21738-16-9Relevant academic research and scientific papers
Probing Labdane-Related Diterpenoid Biosynthesis in the Fungal Genus Aspergillus
Xu, Meimei,Hillwig, Matthew L.,Tiernan, Mollie S.,Peters, Reuben J.
, p. 328 - 333 (2017/03/09)
While terpenoid production is generally associated with plants, a variety of fungi contain operons predicted to lead to such biosynthesis. Notably, fungi contain a number of cyclases characteristic of labdane-related diterpenoid metabolism, which have not been much explored. These also are often found near cytochrome P450 (CYP) mono-oxygenases that presumably further decorate the ensuing diterpene, suggesting that these fungi might produce more elaborate diterpenoids. To probe the functional diversity of such biosynthetic capacity, an investigation of the phylogenetically diverse cyclases and associated CYPs from the fungal genus Aspergillus was undertaken, revealing their ability to produce isopimaradiene-derived diterpenoids. Intriguingly, labdane-related diterpenoid biosynthetic genes are largely found in plant-associated fungi, hinting that these natural products may play a role in such interactions. Accordingly, it is hypothesized here that isopimarane production may assist the plant-saprophytic lifestyle of Aspergillus fungi.
Evident and latent plasticity across the rice diterpene synthase family with potential implications for the evolution of diterpenoid metabolism in the cereals
Morrone, Dana,Hillwig, Matthew L.,Mead, Matthew E.,Lowry, Luke,Fulton, D. Bruce,Peters, Reuben J.
scheme or table, p. 589 - 595 (2012/03/08)
The evolution of natural product biosynthetic pathways can be envisioned to occur via a number of mechanisms. In the present study we provide evidence that latent plasticity plays a role in such metabolic evolution. In particular, rice (Oryza sativa) produces both ent- and syn-CPP (copalyl diphosphate), which are substrates for downstream diterpene synthases. In the present paper we report that several members of this enzymatic family exhibit dual reactivity with some pairing of ent-, syn- or normal CPP stereochemistry. Evident plasticity was observed, as a previously reported ent-sandaracopimaradiene synthase also converts syn-CPP into syn-labda-8(17),12E,14-triene, which can be found in planta. Notably, normal CPP is not naturally found in rice. Thus the presence of diterpene synthases that react with this non-native metabolite reveals latent enzymatic/metabolic plasticity, providing biochemical capacity for utilization of such a novel substrate (i.e. normal CPP) which may arise during evolution, the implications of which are discussed. The Authors Journal compilation
Partial Synthesis of 9,10-Syn Diterpenes via Tosylhydrazone Reduction: (-)-(9β)-Pimara-7,15-diene and (-)-(9β)-Isopimaradiene
Chu, Min,Coates, Robert M.
, p. 4590 - 4597 (2007/10/02)
(9β)-Pimara-7,15-diene (3), a proposed intermediate in the biosynthesis of the momilactone phytoalexins (1 and 2) from rice, and its C-13 epimer, (9β)-isopimara-7,15-diene (4), were synthesized from methyl pimara- and isopimara-8,15-dien-18-oates (8b and 8a, respectively).Allylic oxidation of 8a and 8b as well as the derived diterpene hydrocarbons 15a and 15b with chromium trioxide-dipyridine complex afforded 8,15-dien-7-ones 9a, 9b, 16a, and 16b (35-54percent).Lithium-ammonia reduction of 9a, 16a, and 16b gave predominantly trans,anti,trans-isopimara- and -pimara-15-en-7-ones 10, 17a, and 17b.In contrast, catecholborane reduction of the tosylhydrazones of 9a and 9b provided methyl (9β)-isopimara- and (9β)-pimara-7,15-dien-20-oates (23a and 23b) having the 9,10-syn stereochemistry.The parent diterpenes, 3 and 4, were obtained by carboxyl-to-methyl conversions.In a collaborative investigation 3 was tentatively identified as one of five diterpene hydrocarbons produced upon incubation of (E,E,E)-geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate with a crude enzyme extract from UV-treated rice plants.
