Functional and Structural Characterization of a Flavonoid Glucoside 1,6-Glucosyltransferase from Catharanthus roseus
2009
Masada, Sayaka | Terasaka, Kazuyoshi | Oguchi, Yukie | Okazaki, Seiji | Mizushima, Tunehiro | Mizukami, Hajime
Sugar-sugar glycosyltransferases play an important role in structural diversity of small molecule glycosides in higher plants. We isolated a cDNA clone encoding a sugar-sugar glucosyltransferase (CaUGT3) catalyzing 1,6-glucosylation of flavonol and flavone glucosides for the first time from Catharanthus roseus. CaUGT3 exhibited a unique glucosyl chain elongation activity forming not only gentiobioside but also gentiotrioside and gentiotetroside in a sequential manner. We investigated the functional properties of CaUGT3 using homology modeling and site-directed mutagenesis, and identified amino acids positioned in the acceptor-binding pocket as crucial for providing enough space to accommodate flavonoid glucosides instead of flavonoid aglycones. These results provide basic information for understanding and engineering the catalytic functions of sugar-sugar glycosyltransferases involved in biosynthesis of plant glycosides.
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