Identification and analysis of CYP450 and UGT supergene family members from the transcriptome of Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem reveal candidate genes for triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis

Abstract

Background: Members of the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) and UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT) gene superfamily have been shown to play essential roles in regulating secondary metabolite biosynthesis. However, the systematic identification of CYP450s and UGTs has not been reported in Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem, a highly valued medicinal plant. Results: In the present study, we conducted the RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of the leaves, stems, and roots of A. elata, yielding 66,713 total unigenes. Following annotation and KEGG pathway analysis, we were able to identify 64 unigenes related to triterpenoid skeleton biosynthesis, 254 CYP450s and 122 UGTs, respectively. A total of 150 CYP450s and 92 UGTs encoding >300 amino acid proteins were utilized for phylogenetic and tissue-specific expression analyses. This allowed us to cluster 150 CYP450s into 9 clans and 40 families, and then these CYP450 proteins were further grouped into two primary branches: A-type (53%) and non-A-type (47%). A phylogenetic analysis of 92 UGTs and other plant UGTs led to clustering into 16 groups (A-P). We further assessed the expression patterns of these CYP450 and UGT genes across A. elata tissues, with 23 CYP450 and 16 UGT members being selected for qRT-PCR validation, respectively. From these data, we identified CYP716A295 and CYP716A296 as the candidate genes most likely to be associated with oleanolic acid synthesis, while CYP72A763 and CYP72A776 were identified as being the most likely to play roles in hederagenin biosynthesis. We also selected five unigenes as the best candidates for oleanolic acid 3-O-glucosyltransferase. Finally, we assessed the subcellular localization of three CYP450 proteins within Arabidopsis protoplasts, highlighting the fact that they localize to the endoplasmic reticulum.Conclusions: This study presents a systematic analysis of the CYP450 and UGT gene family in A. elata and provides a foundation for further functional characterization of these two multigene families.

Physiological and Biochemical Responses, and Comparative Transcriptome Profiling of Two Angelica sinensis Cultivars Under Enhanced Ultraviolet-B Radiation

“…ACX is widely involved in embryo development, seed germination, seedling establishment, and the biosynthesis of JA in response to stresses (Baker et al, 2006). Plant cytochrome P450 is a monooxygenase, in the process of plant growth and development, P450 participates in secondary metabolic reactions such as the synthesis and degradation of alkaloids, terpenoids, fatty acids, plant hormones, signal molecules, and flavonoids (Cheng et al, 2020). In addition, it also plays an important role in the response mechanism to biological and abiotic stresses.…”