A regio-specific 4'-O-methyltransferase from Epimedium pseudowushanense regiospecifically catalyzing 8-prenylkeampferol to icaritin.

Epimedium is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and contains rich bioactive compounds. These compounds often have a methyl group at their 4'-OH position catalyzed by methyltransferases. Therefore, studying methyltransferases in Epimedium plants is of great significance. In this study, a flavonol methyltransferase, EpOMT4, was isolated from Epimedium pseudowushanense B.L. Guo. The recombinant enzyme regiospecifically transferred a methyl group to the 4'-OH position of 8-prenylkaempferol forming icaritin. The study demonstrates that enzymatic methylation of flavonoids in Epimedium plants holds significant potential and could provide a promising alternative method for the biosynthetic production of bioactive methylated prenylflavonoids.

Characterization and Engineering of Two Highly Paralogous Sesquiterpene Synthases Reveal a Regioselective Reprotonation Switch.

Sesquiterpene synthases (STPSs) catalyze carbocation-driven cyclization reactions that can generate structurally diverse hydrocarbons. The deprotonation-reprotonation process is widely used in STPSs to promote structural diversity, largely attributable to the distinct regio/stereoselective reprotonations. However, the molecular basis for reprotonation regioselectivity remains largely understudied. Herein, we analyzed two highly paralogous STPSs, Artabotrys hexapetalus (-)-cyperene synthase (AhCS) and ishwarane synthase (AhIS), which catalyze reactions that are distinct from the regioselective protonation of germacrene A (GA), resulting in distinct skeletons of 5/5/6 tricyclic (-)-cyperene and 6/6/5/3 tetracyclic ishwarane, respectively. Isotopic labeling experiments demonstrated that these protonations occur at C3 and C6 of GA in AhCS and AhIS, respectively. The cryo-electron microscopy-derived AhCS complex structure provided the structural basis for identifying different key active site residues that may govern their functional disparity. The structure-guided mutagenesis of these residues resulted in successful functional interconversion between AhCS and AhIS, thus targeting the three active site residues [L311-S419-C458]/[M311-V419-A458] that may act as a C3/C6 reprotonation switch for GA. These findings facilitate the rational design or directed evolution of STPSs with structurally diverse skeletons.

Enzymatic synthesis of anhydroicaritin, baohuoside and icariin.

Anhydroicaritin (1a), baohuoside (1b) and icariin (1c) were recognized as major pharmacologically active ingredients of Epimedium plants. Their primary means of acquisition were chemical isolation from plants. However, it suffers from low yield, environmental pollution and shortage of plants. Herein, to remedy these problems, biosynthesis was explored to obtain the three active ingredients. Fortunately, with SfFPT as 8-prenyltransferase, EpPF3RT and Ep7GT as glycosyltransferases, kaempferide (1) was transferred to 1a, 1b and 1c enzymatically. Thus, we report the details of this method. This approach represents a promising environmental friendly alternative for the production of these compounds from an abundant analogue.

Improvement of human platelet aggregation post-splenectomy with paraesophagogastric devascularization in chronic hepatitis B patients with cirrhotic hypersplenism.

Thrombocytopenia is a common hematological abnormality in patients with cirrhotic hypersplenism. Splenectomy with paraesophagogastric devascularization (SPD) is a conventional surgical therapy which can reverse pancytopenia in these patients. Platelets are traditionally recognized for their central role in hemostasis. However, the status of platelet aggregation in chronic hepatitis B patients with cirrhotic hypersplenism before and after SPD has not been reported yet. A total of 41 cirrhotic patients and 31 healthy controls were included in this study. Platelet aggregation was detected by AggRAM® Advanced Modular System (Helena Laboratories, USA). ELISA was used to detect the cytokines closely related to platelet aggregation. Expressions of platelet membrane glycoproteins (GPs) were evaluated by flow cytometric analysis. Platelet aggregation was found to be decreased distinctly in the cirrhotic patients, and to be restored to normal level after SPD. The cirrhotic patients showed higher plasma levels of the cytokines HMGB1, PEDF, vWF, cAMP and cGMP, which also improved partially after SPD. Moreover, the cirrhotic patients had much lower expression of GPIIb/IIIa, GPIbα and P-selectin than either the healthy controls or SPD patients at basal or activated level. Generally, SPD benefits cirrhotic patients with bleeding tendencies by improving platelet counts and aggregation. GPIIb/IIIa may be the key membrane protein responsible for the change in platelet aggregation before and after SPD.

Molecular insights into the enzyme promiscuity of an aromatic prenyltransferase.

Aromatic prenyltransferases (aPTases) transfer prenyl moieties from isoprenoid donors to various aromatic acceptors, some of which have the rare property of extreme enzymatic promiscuity toward both a variety of prenyl donors and a large diversity of acceptors. In this study, we discovered a new aPTase, AtaPT, from Aspergillus terreus that exhibits unprecedented promiscuity toward diverse aromatic acceptors and prenyl donors and also yields products with a range of prenylation patterns. Systematic crystallographic studies revealed various discrete conformations for ligand binding with donor-dependent acceptor specificity and multiple binding sites within a spacious hydrophobic substrate-binding pocket. Further structure-guided mutagenesis of active sites at the substrate-binding pocket is responsible for altering the specificity and promiscuity toward substrates and the diversity of product prenylations. Our study reveals the molecular mechanism underlying the promiscuity of AtaPT and suggests an efficient protein engineering strategy to generate new prenylated derivatives in drug discovery applications.

Ep7GT, a glycosyltransferase with sugar donor flexibility from Epimedium pseudowushanense, catalyzes the 7-O-glycosylation of baohuoside.

Icariin (1a), a 7-O-glycosylated flavonoid glycoside, is recognized as the major pharmacologically active ingredient of Epimedium plants, which have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. However, no glycosyltransferase (GT) responsible for the 7-O-glycosylation of flavonoids has been identified from Epimedium plants to date. Herein, a GT, Ep7GT, was identified from E. pseudowushanense B. L. Guo, which can regiospecifically transfer a glucose moiety to baohuoside (1) at 7-OH to form icariin (1a). Ep7GT showed a rare broad donor substrate spectrum, including UDP-glucose, UDP-xylose, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, UDP-rhamnose, UDP-galactose, UDP-glucuronic acid and TDP-glucose. Moreover, two new derivatives of icariin (1a), 7-O-ß-d-[2-(acetylamino)-2-deoxy-glucopyranosyl]-baohuoside (1b) and 7-O-ß-d-xylosyl-baohuoside (1c), were biosynthesized by using Ep7GT in vitro. Engineered Escherichia coli harbouring Ep7GT was constructed, and 10.1 µg mL-1 icariin (1a) was yielded by whole-cell biotransformation with baohuoside (1) as the substrate. The present work not only characterizes the GT responsible for the 7-O-glycosylation in the biosynthesis of icariin in Epimedium plants, but also indicates the significant potential of an enzymatic approach for the production of glycosylated baohuoside derivatives with different sugar moieties. What's more, these findings also provide a promising alternative for producing natural/unnatural bioactive flavonoid glycosides by metabolic engineering.

A regiospecific rhamnosyltransferase from Epimedium pseudowushanense catalyzes the 3-O-rhamnosylation of prenylflavonols.

Epimedium is used in traditional Chinese medicine and contains flavonol glycosides that exhibit multiple biological activities. These bioactive flavonol glycosides usually have a rhamnose moiety at the 3-OH position of prenylflavonols, such as icariin (9), baohuoside I (1a) and baohuoside II (2a). However, to date, no rhamnosyltransferase has been reported to catalyze the 3-O-rhamnosylation of prenylflavonols. In this article, a flavonol rhamnosyltransferase, EpPF3RT, was identified from E. pseudowushanense B. L. Guo. The recombinant enzyme regiospecifically transfers a rhamnose moiety to 8-prenylkaempferol (1) and anhydroicaritin (2) at the 3-OH position to form baohuoside II (1a) and baohuoside I (2a) in vitro. In addition, a UDP-rhamnose synthase gene, EpRhS, from E. pseudowushanense was functionally characterized and used to produce the UDP-rhamnose sugar donor. Furthermore, an engineered Escherichia coli strain containing EpPF3RT and EpRhS was established to produce baohuoside II (1a) from whole cells. These studies indicate the significant potential of an enzymatic approach for the rhamnosylation of bioactive flavonoids in Epimedium plants and will provide a promising alternative for producing bioactive rhamnosylated flavonoids combined with other genes/enzymes by synthetic biology.

Neural anti-inflammatory sesquiterpenoids from the endophytic fungus Trichoderma sp. Xy24.

Three new sesquiterpenoids trichoacorenols B-C and cyclonerodiol B (1-3), along with three known ones (4-6), were isolated from the mangrove plant endophytic fungus Trichoderma sp. Xy24 using various column chromatography techniques. The structures of these compounds were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analyses. Compounds 1, 2, 4, and 5 were four acorane sesquiterpenes, 3 and 6 were two monocyclic sesquiterpenediols. Compounds 3 and 5 exhibited significant neural anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting LPS-induced NO production in BV2 cells with the inhibitory rates of 75.0% and 39.2% at 0.1 µM, respectively, which are more potent than curcumin, a positive control with the inhibitory rate of 21.1% at 0.1 µM.

Flavonoids from the cultured cells of Glycyrrhiza uralensis.

Two new flavonoids (1 and 2), along with 14 known ones (3-16), were isolated from the cultured cells of Glycyrrhiza uralensis. Most of them were prenylated flavonoids. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis. All compounds showed non-cytotoxicity against five human tumor cell lines. The results suggest that plant cultured cells can yield the secondary metabolites that have not been found in parent plant.

Two Furanharzianones with 4/7/5/6/5 Ring System from Microbial Transformation of Harzianone.

Furanharzianones A and B (2 and 3), two new harziane-type diterpenoids with a tetrahydrofuran and unusual 4/7/5/6/5 ring system, were obtained from the microbial transformation of harzianone (1) by a bacterial strain Bacillus sp. IMM-006. The structures, including the stereochemistry, of the two new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configuration of 2 was unambiguously determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In addition, a plausible bioconversion pathway was proposed.