Equisetumpyrone detection and characterization of H3H-like enzymes in plants

• Grant number: 19/26503-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2020
• End date: February 28, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Radiology and Photobiology
• Principal Investigator: Cassius Vinicius Stevani
• Grantee: Pedro de Mattos Lopes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/22501-2 - Electronic chemiexcitation in biological systems: bioluminescence and photochemistry in the dark, AP.TEM

Abstract

The caffeic acid cycle (CAC) is the metabolic pathway that promotes the biosynthesis and recycling of the fungal luciferin, 3-hydroxyhispidin, which is the luciferase substrate resulting in light emission. Fungal luciferin is produced from the hydroxylation of hispidin in a reaction catalyzed by hispidin-3-hydroxylase (H3H). In reproductive structures of certain plants is produced the glycosylated form of fungal luciferin, equisetumpyrone. Preliminary data from our research group reveal that mixing this molecule with a fungal extract containing CAC enzymes results in light emission. Since the biosynthesis of equisetumpyrone involves the hydroxylation of hispidin, it is assumed that plants have H3Hlike enzymes. Hence, this work aims to identify plants containing equisetumpyrone and H3H-like enzymes, mainly in Asteraceae and ferns.