Plants Utilize a Protection/Deprotection Strategy in Limonoid Biosynthesis: A “Missing Link” Carboxylesterase Boosts Yields and Provides Insights into Furan Formation
The furan ring is a defining feature of limonoids, a class of highly rearranged and bioactive plant tetranortriterpenoids. We recently reported an apparent complete biosynthetic pathway to these important natural furanoids. Herein, we disclose the subsequent discovery of a yield-boosting "missing link" carboxylesterase that selectively deprotects a late-stage intermediate, so triggering more efficient furan biosynthesis. This has allowed, for the first time, the isolation and structural elucidation of unknown intermediates, refining our understanding of furan formation in limonoid biosynthesis.
Authors
- Chun‐Ting Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3996-5064)
- Rebecca Casson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1139-3359)
- Elizabeth S. Sattely (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7352-859X)
- Laetitia B. B. Martin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6921-7246)
- Michael J. Stephenson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2594-1806)
- Hannah Hodgson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9499-7037)
- Shingo Kikuchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9033-6242)
- Anne Osbourn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2195-5810)
- Martin Rejzek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5091-544X)
Institutions
- John Innes Centre (GB)
- University of East Anglia (GB)
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
- Norwich Research Park (GB)
- Stanford University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of the American Chemical Society
- Published
- 2024-10-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c11213
- Citations
- 11
- Primary Topic
- Phytochemical compounds biological activities
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.57
Funders
- University of East Anglia
- John Innes Foundation
- National Institutes of Health
- Directorate for Biological Sciences
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council