• Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1994.07a
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• pp.111-136
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• 1994

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.158-158
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• 1998

The non-mevalonate pathway is a newly discovered isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway in some bacteria, cyanobacteria, algae and plants. Because isoprenoid metabolites (ubiquinone, menaquinone, undecaprenol) are essential for bacterial growth, this pathway may represent a novel target for antibacterial agents. Antibiotics with a unique mechanism of action are needed to combat the risk of antibiotic resistance that is a current worldwide problem. In order to study this pathway as viable target, it was necessary to verify use of the pathway in our model system, the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Incubation experiments with [6,6-$^2$H$_2$]-D-glucose and [l-$^2$H$_3$]-deoxy-D-xylulose were conducted to provide labeled menaquinone-7 (MK -7), the most abundant isoprenoid in B. subtilis. $^2$H-NMR analysis of the MK-7 revealed labeling patterns that strongly support utilization of the non-mevalonate pathway. Another approach to study the pathway is by structure activity relationships of proposed inhibitors of the pathway. Fosmidomycin is a phosphonic acid with antibacterial activity known to inhibit isoprenoid biosynthesis in susceptible bacteria and may act by inhibiting the non-mevalonate pathway. Fosmidomycin and an N-methyl analog were synthesized and tested for antibacterial activity. Fosmidomycin was active against Escherichia coli and B. subtilis, while N-formyl-N-methyl-3-amino-propylphosphonic acid was inactive.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.119-126
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• 2017

Objectives: Semecarpus anacardium Linn. is a plant well-known for its antimicrobial, antidiabetic and anti-arthritic properties in the Ayurvedic and Siddha system of medicine. This has prompted the screening of this plant for antibacterial activity. The main aims of this study were to isolate compounds from the plant's seeds and to evaluate their antibacterial effects on clinical bacterial test strains. Methods: The n-butanolic concentrate of the seed extract was subjected to thin layer chromatography (TLC) and repeated silica gel column chromatography followed by elution with various solvents. The compound was identified based on observed spectral (IR, $^1H$ NMR, $^{13}C$ NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry) data. The well diffusion method was employed to evaluate the antibacterial activities of the isolated acyclic isoprenoid compound (final concentration: $5-15{\mu}g/mL$) on four test bacterial strains, namely, Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 96), Bacillus cereus (MTCC 430), Escherichia coli (MTCC 1689) and Acinetobacter baumannii (MTCC 9829). Results: Extensive spectroscopic studies showed the structure of the isolated compound to be an acyclic isoprenoid ($C_{21}H_{32}O$). Moreover, the isoprenoid showed a remarkable inhibition of bacterial growth at a concentration of $15{\mu}g/mL$ compared to the two other doses tested (5 and $10{\mu}g/mL$) and to tetracycline, a commercially available antibiotic that was used as a reference drug. Conclusion: The isolation of an antimicrobial compound from Semecarpus anacardium seeds validates the use of this plant in the treatment of infections. The isolated compound found to be active in this study could be useful for the development of new antimicrobial drugs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.68-69
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• 1996

The isoprenoid quinone composition of Leclercia adecarboxylata KCTC $1036^T$ was determined by using high-performance liquid chromatography. L. adecarboxylata KCTC $1036^T$ are characterized by their production of both ubiquinone-7, ubiquinone-8 and menaquinone-8 as major quinones. It is clear that the analysis of isoprenoid quinone profiles provides a new criterion of great promise for identifying Leclercia strains.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.211-217
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• 1995

• ALGAE
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.3-20
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• 2011

The physiology of the unicellular green alga Dunaliella salina in response to abiotic stress has been studied for several decades. Early D. salina research focused on its remarkable salinity tolerance and ability, upon exposure to various abiotic stresses, to accumulate high concentrations of $\beta$-carotene and other carotenoid pigments valued highly as nutraceuticals. The simple life cycle and growth requirements of D. salina make this organism one of the large-scale commercially exploited microalgae for natural carotenoids. Recent advances in genomics and proteomics now allow investigation of abiotic stress responses at the molecular level. Detailed knowledge of isoprenoid biosynthesis mechanisms and the development of molecular tools and techniques for D. salina will allow the improvement of physiological characteristics of algal strains and the use of transgenic algae in bioreactors. Here we review D. salina isoprenoid and carotenoid biosynthesis regulation, and also the biotechnological and genetic transformation procedures developed for this alga that set the stage for its future use as a production system.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.20-20
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• 2012

Isoprenoids represent the most diverse group of metabolites, which are functionally and structurally identified in plant organism to date. Ginsenosides, glycosylated triterpenes, are considered to be the major pharmaceutically active ingredient of ginseng. Its backbones, categorized as protopanaxadiol (PPD), protopanaxatriol (PPT), and oleanane saponin, are synthesized via the isoprenoid pathway by cyclization of 2,3-oxidosqualene mediated with dammarenediol synthase or beta-amyrin synthase. The rate-limiting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), which is the first committed step enzyme catalyzes the cytoplasmic mevalonate (MVA) pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis. DXP reductoisomerese (DXR), yields 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP), is partly involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis via plastid. Squalene synthase and squalene epoxidase are involved right before the cyclization step. The triterpene backbone then undergoes various modifications, such as oxidation, substitution, and glycosylation. Here we will discuss general biosynthesis pathway for the production of ginsenoside and its modification based on their subcellular biological functions.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.269-274
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• 2006

In order to characterize saikosaponin biosynthesis in Bupleurum falcatum, the expression of five isoprenoid pathway genes and their relationship to saikosaponin accumulation in the hairy roots were analyzed. The hairy roots exhibited a rapid accumulation of saikosaponins when incubated in a root culture medium (3XRCM). Homology-based RT-PCR was used to isolate core fragments of five genes, HMGR, IPPI, FPS, SS, and OSC, from the hairy roots. The deduced amino acid sequences exhibited amino acid identities of more than 85% to previously reported genes. Using the fragments as probes, the expression of these five genes in the hairy roots during incubation in 3XRCM medium was examined. Expression of all five genes in the hairy roots increased soon after incubation. In particular, the SS and OSC genes were coordinately induced at 8 days of incubation, and their expression persisted throughout the incubation period. A quantitative HPLC analysis showed that the saikosaponin content of the hairy root culture also began to increase at 8 days of culture. The correlation between SS transcript level and saikosaponin content in the hairy roots suggests that transcriptional regulation plays a regulatory role in saikosaponin biosynthesis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1764-1770
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• 2008

The goal of this study is to increase production of astaxanthin in recombinant Escherichia coli by engineered isoprenoid pathway. We have previously reported structural and functional analysis of the astaxanthin biosynthesis genes from a marine bacterium, Paracoccus haeundaensis. The carotenoid biosynthesis gene cluster involved in astaxanthin production contained six carotenogenic genes (crtW, crtZ, crtY, crtI, crtB, and crtE genes) and recombinant E. coli harboring six carotenogenic genes from P. haeundaensis produced 400 ${\mu}g$/g dry cell weight (DCW) of astaxanthin. In order to increase production of astaxanthin in recombinant E. coli, we have cloned 4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate reductase (lytB), farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase (ispA), and isopentenyl (IPP) diphossphate isomerase (idi) in the isoprenoid pathway from E. coli and coexpressed these genes in recombinant E. coli harboring the astaxanthin biosynthesis genes. This engineered E. coli strain containing both isoprenoid pathway gene and astaxanthin biosynthesis gene cluster produced 1,200 ${\mu}g$/g DCW of astaxanthin, resulting 3-fold increased production of astaxanthin.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.294-299
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• 2005

A cDNA encoding farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPS; EC2.5.1.1/EC2.5.1.10) was isolated from Centella asiacita (L.) Urban, using degenerate primers based on two highly conserved domains. A full-length cDNA clone was subsequently isolated by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. The sequence of the CaFPS (C. asiatica farnesyl diphosphate synthase) cDNA contains an open reading frame of 1029 nucleotides encoding 343 amino acids with a molecular mass of 39.6 kDa. The deduced CaFPS amino acid sequence exhibits 84, 79, and 72%, identity to the FPSs of Artemisia annua, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Oryza sativa, respectively. Southern blot analysis suggested that the C. asiatica genome contains only one FPS gene. An artificially expressed soluble form of the CaFPS was identified by SDS-PAGE. It had high specific activity and produced farnesyl diphosphate as the major isoprenoid.