Allylic hydroxylation of triterpenoids by a plant cytochrome P450 triggers key chemical transformations that produce a variety of bitter compounds.

ABSTRACT: Cucurbitacins are highly oxygenated triterpenoids characteristic of plants in the family Cucurbitaceae and responsible for the bitter taste of these plants. Fruits of bitter melon (Momordica charantia) contain various cucurbitacins possessing an unusual ether bridge between C5 and C19, not observed in other Cucurbitaceae members. Using a combination of next-generation sequencing and RNA-Seq analysis and gene-to-gene co-expression analysis with the ConfeitoGUIplus software, we identified three P450 genes, CYP81AQ19, CYP88L7, and CYP88L8, expected to be involved in cucurbitacin biosynthesis. CYP81AQ19 co-expression with cucurbitadienol synthase in yeast resulted in the production of cucurbita-5,24-diene-3β,23α-diol. A mild acid treatment of this compound resulted

SUBMITTER: Takase S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6901325 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature