Bifunctional CYP81AA Proteins Catalyse Identical Hydroxylations but Alternative Regioselective Phenol Couplings in Plant Xanthone Biosynthesis
ARTICLE Received 27 Oct 2015 | Accepted 30 Mar 2016 | Published 5 May 2016 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11472 OPEN Bifunctional CYP81AA proteins catalyse identical hydroxylations but alternative regioselective phenol couplings in plant xanthone biosynthesis Islam El-Awaad1,2,w, Marco Bocola3, Till Beuerle1,2, Benye Liu1,2 & Ludger Beerhues1,2 Xanthones are natural products present in plants and microorganisms. In plants, their biosynthesis starts with regioselective cyclization of 2,30,4,6-tetrahydroxybenzophenone to either 1,3,5- or 1,3,7-trihydroxyxanthones, catalysed by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. Here we isolate and express CYP81AA-coding sequences from Hypericum calycinum and H. perforatum in yeast. Microsomes catalyse two consecutive reactions, that is, 30-hydro- xylation of 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzophenone and C–O phenol coupling of the resulting 2,30, 4,6-tetrahydroxybenzophenone. Relative to the inserted 30-hydroxyl, the orthologues Hc/HpCYP81AA1 cyclize via the para position to form 1,3,7-trihydroxyxanthone, whereas the paralogue HpCYP81AA2 directs cyclization to the ortho position, yielding the isomeric 1,3,5- trihydroxyxanthone. Homology modelling and reciprocal mutagenesis reveal the impact of S375, L378 and A483 on controlling the regioselectivity of HpCYP81AA2, which is converted into HpCYP81AA1 by sextuple mutation. However, the reciprocal mutations in HpCYP81AA1 barely affect its regiospecificity. Product docking rationalizes the alternative C–O phenol coupling reactions. Our results help understand the machinery of bifunctional CYPs. 1 Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, Technische Universita¨t Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstrae 1, Braunschweig 38106, Germany. 2 Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering (PVZ), Technische Universita¨t Braunschweig, Franz-Liszt-Strae 35A, Braunschweig 38106, Germany. 3 Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, Aachen 52074, Germany.
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