Production of the dammarene sapogenin (protopanaxadiol) in transgenic tobacco plants and cultured cells by heterologous expression of PgDDS and CYP716A47

Plant Cell Rep. 2015 Sep;34(9):1551-60. doi: 10.1007/s00299-015-1806-9. Epub 2015 May 17.

Abstract

Protopanaxadiol (PPD) is an aglycone of dammarene-type ginsenoside and has high medicinal values. In this work, we reported the PPD production in transgenic tobacco co-overexpressing PgDDS and CYP716A47. PPD is an aglycone of ginsenosides produced by Panax species and has a wide range of pharmacological activities. PPD is synthesized via the hydroxylation of dammarenediol-II (DD) by CYP716A47 enzyme. Here, we established a PPD production system via cell suspension culture of transgenic tobacco co-overexpressing the genes for PgDDS and CYP716A47. The concentration of PPD in transgenic tobacco leaves was 2.3-5.7 µg/g dry weight (DW), depending on the transgenic line. Leaf segments were cultured on medium with various types of hormones to induce callus. Auxin treatment, particularly 2,4-D, strongly enhanced the production of DD (783.8 µg g(-1) DW) and PPD (125.9 µg g(-1) DW). Treatment with 2,4-D enhanced the transcription of the HMG-Co reductase (HMGR) and squalene epoxidase genes. PPD production reached 166.9 and 980.9 µg g(-1) DW in a 250-ml shake flask culture and in 5-l airlift bioreactor culture, respectively.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid / pharmacology
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / metabolism*
  • Bioreactors
  • Biosynthetic Pathways / genetics
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / metabolism*
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Genes, Plant
  • Ginsenosides / biosynthesis
  • Ginsenosides / chemistry
  • Mevalonic Acid / metabolism
  • Nicotiana / genetics*
  • Panax / drug effects
  • Panax / enzymology*
  • Panax / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism*
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Sapogenins / chemistry
  • Sapogenins / metabolism*
  • Saponins / metabolism
  • Triterpenes / metabolism

Substances

  • Ginsenosides
  • Plant Proteins
  • Sapogenins
  • Saponins
  • Triterpenes
  • dammarenediol
  • 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases
  • dammarenediol-II synthase, Panax ginseng
  • protopanaxadiol
  • Mevalonic Acid