A cycloartenol synthase from the steroidal saponin biosynthesis pathway of <i>Paris polyphylla</i>
Siyuan Guo, Yan Yin, Lei Tao, Yinghui Shi, Wei Gao, Xianan Zhang, Jia Li
Abstract
Steroidal saponins named polyphyllin are the major active components of Paris polyphylla. Cycloartenol synthase (CAS) is a key enzyme that catalyzes the formation of the sterol scaffold. In this study, we cloned a putative CAS gene from Paris polyphylla. Heterologous expression in yeast indicated that PpCAS can convert 2,3-oxidosqualene into cycloartenol. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of PpCAS was highest in leaves and lowest in roots. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of the functional characterization of cycloartenol synthase from Paris polyphylla, which lays the foundation for further analysis of the biosynthesis pathway of polyphyllins.
Topics & Concepts
CycloartenolBiosynthesisATP synthaseSterolBiochemistrySaponinChemistryEnzymeBiologyCholesterolPathologyAlternative medicineMedicinePlant biochemistry and biosynthesisNatural product bioactivities and synthesisPlant Gene Expression Analysis