Curry tree (Murraya koenigii L.) is a rich source of aromatic terpenes and pharmacologically important carbazole alkaloids. Here, M. koenigii leaf transcriptome was generated to gain insight into terpenoid and alkaloid biosynthesis. Analysis of de novo assembled contigs yielded genes for terpene backbone biosynthesis and terpene synthases. Also, gene families possibly involved in carbazole alka...

Papaverine, a major benzylisoquinoline alkaloid in opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), is used as a vasodilator and antispasmodic. Conversion of the initial intermediate (S)-norcoclaurine to papaverine involves 3'-hydroxylation, four O-methylations and dehydrogenation. However, our understanding of papaverine biosynthesis remains controversial more than a century after an initial scheme was propo...

Noscapine is a potential anticancer drug isolated from the opium poppy Papaver somniferum, and genes encoding enzymes responsible for the synthesis of noscapine have been recently discovered to be clustered on the genome of P. somniferum. Here, we reconstitute the noscapine gene cluster in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to achieve the microbial production of noscapine and related pathway intermediate...

Epoxides are highly useful synthons and biosynthons for the construction of complex natural products during total synthesis and biosynthesis, respectively. Among enzyme-catalyzed epoxide transformations, a reaction that is notably missing, in regard to the synthetic toolbox, is cationic rearrangement that takes place under strong acid. This is a challenging transformation for enzyme catalysis, ...

Members of genus Neotyphodium are asexual derivatives of sexual Epichloë species and maintain endophytic relationships with many cool-season grasses. Most Neotyphodium species analyzed so far are interspecific hybrids with combined or partial genomes of two or three ancestral species. In this study we characterized Neotyphodium isolates from Cinna arundinacea, a perennial cool-season grass from...

Tyrosine/dopa decarboxylase (TYDC) catalyzes the formation of tyramine and dopamine and represents the first steps in the biosynthesis of the large and diverse group of tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids. Opium poppy accumulates morphine in aerial organs and roots, whereas sanguinarine, which is derived from a distinct branch pathway, accumulates only in roots. Expression of the TYDC gene family ...

Amphetamine analogues are produced by plants in the genus Ephedra and by khat (Catha edulis), and include the widely used decongestants and appetite suppressants (1S,2S)-pseudoephedrine and (1R,2S)-ephedrine. The production of these metabolites, which derive from L-phenylalanine, involves a multi-step pathway partially mapped out at the biochemical level using knowledge of benzoic acid metaboli...

Acetyl coenzyme A:salutaridinol-7-O-acetyltransferase, a highly substrate-specific enzyme, has been purified nearly 3,000-fold to homogeneity from Papaver somniferum plant cell suspension cultures. Purification was achieved by fractionated ammonium sulfate precipitation, dye-ligand affinity chromatography on matrex red A, gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography on Mono Q and a second dye-li...

Tyrosineklopa decarboxylase (TYDC) catalyzes the formation of tyramine and dopamine and represents the first steps in the biosynthesis of the large and diverse group of tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids. Opium poppy accumulates morphine in aerial organs and roots, whereas sanguinarine, which is derived from a distinct branch pathway, accumulates only in roots. Expression of the TYDC gene family ...