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A cellulose synthase-derived enzyme catalyses 3-O-glucuronosylation in saponin biosynthesis

Author

Listed:
  • Soo Yeon Chung

    (Osaka University)

  • Hikaru Seki

    (Osaka University
    RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science)

  • Yukiko Fujisawa

    (Institute of Crop Science, NARO)

  • Yoshikazu Shimoda

    (Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, NARO)

  • Susumu Hiraga

    (Institute of Crop Science, NARO)

  • Yuhta Nomura

    (Osaka University
    RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science)

  • Kazuki Saito

    (RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science
    Chiba University)

  • Masao Ishimoto

    (Institute of Crop Science, NARO)

  • Toshiya Muranaka

    (Osaka University
    RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science)

Abstract

Triterpenoid saponins are specialised metabolites distributed widely in the plant kingdom that consist of one or more sugar moieties attached to triterpenoid aglycones. Despite the widely accepted view that glycosylation is catalysed by UDP-dependent glycosyltransferase (UGT), the UGT which catalyses the transfer of the conserved glucuronic acid moiety at the C-3 position of glycyrrhizin and various soyasaponins has not been determined. Here, we report that a cellulose synthase superfamily-derived glycosyltransferase (CSyGT) catalyses 3-O-glucuronosylation of triterpenoid aglycones. Gene co-expression analyses of three legume species (Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Glycine max, and Lotus japonicus) reveal the involvement of CSyGTs in saponin biosynthesis, and we characterise CSyGTs in vivo using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. CSyGT mutants of L. japonicus do not accumulate soyasaponin, but the ectopic expression of endoplasmic reticulum membrane–localised CSyGTs in a L. japonicus mutant background successfully complement soyasaponin biosynthesis. Finally, we produced glycyrrhizin de novo in yeast, paving the way for sustainable production of high-value saponins.

Suggested Citation

  • Soo Yeon Chung & Hikaru Seki & Yukiko Fujisawa & Yoshikazu Shimoda & Susumu Hiraga & Yuhta Nomura & Kazuki Saito & Masao Ishimoto & Toshiya Muranaka, 2020. "A cellulose synthase-derived enzyme catalyses 3-O-glucuronosylation in saponin biosynthesis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-19399-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19399-0
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiaoyue Chen & Graham A. Hudson & Charlotte Mineo & Bashar Amer & Edward E. K. Baidoo & Samantha A. Crowe & Yuzhong Liu & Jay D. Keasling & Henrik V. Scheller, 2023. "Deciphering triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis by leveraging transcriptome response to methyl jasmonate elicitation in Saponaria vaccaria," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Wei Sun & Qinggang Yin & Huihua Wan & Ranran Gao & Chao Xiong & Chong Xie & Xiangxiao Meng & Yaolei Mi & Xiaotong Wang & Caixia Wang & Weiqiang Chen & Ziyan Xie & Zheyong Xue & Hui Yao & Peng Sun & Xu, 2023. "Characterization of the horse chestnut genome reveals the evolution of aescin and aesculin biosynthesis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Yu Wang & He Zhang & Hyok Chol Ri & Zeyu An & Xin Wang & Jia-Nan Zhou & Dongran Zheng & Hao Wu & Pengchao Wang & Jianfei Yang & Ding-Kun Liu & Diyang Zhang & Wen-Chieh Tsai & Zheyong Xue & Zhichao Xu , 2022. "Deletion and tandem duplications of biosynthetic genes drive the diversity of triterpenoids in Aralia elata," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.

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