Cloning and characterization of cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase type from Maytenus ilicifolia and their effect on increasing the production of quinonamethide triterpenes by heterologous expression in Saccharomyces ceravisiae

• Grant number: 15/25175-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Maysa Furlan
• Grantee: Keylla Utherdyany Bicalho
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07600-3 - CIBFar - Center for Innovation in Biodiversity and Drug Discovery, AP.CEPID
• Associated scholarship(s): 17/10911-1 - Combinatorial biosynthesis of triterpenes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Nicotiana benthamiana systems using P450 enzymes on friedelin substrate, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Among the secondary metabolites produced by higher plants, the terpenoids attract special attention based on its important biological potential. The quinonemethide triterpenes are considered a special class of secondary metabolites mainly related to biological, structural and biosynthetic point of views. Chemical studies of Celastraceae species demonstrated that such class of metabolites shows accumulation in the root bark of seedelings in low concentration. The quinonemethides are considered chemical markers of Celastraceae species and show a wide range of biological activities, including antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimalarial. Biosynthetic studies performed by our research group have demonstrated the role of friedelin as a quinonemethide triterpene's precursor, the compartimentalization of the pathways involved and the identification and characterization of cyclases (friedelin synthase) and oxidoreductases (citocrome P450 (CPRs)). These are the key enzymes on the oxidosqualene cyclization steps to friedelin and oxidation of friedelin to quinonemethide triterpenes. These results supported later studies of metabolic engeneering aiming to increase the friedelin production. To achieve that, the friedelin synthase genes (cyclase) extracted from Maytenus ilicifolia species were cloned, identified and expressed in a heterologous system, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. After complementary site-directed mutations studies, the production of friedelin in S. cerevisiae was a succes. In order to improve the metabolic engineering studies to increase the quinonemethide triterpenes production, this project aims to clone and characterize genes of oxidoreductase enzymes from the cytochrome P450 type (CPR) followed by its expression in a genetically modified heterologous system (S. cerevisiae).

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BICALHO, KEYLLA U.; SANTONI, MARIANA M.; ARENDT, PHILIPP; ZANELLI, CLESLEI F.; FURLAN, MAYSA; GOOSSENS, ALAIN; POLLIER, JACOB. CYP712K4 Catalyzes the C-29 Oxidation of Friedelin in the Maytenus ilicifolia Quinone Methide Triterpenoid Biosynthesis Pathway. Plant and Cell Physiology, v. 60, n. 11, p. 2510-2522, NOV 2019. (14/50926-0, 13/07600-3, 15/25175-3, 17/10911-1, 16/16970-7)