Agnès Lesot

A different function for a member of an ancient and highly conserved cytochrome P450 family: From essential sterols to plant defense

CYP51 sterol demethylases are the only cytochrome P450 enzymes with a conserved function across the animal, fungal, and plant kingdoms (in the synthesis of essential sterols). These highly conserved enzymes, which are important targets for cholesterol-lowering drugs, antifungal agents, and herbicides, are regarded as the most ancient member cytochrome P450 family. Here we present a report of a CYP51 enzyme that has acquired a different function. We show that the plant enzyme AsCYP51H10 is dispensable for synthesis of essential sterols and has been recruited for the production of antimicrobial compounds (avenacins) that confer disease resistance in oats. The AsCyp51H10 gene is synonymous with Sad2, a gene that we previously had defined by mutation as being required for avenacin synthesis. In earlier work, we showed that Sad1, the gene encoding the first committed enzyme in the avenacin pathway (β-amyrin synthase), had arisen by duplication and divergence of a cycloartenol synthase-like gene. Together these data indicate an intimate evolutionary connection between the sterol and avenacin pathways. Sad1 and Sad2 lie within 70 kb of each other and are expressed specifically in the epidermal cells of the root tip, the site of accumulation of avenacins. These findings raise intriguing questions about the recruitment, coevolution, and regulation of the components of this specialized defense-related metabolic pathway.

CYP725A4 from Yew Catalyzes Complex Structural Rearrangement of Taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene into the Cyclic Ether 5(12)-Oxa-3(11)-cyclotaxane

Taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene is the first committed precursor of functionalized taxanes such as paclitaxel, a successful anticancer drug. Biosynthesis of taxanes in yew involves several oxidations, a number of which have been shown to be catalyzed by cytochrome P-450 oxygenases. Hydroxylation of the C-5α of taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene is believed to be the first of these oxidations, and a gene encoding a taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene 5α-hydroxylase (CYP725A4) was recently described (Jennewein, S., Long, R. M., Williams, R. M., and Croteau, R. (2004) Chem. Biol. 11, 379–387). In an attempt to produce the early components of the paclitaxel pathway by a metabolic engineering approach, cDNAs encoding taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene synthase and CYP725A4 were introduced in Nicotiana sylvestris for specific expression in trichome cells. Their co-expression did not lead to the production of the expected 5α-hydroxytaxa-4(20),11(12)-diene. Instead, taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene was quantitatively converted to a novel taxane that was purified and characterized. Its structure was determined by NMR analysis and found to be that of 5(12)-oxa-3(11)-cyclotaxane (OCT) in which the eight-carbon B-ring from taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene is divided into two fused five-carbon rings. In addition, OCT contains an ether bridge linking C-5 and C-12 from opposite sides of the molecule. OCT was also the sole major product obtained after incubation of taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene with NADPH and microsomes prepared from recombinant yeast expressing CYP725A4. The rearrangement of the taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene ring system is thus mediated by CYP725A4 only and does not rely on additional enzymes or factors present in the plant. The complex structure of OCT led us to propose a reaction mechanism involving a sequence of events so far unknown in P-450 catalysis.

ω-hydroxylation of Z9-octadecenoic, Z9,10-epoxystearic and 9,10-dihydroxystearic acids by microsomal cytochrome P450 systems from Vicia sativa

A microsomal fraction from etiolated Vicia sativa seedlings incubated aerobically with [1-14C]oleic acid (Z9-octadecenoic acid) or [1-14C]9,10-epoxystearic acid or [1-14C]9,10-dihydroxystearic acid catalyzed the NADPH-dependent formation of hydroxylated metabolites. The chemical structure of compounds formed from oleic, 9,10-epoxystearic or 9,10-dihydroxystearic acids was established by gas chromatography/mass spectra analysis to be 18-hydroxyoleic acid, 18-hydroxy-9,10-epoxystearic acid and 9,10,18-trihydroxystearic acid, respectively. The reactions required O2 and NADPH and were inhibited by carbon monoxide. As expected for monooxygenase reactions involving cytochrome P450, inhibition could be partially reversed by light and all three reactions were inhibited by antibodies raised against NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase from Jerusalem artichoke. The omega-hydroxylation of the three substrates was enhanced in microsomes from clofibrate induced seedlings.

CYP52X1, Representing New Cytochrome P450 Subfamily, Displays Fatty Acid Hydroxylase Activity and Contributes to Virulence and Growth on Insect Cuticular Substrates in Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauveria bassiana

Background: The lipid-rich insect epicuticle mediates the initial interaction with microbial pathogens. Results: A novel cytochrome P450, CYP52X1, implicated in cuticular hydrocarbon assimilation was characterized from Beauveria bassiana. Conclusion: CPY52X1 displays fatty acid hydroxylase activity, contributes to cuticle penetration, but is dispensable for virulence once the cuticle has been breached. Significance: These results expand the enzymatic repertoire entomopathogenic fungi express in targeting insects. Infection of insects by the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana proceeds via attachment and penetration of the host cuticle. The outermost epicuticular layer or waxy layer of the insect represents a structure rich in lipids including abundant amounts of hydrocarbons and fatty acids. A member of a novel cytochrome P450 subfamily, CYP52X1, implicated in fatty acid assimilation by B. bassiana was characterized. B. bassiana targeted gene knockouts lacking Bbcyp52x1 displayed reduced virulence when topically applied to Galleria mellonella, but no reduction in virulence was noted when the insect cuticle was bypassed using an intrahemoceol injection assay. No significant growth defects were noted in the mutant as compared with the wild-type parent on any lipids substrates tested including alkanes and fatty acids. Insect epicuticle germination assays, however, showed reduced germination of ΔBbcyp52x1 conidia on grasshopper wings as compared with the wild-type parent. Complementation of the gene-knock with the full-length gene restored virulence and insect epicuticle germination to wild-type levels. Heterologous expression of CYP52X1 in yeast was used to characterize the substrate specificity of the enzyme. CYP52X1 displayed the highest activity against midrange fatty acids (C12:0 and C14:0) and epoxy stearic acid, 4–8-fold lower activity against C16:0, C18:1, and C18:2, and little to no activity against C9:0 and C18:0. Analyses of the products of the C12:0 and C18:1 reactions confirmed NADPH-dependent regioselective addition of a terminal hydroxyl to the substrates (ω-hydroxylase). These data implicate CYP52X1 as contributing to the penetration of the host cuticle via facilitating the assimilation of insect epicuticle lipids.

Multiple forms of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase in higher plants

We report on the presence of multiple forms of NADPH-cyt P450 reductase in microsomes from higher plants. This contrasts with the animal cyt P450 monooxygenases, where the numerous cyt P450 isoforms are reduced by a single form of reductase. Three NADPH-cyt c reductases have been resolved from Jerusalem artichoke tuber microsomes by chromatography on Reactive Red Agarose and Concanavalin A-Sepharose. Their molecular weights, determined by sodium dodecylsulfate-gel electrophoresis, are 80,000, 82,000 and 84,000. The three proteins share common epitopes and are dependent upon FMN for catalytic activity. They are highly selective for NADPH as electron donor, and allowed effective reconstitution of trans-cinnamic acid and 3,9-dihydroxypterocarpan 6a-hydroxylase activities with purified cyt P450 fractions from Helianthus tuberosus and Glycine max, respectively. As such, they appear as true isoenzyme forms of NADPH-cyt P-450 reductase.

Challenges and pitfalls of P450-dependent (+)-valencene bioconversion by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Natural nootkatone is a high value ingredient for the flavor and fragrance industry because of its grapefruit flavor/odor, low sensorial threshold and low availability. Valencene conversion into nootkatol and nootkatone is known to be catalyzed by cytochrome P450 enzymes from both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, but so far development of a viable bioconversion process using either native microorganisms or recombinant enzymes was not successful. Using an in silico gene-mining approach, we selected 4 potential candidate P450 enzymes from higher plants and identified two of them that selectively converted (+)-valencene into β-nootkatol with high efficiency when tested using recombinant yeast microsomes in vitro. Recombinant yeast expressing CYP71D51v2 from tobacco and a P450 reductase from arabidopsis was used for optimization of a bioconversion process. Bioconversion assays led to production of β-nootkatol and nootkatone, but with low yields that decreased upon increase of the substrate concentration. The reasons for this low bioconversion efficiency were further investigated and several factors potentially hampering industry-compatible valencene bioconversion were identified. One is the toxicity of the products for yeast at concentrations exceeding 100 mg L⁻¹. The second is the accumulation of β-nootkatol in yeast endomembranes. The third is the inhibition of the CYP71D51v2 hydroxylation reaction by the products. Furthermore, we observed that the formation of nootkatone from β-nootkatol is not P450-dependent but catalyzed by a yeast component. Based on these data, we propose new strategies for implementation of a viable P450-based bioconversion process.

Monospecific Polyclonal Antibodies Directed against Purified Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase from Helianthus tuberosus (Immunopurification, Immunoquantitation, and Interspecies Cross-Reactivity)

We recently reported the purification of cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase (CA4H), a cytochrome P-450 catalyzing the second reaction of the general phenylpropanoid pathway, from Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) (B. Gabriac, D. Werck-Reichhart, H. Teutsch, F. Durst [1991] Arch Biochem Biophys 288: 302–309). Rabbit polyclonal antibodies were raised against the native and denaturated nitrocellulose-bound enzyme. Only the immunoglobulins G (IgGs) elicited upon immunization with native enzyme produced strong inhibition of catalytic activity and good cross-reactivity on western blots. In microsomes from H. tuberosus tissues induced by wounding and various chemicals, a positive correlation between catalytic activity and amounts of immuno-reactive protein on western blots was observed. When coupled to cyanogen bromide-activated Sepharose, purified IgGs selectively retained CA4H activity from solubilized plant microsomes. Acid elution from the immunoaffinity matrix provided a rapid procedure for high-yield purification of the CA4H protein. The same IgGs immunoprecipitated a single protein from the in vitro translation products of mRNA isolated from wounded tissues. The apparent molecular weight (57,000) of this polypeptide was identical to that of CA4H purified from tuber microsomes. Immunochemical relatedness between CA4H from different plant species was demonstrated by strong inhibition of catalytic activity and immunopurification of several orthologous enzymes, using IgGs directed against CA4H from H. tuberosus. However, only limited interspecies cross-reactivity was observed on western blots. A careful immunochemical analysis indicates that CA4H immunoreactivity significantly differs from plant to plant. Results are discussed in terms of antibody specificity, enzyme glycosylation, and CA4H regulation.

CYP76C1 (Cytochrome P450)-Mediated Linalool Metabolism and the Formation of Volatile and Soluble Linalool Oxides in Arabidopsis Flowers: A Strategy for Defense against Floral Antagonists

A cytochrome P450 in the CYP76 family modulates linalool emission and linalool oxide (including lilac compounds) formation in Arabidopsis, making flowers repellent rather than attractive to insects. The acyclic monoterpene alcohol linalool is one of the most frequently encountered volatile compounds in floral scents. Various linalool oxides are usually emitted along with linalool, some of which are cyclic, such as the furanoid lilac compounds. Recent work has revealed the coexistence of two flower-expressed linalool synthases that produce the (S)- or (R)-linalool enantiomers and the involvement of two P450 enzymes in the linalool oxidation in the flowers of Arabidopsis thaliana. Partially redundant enzymes may also contribute to floral linalool metabolism. Here, we provide evidence that CYP76C1 is a multifunctional enzyme that catalyzes a cascade of oxidation reactions and is the major linalool metabolizing oxygenase in Arabidopsis flowers. Based on the activity of the recombinant enzyme and mutant analyses, we demonstrate its prominent role in the formation of most of the linalool oxides identified in vivo, both as volatiles and soluble conjugated compounds, including 8-hydroxy, 8-oxo, and 8-COOH-linalool, as well as lilac aldehydes and alcohols. Analysis of insect behavior on CYP76C1 mutants and in response to linalool and its oxygenated derivatives demonstrates that CYP76C1-dependent modulation of linalool emission and production of linalool oxides contribute to reduced floral attraction and favor protection against visitors and pests.