Parallel evolution of methyltransferases leads to vobasine biosynthesis in Tabernaemontana elegans and Catharanthus roseus.

ABSTRACT: Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIA) are one of the largest and most complex alkaloid class in nature, boasting many clinically significant drugs such as anticancer vinblastine and antiarrhythmic ajmaline. Many MIAs undergo nitrogen N-methylation, altering their reactivity and affinity to the biological targets through a straightforward reaction. Remarkably, all known MIA N-methyltransferases (NMT) originate from the neofunctionalization of ancestral γ-tocopherol C-methyltransferases (γTMTs), a phenomenon seemingly unique to the Apocynaceae family. In this study, we unveil and characterize a new γTMT-like enzyme from the plant Tabernaemontana elegans (toad tree): perivine Nβ-methyltransferase (TePeNMT). TePeNMT and other homologs form a distinct clade in

SUBMITTER: Farzana M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11383786 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature