by Keyword: caatinga
Chacon, DS, Santos, MDM, Bonilauri, B, Vilasboa, J, da Costa, CT, da Silva, IB, Torres, TD, de Araujo, TF, Roque, AD, Pilon, AC, Selegatto, DM, Freire, RT, Reginaldo, FPS, Voigt, EL, Zuanazzi, JAS, Scortecci, KC, Cavalheiro, AJ, Lopes, NP, Ferreira, LD, Santos, LVD, Fontes, W, de Sousa, MV, Carvalho, PC, Fett-Neto, AG, Giordani, RB, (2022). Non-target molecular network and putative genes of flavonoid biosynthesis in Erythrina velutina Willd., a Brazilian semiarid native woody plant Frontiers In Plant Science 13, 947558 
Erythrina velutina is a Brazilian native tree of the Caatinga (a unique semiarid biome). It is widely used in traditional medicine showing anti-inflammatory and central nervous system modulating activities. The species is a rich source of specialized metabolites, mostly alkaloids and flavonoids. To date, genomic information, biosynthesis, and regulation of flavonoids remain unknown in this woody plant. As part of a larger ongoing research goal to better understand specialized metabolism in plants inhabiting the harsh conditions of the Caatinga, the present study focused on this important class of bioactive phenolics. Leaves and seeds of plants growing in their natural habitat had their metabolic and proteomic profiles analyzed and integrated with transcriptome data. As a result, 96 metabolites (including 43 flavonoids) were annotated. Transcripts of the flavonoid pathway totaled 27, of which EvCHI, EvCHR, EvCHS, EvCYP75A and EvCYP75B1 were identified as putative main targets for modulating the accumulation of these metabolites. The highest correspondence of mRNA vs. protein was observed in the differentially expressed transcripts. In addition, 394 candidate transcripts encoding for transcription factors distributed among the bHLH, ERF, and MYB families were annotated. Based on interaction network analyses, several putative genes of the flavonoid pathway and transcription factors were related, particularly TFs of the MYB family. Expression patterns of transcripts involved in flavonoid biosynthesis and those involved in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses were discussed in detail. Overall, these findings provide a base for the understanding of molecular and metabolic responses in this medicinally important species. Moreover, the identification of key regulatory targets for future studies aiming at bioactive metabolite production will be facilitated.
JTD Keywords: caatinga, erythrina velutina, flavonoids, molecular network, Arabidopsis, Caatinga, Classification, Discovery, Erythrina velutina, Flavonoids, Identification, Mass-spectrometry, Messenger-rna, Metabolism, Molecular network, Natural-products, Protein abundance, Transcriptome
Chacon, DS, Torres, TM, da Silva, IB, de Araújo, TF, Roque, AD, Pinheiro, FASD, Selegato, D, Pilon, A, Reginaldo, FPS, da Costa, CT, Vilasboa, J, Freire, RT, Voigt, EL, Zuanazzi, JAS, Libonati, R, Rodrigues, JA, Santos, FLM, Scortecci, KC, Lopes, NP, Ferreira, LD, dos Santos, LV, Cavalheiro, AJ, Fett-Neto, AG, Giordani, RB, (2021). Erythrina velutina Willd. alkaloids: Piecing biosynthesis together from transcriptome analysis and metabolite profiling of seeds and leaves Journal Of Advanced Research 34, 123-136
© 2021 Introduction: Natural products of pharmaceutical interest often do not reach the drug market due to the associated low yields and difficult extraction. Knowledge of biosynthetic pathways is a key element in the development of biotechnological strategies for plant specialized metabolite production. The scarce studies regarding non-model plants impair advances in this field. Erythrina spp. are mainly used as central nervous system depressants in folk medicine and are important sources of bioactive tetracyclic benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, which can act on several pathology-related biological targets. Objective: Herein the purpose is to employ combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses (seeds and leaves) of a non-model medicinal Fabaceae species grown in its unique arid natural habitat. The study tries to propose a putative biosynthetic pathway for the bioactive alkaloids by using an omic integrated approach. Methods: The Next Generation Sequencing-based transcriptome (de novo RNA sequencing) was carried out in a Illumina NextSeq 500 platform. Regarding the targeted metabolite profiling, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to a micrOTOF-QII, High Resolution Mass Spectrometer, were used. Results: This detailed macro and micromolecular approach applied to seeds and leaves of E. velutina revealed 42 alkaloids by metabolome tools. Based on the combined evidence, 24 gene candidates were put together in a putative pathway leading to the singular alkaloid diversity of this species. Conclusion: These results contribute by indicating potential biotechnological targets Erythrina alkaloids biosynthesis as well as to improve molecular databases with omic data from a non-model medicinal plant. Furthermore, they reveal an interesting chemical diversity in Erythrina velutina harvested in Caatinga. Last, but not least, this data may also contribute to tap Brazilian biodiversity in a rational and sustainable fashion, promoting adequate public policies for preservation and protection of sensitive areas within the Caatinga.
JTD Keywords: benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, caatinga, codeinone reductase, erythrina velutina, expression, mass-spectrometry, molecular-cloning, morphine biosynthesis, natural-products, opium poppy, papaver-somniferum, plant-metabolism, targeted metabolite profile, transcriptome, Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, Berberine bridge enzyme, Caatinga, Erythrina velutina, Targeted metabolite profile, Transcriptome
