• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.174-180
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• 2021

Chalcones exhibit multiple biological activities. Various studies have attempted to modify the structure of chalcones with a special focus on the addition of substituents to the benzene rings. However, these chemical modifications did not improve the water solubility and bioavailability of chalcones. Glycosylation can markedly affect the physical and chemical properties of hydrophobic compounds. Here, we evaluated the ability of a highly promiscuous glycosyltransferase (GT) BsGT1 from Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 to biosynthesize chalcone glucosides. Purified BsGT1 catalyzed the conversion of 4'-hydroxychalcone (compound 1), 4'-hydroxy-4-methylchalcone (compound 2), and 4-hydroxy-4'-methoxychalcone (compound 3), into chalcone 4'-O-β-D-glucoside (compound 1a), 4-methylchalcone 4'-O-β-D-glucoside (compound 2a), and 4'-methoxychalcone 4-O-β-D-glucoside (compound 3a), respectively. To avoid the addition of expensive uridine diphosphate glucose (UDP-Glc), a whole-cell biotransformation system was employed to provide a natural intracellular environment for in situ co-factor regeneration. The yields of compounds 1a, 2a, and 3a were as high as 90.38%, 100% and 74.79%, respectively. The successful co-expression of BsGT1 with phosphoglucomutase (PGM) and UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase (GalU), which are involved in the biosynthetic pathway of UDP-Glc, further improved the conversion rates of chalcones (the yields of compounds 1a and 3a increased by approximately 10%). In conclusion, we demonstrated an effective whole-cell biocatalytic system for the enzymatic biosynthesis of chalcone β-D-glucoside derivatives.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.103-111
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• 2024

Background: Ginseng (Panax ginseng Mayer) is an important natural medicine. However, a long culture period and challenging quality control requirements limit its further use. Although artificial cultivation can yield a sustainable medicinal supply, research on the association between the transplantation and chaining of metabolic networks, especially the regulation of ginsenoside biosynthetic pathways, is limited. Methods: Herein, we performed Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry based metabolomic measurements to evaluate ginsenoside accumulation and categorise differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs). Transcriptome measurements using an Illumina Platform were then conducted to probe the landscape of genetic alterations in ginseng at various ages in transplantation mode. Using pathway data and crosstalk DAMs obtained by MapMan, we constructed a metabolic profile of transplantation Ginseng. Results: Accumulation of active ingredients was not obvious during the first 4 years (in the field), but following transplantation, the ginsenoside content increased significantly from 6-8 years (in the wild). Glycerolipid metabolism and Glycerophospholipid metabolism were the most significant metabolic pathways, as Lipids and lipid-like molecule affected the yield of ginsenosides. Starch and sucrose were the most active metabolic pathways during transplantation Ginseng growth. Conclusion: This study expands our understanding of metabolic network features and the accumulation of specific compounds during different growth stages of this perennial herbaceous plant when growing in transplantation mode. The findings provide a basis for selecting the optimal transplanting time.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.50
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• pp.70-75
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• 2023

In legumes, soyasaponins, one of triterpenoid saponins, are major components of secondary metabolites with a more diverse array of bioactive chemicals. Although the biosynthetic pathway of soyasaponins has been largely studied in soybean, the study on the soyasaponin contents and biosynthesis-related gene expression in pea (Pisum sativum L.) is poorly understood. Here, we found the accumulation of only soyasaponin Bb component in the sprouts of two Korean domestic pea cultivars (Dachung and Sachul). This pattern was consistent with our observation that increased expression of PsUGT73P2 and PsUGT91H4 genes, but not PsCYP72A69, could be responsible for biosynthesis of only soyasaponin Bb in pea by examining their gene expression. However, gradual accumulation of soyasaponin Bb at developmental stages was not consistent with the expression of PsUGT73P2 and PsUGT91H4, suggesting that the changes of their protein activities may affect the accumulation patterns of soyasaponin Bb. We also revealed that the increased expression levels of PsUGT73P2 and PsUGT91H4 during light to dark transition led to increase of soyasaponin Bb contents. Collectively, our results provided a molecular basis of metabolic engineering for enhancing useful soyasaponin Bb metabolites in Korean domestic pea cultivars.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 1998

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) catalyzes the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonic acid, the first intermediate of isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway in plants. The enzyme was solubilized with 0.4% Brij (polyoxyethylene ether) W-1 from a microsomal fraction of etiolated rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L.) in which its maximal activity was observed on the fourth day after germination. HMGR was purified to near homogeneity by employing $(NH_4)_2SO_4$ fractionation plus chromatographic procedures including DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and HMG-CoA-hexane-agarose affinity column. The size of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 55 kDa when judged by SDS-PAGE analysis with silver staining method. The apparent $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values for HMG-CoA were determined to be $180\;{\mu}M$ and 107 pmol/min/mg, and those for NADPH were $810\;{\mu}M$ and 32.1 pmol/min/mg, respectively.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.861-869
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• 2007

The enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR; EC1.1.1.34) catalyzes the first committed step of isoprenoids biosynthesis in MVA pathway. Here we report for the first time the cloning and characterization of a full-length cDNA encoding HMGR (designated as CgHMGR, GenBank accession number EF206343) from hazel (Corylus avellana L. Gasaway), a taxol-producing plant species. The full-length cDNA of CgHMGR was 2064 bp containing a 1704-bp ORF encoding 567 amino acids. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that the deduced CgHMGR had extensive homology with other plant HMGRs and contained two transmembrane domains and a catalytic domain. The predicted 3-D model of CgHMGR had a typical spatial structure of HMGRs. Southern blot analysis indicated that CgHMGR belonged to a small gene family. Expression analysis revealed that CgHMGR expressed high in roots, and low in leaves and stems, and the expression of CgHMGR could be up-regulated by methyl jasmonate (MeJA). The functional color assay in Escherichia coli showed that CgHMGR could accelerate the biosynthesis of $\beta$-carotene, indicating that CgHMGR encoded a functional protein. The cloning, characterization and functional analysis of CgHMGR gene will enable us to further understand the role of CgHMGR involved in taxol biosynthetic pathway in C. avellana at molecular level.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.868-873
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• 2004

The efficient fermentative production of L-threonine fermentation was achieved by using Escherichia coli MT201, transformed a plasmid carrying pyruvate carboxylase gene. It is an attempt to supply oxaloacetate to the L-threonine biosynthetic pathway. In order to improve the L-threonine productivity of E. coli MT201, a plasmid pPYC which is an expression vector of the pyruvate carboxylase gene of Coryne-bacterium glutamicum, was introduced. When E. coli MT/pPYC was incubated with medium containing only glucose as a carbon source, both the cell growth and L-threonine production were reduced, compared to the results from fermentation of E. coli MT201. In order to circumvent this effect, we attempted the addition of a mixed carbon source, composed of glucose and sodium citrate at a ratio of 1.5:3.5. It was shown that L-threonine production and cell growth (OD660) with E. coli MT/pPYC reached up to 75.7 g/l and 48, respectively, at incubation for 75 hr under fed-batch fermentation conditions. It is assumed that overproduction of L-threonine by anaplerotic pathway leads unbalance of TCA cycle and sodium citrate might playa role to recover normal TCA cycle.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2006

Flavanone 3$\beta$-hydroxylase (FHT) is an enzyme acting in the central part of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. FHT catalyses the hydroxylation of flavanone to dihydroflavonols in the anthocyanin pathway. In this paper we describe the cloning and expression of the genes encoding the flavonoid-biosynthetic enzyme FHT in Gypsophila paniculata L. A heterologous cDHA probe from Dianthus cavophyllus was used to isolate FHT-encoding cDHA clones from Gypsophila paniculata L.. Inspection of the 1471 bp long sequence revealed an open reading frame 1047 bp, including a 190 bp 5' leader region and 288 bp 3' untranslated region. Comparison of the coding region of this FHT cDHA sequence including the sequences of Arabidopsis thaliana, Citrus sinensis, Dianthus caryophyllus, Ipomoea batatas, Matthiola incana, Nierembergia sp, Petunia hybrida, Solanum tuberosum, Vitis vinifera reveals a identity higher than 69% at the nucleotide level. The function of this nucleotide sequences were verified by comparison with amino acid sequences of the amino-terminus and tryptic peptides from purified plant enzyme, by northern blotting with mRHA from wild type and mutant plants, by in vitro expression yielding and enzymatically active hydroxylase, as indicated by the small dihydrokaempferol peak. Genomic southern blot analysis showed the presence of only one gene for FHT in Gypsophila paniculata.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.30-50
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• 2023

Objectives : To investigate the active compounds and therapeutic mechanisms of Atractylodes Lancea(Thunb.) D.C. and Magnolia Officinalis Rehder et Wilson in the treatment of dermatitis accompanied by pruritus, as well as their potential to complement or replace standard drugs. Methods : We conducted the network pharmacological analysis. We selected effective ingredients among the active compounds of research target herbs. Then we explore pathway/terms of the common target proteins among research target herbs, fexofenadine and disease. Results : We selected 9 active compounds are selected from Atractylodes lancea and identified 231 target proteins. Among them, 74 proteins are associated with inflammatory skin diseases that cause pruritus. These proteins are involved in various pathways including, 'Nitric-oxide synthase regulator activity', 'Hydroperoxy icosatetraenoate dehydratase activity, Aromatase activity', 'RNA-directed DNA polymerase activity', 'Arachidonic acid metabolism', 'Peptide hormone processing', 'Chemokine binding' and 'Sterol biosynthetic process'. Additionally, coregenes are involved in 'IL-17 signaling pathway'. Similarly, we selected 2 active compounds from Magnolia officinalis and identified 133 target proteins. Among them, 33 proteins are related to inflammatory skin diseases that cause pruritus. These proteins are primarily involved in 'Vascular associated smooth muscle cell proliferation' and 'Arachidonic acid metabolism'. There is no significant difference between the pathways in which coregenes are involved. Conclusions : It is expected that Atractylodes Lancea will be able to show direct or indirect anti-pruritus and anti-inflammatory effects on skin inflammation accompanied pruritus through suppressing inflammation and protecting skin barrier. Meanwhile, it is expected that Magnolia Officinalis will only be able to show indirect anti-inflammation effects. Therefore, Atractylodes Lancea and fexofenadine are believed to complement each other, whereas Magnolia Officialinalis is expected to provide supplementary support on skin disease.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.715-722
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• 2007

A new full-length cDNA encoding hyoscyamine $6\beta$-hydroxylase (designated as aah6h, GenBank Accession No. EF187826), which catalyzes the last committed step in the scopolamine biosynthetic pathway, was isolated from young roots of Anisodus acutangulus by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) for the first time. The full-length cDNA of aah6h was 1380 bp and contained a 1035 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a deduced protein of 344 amino acid residues. The deduced protein had an isoelectric point (pI) of 5.09 and a calculated molecular mass of about 38.7 kDa. Sequence analyses showed that AaH6H had high homology with other H6Hs isolated from some scopolamine-producing plants such as Hyoscyamus niger, Datura metel and Atropa belladonna etc. Bioinformatics analyses results indicated AaH6H belongs to 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase superfamily. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that AaH6H had closest relationship with H6H from A. tanguticus. Southern hybridization analysis of the genomic DNA revealed that aah6h belonged to a multi-copy gene family. Tissue expression pattern analysis firstly founded that aah6h expressed in all the tested tissues including roots, stems and leaves and indicated that aah6h was a constitutive-expression gene, which was the first reported tissue-independent h6h gene compared to other known h6h genes.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.53-56
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• 2000

Two-stage fed-batch culture was peformed to improve the volumetric productivity of erythritol. In the growth phase dissolved oxygen was maintained to 20% and the feed medium was automatically supplied to the fermenter by pH-stat mode. The cell yield was 0.76 g-cell/g-glucose. In two-stage fed-batch culture, 41% of total erythritol conversion yield with 187 g/L of erythritol concentration and 2.79 g/L-h of maximum erythritol Productivity were obtained when 400 g/L of glucose was directly added in the form of non-sterile powder at production phase. The erythritol productivity increased in parallel with cell mass. The metabolic shift in the biosynthetic pathway of erythritol was caused by dissolved oxygen concentration. The production of gluconic acid was observed when the dissolved oxygen in the medium was maintained over 40% during the production phase, whereas the dissolved oxygen concentration lower than 40% caused the production of citric acid. But the butyric acid was produced independently with dissolved oxygen concentration in the medium. The production of organic acids such as gluconic acid, citric acid, and butyric acid was decreased by addition of mineral salts.