Publications - Cell and Metabolic Biology

Cell suspension cultures of potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Datura) treated with an elicitor preparation from Phytophthora infestans and potato leaves infected with the same fungus were used to study changes in the accumulation patterns of soluble and cell wall-bound phenolics. The compounds were identified by chromatographic comparison with authentic substances and by spectroscopic methods (FAB mass spectrometry, 1H and 13C NMR). The soluble phenolics were 4-O-β-glucopyranosylhydroquinone (arbutin), 4-O-β-glucopyranosylbenzoate, 3-methoxy-4-O-β-glucopyranosylbenzoate (vanillate glucoside), N-(E)-caffeoylputrescine, 2-O-β-glucopyranosylbenzoate (salicylate glucoside), N-(E)-feruloylputrescine, and N-(E)-feruloylaspartate. The cell wall-bound phenolics were 4-hydroxybenzoate, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (vanillin), 4-(E)-coumarate, (E)-ferulate, N-4-(E)-coumaroyltyramine, and N-(E)-feruloyltyramine. The most prominent phenolics showing elicitor- or fungus-induced increases in accumulation rates were the soluble putrescine amides and cell wall-bound 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and tyramine amides. In addition, there was a secretion of large amounts of coumaroyltyramine into the cell culture medium.

A pathogen-elicitor-inducible acyltransferase [tyramine hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (THT); EC 2.3.1], which catalyzes the transfer of hydroxycinnamic acids from hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA esters to tyramine in the formation of N-hydroxycinnamoyltyramine, was purified to apparent homogeneity from cell-suspension cultures of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Datura), with a 1400-fold enrichment, a 5% recovery and a final specific activity of 208 mkat·(kg protein)−1. Affinity chromatography on Reactive Yellow-3-Agarose using the acyl donor (feruloyl-CoA) as eluent was the decisive step in the purification sequence. The purified protein showed a native molecular mass of ca. 49 kDa. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence and in the absence of a reducing agent (2-mercaptoethanol) indicated that THT is a heterodimer in which the protein subunits (ca. 25 kDa) are non-covalently associated. The enzyme was stimulated fivefold by 10 mM Ca2+. The apparent K m value for tyramine was dependent on the nature of the hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA present. Thus, the K m value for tyramine was about tenfold greater (174 μM) in the presence of 4-coumaroyl-CoA than in the presence of feruloyl-CoA (20 μM).

A pathogen elicitor-inducible soluble acyltransferase (tyramine hydroxycinnamoyltransferase [THT], EC 2.3.1), which catalyzes the transfer of hydroxycinnamic acids from hydroxycinnamoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) esters to tyramine in the formation of N-hydroxycinnamoyltyramine, was partially purified with a 380-fold enrichment and a 6% recovery from cell-suspension cultures of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv Datura). The enzyme showed specific activities of 33 mkat (kg protein)-1 (formation of feruloyltyramine). The apparent native Mr was found to be approximately 49,000. Highest activity was at pH 6.8 in K-phosphate. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was approximately pH5.2. The apparent energy of activation was calculated to be 96 kJ mol-1. The enzyme activity was stimulated more than 5-fold by 10 mM Ca2+ or Mg2+. The apparent Km values were 36 [mu]M for feruloyl-CoA and 85 and 140 [mu]M for cinnamoyl- and 4-coumaroyl-CoA, respectively. The Km value for tyramine in the presence of feruloyl-CoA was 22 [mu]M. In the presence of 4-coumaroyl-CoA, however, the Km for tyramine increased to about 230 [mu]M. The mode of action was an iso-ordered bi bi mechanism in which A, B, P, and Q equal hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA, tyramine, N-hydroxycinnamoyltyramine, and CoA, respectively. Thus, the reaction occurred in a ternary complex of the enzyme and substrates. The equilibrium constant of the reaction was determined to be 1.3 x 104. This gave a [delta]G[deg][prime] eq value of -23.5 kJ mol-1.