Search results for " alkaloids"
showing 10 items of 84 documents
Purification and partial amino acid sequences of the enzyme vinorine synthase involved in a crucial step of ajmaline biosynthesis.
2004
The acetyl-CoA-dependent enzyme vinorine synthase was isolated from hybrid cell suspension cultures of Rauvolfia serpentina and Rhazya stricta. The sarpagan-type alkaloid gardneral was used as a substrate of the enzyme leading to the ajmalan-type 10-methoxyvinorine. An HPLC-based assay was developed to monitor vinorine synthase activity, which allowed establishing a five step purification procedure combining anion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, hydroxyapatite and gel filtration. Purification resulted in a yield of 0.2% and an approximately 991-fold enrichment of the acetyltransfer activity. SDS-PAGE analysis showed a Mr for the enzyme of approximately 50 kDa. The four peptide fragments …
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of native and selenomethionyl vinorine synthase from Rauvolfia serpentina.
2005
Vinorine synthase (VS) is a central enzyme of the biosynthesis of the antiarrhythmic drug ajmaline and is a member of the BAHD superfamily of acyltransferases. So far, no three-dimensional structure with significant sequence homology with VS is known. Crystals of VS and selenomethionyl-labelled VS from the medicinal plant Rauvolfia serpentina have been obtained by the hanging-drop technique at 305 K with ammonium sulfate and PEG 400 as precipitants. VS crystals diffract to 2.8 Å and belong to space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 82.3, b = 89.6, c = 136.2 Å. The selenomethionyl VS crystal was nearly isomorphous with the VS crystal.
Solanum incanum and S. heteracanthum as sources of biologically active steroid glycosides: Confirmation of their synonymy
2012
A new spirostanol saponin (1), along with four known saponins, dioscin (2), protodioscin (3), methyl-protodioscin (4), and indioside D (5), and one known steroid glycoalkaloid solamargine (6) were isolated from the two synonymous species, Solanum incanum and S. heteracanthum. The structure of the new saponin was established as (23S,25R)-spirost-5-en-3β,23-diol 3-O-{β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)-[O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-D-glucopyranoside}, by using a combination of 1D and 2D NMR techniques including (1)H, (13)C, COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, HSQC and HMBC experiments and by mass spectrometry. The compounds 1, 3, 4 and 5 were evaluated for cytotoxicity against five cancer c…
Structural Basis and Enzymatic Mechanism of the Biosynthesis of C9- from C10-Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids
2009
Cutting carbons: The three-dimensional structure of polyneuridine aldehyde esterase (PNAE) gives insight into the enzymatic mechanism of the biosynthesis of C(9)- from C(10)-monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (see scheme). PNAE is a very substrate-specific serine esterase. It harbors the catalytic triad S87-D216-H244, and is a new member of the alpha/beta-fold hydrolase superfamily. Its novel function leads to the diversification of alkaloid structures.
Direct High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Separation of Peptide Enantiomers: Study on Chiral Recognition by Systematic Evaluation of the Influe…
2002
All-R/all-S enantiomers of oligoalanines (Ala(n), n = 1-10) with N-terminal protection group have been separated by HPLC on chiral stationary phases based on various cinchona alkaloid selectors. Structure-enantioselectivity relationships derived by extensive selector structure optimization provided insights into binding mechanisms and chiral recognition. Their interpretation was supported by X-ray crystal structures of amino acid and dipeptide, respectively, in complex with chiral selector. Optimized selectors have bulky elements representing steric barriers and deep binding pockets that afforded very high enantioselectivities; e.g., for the all-R and all-S enantiomers of N-(3,5-dinitrobenz…
Structure-based engineering of strictosidine synthase: auxiliary for alkaloid libraries.
2007
SummaryThe highly substrate-specific strictosidine synthase (EC 4.3.3.2) catalyzes the biological Pictet-Spengler condensation between tryptamine and secologanin, leading to the synthesis of about 2000 monoterpenoid indole alkaloids in higher plants. The crystal structure of Rauvolfia serpentina strictosidine synthase (STR1) in complex with strictosidine has been elucidated here, allowing the rational site-directed mutation of the active center of STR1 and resulting in modulation of its substrate acceptance. Here, we report on the rational redesign of STR1 by generation of a Val208Ala mutant, further describing the influence on substrate acceptance and the enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of 10-m…
Construction and expression of a dual vector for chemo-enzymatic synthesis of plant indole alkaloids inEscherichia coli
2010
A dual vector (pQE-70-STR1-SG) containing coding regions of strictosidine synthase (STR1, EC 4.3.3.2) and strictosidine glucosidase (SG, EC 3.2.1.105) from the Indian medicinal plant Rauvolfia serpentina was constructed. Functional expression of the vector in Escherichia coli cells (M15 strain) was proven by isolation of prepurified enzyme extracts, which show both STR1 and SG activities. Incubation of the enzyme in the presence of tryptamine and secologanin delivered the indole alkaloid cathenamine, demonstrating functional co-expression of both STR1- and SG-cDNAs. Cathenamine reduction by sodium borohydride leading to tetrahydroalstonine revealed the chemo-enzymatic indole alkaloid synthe…
A facile chemoenzymatic approach: one-step syntheses of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids.
2010
Facile chemoenzymatic syntheses of cytotoxic monoterpenoid indole alkaloids with novel skeletons and multiple chiral centers are described. Synthesis of these alkaloids was achieved by a simple one-step reaction using strictosidine and 12-aza-strictosidine as the key intermediates. Strictosidines were prepared by coupling of secologanin with tryptamine and 7-aza-tryptamine, respectively, using the immobilized recombinant Rauvolfia strictosidine synthase. A detailed stereochemical analysis is presented herein. The results provide an opportunity for a chemoenzymatic approach that leads to an increased diversification of complex alkaloids with improved structures and activities.
Vomilenine Reductase — a novel Enzyme catalyzing a crucial Step in the Biosynthesis of the Therapeutically applied Antiarrhythmic Alkaloid Ajmaline
2002
Delineation of the biochemical pathway leading to the antiarrhythmic Rauvolfia alkaloid ajmaline has been an important target in biosynthetic research for many years. The biosynthetic sequence starting with tryptamine and the monoterpene secologanin consists of about 10 different steps. Most of the participating enzymes have been detected and characterized previously, except those catalyzing the reduction of the intermediate vomilenine. A novel NADPH-dependent enzyme that reduces the intermediate has been isolated from Rauvolfia serpentina cell suspension cultures. Vomilenine reductase (M(r )43 kDa, temp opt 30 degrees C, pH opt 5.7-6.2), saturates the indolenine double bond of vomilenine w…
3D-Structure and function of strictosidine synthase--the key enzyme of monoterpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesis.
2008
Strictosidine synthase (STR; EC 4.3.3.2) plays a key role in the biosynthesis of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids by catalyzing the Pictet-Spengler reaction between tryptamine and secologanin, leading exclusively to 3alpha-(S)-strictosidine. The structure of the native enzyme from the Indian medicinal plant Rauvolfia serpentina represents the first example of a six-bladed four-stranded beta-propeller fold from the plant kingdom. Moreover, the architecture of the enzyme-substrate and enzyme-product complexes reveals deep insight into the active centre and mechanism of the synthase highlighting the importance of Glu309 as the catalytic residue. The present review describes the 3D-structure and …