14602-93-8

Upstream product

• 485-72-3 7-Hydroxy-3-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-chromen-4-on 
• 485-80-3 S-adenosyl-L-methionine 
• 469-01-2 Pisatin 
• 207232-32-4 7-Benzyloxy-3-(6-benzyloxy-benzo[1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-chromen-2-one 
• 207232-35-7 7-Benzyloxy-3-(6-benzyloxy-benzo[1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-2H-chromene 
• 207232-36-8 (3R,4S)-7-Benzyloxy-3-(6-benzyloxy-benzo[1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-chroman-3,4-diol 

Downstream Products

• 469-01-2 Pisatin 

Relevant academic research and scientific papers

Inactivation of pea genes by RNAi supports the involvement of two similar O-methyltransferases in the biosynthesis of (+)-pisatin and of chiral intermediates with a configuration opposite that found in (+)-pisatin

(+)-Pisatin, the major phytoalexin of pea (Pisum sativum L.), is believed to be synthesized via two chiral intermediates, (-)-7,2′-dihydroxy-4′,5′-methylenedioxyisoflavanone [(-)-sophorol] and (-)-7,2′-dihydroxy-4′,5′-methylenedioxyisoflavanol [(-)-DMDI]; both have an opposite C-3 absolute configuration to that found at C-6a in (+)-pisatin. The expression of isoflavone reductase (IFR), which converts 7,2′-dihydroxy-4′,5′-methylenedioxyisoflavone (DMD) to (-)-sophorol, sophorol reductase (SOR), which converts (-)-sophorol to (-)-DMDI, and hydroxymaackiain-3-O-methyltransferase (HMM), believed to be the last step of (+)-pisatin biosynthesis, were inactivated by RNA-mediated genetic interference (RNAi) in pea hairy roots. Some hairy root lines containing RNAi constructs of IFR and SOR accumulated DMD or (-)-sophorol, respectively, and were deficient in (+)-pisatin biosynthesis supporting the involvement of chiral intermediates with a configuration opposite to that found in (+)-pisatin in the biosynthesis of (+)-pisatin. Pea proteins also converted (-)-DMDI to an achiral isoflavene suggesting that an isoflavene might be the intermediate through which the configuration is changed to that found in (+)-pisatin. Hairy roots containing RNAi constructs of HMM also were deficient in (+)-pisatin biosynthesis, but did not accumulate (+)-6a-hydroxymaackiain, the proposed precursor to (+)-pisatin. Instead, 2,7,4′-trihydroxyisoflavanone (TIF), daidzein, isoformononetin, and liquiritigenin accumulated. HMM has a high amino acid similarity to hydroxyisoflavanone-4′-O-methyltransferase (HI4′OMT), an enzyme that methylates TIF, an early intermediate in the isoflavonoid pathway. The accumulation of these four compounds is consistent with the blockage of the synthesis of (+)-pisatin at the HI4′OMT catalyzed step resulting in the accumulation of liquiritigenin and TIF and the diversion of the pathway to produce daidzein and isoformononetin, compounds not normally made by pea. Previous results have identified two highly similar "HMMs" in pea. The current results suggest that both of these O-methyltransferases are involved in (+)-pisatin biosynthesis and that one functions early in the pathway as HI4′OMT and the second acts at the terminal step of the pathway.

Catalytic specificity of pea O-methyltransferases suggests gene duplication for (+)-pisatin biosynthesis

S-adenosyl-l-methionine: 2-hydroxyisoflavanone 4′-O-methyltransferase (HI4′OMT) methylates 2,7, 4′-trihydroxyisoflavanone to produce formononetin, an essential intermediate in the synthesis of isoflavonoids with methoxy or methylenedioxy groups at carbon 4′ (isoflavone numbering). HI4′OMT is highly similar (83% amino acid identity) to (+)-6a-hydroxymaackiain 3-O-methyltransferase (HMM), which catalyzes the last step of (+)-pisatin biosynthesis in pea. Pea contains two linked copies of HMM with 96% amino acid identity. In this report, the catalytic activities of the licorice HI4′OMT protein and of extracts of Escherichia coli containing the pea HMM1 or HMM2 protein are compared on 2,7,4′-trihydroxyisoflavanone and enantiomers of 6a-hydroxymaackiain. All these enzymes produced radiolabelled 2,7-dihydroxy-4′-methoxyisoflavanone or (+)-pisatin from 2,7,4′-trihydroxyisoflavanone or (+)-6a-hydroxymaakiain when incubated with [methyl-14C]-S-adenosyl-l-methionine. No product was detected when (-)-6a-hydroxymaackiain was used as the substrate. HI4′OMT and HMM1 showed efficiencies (relative Vmax/Km) for the methylation of 2,7,4′-trihydroxyisoflavanone 20 and 4 times higher than for the methylation of (+)-6a-hydroxymaackiain, respectively. In contrast, HMM2 had a higher Vmax and lower Km on (+)-6a-hydroxymaackiain, and had a 67-fold higher efficiency for the methylation of (+)-6a-hydroxymaackiain than that for 2,7,4′-trihydroxyisoflavanone. Among the 15 sites at which HMM1 and HMM2 have different amino acid residues, 11 of the residues in HMM1 are the same as found in HI4′OMTs from three plant species. Modeling of the HMM proteins identified three or four putative active site residues responsible for their different substrate preferences. It is proposed that HMM1 is the pea HI4′OMT and that HMM2 evolved by the duplication of a gene encoding a general biosynthetic enzyme (HI4′OMT).

Asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-pisatin, a phytoalexin from garden peas (Pisum sativum L.)

A short asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-pisatin is described involving a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation and an 'hydrogenative cyclisation' as key steps.