Biphenyl 4-Hydroxylases Involved in Aucuparin Biosynthesis in Rowan and Apple Are Cytochrome P450 736A Proteins.

Upon pathogen attack, fruit trees such as apple (Malus spp.) and pear (Pyrus spp.) accumulate biphenyl and dibenzofuran phytoalexins, with aucuparin as a major biphenyl compound. 4-Hydroxylation of the biphenyl scaffold, formed by biphenyl synthase (BIS), is catalyzed by a cytochrome P450 (CYP). The biphenyl 4-hydroxylase (B4H) coding sequence of rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) was isolated and functionally expressed in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). SaB4H was named CYP736A107. No catalytic function of CYP736 was known previously. SaB4H exhibited absolute specificity for 3-hydroxy-5-methoxybiphenyl. In rowan cell cultures treated with elicitor from the scab fungus, transient increases in the SaB4H, SaBIS, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase transcript levels preceded phytoalexin accumulation. Transient expression of a carboxyl-terminal reporter gene construct directed SaB4H to the endoplasmic reticulum. A construct lacking the amino-terminal leader and transmembrane domain caused cytoplasmic localization. Functional B4H coding sequences were also isolated from two apple (Malus × domestica) cultivars. The MdB4Hs were named CYP736A163. When stems of cv Golden Delicious were infected with the fire blight bacterium, highest MdB4H transcript levels were observed in the transition zone. In a phylogenetic tree, the three B4Hs were closest to coniferaldehyde 5-hydroxylases involved in lignin biosynthesis, suggesting a common ancestor. Coniferaldehyde and related compounds were not converted by SaB4H.

4-Coumarate:CoA ligase family members from elicitor-treated Sorbus aucuparia cell cultures.

Sorbus aucuparia cell cultures accumulate biphenyl and dibenzofuran phytoalexins in response to elicitor treatment. These polyketide derivatives arise from the starter substrate benzoyl-CoA, the biosynthesis of which is largely unresolved. Two CoA ligases involved are cinnamate:CoA ligase and benzoate:CoA ligase, which were assumed to be related in S. aucuparia to the ubiquitous 4-coumarate:CoA ligase (4CL). cDNAs encoding three distinct 4CLs from elicitor-treated S. aucuparia cell cultures were isolated using RT-PCR and RACE techniques and functionally expressed in Escherichia coli as His(6)-tagged proteins (Sa4CL2 and Sa4CL3) or GST-fusion protein (Sa4CL1). All three isoenzymes preferred 4-coumaric acid over cinnamic acid in spectrophotometric assays and failed to utilize benzoic acid in radioisotopic assays. After elicitor treatment of S. aucuparia cell cultures, the transcript levels of all three Sa4CLs increased but were significantly lower than the maximum expression rates of the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and biphenyl synthase 1 (BIS1) genes. The substrate specificities and the expression profiles indicate that the three 4CL isoenzymes are not involved in benzoyl-CoA biosynthesis in S. aucuparia cell cultures. Sa4CL3 and PAL transcripts also accumulated in response to light treatment. Phylogenetically, Sa4CL1 and Sa4CL2 belong to the class I cluster and Sa4CL3 groups in the class II cluster. Sa4CL3 contains a 49-amino acid N-terminal extension, which includes a chloroplast sorting signal.

Benzaldehyde dehydrogenase from chitosan-treated Sorbus aucuparia cell cultures.

Cell cultures of Sorbus aucuparia respond to the addition of chitosan with the accumulation of the biphenyl phytoalexin aucuparin. The carbon skeleton of this inducible defense compound is formed by biphenyl synthase (BIS) from benzoyl-CoA and three molecules of malonyl-CoA. The formation of benzoyl-CoA proceeds via benzaldehyde as an intermediate. Benzaldehyde dehydrogenase (BD), which converts benzaldehyde into benzoic acid, was detected in cell-free extracts from S. aucuparia cell cultures. BD and BIS were induced by chitosan treatment. The preferred substrate for BD was benzaldehyde (K(m)=49 microM). Cinnamaldehyde and various hydroxybenzaldehydes were relatively poor substrates. BD activity was strictly dependent on the presence of NAD(+) as a cofactor (K(m)=67 microM).

Biphenyl synthase, a novel type III polyketide synthase.

Biphenyls and dibenzofurans are the phytoalexins of the Maloideae, a subfamily of the economically important Rosaceae. The carbon skeleton of the two classes of antimicrobial secondary metabolites is formed by biphenyl synthase (BIS). A cDNA encoding this key enzyme was cloned from yeast-extract-treated cell cultures of Sorbus aucuparia. BIS is a novel type III polyketide synthase (PKS) that shares about 60% amino acid sequence identity with other members of the enzyme superfamily. Its preferred starter substrate is benzoyl-CoA that undergoes iterative condensation with three molecules of malonyl-CoA to give 3,5-dihydroxybiphenyl via intramolecular aldol condensation. BIS did not accept CoA-linked cinnamic acids such as 4-coumaroyl-CoA. This substrate, however, was the preferential starter molecule for chalcone synthase (CHS) that was also cloned from S. aucuparia cell cultures. While BIS expression was rapidly, strongly and transiently induced by yeast extract treatment, CHS expression was not. In a phylogenetic tree, BIS grouped together closely with benzophenone synthase (BPS) that also uses benzoyl-CoA as starter molecule but cyclizes the common intermediate via intramolecular Claisen condensation. The molecular characterization of BIS thus contributes to the understanding of the functional diversity and evolution of type III PKSs.

Isozyme polymorphism and genetic structure of the population of Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz from the Bytyn Forest (Poland).

Dormant buds collected from 35 wild service trees (Sorbus torminalis) in the Bytyn Forest were tested with horizontal gel electrophoresis to assess the genetic structure of the population. Among 16 investigated isozyme loci, seven loci (ADH-A, 6PGD-A, GDH-B, ME-A, SOD-A, PGM-A, PGM-B) proved to be polymorphic, whereas the other nine loci (SDH-A, SDH-B, DIA-C, DIA-D, FLE-A, FLE-B, GOT-B, IDH-A, IDH-B) were monomorphic. The number of alleles per polymorphic locus ranged from two to three, with a mean of 2.29. The average observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.2665 and 0.3462, respectively. The combined FIS value over all polymorphic loci was 0.2179, which reflects a substantial deficit of heterozygotes. Two polymorphic loci (SOD-A, PGM-A) were identified in S. torminalis for the first time.

Biphenyl synthase from yeast-extract-treated cell cultures of Sorbus aucuparia.

Biphenyls and dibenzofurans are the phytoalexins of the Maloideae, a subfamily of the economically important Rosaceae. The biphenyl aucuparin accumulated in Sorbus aucuparia L. cell cultures in response to yeast extract treatment. Incubation of cell-free extracts from challenged cell cultures with benzoyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA led to the formation of 3,5-dihydroxybiphenyl. This reaction was catalysed by a novel polyketide synthase, which will be named biphenyl synthase. The most efficient starter substrate for the enzyme was benzoyl-CoA. Relatively high activity was also observed with 2-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA but, instead of the corresponding biphenyl, the derailment product 2-hydroxybenzoyltriacetic acid lactone was formed.