Molecular Cloning and Functional Characterization of Alpha-humulene Synthase, a Possible Key Enzyme of Zerumbone Biosynthesis in Shampoo Ginger (Zingiber Zerumbet Smith)

Overview

Journal Planta

Specialty Biology

Date 2008 Feb 15

PMID 18273640

Citations 21

Authors

Fengnian Yu

Sho Okamto

Kaoru Nakasone

Kyoko Adachi

Satoru Matsuda

Hisashi Harada

Norihiko Misawa

Ryutaro Utsumi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Shampoo ginger (Zingiber zerumbet Smith) has a high content and large variety of terpenoids in the essential oil of its rhizome. Here, we report on the isolation of a cDNA clone (ZSS1) encoding alpha-humulene synthase, a possible key enzyme of zerumbone biosynthesis. This clone contains an open reading frame of 1,644 bp and is predicted to encode a protein of 548 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 64.5 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence shows 34-63% identity with known sesquiterpene synthases of other angiosperm species. Based on exon-intron organization, ZSS1 is classified as the terpene synthase-III (TPS-III) subfamily. When expressed in Escherichia coli, the recombinant enzyme catalyzed the formation of a major product, alpha-humulene (95%) and a minor by-product, beta-caryophyllene (5%). Introduction of ZSS1 and the foreign mevalonate pathway involved in FPP synthesis into E. coli results in in vivo production of alpha-humulene. Transcript of ZSS1 was detected almost exclusively in rhizomes and was up-regulated in both leaves and rhizomes after treatment with methyl jasmonate (MeJA), suggesting its ecological function in shampoo ginger.

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