Overexpression of Artemisia annua Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenase Increases Lignin and Coumarin and Reduces Artemisinin and Other Sesquiterpenes.

ABSTRACT: Artemisia annua is the only medicinal crop that produces artemisinin for malarial treatment. Herein, we describe the cloning of a cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (AaCAD) from an inbred self-pollinating (SP) A. annua cultivar and its effects on lignin and artemisinin production. A recombinant AaCAD was purified via heterogeneous expression. Enzyme assays showed that the recombinant AaCAD converted p-coumaryl, coniferyl, and sinapyl aldehydes to their corresponding alcohols, which are key intermediates involved in the biosynthesis of lignin. Km, Vmax, and Vmax/Km values were calculated for all three substrates. To characterize its function in planta, AaCAD was overexpressed in SP plants. Quantification using acetyl bromide (AcBr) showed significantly higher lignin

SUBMITTER: Ma D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6018409 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature