An N-methyltransferase from Ephedra sinica catalyzing the formation of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine enables microbial phenylalkylamine production.

ABSTRACT: Phenylalkylamines, such as the plant compounds ephedrine and pseudoephedrine and the animal neurotransmitters dopamine and adrenaline, compose a large class of natural and synthetic molecules with important physiological functions and pharmaceutically valuable bioactivities. The final steps of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine biosynthesis in members of the plant genus Ephedra involve N-methylation of norephedrine and norpseudoephedrine, respectively. Here, using a plant transcriptome screen, we report the isolation and characterization of an N-methyltransferase (NMT) from Ephedra sinica able to catalyze the formation of (pseudo)ephedrine and other naturally occurring phenylalkylamines, including N-methylcathinone and N-methyl(pseudo)ephedrine. Phenyla

SUBMITTER: Morris JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6120201 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature