Stress and developmental responses of terpenoid biosynthetic genes in Cistus creticus subsp. creticus

TY - JOUR

T1 - Stress and developmental responses of terpenoid biosynthetic genes in Cistus creticus subsp. creticus

AU - Pateraki, Irini

AU - Kanellis, Angelos K.

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - Plants, and specially species adapted in non-friendly environments, produce secondary metabolites that help them to cope with biotic or abiotic stresses. These metabolites could be of great pharmaceutical interest because several of those show cytotoxic, antibacterial or antioxidant activities. Leaves' trichomes of Cistus creticus ssp. creticus, a Mediterranean xerophytic shrub, excrete a resin rich in several labdane-type diterpenes with verified in vitro and in vivo cytotoxic and cytostatic activity against human cancer cell lines. Bearing in mind the properties and possible future exploitation of these natural products, it seemed interesting to study their biosynthesis and its regulation, initially at the molecular level. For this purpose, genes encoding enzymes participating in the early steps of the terpenoids biosynthetic pathways were isolated and their gene expression patterns were investigated in different organs and in response to various stresses and defence signals. The genes studied were the CcHMGR from the mevalonate pathway, CcDXS and CcDXR from the methylerythritol 4-phosphate pathway and the two geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases (CcGGDPS1 and 2) previously characterized from this species. The present work indicates that the leaf trichomes are very active biosynthetically as far as it concerns terpenoids biosynthesis, and the terpenoid production from this tissue seems to be transcriptionally regulated. Moreover, the CcHMGR and CcDXS genes (the rate-limiting steps of the isoprenoids' pathways) showed an increase during mechanical wounding and application of defence signals (like meJA and SA), which is possible to reflect an increased need of the plant tissues for the corresponding metabolites.

AB - Plants, and specially species adapted in non-friendly environments, produce secondary metabolites that help them to cope with biotic or abiotic stresses. These metabolites could be of great pharmaceutical interest because several of those show cytotoxic, antibacterial or antioxidant activities. Leaves' trichomes of Cistus creticus ssp. creticus, a Mediterranean xerophytic shrub, excrete a resin rich in several labdane-type diterpenes with verified in vitro and in vivo cytotoxic and cytostatic activity against human cancer cell lines. Bearing in mind the properties and possible future exploitation of these natural products, it seemed interesting to study their biosynthesis and its regulation, initially at the molecular level. For this purpose, genes encoding enzymes participating in the early steps of the terpenoids biosynthetic pathways were isolated and their gene expression patterns were investigated in different organs and in response to various stresses and defence signals. The genes studied were the CcHMGR from the mevalonate pathway, CcDXS and CcDXR from the methylerythritol 4-phosphate pathway and the two geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases (CcGGDPS1 and 2) previously characterized from this species. The present work indicates that the leaf trichomes are very active biosynthetically as far as it concerns terpenoids biosynthesis, and the terpenoid production from this tissue seems to be transcriptionally regulated. Moreover, the CcHMGR and CcDXS genes (the rate-limiting steps of the isoprenoids' pathways) showed an increase during mechanical wounding and application of defence signals (like meJA and SA), which is possible to reflect an increased need of the plant tissues for the corresponding metabolites.

KW - 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP) synthase (DXS)

KW - Cistus creticus subsp. creticus

KW - DXP reductoisomerase (DXR)

KW - Gene expression

KW - Geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGDPS)

KW - Hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR)

KW - Secondary metabolism

KW - Terpenoid biosynthesis

U2 - 10.1007/s00299-010-0849-1

DO - 10.1007/s00299-010-0849-1

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 20364257

AN - SCOPUS:77952424938

SN - 0721-7714

VL - 29

SP - 629

EP - 641

JO - Plant Cell Reports

JF - Plant Cell Reports

IS - 6

ER -