Abstract
Solanesol is a non-cyclic terpene alcohol composed of nine isoprene units that mainly accumulates in solanaceous plants. Solanesol plays an important role in the interactions between plants and environmental factors such as pathogen infections and moderate-to-high temperatures. Additionally, it is a key intermediate for the pharmaceutical synthesis of ubiquinone-based drugs such as coenzyme Q10 and vitamin K2, and anti-cancer agent synergizers such as N-solanesyl-N,N′-bis(3,4-dimethoxybenzyl) ethylenediamine (SDB). In plants, solanesol is formed by the 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway within plastids. Solanesol’s biosynthetic pathway involves the generation of C5 precursors, followed by the generation of direct precursors, and then the biosynthesis and modification of terpenoids; the first two stages of this pathway are well understood. Based on the current understanding of solanesol biosynthesis, we here review the key enzymes involved, including 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXS), 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IPI), geranyl geranyl diphosphate synthase (GGPPS), and solanesyl diphosphate synthase (SPS), as well as their biological functions. Notably, studies on microbial heterologous expression and overexpression of key enzymatic genes in tobacco solanesol biosynthesis are of significant importance for medical uses of tobacco.
Highlights
Solanesol is a non-cyclic terpene alcohol composed of nine isoprene units, and serves as a key intermediate in the synthesis of ubiquinone-based drugs and supplements such as coenzymeQ10, vitamin K2, and the anti-cancer agent synergizer N-solanesyl-N,N 0 -bis(3,4-dimethoxybenzyl) ethylenediamine (SDB) [1,2,3]
isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and its isomer DMAPP are synthesized via two pathways that occur in different subcellular spaces; i.e., the mevalonate pathway located in the cytoplasm that uses acetyl coenzyme A as a building block, and the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway in plastids that uses pyruvate and glycerol-3-phosphate
The IPP and DMAPP C5 units are catalysed by geranyl diphosphate synthase (GPS), farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPS), and geranyl geranyl diphosphate synthase (GGPPS) to form GPP, FPP, and GGPP, respectively (Figure 2), which are the precursors of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and diterpenes, respectively [19]
Summary
Solanesol is a non-cyclic terpene alcohol composed of nine isoprene units, and serves as a key intermediate in the synthesis of ubiquinone-based drugs and supplements such as coenzyme. Solanesol was first isolated from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), and has been subsequently reported in other solanaceous plants, including potato (Solanum tuberosum), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), eggplant (Solanum melongena), and pepper (Capsicum annuum) [3,4]. Tobacco has the highest solanesol content amongst all solanaceous plants. De novo synthesis of solanesol is extremely challenging because of its long carbon chains [5]; solanesol production remains reliant on extraction from tobacco leaves [3,6].
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