyme has the advantages of high catalytic efficiency, strong reaction selectivity, specific target products, mild reaction conditions, and environmental friendliness, and serves as an important tool for the synthesis of complex organic molecules. With the continuous development of gene sequencing technology, molecular biology, genetic manipulation, and other technologies, the diversity of enzymes increases steadily and the reactions that can be catalyzed are also gradually diversified. In the process of enzyme-catalyzed synthesis, the majority of common enzymatic reactions can be achieved by single enzyme catalysis, while many complex reactions often require the participation of two or more enzymes. Therefore, the combination of multiple enzymes together to construct the multi-enzyme cascade reactions has become a research hotspot in the field of biochemistry. Nowadays, the biosynthetic pathways of more natural products with complex structures have been clarified, and secondary metabolic enzymes with novel catalytic activities have been identified, discovered, and combined in enzymatic synthesis of natural/unnatural molecules with diverse structures. This study summarized a series of examples of multi-enzyme-catalyzed cascades and highlighted the application of cascade catalysis methods in the synthesis of carbohydrates, nucleosides, flavonoids, terpenes, alkaloids, and chiral molecules. Furthermore, the existing problems and solutions of multi-enzyme-catalyzed cascade method were discussed, and the future development direction was prospected.

Gastroprotective 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone-sesquiterpene hybrids from the resinous wood of Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg.

Six previously unprecedented 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone-sesquiterpene hybrids, aquisinenins A-F (1 - 6), were isolated from the resinous wood of Aquilaria sinensis by a LC-MS-guided fractionation procedure. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis (1D and 2D NMR, UV, IR, and HRMS) and experimental and computed ECD data. Compounds 1 - 6 were rare dimeric 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone-sesquiterpene derivatives featuring 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone hybridized with different sesquiterpene (eudesmane/guaiane type) moieties via ester bond. Furthermore, all the isolated compounds were evaluated for their protective effects on taurocholic acid (TCA)-induced GES-1 cell injury. The most effective aquisinenin F (6) was used to elucidate the involved mechanism on protection against TCA-induced gastric mucosal damage. Our results indicated that 6 protected against gastric mucosal cell insult by downregulation of the ER stress triggered by TCA.

Protective Mechanism of Electroacupuncture on Peripheral Neurotoxicity Induced by Oxaliplatin in Rats.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) in rats. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were equally divided into 3 groups using a random number table: the control group, the OIPN group, and the EA (OIPN + EA) group, with 10 rats in each. The time courses of mechanical, cold sensitivity, and microcirculation blood flow intensity were determined. The morphology of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was observed by electron microscopic examination. The protein levels of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and the transient receptor potential (TRP) protein family in DRGs were assayed by Western blot. RESULTS: EA treatment significantly reduced mechanical allodynia and cold allodynia in OIPN rats (P<0.01). Notably, oxaliplatin treatment resulted in impaired microcirculatory blood flow and pathomorphological defects in DRGs (P<0.01). EA treatment increased the microcirculation blood flow and attenuated the pathological changes induced by oxaliplatin (P<0.01). In addition, the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 were down-regulated, and the TRP protein family was over-expressed in the DRGs of OIPN rats (P<0.01). EA increased the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 and decreased the level of TRP protein family in DRG (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: EA may be a potential alternative therapy for OIPN, and its mechanism may be mainly mediated by restoring the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Characterization of a coumarin C-/O-prenyltransferase and a quinolone C-prenyltransferase from Murraya exotica.

Prenyltransferases (PTs) play important roles in the biosynthesis and structural diversification of natural products. In the present study, two new PTs were characterized from a medicinal plant Murraya exotica. MePT1 unprecedentedly catalyses the formation of two C-geranylated products 8/6-C-geranylumbelliferone together with a trace product 7-O-geranylumbelliferone from umbelliferone. MePT2 regio-specifically catalyses the formation of C-3 dimethylallylated products from quinolone alkaloids. This is the first report that a plant PT catalyses the simultaneous formation of C- and O-prenylated products, and a plant PT specifically utilizes quinolone alkaloids as prenyl acceptors. The results not only provide important insight into the functional diversity of plant PTs and the biosynthesis of the prenylated coumarins, quinolone and carbazole alkaloids in Murraya plants, but also pave the way for the overproduction of the prenylated coumarins and alkaloids using metabolic engineering approaches.

A Multifunctional Cytochrome P450 and a Meroterpenoid Cyclase in the Biosynthesis of Fungal Meroterpenoid Atlantinone B.

The biosynthetic gene cluster of atlantinone B (10) was discovered in Penicillium chrysogenum MT-40. A multifunctional cytochrome P450 (AtlD) encoded by the cluster is responsible for the formation of the unique lactone-bridged ring and the 16ß-hydroxyl of atlantinone B, and a new terpene cyclase (AtlC) can unprecedentedly accept the demethylated substrate epoxyfarnesyl-DMOA (4a) to generate three bicyclic meroterpenoids (5a-5c). This study paves the way for combinatorial synthesis of structurally diverse meroterpenoids for drug discovery.

Identification of a diarylpentanoid-producing polyketide synthase revealing an unusual biosynthetic pathway of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones in agarwood.

2-(2-Phenylethyl)chromones (PECs) are the principal constituents contributing to the distinctive fragrance of agarwood. How PECs are biosynthesized is currently unknown. In this work, we describe a diarylpentanoid-producing polyketide synthase (PECPS) identified from Aquilaria sinensis. Through biotransformation experiments using fluorine-labeled substrate, transient expression of PECPS in Nicotiana benthamiana, and knockdown of PECPS expression in A. sinensis calli, we demonstrate that the C6-C5-C6 scaffold of diarylpentanoid is the common precursor of PECs, and PECPS plays a crucial role in PECs biosynthesis. Crystal structure (1.98 Å) analyses and site-directed mutagenesis reveal that, due to its small active site cavity (247 Å3), PECPS employs a one-pot formation mechanism including a "diketide-CoA intermediate-released" step for the formation of the C6-C5-C6 scaffold. The identification of PECPS, the pivotal enzyme of PECs biosynthesis, provides insight into not only the feasibility of overproduction of pharmaceutically important PECs using metabolic engineering approaches, but also further exploration of how agarwood is formed.

Two new diterpenoids from Penicillium chrysogenum MT-12, an endophytic fungus isolated from Huperzia serrata.

Two new diterpenoids, penicichrysogene A (1) and penicichrysogene B (2), were isolated from the solid substrate fermentation cultures of Penicillium chrysogenum MT-12, an endophytic fungus isolated from the medicinal plant of Huperzia serrata. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic and spectrometric data (1D and 2D NMR, UV, IR, and HRESIMS). The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were assigned on the basis of experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism spectra. Compound 1 exhibited inhibitory activity on ATP release of thrombin-activated platelets with IC50 = 42.7 ± 3.5 µM.

Deciphering the Biosynthetic Mechanism of Pelletierine in Lycopodium Alkaloid Biosynthesis.

Pelletierine, a proposed building block of Lycopodium alkaloids (LAs), was demonstrated to be synthesized via the non-enzymatic Mannich-like condensation of Δ1-piperideine and 3-oxoglutaric acid produced by two new type III PKSs (HsPKS4 and PcPKS1) characterized from Huperzia serrata and Phlegmariurus cryptomerianus, respectively. The findings provide new insights for further understanding the biosynthesis of LAs such as huperzine A.

[Isolation and identification of endophytic fungi from Huperzia serrata and their metabolites' inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase and anti-inflammatory activities].

A total of 27 endophytic fungal strains were isolated from Huperzia serrata,which were richly distributed in the stems and leaves while less distributed in roots. The 27 strains were identified by Internal Transcribed Spacer( ITS) r DNA molecular method and one of the strains belongs to Basidiomycota phylum,and other 26 stains belong to 26 species,9 general,6 families,5 orders,3 classes of Ascomycota Phylum. The dominant strains were Colletotrichum genus,belonging to Glomerellaceae family,Glomerellales order,Sordariomycetes class,Ascomycota Phylum,with the percentage of 48. 15%. The inhibitory activities of the crude extracts of 27 endophytic fungal strains against acetylcholinesterase( ACh E) and nitric oxide( NO) production were evaluated by Ellman's method and Griess method,respectively. Crude extracts of four fungi exhibited inhibitory activities against ACh E with an IC50 value of 42. 5-62. 4 mg·L~(-1),and some fungi's crude extracts were found to inhibit nitric oxide( NO) production in lipopolysaccharide( LPS)-activated RAW264. 7 macrophage cells with an IC50 value of 2. 2-51. 3 mg·L~(-1),which indicated that these fungi had potential anti-inflammatory activities.The chemical composition of the Et OAc extract of endophytic fungus HS21 was also analyzed by LCMS-IT-TOF. Seventeen compounds including six polyketides,four diphenyl ether derivatives and seven meroterpenoids were putatively identified.

Aluminosilicate Nanotubes Embedded Polyamide Thin Film Nanocomposite Forward Osmosis Membranes with Simultaneous Enhancement of Water Permeability and Selectivity.

Nanocomposite membranes are strongly desired to break a trade-off between permeability and selectivity. This work reports new thin film nanocomposite (TFN) forward osmosis (FO) membranes by embedding aluminosilicate nanotubes (ANTs) into a polyamide (PA) rejection layer. The surface morphology and structure of the TFN FO membranes were carefully characterized by FTIR, XPS, FESEM and AFM. The ANTs incorporated PA rejection layers exhibited many open and broad "leaf-like" folds with "ridge-and-valley" structures, high surface roughness and relatively low cross-linking degree. Compared with thin film composite (TFC) membrane without ANTs, the TFN membrane with only 0.2 w/v% ANTs loading presented significantly improved FO water permeability, selectivity and reduced structural parameters. This promising performance can be mainly contributed to the special ANTs embedded PA rejection layer, where water molecules preferentially transport through the nanochannels of ANTs. Molecular dynamic simulation further proved that water molecules have much larger flux through the nanotubes of ANTs than sodium and chloride ions, which are attributed to the intrinsic hydrophilicity of ANTs and low external force for water transport. This work shows that these TFN FO membranes with ANTs decorated PA layer are promising in desalination applications due to their simultaneously enhanced permeability and selectivity.

LC-MS-guided isolation of anti-inflammatory 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone dimers from Chinese agarwood (Aquilaria sinensis).

Fifteen previously undescribed 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone dimers, along with two known analogues were isolated from Chinese agarwood (Aquilaria sinensis) by a LC-MS-guided fractionation procedure. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and spectrometric data (1D and 2D NMR, IR, and HRESIMS). The isolated compounds exhibited significant inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells with IC50 values in the range 0.6-37.1 µM.

Crystalline Sponge Method Enabled the Investigation of a Prenyltransferase-terpene Synthase Chimeric Enzyme, Whose Product Exhibits Broadened NMR Signals.

By the genome-mining approach, a chimeric enzyme of prenyltransferase-diterpene synthase was discovered from Penicillium chrysogenum MT-12. Since its product exhibited broadened NMR signals, the structural determination by only the NMR analysis was difficult, but the crystalline sponge method successfully revealed the structure with a 6-5-5-5 fused ring system. This demonstrated that the collaboration between the genome-mining and crystalline sponge method has the potential to facilitate rapid inquiries into the unexplored chemical space of small molecules.

Megastigmane glycosides from Urena lobata.

Five new megastigmane glycosides, urenalobasides A-E (1-5), together with 11 known ones (6-16) were isolated from Urena lobata. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic and spectrometric data (1D and 2D NMR, IR, and HRESIMS) and calculated electronic circular dichroism method. Compounds 1 and 2 are two unusual megastigmanes structurally containing a 6/5 fused ring system. Compound 3 exhibits inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells with IC50 value of 53.7 ±â€¯1.0 µM (positive control, dexamethasone, IC50 = 16.6 ±â€¯0.8 µM).

Anti-inflammatory Dimeric 2-(2-Phenylethyl)chromones from the Resinous Wood of Aquilaria sinensis.

Sixteen new 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone dimers, including four pairs of enantiomers (1a/1b, 3a/3b, 6a/6b, and 8a/8b), along with eight optically pure analogues (2, 4, 5, 7, and 9-12) were isolated from the resinous wood of Aquilaria sinensis. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis (1D and 2D NMR, UV, IR, and HRMS) and experimental and computed ECD data. Compounds 1-10 feature an unusual 3,4-dihydro-2 H-pyran ring linkage connecting two 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone monomeric units, while compounds 11 and 12 possess an unprecedented 6,7-dihydro-5 H-1,4-dioxepine moiety in their structures. A putative biosynthetic pathway of the representative structures via a diepoxy derivative of a chromone with a nonoxygenated A-ring is also proposed. Compounds 1a/1b, 2, 3a/3b, 5, 7, 8a/8b, and 10-12 exhibited significant inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells with IC50 values in the range 7.0-12.0 µM.

[Cloning and expression analysis of transcription factor AsMYB1 and AsMYB2 from Aquilaria sinensis].

The MYB gene family comprises one of the richest groups of transcription factors in plants. The full length of two MYB genes were isolated through heterologous screening of Aquilaria sinensis calli transcriptome data, and the reverse transcription PCR was performed to obstain the corrected MYB clones, named AsMYB1, AsMYB2. The MYB transmembrane domain and phylogenetic analysis were predicted by different software to analyze the bioinformatics of MYB proteins. The transcript level of AsMYB1, AsMYB2 was performed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR in different tissues and in responds to abiotic stresses including salt, cold, metal and drought stress, and hormone treatments including abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), gibberellins (GA3) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment. The AsMYB1 cDNA sequence had an ORF of 1 063 nucleotides, encoding a protein of 353 amino acids. The largest AsMYB2 ORF was 1 081 nucleotides, and its predicted translation products consisted of 359 amino acids. Two MYB genes had a tissues-specific pattern in A. sinensis. Moreover, the expression level of AsMYB1 and AsMYB2 was regulated by different abiotic stresses and hormone treatments, suggesting the transcription factors AsMYB1 and AsMYB2 play an important role in plant defense and hormone signal transduction in A. sinensis.