A structural basis for the biosynthesis of the major chlorogenic acids found in coffee.

Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) are a group of phenolic secondary metabolites produced by certain plant species and an important component of coffee (Coffea spp.). The CGAs have been implicated in biotic and abiotic stress responses, while the related shikimate esters are key intermediates for lignin biosynthesis. Here, two hydroxycinnamoyl-coenzyme A shikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyl transferases (HCT/HQT) from coffee were biochemically characterized. We show, to our knowledge for the first time, that in vitro, HCT is capable of synthesizing the 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid diester, a major constituent of the immature coffee grain. In order to further understand the substrate specificity and catalytic mechanism of the HCT/HQT, we performed structural and mutagenesis studies of HCT. The three-dimensional structure of a native HCT and a proteolytically stable lysine mutant enabled the identification of important residues involved in substrate specificity and catalysis. Site-directed mutagenesis confirmed the role of residues leucine-400 and phenylalanine-402 in substrate specificity and of histidine-153 and the valine-31 to proline-37 loop in catalysis. In addition, the histidine-154-asparagine mutant was observed to produce 4-fold more dichlorogenic acids compared with the native protein. These data provide, to our knowledge, the first structural characterization of a HCT and, in conjunction with the biochemical and mutagenesis studies presented here, delineate the underlying molecular-level determinants for substrate specificity and catalysis. This work has potential applications in fine-tuning the levels of shikimate and quinate esters (CGAs including dichlorogenic acids) in different plant species in order to generate reduced or elevated levels of the desired target compounds.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of a hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA shikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HCT) from Coffea canephora involved in chlorogenic acid biosynthesis.

Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) are a group of soluble phenolic compounds that are produced by a variety of plants, including Coffea canephora (robusta coffee). The last step in CGA biosynthesis is generally catalysed by a specific hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA quinate hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HQT), but it can also be catalysed by the more widely distributed hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA shikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HCT). Here, the cloning and overexpression of HCT from C. canephora in Escherichia coli as well as its purification and crystallization are presented. Crystals were obtained by the sitting-drop technique at 293 K and X-ray diffraction data were collected on the microfocus beamline ID23-2 at the ESRF. The HCT crystals diffracted to better than 3.0 Šresolution, belonged to space group P4(2)2(1)2 with unit-cell parameters a = b = 116.1, c = 158.9 Šand contained two molecules in the asymmetric unit. The structure was solved by molecular replacement and is currently under refinement. Such structural data are needed to decipher the molecular basis of the substrate specifities of this key enzyme, which belongs to the large plant acyl-CoA-dependent BAHD acyltransferase superfamily.