Marianne E. Bowman

Rapid synthesis of auxin via a new tryptophan-dependent pathway is required for shade avoidance in plants

Plants grown at high densities perceive a decrease in the red to far-red (R:FR) ratio of incoming light, resulting from absorption of red light by canopy leaves and reflection of far-red light from neighboring plants. These changes in light quality trigger a series of responses known collectively as the shade avoidance syndrome. During shade avoidance, stems elongate at the expense of leaf and storage organ expansion, branching is inhibited, and flowering is accelerated. We identified several loci in Arabidopsis, mutations in which lead to plants defective in multiple shade avoidance responses. Here we describe TAA1, an aminotransferase, and show that TAA1 catalyzes the formation of indole-3-pyruvic acid (IPA) from L-tryptophan (L-Trp), the first step in a previously proposed, but uncharacterized, auxin biosynthetic pathway. This pathway is rapidly deployed to synthesize auxin at the high levels required to initiate the multiple changes in body plan associated with shade avoidance.

Structural basis for phosphoserine-proline recognition by group IV WW domains.

Pin1 contains an N-terminal WW domain and a C-terminal peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) domain connected by a flexible linker. To address the energetic and structural basis for WW domain recognition of phosphoserine (P.Ser)/phosphothreonine (P.Thr)- proline containing proteins, we report the energetic and structural analysis of a Pin1–phosphopeptide complex. The X-ray crystal structure of Pin1 bound to a doubly phosphorylated peptide (Tyr-P.Ser-Pro-Thr-P.Ser-Pro-Ser) representing a heptad repeat of the RNA polymerase II large subunits C-terminal domain (CTD), reveals the residues involved in the recognition of a single P.Ser side chain, the rings of two prolines, and the backbone of the CTD peptide. The side chains of neighboring Arg and Ser residues along with a backbone amide contribute to recognition of P.Ser. The lack of widespread conservation of the Arg and Ser residues responsible for P.Ser recognition in the WW domain family suggests that only a subset of WW domains can bind P.Ser-Pro in a similar fashion to that of Pin1.

Structure of chalcone synthase and the molecular basis of plant polyketide biosynthesis.

Chalcone synthase (CHS) is pivotal for the biosynthesis of flavonoid antimicrobial phytoalexins and anthocyanin pigments in plants. It produces chalcone by condensing one p-coumaroyl- and three malonyl-coenzyme A thioesters into a polyketide reaction intermediate that cyclizes. The crystal structures of CHS alone and complexed with substrate and product analogs reveal the active site architecture that defines the sequence and chemistry of multiple decarboxylation and condensation reactions and provides a molecular understanding of the cyclization reaction leading to chalcone synthesis. The structure of CHS complexed with resveratrol also suggests how stilbene synthase, a related enzyme, uses the same substrates and an alternate cyclization pathway to form resveratrol. By using the three-dimensional structure and the large database of CHS-like sequences, we can identify proteins likely to possess novel substrate and product specificity. The structure elucidates the chemical basis of plant polyketide biosynthesis and provides a framework for engineering CHS-like enzymes to produce new products.

A Chemical, Genetic, and Structural Analysis of the Nuclear Bile Acid Receptor FXR

The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) functions as a bile acid (BA) sensor coordinating cholesterol metabolism, lipid homeostasis, and absorption of dietary fats and vitamins. However, BAs are poor reagents for characterizing FXR functions due to multiple receptor independent properties. Accordingly, using combinatorial chemistry we evolved a small molecule agonist termed fexaramine with 100-fold increased affinity relative to natural compounds. Gene-profiling experiments conducted in hepatocytes with FXR-specific fexaramine versus the primary BA chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) produced remarkably distinct genomic targets. Highly diffracting cocrystals (1.78 A) of fexaramine bound to the ligand binding domain of FXR revealed the agonist sequestered in a 726 A(3) hydrophobic cavity and suggest a mechanistic basis for the initial step in the BA signaling pathway. The discovery of fexaramine will allow us to unravel the FXR genetic network from the BA network and selectively manipulate components of the cholesterol pathway that may be useful in treating cholesterol-related human diseases.

Conformational Flexibility Underlies Ubiquitin Ligation Mediated by the WWP1 HECT Domain E3 Ligase

Ubiquitin ligases (E3) select proteins for ubiquitylation, a modification that directs altered subcellular trafficking and/or degradation of the target protein. HECT domain E3 ligases not only recognize, but also directly catalyze, ligation of ubiquitin to their protein substrates. The crystal structure of the HECT domain of the human ubiquitin ligase WWP1/AIP5 maintains a two-lobed structure like the HECT domain of the human ubiquitin ligase E6AP. While the individual N and C lobes of WWP1 possess very similar folds to those of E6AP, the organization of the two lobes relative to one another is different from E6AP due to a rotation about a polypeptide hinge linking the N and C lobes. Mutational analyses suggest that a range of conformations achieved by rotation about this hinge region is essential for catalytic activity.

Structural control of polyketide formation in plant-specific polyketide synthases

BACKGROUND Polyketide synthases (PKSs) generate molecular diversity by utilizing different starter molecules and by controlling the final length of the polyketide. Although exploitation of this mechanistic variability has produced novel polyketides, the structural foundation of this versatility is unclear. Plant-specific PKSs are essential for the biosynthesis of anti-microbial phytoalexins, anthocyanin floral pigments, and inducers of Rhizobium nodulation genes. 2-Pyrone synthase (2-PS) and chalcone synthase (CHS) are plant-specific PKSs that share 74% amino acid sequence identity. 2-PS forms the triketide methylpyrone from an acetyl-CoA starter molecule and two malonyl-CoAs. CHS uses a p-coumaroyl-CoA starter molecule and three malonyl-CoAs to produce the tetraketide chalcone. Our goal was to elucidate the molecular basis of starter molecule selectivity and control of polyketide length in this class of PKS. RESULTS The 2.05 A resolution crystal structure of 2-PS complexed with the reaction intermediate acetoacetyl-CoA was determined by molecular replacement. 2-PS and CHS share a common three-dimensional fold, a set of conserved catalytic residues, and similar CoA binding sites. However, the active site cavity of 2-PS is smaller than the cavity in CHS. Of the 28 residues lining the 2-PS initiation/elongation cavity, four positions vary in CHS. Point mutations at three of these positions in CHS (T197L, G256L, and S338I) altered product formation. Combining these mutations in a CHS triple mutant (T197L/G256L/S338I) yielded an enzyme that was functionally identical to 2-PS. CONCLUSIONS Structural and functional characterization of 2-PS together with generation of a CHS mutant with an initiation/elongation cavity analogous to 2-PS demonstrates that cavity volume influences the choice of starter molecule and controls the final length of the polyketide. These results provide a structural basis for control of polyketide length in other PKSs, and suggest strategies for further increasing the scope of polyketide biosynthetic diversity.

Structure and mechanism of the evolutionarily unique plant enzyme chalcone isomerase.

Chalcone isomerase (CHI) catalyzes the intramolecular cyclization of chalcone synthesized by chalcone synthase (CHS) into (2S)-naringenin, an essential compound in the biosynthesis of anthocyanin pigments, inducers of Rhizobium nodulation genes, and antimicrobial phytoalexins. The 1.85 Å resolution crystal structure of alfalfa CHI in complex with (2S)-naringenin reveals a novel open-faced β-sandwich fold. Currently, proteins with homologous primary sequences are found only in higher plants. The topology of the active site cleft defines the stereochemistry of the cyclization reaction. The structure and mutational analysis suggest a mechanism in which shape complementarity of the binding cleft locks the substrate into a constrained conformation that allows the reaction to proceed with a second-order rate constant approaching the diffusion controlled limit. This structure raises questions about the evolutionary history of this structurally unique plant enzyme.

Expanding the biosynthetic repertoire of plant type III polyketide synthases by altering starter molecule specificity

Type III polyketide synthases (PKS) generate an array of natural products by condensing multiple acetyl units derived from malonyl-CoA to thioester-linked starter molecules covalently bound in the PKS active site. One strategy adopted by Nature for increasing the functional diversity of these biosynthetic enzymes involves modifying polyketide assembly by altering the preference for starter molecules. Chalcone synthase (CHS) is a ubiquitous plant PKS and the first type III PKS described functionally and structurally. Guided by the three-dimensional structure of CHS, Phe-215 and Phe-265, which are situated at the active site entrance, were targeted for site-directed mutagenesis to diversify CHS activity. The resulting mutants were screened against a panel of aliphatic and aromatic CoA-linked starter molecules to evaluate the degree of starter molecule specificity in CHS. Although wild-type CHS accepts a number of natural CoA thioesters, it does not use N-methylanthraniloyl-CoA as a substrate. Substitution of Phe-215 by serine yields a CHS mutant that preferentially accepts this CoA-thioester substrate to generate a novel alkaloid, namely N-methylanthraniloyltriacetic acid lactone. These results demonstrate that a point mutation in CHS dramatically shifts the molecular selectivity of this enzyme. This structure-based approach to metabolic redesign represents an initial step toward tailoring the biosynthetic activity of plant type III PKS.

Functional Analyses of Caffeic Acid O-Methyltransferase and Cinnamoyl-CoA-Reductase Genes from Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne)

The authors show enhanced digestibility of cinnamoyl CoA-reductase and caffeic acid O-methyltransferase-deficient perennial ryegrass plants grown under glasshouse and field conditions. This indicates that both of these lignin biosynthetic genes are promising targets for transgenic approaches aiming to enhance forage quality and improve feedstock plants for biofuel production. Cinnamoyl CoA-reductase (CCR) and caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) catalyze key steps in the biosynthesis of monolignols, which serve as building blocks in the formation of plant lignin. We identified candidate genes encoding these two enzymes in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and show that the spatio-temporal expression patterns of these genes in planta correlate well with the developmental profile of lignin deposition. Downregulation of CCR1 and caffeic acid O-methyltransferase 1 (OMT1) using an RNA interference–mediated silencing strategy caused dramatic changes in lignin level and composition in transgenic perennial ryegrass plants grown under both glasshouse and field conditions. In CCR1-deficient perennial ryegrass plants, metabolic profiling indicates the redirection of intermediates both within and beyond the core phenylpropanoid pathway. The combined results strongly support a key role for the OMT1 gene product in the biosynthesis of both syringyl- and guaiacyl-lignin subunits in perennial ryegrass. Both field-grown OMT1-deficient and CCR1-deficient perennial ryegrass plants showed enhanced digestibility without obvious detrimental effects on either plant fitness or biomass production. This highlights the potential of metabolic engineering not only to enhance the forage quality of grasses but also to produce optimal feedstock plants for biofuel production.

Evolution of the chalcone-isomerase fold from fatty-acid binding to stereospecific catalysis.

Specialized metabolic enzymes biosynthesize chemicals of ecological importance, often sharing a pedigree with primary metabolic enzymes. However, the lineage of the enzyme chalcone isomerase (CHI) remained unknown. In vascular plants, CHI-catalysed conversion of chalcones to chiral (S)-flavanones is a committed step in the production of plant flavonoids, compounds that contribute to attraction, defence and development. CHI operates near the diffusion limit with stereospecific control. Although associated primarily with plants, the CHI fold occurs in several other eukaryotic lineages and in some bacteria. Here we report crystal structures, ligand-binding properties and in vivo functional characterization of a non-catalytic CHI-fold family from plants. Arabidopsis thaliana contains five actively transcribed genes encoding CHI-fold proteins, three of which additionally encode amino-terminal chloroplast-transit sequences. These three CHI-fold proteins localize to plastids, the site of de novo fatty-acid biosynthesis in plant cells. Furthermore, their expression profiles correlate with those of core fatty-acid biosynthetic enzymes, with maximal expression occurring in seeds and coinciding with increased fatty-acid storage in the developing embryo. In vitro, these proteins are fatty-acid-binding proteins (FAPs). FAP knockout A. thaliana plants show elevated α-linolenic acid levels and marked reproductive defects, including aberrant seed formation. Notably, the FAP discovery defines the adaptive evolution of a stereospecific and catalytically ‘perfected’ enzyme from a non-enzymatic ancestor over a defined period of plant evolution.