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A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
Published on: October 4, 2019
Identification and characterization of a novel monoterpene synthase from soybean restricted to neryl diphosphate
Man Zhang1, Jianyu Liu, Kai Li
1National Center for Soybean Improvement, National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China ; Institute of Vegetable Crops, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Abstract:
Terpenes are important defensive compounds against herbivores and pathogens. Here, we report the identification of a new monoterpene synthase gene, GmNES, from soybean. The transcription of GmNES was up-regulated in soybean plants that were infested with cotton leafworm (Prodenia litura), mechanically wounded or treated with salicylic acid (SA). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed that recombinant GmNES enzyme exclusively produced nerol, generated from a newly identified substrate for monoterpene synthase: neryl diphosphate (NPP). This finding indicates that GmNES is a nerol synthase gene in soybean. Subcellular localization using GFP fusions showed that GmNES localized to the chloroplasts. Transgenic tobacco overexpressing GmNES was generated. In dual-choice assays, the GmNES-expressing tobacco lines significantly repelled cotton leafworm. In feeding tests with transgenic plants, the growth and development of cotton leafworm were significantly retarded. This study confirms the ecological role of terpenoids and provides new insights into their metabolic engineering in transgenic plants.
