The isolation and mapping of a novel hydroxycinnamoyltransferase in the globe artichoke chlorogenic acid pathway.
BACKGROUND
The leaves of globe artichoke and cultivated cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) have significant pharmaceutical properties, which mainly result from their high content of polyphenolic compounds such as monocaffeoylquinic and dicaffeoylquinic acid (DCQ), and a range of flavonoid compounds.


RESULTS
Hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:quinate hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HQT) encoding genes have been isolated from both globe artichoke and cultivated cardoon (GenBank accessions DQ915589 and DQ915590, respectively) using CODEHOP and PCR-RACE. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that their sequences belong to one of the major acyltransferase groups (anthranilate N-hydroxycinnamoyl/benzoyltransferase). The heterologous expression of globe artichoke HQT in E. coli showed that this enzyme can catalyze the esterification of quinic acid with caffeoyl-CoA or p-coumaroyl-CoA to generate, respectively, chlorogenic acid (CGA) and p-coumaroyl quinate. Real time PCR experiments demonstrated an increase in the expression level of HQT in UV-C treated leaves, and established a correlation between the synthesis of phenolic acids and protection against damage due to abiotic stress. The HQT gene, together with a gene encoding hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:shikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HCT) previously isolated from globe artichoke, have been incorporated within the developing globe artichoke linkage maps.


CONCLUSIONS
A novel acyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of CGA in globe artichoke has been isolated, characterized and mapped. This is a good basis for our effort to understand the genetic basis of phenylpropanoid (PP) biosynthesis in C. cardunculus.
Comino
Cinzia
C
DiVaPRA Plant Genetics and Breeding, University of Torino, Grugliasco (Torino), Italy. cinzia.comino@unito.it
Hehn
Alain
A
Moglia
Andrea
A
Menin
Barbara
B
Bourgaud
Frédéric
F
Lanteri
Sergio
S
Portis
Ezio
E
D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002726:Chlorogenic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D031943:Cynara scolymus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D010940:Plant Proteins; D018749:RNA, Plant; D002726:Chlorogenic Acid; D000217:Acyltransferases; C021394:hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA-quinate transferase