Alternative splicing of CsJAZ1 negatively regulates flavan-3-ol biosynthesis in tea plants.

Flavan-3-ols are abundant in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and confer tea with flavor and health benefits. We recently found that alternative splicing of genes is likely involved in the regulation of flavan-3-ol biosynthesis; however, the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics to construct metabolite-gene networks in tea leaves, collected over five different months and from five spatial positions, and found positive correlations between endogenous jasmonic acid (JA), flavan-3-ols, and numerous transcripts. Transcriptome mining further identified CsJAZ1, which is negatively associated with flavan-3-ols formation and has three CsJAZ1 transcripts, one full-length (CsJAZ1-1), and two splice variants (CsJAZ1-2 and -3) that lacked 3' coding sequences, with CsJAZ1-3 also lacking the coding region for the Jas domain. Confocal microscopy showed that CsJAZ1-1 was localized to the nucleus, while CsJAZ1-2 and CsJAZ1-3 were present in both the nucleus and the cytosol. In the absence of JA, CsJAZ1-1 was bound to CsMYC2, a positive regulator of flavan-3-ol biosynthesis; CsJAZ1-2 functioned as an alternative enhancer of CsJAZ1-1 and an antagonist of CsJAZ1-1 in binding to CsMYC2; and CsJAZ1-3 did not interact with CsMYC2. In the presence of JA, CsJAZ1-3 interacted with CsJAZ1-1 and CsJAZ1-2 to form heterodimers that stabilized the CsJAZ1-1-CsMYC2 and CsJAZ1-2-CsMYC2 complexes, thereby repressing the transcription of four genes that act late in the flavan-3-ol biosynthetic pathway. These data indicate that the alternative splicing variants of CsJAZ1 coordinately regulate flavan-3-ol biosynthesis in the tea plant and improve our understanding of JA-mediated flavan-3-ol biosynthesis.

Insights into acylation mechanisms: co-expression of serine carboxypeptidase-like acyltransferases and their non-catalytic companion paralogs.

Serine carboxypeptidase-like acyltransferases (SCPL-ATs) play a vital role in the diversification of plant metabolites. Galloylated flavan-3-ols highly accumulate in tea (Camellia sinensis), grape (Vitis vinifera), and persimmon (Diospyros kaki). To date, the biosynthetic mechanism of these compounds remains unknown. Herein, we report that two SCPL-AT paralogs are involved in galloylation of flavan-3-ols: CsSCPL4, which contains the conserved catalytic triad S-D-H, and CsSCPL5, which has the alternative triad T-D-Y. Integrated data from transgenic plants, recombinant enzymes, and gene mutations showed that CsSCPL4 is a catalytic acyltransferase, while CsSCPL5 is a non-catalytic companion paralog (NCCP). Co-expression of CsSCPL4 and CsSCPL5 is likely responsible for the galloylation. Furthermore, pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that CsSCPL4 and CsSCPL5 interact, increasing protein stability and promoting post-translational processing. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses revealed that their homologs co-exist in galloylated flavan-3-ol- or hydrolyzable tannin-rich plant species. Enzymatic assays further revealed the necessity of co-expression of those homologs for acyltransferase activity. Evolution analysis revealed that the mutations of the CsSCPL5 catalytic residues may have taken place about 10 million years ago. These findings show that the co-expression of SCPL-ATs and their NCCPs contributes to the acylation of flavan-3-ols in the plant kingdom.

Metabolic engineering of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway in Artemisia annua and relation to the expression of the artemisinin biosynthetic pathway.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Four types of cells were engineered from Artemisia annua to produce approximately 17 anthocyanins, four of which were elucidated structurally. All of them expressed the artemisinin pathway. Artemisia annua is the only medicinal crop to produce artemisinin for the treatment of malignant malaria. Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of people still lose their life every year due to the lack of sufficient artemisinin. Artemisinin is considered to result from the spontaneous autoxidation of dihydroartemisinic acid in the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in an oxidative condition of glandular trichomes (GTs); however, whether increasing antioxidative compounds can inhibit artemisinin biosynthesis in plant cells is unknown. Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants that can remove ROS in plant cells. To date, no anthocyanins have been structurally elucidated from A. annua. In this study, we had two goals: (1) to engineer anthocyanins in A. annua cells and (2) to understand the artemisinin biosynthesis in anthocyanin-producing cells. Arabidopsis Production of Anthocyanin Pigment 1 was used to engineer four types of transgenic anthocyanin-producing A. annua (TAPA1-4) cells. Three wild-type cell types were developed as controls. TAPA1 cells produced the highest contents of total anthocyanins. LC-MS analysis detected 17 anthocyanin or anthocyanidin compounds. Crystallization, LC/MS/MS, and NMR analyses identified cyanidin, pelargonidin, one cyanin, and one pelargonin. An integrative analysis characterized that four types of TAPA cells expressed the artemisinin pathway and TAPA1 cells produced the highest artemisinin and artemisinic acid. The contents of arteannuin B were similar in seven cell types. These data showed that the engineering of anthocyanins does not eliminate the biosynthesis of artemisinin in cells. These data allow us to propose a new hypothesis that enzymes catalyze the formation of artemisinin from dihydroartemisinic acid in non-GT cells. These findings show a new platform to increase artemisinin production via non-GT cells of A. annua.

Molecular understanding of anthocyanin biosynthesis activated by PAP1 and regulated by 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in engineered red Artemisia annua cells.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Eight promoters were cloned, from which AC and G-box cis-elements were identified. PAP1 enhanced the promoter activity. 2,4-D reduced the anthocyanin biosynthesis via downregulating the expression of the PAP1 transgene. Artemisia annua is an effective antimalarial medicinal crop. We have established anthocyanin-producing red cell cultures from this plant with the overexpression of Production of Anthocyanin Pigment 1 (PAP1) encoding a R2R3MYB transcription factor. To understand the molecular mechanism by which PAP1 activated the entire anthocyanin pathway, we mined the genomic sequences of A. annua and obtained eight promoters of the anthocyanin pathway genes. Sequence analysis identified four types of AC cis-elements from six promoters, the MYB response elements (MRE) bound by PAP1. In addition, six promoters were determined to have at least one G-box cis-element. Eight promoters were cloned for activity analysis. Dual luciferase assays showed that PAP1 significantly enhanced the promoting activity of seven promoters, indicating that PAP1 turned on the biosynthesis of anthocyanins via the activation of these pathway gene expression. To understand how 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), an auxin, regulates the PAP1-activated anthocyanin biosynthesis, five different concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.5, 2.5, and 5 µM) were tested to characterize anthocyanin production and profiles. The resulting data showed that the concentrations tested decreased the fresh weight of callus growth, anthocyanin levels, and the production of anthocyanins per Petri dish. HPLC-qTOF-MS/MS-based profiling showed that these concentrations did not alter anthocyanin profiles. Real-time RT-PCR was completed to characterize the expression PAP1 and four representative pathway genes. The results showed that the five concentrations reduced the expression levels of the constitutive PAP1 transgene and three pathway genes significantly and eliminated the expression of the chalcone synthase gene either significantly or slightly. These data indicate that the constitutive PAP1 expression depends on gradients added in the medium. Based on these findings, the regulation of 2,4-D is discussed for anthocyanin engineering in red cells of A. annua.

TAA1-mediated auxin biosynthesis is essential for hormone crosstalk and plant development.

Plants have evolved a tremendous ability to respond to environmental changes by adapting their growth and development. The interaction between hormonal and developmental signals is a critical mechanism in the generation of this enormous plasticity. A good example is the response to the hormone ethylene that depends on tissue type, developmental stage, and environmental conditions. By characterizing the Arabidopsis wei8 mutant, we have found that a small family of genes mediates tissue-specific responses to ethylene. Biochemical studies revealed that WEI8 encodes a long-anticipated tryptophan aminotransferase, TAA1, in the essential, yet genetically uncharacterized, indole-3-pyruvic acid (IPA) branch of the auxin biosynthetic pathway. Analysis of TAA1 and its paralogues revealed a link between local auxin production, tissue-specific ethylene effects, and organ development. Thus, the IPA route of auxin production is key to generating robust auxin gradients in response to environmental and developmental cues.

Molecular and biochemical characterization of two 4-coumarate: CoA ligase genes in tea plant (Camellia sinensis).

KEY MESSAGE: Two 4-coumarate: CoA ligase genes in tea plant involved in phenylpropanoids biosynthesis and response to environmental stresses. Tea plant is rich in flavonoids benefiting human health. Lignin is essential for tea plant growth. Both flavonoids and lignin defend plants from stresses. The biosynthesis of lignin and flavonoids shares a key intermediate, 4-coumaroyl-CoA, which is formed from 4-coumaric acid catalyzed by 4-coumaric acid: CoA ligase (4CL). Herein, we report two 4CL paralogs from tea plant, Cs4CL1 and Cs4CL2, which are a member of class I and II of this gene family, respectively. Cs4CL1 was mainly expressed in roots and stems, while Cs4CL2 was mainly expressed in leaves. The promoter of Cs4CL1 had AC, nine types of light sensitive (LSE), four types of stress-inducible (SIE), and two types of meristem-specific elements (MSE). The promoter of Cs4CL2 also had AC and nine types of LSEs, but only had two types of SIEs and did not have MSEs. In addition, the LSEs varied in the two promoters. Based on the different features of regulatory elements, three stress treatments were tested to understand their expression responses to different conditions. The resulting data indicated that the expression of Cs4CL1 was sensitive to mechanical wounding, while the expression of Cs4CL2 was UV-B-inducible. Enzymatic assays showed that both recombinant Cs4CL1 and Cs4CL2 transformed 4-coumaric acid (CM), ferulic acid (FR), and caffeic acid (CF) to their corresponding CoA ethers. Kinetic analysis indicated that the recombinant Cs4CL1 preferred to catalyze CF, while the recombinant Cs4CL2 favored to catalyze CM. The overexpression of both Cs4CL1 and Cs4CL2 increased the levels of chlorogenic acid and total lignin in transgenic tobacco seedlings. In addition, the overexpression of Cs4CL2 consistently increased the levels of three flavonoid compounds. These findings indicate the differences of Cs4CL1 and Cs4CL2 in the phenylpropanoid metabolism.

Transcriptional and Metabolic Characterization of Feeding Ramie Growth Enhanced by a Combined Application of Gibberellin and Ethrel.

Feeding ramie cultivars (Boehmaria nivea L.) are an important feedstock for livestock. Increasing their biomass and improving their nutritional values are essential for animal feeding. Gibberellin (GA3) and ethylene (ETH) are two plant hormones that regulate the growth, development, and metabolism of plants. Herein, we report effects of the GA3 and ETH application on the growth and plant metabolism of feeding ramie in the field. A combination of GA3 and ETH was designed to spray new plants. The two hormones enhanced the growth of plants to produce more biomass. Meanwhile, the two hormones reduced the contents of lignin in leaves and stems, while increased the content of flavonoids in leaves. To understand the potential mechanisms behind these results, we used RNA-seq-based transcriptomics and UPLC-MS/MS-based metabolomics to characterize gene expression and metabolite profiles associated with the treatment of GA3 and ETH. 1562 and 2364 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained from leaves and stems (treated versus control), respectively. Meanwhile, 99 and 88 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were annotated from treated versus control leaves and treated versus control stems, respectively. Data mining revealed that both DEGs and DAMs were associated with multiple plant metabolisms, especially plant secondary metabolism. A specific focus on the plant phenylpropanoid pathway identified candidates of DEGs and DEMs that were associated with lignin and flavonoid biosynthesis. Shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) is a key enzyme that is involved in the lignin biosynthesis. The gene encoding B. nivea HCT was downregulated in the treated leaves and stems. In addition, genes encoding 4-coumaryl CoA ligase (4CL) and trans-cinnamate 4-monooxygenase (CYP73A), two lignin pathway enzymes, were downregulated in the treated stems. Meanwhile, the reduction in lignin in the treated leaves led to an increase in cinnamic acid and p-coumaryl CoA, two shared substrates of flavonoids that are enhanced in contents. Taken together, these findings indicated that an appropriate combination of GA3 and ETH is an effective strategy to enhance plant growth via altering gene expression and plant secondary metabolism for biomass-enhanced and value-improved feeding ramie.

Functional demonstration of plant flavonoid carbocations proposed to be involved in the biosynthesis of proanthocyanidins.

The plant flavonoid dogma proposes that labile plant flavonoid carbocations (PFCs) play vital roles in the biosynthesis of proanthocyanidins (PAs). However, whether PFCs exist in plants and how PFCs function remain unclear. Here, we report the use of an integrative strategy including enzymatic assays, mutant analysis, metabolic engineering, isotope labeling and metabolic profiling to capture PFCs and demonstrate their functions. In anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) assays, an (-)-epicatechin conjugate was captured in protic polar nucleophilic methanol alone or methanol-HCl extracts. Tandem mass spectrum (MS/MS) analysis characterized this compound as an (-)-epicatechin-4-O-methyl (EOM) ether, which resulted from (-)-epicatechin carbocation and the methyl group of methanol. Acid-based catalysis of procyanidin B2 and B3 produced four compounds, which were annotated as two EOM and two (+)-catechin-4-O-methyl (COM) ethers. Metabolic profiling of seven PA pathway mutants showed an absence or reduction of two EOM ether isomers in seeds. Camellia sinensis ANRa (CsANRa), leucoanthocyanidin reductase c (CsLARc), and CsMYB5b (a transcription factor) were independently overexpressed for successful PA engineering in tobacco. The EOM ether was remarkably increased in CsANRa and CsMYB5b transgenic flowers. Further metabolic profiling for eight green tea tissues revealed two EOM and two COM ethers associated with PA biosynthesis. Moreover, an incubation of (-)-epicatechin or (+)-catechin with epicatechin carbocation in CsANRa transgenic flower extracts formed dimeric procyanidin B1 or B2, demonstrating the role of flavan-3-ol carbocation in the formation of PAs. Taken together, these findings indicated that flavan-3-ol carbocations exist in extracts and are involved in the biosynthesis of PAs of plants.

Comparative transcriptomics of stem bark reveals genes associated with bast fiber development in Boehmeria nivea L. gaud (ramie).

BACKGROUND: Boehmeria nivea L. Gaud (Ramie) produces one of the longest natural fibers in nature. The bark of ramie mainly comprises of the phloem tissue of stem and is the raw material for fiber. Therefore, identifying the molecular regulation of phloem development is important for understanding of bast fiber biosynthesis and improvement of fiber quality in ramie. RESULTS: In this study, we collected top bud (TB), bark from internode elongating region (ER) and bark from internode fully elongated region (FER) from the ramie variety Zhongzhu No. 1. Histological study indicated that these samples contain phloem tissues at different developmental and maturation stages, with a higher degree of maturation of phloem tissue in FER. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed and de novo transcriptome was assembled. Unigenes and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in these three samples were identified. The analysis of DEGs by using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) revealed clear differences in gene expression between ER and FER. Some unigenes involved in secondary cell wall biosynthesis were up-regulated in both ER and FER, while unigenes for some cell wall components or cell wall modifications showed differential expression between ER and FER. In addition, the ethylene respond factors (ERFs) in the ethylene signaling pathway were up-regulated in FER, and ent-kaurenoic acid oxidase (KAO) and GA 20-oxidase (GA20ox) for gibberellins biosynthesis were up-regulated while GA 2-oxidase (GA2ox) for gibberellin inactivation was down-regulated in FER. CONCLUSIONS: Both morphological study and gene expression analysis supported a burst of phloem and vascular developmental processes during the fiber maturation in the ramie stem, and ethylene and gibberellin are likely to be involved in this process. Our findings provide novel insights into the phloem development and fiber maturation in ramie, which could be useful for fiber improvement in ramie and other fiber crops.

Discovery and characterization of tannase genes in plants: roles in hydrolysis of tannins.

Plant tannins, including condensed tannins (CTs) and hydrolyzable tannins (HTs), are widely distributed in the plant kingdom. To date, tannase (TA) - is a type of tannin acyl-hydrolase hydrolyzing HTs, CT monomer gallates and depsides - has been reported in microbes only. Whether plants express TA remains unknown. Herein, we report plant TA genes. A native Camellia sinensis TA (CsTA) is identified from leaves. Six TAs are cloned from tea, strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa, Fa) and four other crops. Biochemical analysis shows that the native CsTA and six recombinant TAs hydrolyze tannin compounds, depsides and phenolic glycosides. Transcriptional and metabolic analyses reveal that the expression of CsTA is oppositely associated with the accumulation of galloylated catechins. Moreover, the transient overexpression and RNA interference of FaTA are positively associated with the accumulation of ellagitannins in strawberry fruit. Phylogenetic analysis across different kingdoms shows that 29 plant TA homologs are clustered as a plant-specific TA clade in class I carboxylesterases. Further analysis across the angiosperms reveals that these TA genes are dispersed in tannin-rich plants, which share a single phylogenetic origin c. 120 million yr ago. Plant TA is discovered for the first time in the plant kingdom and is shown to be valuable to improve tannin compositions in plants.

Functional characterization of Terminal Flower1 homolog in Cornus canadensis by genetic transformation.

KEY MESSAGE: TFL1homologCorcanTFL1suppresses the initiation of inflorescence development and regulates the inflorescence morphology inCornus canadensis. In flowering plants, there is a wide range of variation of inflorescence morphology. Despite the ecological and evolutionary importance, efforts devoted to the evolutionary study of the genetic basis of inflorescence morphology are far fewer compared to those on flower development. Our previous study on gene expression patterns suggested a CorTFL1-CorAP1 based model for the evolution of determinate umbels, heads, and mini dichasia from elongated inflorescences in Cornus. Here, we tested the function of CorcanTFL1 in regulating inflorescence development in Cornus canadensis through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. We showed that transgenic plants overexpressing CorcanTFL1 displayed delayed or suppressed inflorescence initiation and development and extended periods of vegetative growth. Transgenic plants within which CorcanTFL1 had been down-regulated displayed earlier emergence of inflorescence and a reduction of bract and inflorescence sizes, conversions of leaves to bracts and axillary leaf buds to small inflorescences at the uppermost node bearing the inflorescence, or phyllotaxy changes of inflorescence branches and leaves from decussate opposite to spirally alternate. These observations support an important role of CorcanTFL1 in determining flowering time and the morphological destinies of leaves and buds at the node bearing the inflorescence. The evidence is in agreement with the predicted function of CorTFL1 from the gene expression model, supporting a key role of CorTFL1 in the evolutionary divergence of inflorescence forms in Cornus.

Overexpression of a type-I isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase of Artemisia annua in the cytosol leads to high arteannuin B production and artemisinin increase.

We recently characterized a gene-terpene network that is associated with artemisinin biosynthesis in self-pollinated (SP) Artemisia annua, an effective antimalarial plant. We hypothesize that an alteration of gene expression in the network may improve the production of artemisinin and its precursors. In this study, we cloned an isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase (IPPI) cDNA, AaIPPI1, from Artemisia annua (Aa). The full-length cDNA encodes a type-I IPPI containing a plastid transit peptide (PTP) at its amino terminus. After the removal of the PTP, the recombinant truncated AaIPPI1 isomerized isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) to dimethyl allyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) and vice versa. The steady-state equilibrium ratio of IPP/DMAPP in the enzymatic reactions was approximately 1:7. The truncated AaIPPI1 was overexpressed in the cytosol of the SP A. annua variety. The leaves of transgenic plants produced approximately 4% arteannuin B (g g-1 , dry weight, dw) and 0.17-0.25% artemisinin (g g-1 , dw), the levels of which were significantly higher than those in the leaves of wild-type plants. In addition, transgenic plants showed an increase in artemisinic acid production of more than 1% (g g-1 , dw). In contrast, isoprene formation was significantly reduced in transgenic plants. These results provide evidence that overexpression of AaIPPI1 in the cytosol can lead to metabolic alterations of terpenoid biosynthesis, and show that these transgenic plants have the potential to yield high production levels of arteannuin B as a new precursor source for artemisinin.

Cloning and characterization of a monoterpene synthase gene from flowers of Camelina sativa.

MAIN CONCLUSION: CsTPS1 encodes for a monoterpene synthase that contributes to the emission of a blend of volatile compounds emitted from flowers of Camelina sativa. The work describes the in vitro characterization of a monoterpene synthase and its regulatory region that we cloned from Camelina sativa (Camelina). Here, we named this gene as C. sativa terpene synthase 1 (CsTPS1). In vitro experiments performed with the CsTPS1 protein after expression and purification from Escherichia coli (E. coli) showed production of a blend of monoterpene volatile organic compounds, of which the emission was also detected in the floral bouquet of wild-type Camelina plants. Quantitative-PCR measurements revealed a high abundance of CsTPS1 transcripts in flowers and experiments performed with the GUS reporter showed high CsTPS1 expression in the pistil, in the cells of the wall of the ovary and in the stigma. Subcellular localization of the CsTPS1 protein was investigated with a GFP reporter construct that showed expression in plastids. The CsTPS1 gene identified in this study belongs to a mid-size family of 60 genes putatively codifying for TPS enzymes. This enlarged family of TPS genes suggests that Camelina has the structural framework for the production of terpenes and other secondary metabolites of relevance for the consumers.

Correction to: Cloning and characterization of a monoterpene synthase gene from flowers of Camelina sativa.

In the original publication, the order of figures and citations was incorrect. The corrections are listed below.

Molecular Cloning and Functional Characterization of a Dihydroflavonol 4-Reductase from Vitis bellula.

Vitis bellula is a new grape crop in southern China. Berries of this species are rich in antioxidative anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins. This study reports cloning and functional characterization of a cDNA encoding a V. bellula dihydroflavonol reductase (VbDFR) involved in the biosynthesis of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins. A cDNA including 1014 bp was cloned from young leaves and its open reading frame (ORF) was deduced encoding 337 amino acids, highly similar to V. vinifera DFR (VvDFR). Green florescence protein fusion and confocal microscopy analysis determined the cytosolic localization of VbDFR in plant cells. A soluble recombinant VbDFR was induced and purified from E. coli for enzyme assay. In the presence of NADPH, the recombinant enzyme catalyzed dihydrokaempferol (DHK) and dihydroquercetin (DHQ) to their corresponding leucoanthocyanidins. The VbDFR cDNA was introduced into tobacco plants via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The overexpression of VbDFR increased anthocyanin production in flowers. Anthocyanin hydrolysis and chromatographic analysis revealed that transgenic flowers produced pelargonidin and delphinidin, which were not detected in control flowers. These data demonstrated that the overexpression of VbDFR produced new tobacco anthocyanidins. In summary, all data demonstrate that VbDFR is a useful gene to provide three types of substrates for metabolic engineering of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins in grape crops and other crops.

Metabolic engineering of anthocyanins in dark tobacco varieties.

In this study, we investigate the metabolic engineering of anthocyanins in two dark tobacco crops (Narrow Leaf Madole and KY171) and evaluate the effects on physiological features of plant photosynthesis. Arabidopsis PAP1 (production of anthocyanin pigment 1) gene (AtPAP1) encodes a R2R3-type MYB transcript factor that is a master component of regulatory complexes controlling anthocyanin biosynthesis. AtPAP1 was introduced to Narrow Leaf Madole and KY171 plants. Multiple transgenic plants developed red/purple pigmentation in different tissues. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that the expression levels of six pathway genes were increased two- to eight-fold in AtPAP1 transgenic plants compared with vector control plants. Dihydroflavonol reductase and anthocyanidin synthase genes that were not expressed in wild-type plants were activated. Spectrophotometric measurement showed that the amount of anthocyanins in AtPAP1 transgenic plants were 400-800 µg g-1 fresh weight (FW). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed that one main anthocyanin molecule accounted for approximately 98% of the total anthocyanins. Tandem MS/MS analysis using HPLC coupled to electrospray ionization and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry identified the main anthocyanin as cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside, an important medicinal anthocyanin. Analysis of photosynthesis rate, chlorophylls and carotenoids contents showed no differences between red/purple transgenic and control plants, indicating that this metabolic engineering did not alter photosynthetic physiological traits. This study shows that AtPAP1 is of significance for metabolic engineering of anthocyanins in crop plants for value-added traits.

Metabolic Characterization of the Anthocyanidin Reductase Pathway Involved in the Biosynthesis of Flavan-3-ols in Elite Shuchazao Tea (Camellia sinensis) Cultivar in the Field.

Anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) is a key enzyme in the ANR biosynthetic pathway of flavan-3-ols and proanthocyanidins (PAs) in plants. Herein, we report characterization of the ANR pathway of flavan-3-ols in Shuchazao tea (Camellia sinesis), which is an elite and widely grown cultivar in China and is rich in flavan-3-ols providing with high nutritional value to human health. In our study, metabolic profiling was preformed to identify two conjugates and four aglycones of flavan-3-ols: (-)-epigallocatechin-gallate [(-)-EGCG], (-)-epicatechin-gallate [(-)-ECG], (-)-epigallocatechin [(-)-EGC], (-)-epicatechin [(-)-EC], (+)-catechin [(+)-Ca], and (+)-gallocatechin [(+)-GC], of which (-)-EGCG, (-)-ECG, (-)-EGC, and (-)-EC accounted for 70-85% of total flavan-3-ols in different tissues. Crude ANR enzyme was extracted from young leaves. Enzymatic assays showed that crude ANR extracts catalyzed cyanidin and delphinidin to (-)-EC and (-)-Ca and (-)-EGC and (-)-GC, respectively, in which (-)-EC and (-)-EGC were major products. Moreover, two ANR cDNAs were cloned from leaves, namely CssANRa and CssANRb. His-Tag fused recombinant CssANRa and CssANRb converted cyanidin and delphinidin to (-)-EC and (-)-Ca and (-)-EGC and (-)-GC, respectively. In addition, (+)-EC was observed from the catalysis of recombinant CssANRa and CssANRb. Further overexpression of the two genes in tobacco led to the formation of PAs in flowers and the reduction of anthocyanins. Taken together, these data indicate that the majority of leaf flavan-3-ols in Shuchazao's leaves were produced from the ANR pathway.

Tissue-specific production of limonene in Camelina sativa with the Arabidopsis promoters of genes BANYULS and FRUITFULL.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Arabidopsis promoters of genes BANYULS and FRUITFULL are transcribed in Camelina. They triggered the transcription of limonene synthase and induced higher limonene production in seeds and fruits than CaMV 35S promoter. Camelina sativa (Camelina) is an oilseed crop of relevance for the production of biofuels and the plant has been target of a recent and intense program of genetic manipulation aimed to increase performance, seed yield and to modify the fatty acid composition of the oil. Here, we have explored the performance of two Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) promoters in triggering transgene expression in Camelina. The promoters of two genes BANYULS (AtBAN pro ) and FRUITFULL (AtFUL pro ), which are expressed in seed coat and valves of Arabidopsis, respectively, have been chosen to induce the expression of limonene synthase (LS) from Citrus limon. In addition, the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter was utilized to overexpress LS in Camelina . The results of experiments revealed that AtBAN pro and AtFUL pro are actively transcribed in Camelina where they also retain specificity of expression in seeds and valves as previously observed in Arabidopsis. LS induced by AtBAN pro and AtFUL pro leads to higher limonene production in seeds and fruits than when the CaMV 35S was used to trigger the expression. In conclusion, the results of experiments indicate that AtBAN pro and AtFUL pro can be successfully utilized to induce the expression of the transgenes of interest in seeds and fruits of Camelina.

Overexpression of a synthetic insect-plant geranyl pyrophosphate synthase gene in Camelina sativa alters plant growth and terpene biosynthesis.

MAIN CONCLUSION: A novel plastidial homodimeric insect-plant geranyl pyrophosphate synthase gene is synthesized from three different cDNA origins. Its overexpression in Camelina sativa effectively alters plant development and terpenoid metabolism. Geranyl pyrophosphate synthase (GPPS) converts one isopentenyl pyrophosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate to GPP. Here, we report a synthetic insect-plant GPPS gene and effects of its overexpression on plant growth and terpenoid metabolism of Camelina sativa. We synthesized a 1353-bp cDNA, namely PTP-MpGPPS. This synthetic cDNA was composed of a 1086-bp cDNA fragment encoding a small GPPS isomer of the aphid Myzus persicae (Mp), 240-bp Arabidopsis thaliana cDNA fragment encoding a plastidial transit peptide (PTP), and a 27-bp short cDNA fragment encoding a human influenza hemagglutinin tag peptide. Structural modeling showed that the deduced protein was a homodimeric prenyltransferase. Confocal microscopy analysis demonstrated that the PTP-MpGPPS fused with green florescent protein was localized in the plastids. The synthetic PTP-MpGPPS cDNA driven by 2 × 35S promoters was introduced into Camelina (Camelina sativa) by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and its overexpression in transgenic plants were demonstrated by western blot. T2 and T3 progeny of transgenic plants developed larger leaves, grew more and longer internodes, and flowered earlier than wild-type plants. Metabolic analysis showed that the levels of beta-amyrin and campesterol were higher in tissues of transgenic plants than in those of wild-type plants. Fast isoprene sensor analysis demonstrated that transgenic Camelina plants emitted significantly less isoprene than wild-type plants. In addition, transcriptional analyses revealed that the expression levels of gibberellic acid and brassinosteroids-responsive genes were higher in transgenic plants than in wild-type plants. Taken together, these data demonstrated that this novel synthetic insect-plant GPPS cDNA was effective to improve growth traits and alter terpenoid metabolism of Camelina.