title: Regulation of sesquiterpenoid metabolism in recombinant and elicited Valeriana officinalis hairy roots.
abstract: The medicinal properties of Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) root preparations are attributed to the anxiolytic sesquiterpenoid valerenic acid and its biosynthetic precursors valerenal and valerenadiene, as well as the anti-inflammatory sesquiterpenoid β-caryophyllene. In order to study and engineer the biosynthesis of these pharmacologically active metabolites, a binary vector co-transformation system was developed for V. officinalis hairy roots. The relative expression levels and jasmonate-inducibility of a number of genes associated with sesquiterpenoid metabolism were profiled in roots: farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (VoFPS), valerendiene synthase (VoVDS), germacrene C synthase (VoGCS), and a cytochrome P450 (CYP71D442) putatively associated with terpene metabolism based on sequence homology. Recombinant hairy root lines overexpressing VoFPS or VoVDS were generated and compared to control cultures. Overexpression of the VoFPS cDNA increased levels of the corresponding transcript 4- to 8-fold and sesquiterpene hydrocarbon accumulation by 1.5- to 4-fold. Overexpression of the VoVDS cDNA increased the corresponding transcript levels 5- to 9-fold and markedly increased yields of the oxygenated sesquiterpenoids valerenic acid and valerenal. Our findings suggest that the availability of cytoplasmic farnesyl diphosphate and valerenadiene are potential bottlenecks in Valeriana-specific sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis, which is also subject to regulation by methyl jasmonate elicitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, United States. Electronic address: vincent.ricigliano@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ricigliano
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, United States.
authors.forename: Santosh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, United States.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kinison
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, United States.
authors.forename: S Eric
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Nybo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, United States. Electronic address: chappell@uky.edu.
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chappell
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, United States. Electronic address: howarthd@stjohns.edu.
authors.forename: Dianella G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Howarth
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000494:pharmacology; D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007192:Indenes / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D054883:Oxylipins / Q000494:pharmacology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D011106:Polyisoprenyl Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045789:Sesquiterpenes, Guaiane; D014632:Valerian / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D003517:Cyclopentanes; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007192:Indenes; D054883:Oxylipins; D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D011106:Polyisoprenyl Phosphates; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D045789:Sesquiterpenes, Guaiane; C037133:valerenic acid; C030653:valerenal; C004808:farnesyl pyrophosphate; C072239:methyl jasmonate; C024714:caryophyllene; D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; C111249:germacrene C synthase
keywords: Agrobacterium; Caprofoliaceae; Secondary metabolism regulation; Sesquiterpenoid; Valerian root; Valeriana officinalis