Purin Candra Purnama
Leiden University,Netherlands
Title: The use of metabolomics and transcriptomics approaches to characterize Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don.’s biosynthetic pathway and identify the key regulators in its secondary metabolites production
Biography
Biography: Purin Candra Purnama
Abstract
Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. is an interesting medicinal plant to study related to its diverse production of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs), up to 130. Among others is the production of dimeric alkaloids, vinblastine and vincristine, functioned as anticancer. Unfortunately the yield is only counted for 0.0002% fresh weight and its complex structure becomes the biggest challenge to synthesize it. Thus to increase the production through metabolic engineering, knowledge on the complete characterized biosynthetic pathway is needed, including the identification of key regulators in the secondary metabolites production. Using metabolomics and transcriptomic approaches, we reported the discovery of the last four missing steps of the (seco)iridoid biosynthesis pathway and the heterologous expression of these genes into other plant which confirms the functionality of all enzymes in the pathway. Our latest finding is the identification of a jasmonate-regulated basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor from clade IVa inducing the monoterpenoid branch of the MIA pathway. The bHLH iridoid synthesis 1 (BIS1) transcription factor transactivated the expression of all of the genes encoding the enzymes that catalyze the sequential conversion of the ubiquitous terpenoid precursor geranyl diphosphate to the iridoid loganic acid. In contrast to ORCA3, overexpression of BIS1 was sufficient to boost production of high-value iridoids and MIAs in C. roseus suspension cell cultures. Hence, BIS1 might be a metabolic engineering tool to produce sustainably high-value MIAs in C. roseus plants or cultures.