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PubMed2004

Characterization of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rHuG-CSF) by capillary zone electrophoresis, capillary isoelectric focusing electrophoresis and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rHuG-CSF) is a hematopietic cytokine that stimulates and regulates the proliferation and differentiation of neutrophils. Glycosylated and non-glycosylated forms of rHuG-CSF cannot be distinguished by traditional biological assays. In addition, it is very difficult to characterize impurities of the same molecular weight in biologicals. In this study, non-glycosylated rHuG-CSF, two glycosylated rHuG-CSF isoforms and their commercial dosages were successfully separated by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) using 50mM Tricine containing 20mM NaCl and 2.5mM 1,4-diaminobutane (DAB) at pH 8.0, which could be employed for the qualitative discrimination assay of rHuG-CSF related products. CZE, capillary isoelectric focusing electrophoresis (CIEF), and mass spectrometry (MS) were used to effectively characterize non-glycosylated rHuG-CSF. It was found that proteins in the samples with different pIs in the CIEF profile could not be detected by CZE, while no difference was observed between these proteins and rHuG-CSF. Further analysis by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry with the resolution of 2000 showed that the components with different pIs in the non-glycosylated rHuG-CSF bulk sample are nearly equal in molecular weight. Therefore, it is necessary to combine several modern analytical techniques for quality control to get well-characterized biologicals.

Electrophoresis, Capillary↗

PubMed2006

Identification and characterization of potential impurities of rabeprazole sodium.

Six impurities in rabeprazole sodium bulk drug substance were detected by a simple isocratic high performance chromatographic method (HPLC) whose area percentage ranged from 0.60 to 1.46%. LC-MS was performed to identify the mass of the impurities. A thorough study was undertaken to characterize these impurities. These impurities were synthesized, subsequently characterized and were co-injected with the sample containing impurities and are found to be matching with the impurities in the sample. Based on their spectral data (IR, NMR and MS), these impurities were characterized as 2-[[[4-(3-methoxypropoxy)-3-methyl-2-pyridinyl] methyl]thio]-1H-benzimidazole (impurity I); 2-[[[4-(3-methoxypropoxy)-3-methyl-2-pyridinyl] methyl] sulfonyl]-1H-benzimidazole (impurity II); 2-[[[4-(3-methoxypropoxy)-3-methyl-2-pyridinyl-1-oxide] methyl] sulfonyl]-1H-benzimidazole (impurity III); 2-[[[4-(3-methoxypropoxy)-3-methyl] pyridin-2-yl]methanesulfinyl]-1-[[4-(3-methoxypropoxy)-3-methyl]pyridin-2-ylmethyl]-1H-benzimidazole (impurity IV); 2-[[[4-methoxy-3-methyl-2-pyridinyl] methyl] sulfinyl]-1H-benzimidazole (impurity V); 2-[[[4-(3-methoxypropoxy)-3-methyl-2-pyridine-1-oxide] methyl] sulfinyl]-1H-benzimidazole (impurity VI).

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗

PubMed2006

Molecular cloning, sequence characterization and tissue-specific expression of six NAC-like genes in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.).

NAC proteins have been considered as one of the novel classes of plant-specific transcription factors functioning in diverse and vital physiological processes during plant development. In this study, six NAC-like genes from soybean, designated as GmNAC1-GmNAC6, were cloned and characterized. They each contained two introns and three exons and shared conservative structure of genomic organization. The predicted proteins, GmNAC1-GmNAC6, were similar in sequences, especially in NAC domain regions. However, RT-PCR analysis indicated that each GmNAC gene exhibited a specific expression pattern in tissues examined. GmNAC2, 3, 4, and 6 were expressed in most tested tissues while GmNAC1 and GmNAC5 were limited to a few tissues. In addition, expression patterns of GmNAC genes were characterized during seed filling and coordinated expression was observed between GmNAC genes. Finally, based on phylogenetic analysis, six GmNAC proteins were classed into five subgroups with different putative functions. To our knowledge, this is the first report on molecular cloning and initial characterization of NAC-like genes in soybean. Our results may provide the basis for future investigations of NAC-like genes' roles in seed development and other physiological processes in this important crop.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2006

An introduction to mass spectrometry based proteomics-detection and characterization of gonadotropins and related molecules.

This review introduces fundamental aspects of mass spectrometry (MS) based proteomics and illustrates how MS is an effective tool for the analysis of glycoprotein hormones. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) and electrospray ionization (ESI) MS are complementary approaches that have been applied for the analysis of gonadotropins, e.g. to characterize differences in the oligosaccharide distribution of commercial human chorionic gonadotropin preparations, for isolated nicked beta-subunit, and identification of a metabolite of placental transforming growth factor in pharmaceutical hCG preparations. Immunoaffinity trapping and concentration of digested sample extract prior to MS analysis confers analytical sensitivity akin to immunoassay. A desirable objective would be to develop for clinical purposes a rapid procedure for MS detection and characterization of gonadotropins. Refinement of on-target immobilization and digestion for subsequent ionization by MALDI may eventually help to provide this capability. The advent of hybrid mass spectrometers will further advance the characterization of these complex molecules.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Molecular characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in a region of Brazil with a high incidence of tuberculosis.

One hundred and seventy Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates were characterized by spoligotyping to evaluate the biodiversity of tubercle bacilli in a region of Brazil with a high incidence of tuberculosis (Pelotas and Rio Grande cities - Rio Grande do Sul State). The spoligotyping results were compared to the World Spoligotyping Database (Institut Pasteur de Guadeloupe), which contains data from >14,000 worldwide isolates of M. tuberculosis. The isolates clustered by spoligotyping were further characterized by IS6110-RFLP to confirm the clonal relationship. Sixty-six different spoligotypes were identified, grouping 125 of the isolates (74%). Approximately half of the isolates belonged to seven of the most frequently occurring spoligotypes in the database. Three shared types (with two or more isolates) not previously identified were given the type numbers 826, 827 and 863. An additional 45 spoligotypes were identified that did not match any existing database pattern. RFLP characterization reduced the number of isolates in most of the clusters, thereby showing a higher differentiation capacity than spoligotyping. These results highlight the importance of molecular epidemiology studies of tuberculosis in insufficiently studied regions with a high TB burden, in order to uncover the true extent of genetic diversity of the pathogen.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

PubMed2005

The TEM characterization of the lamellar structure of osteoporotic human trabecular bone.

The lamellar structure of osteoporotic human trabecular bone was characterized experimentally by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). More specifically, the TEM was used to determine if trabecular bone exhibits similar lamellar structural motifs as cortical bone by analyzing unmineralized, mineralized and demineralized bone, and to study the influence of the osteocyte network on the lamellar structure of osteoporotic trabecular bone. Comparison with normal trabecular bone is included. This paper summarizes partial results of a larger study, which addressed the characterization of the hierarchical structure of normal versus osteoporotic human trabecular bone [Rubin, M.A., 2001. Multiscale characterization of the ultrastructure of trabecular bone in osteoporotic and normal humans and in two inbred strains of mice. MS Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology.] at several structural scales.

Bone and Bones↗

PubMed2004

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as a new tool for characterization of mollicutes.

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy is a convenient physico-chemical technique to investigate various cell materials. Bacteria of class Mollicutes, identified by conventional methods, as Mycoplasma, Acholeplasma and Ureaplasma genera were characterized using this method. A data set of 74 independent experiments corresponding to fourteen reference strains of Mollicutes was examined by FT-IR spectroscopy to attempt a spectral characterization based on the biomolecular structures. In addition to the separation of Mollicutes within the lipidic region into five main clusters corresponding to the three phylogenetic groups tested, FT-IR spectroscopy allowed a fine discrimination between strains belonging to the same species by using selective spectral windows, particularly in the 1200-900 cm(-1) saccharide range. The results obtained by FT-IR were in good agreement with both taxonomic and phylogenetic classifications of tested strains. Thus, this technique appears to be a useful tool and an accurate mean for a rapid characterization of Mollicutes observed in humans.

Carbohydrates↗

PubMed2005

Characterization of Plasmodium falciparum cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PfPKG): antiparasitic activity of a PKG inhibitor.

Cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) has been biochemically and genetically validated in Toxoplasma gondii as a primary target responsible for the antiparasitic activity of the trisubstituted pyrrole 4-[2-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-(1-methylpiperidine-4-yl)-1H pyrrol-3-yl] pyridine (Compound 1) [Biftu T, Feng D, Ponpipom M, et al. Synthesis and SAR of 2,3-diarylpyrrole inhibitors of parasite cGMP-dependent protein kinase as novel anticoccidial agents. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2005;15:3296-301; Gurnett AM, Liberator PA, Dulski PM, et al. Purification and molecular characterization of cGMP-dependent protein kinase from Apicomplexan parasites. A novel chemotherapeutic target. J Biol Chem 2002;277:15913-22; Donald RGK, Allocco J, Singh SB, et al. Toxoplasma gondii cyclic GMP-dependent kinase: Chemotherapeutic targeting of an essential parasite protein kinase. Eukaryotic Cell 2002;1:317-28; Nare B, Allocco J, Liberator PA, Donald RGK. Evaluation of a cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor in treatment of murine Toxoplasmosis: Gamma interferon is required for efficacy. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2002;46:300-7]. Compound 1 inhibits the growth of several related protozoan parasites of the subphylum Apicomplexa. Native PKG activity has been partially purified by cGMP-affinity and MonoQ ion exchange chromatography from Plasmodium falciparum (PfPKG). Biochemical fractions enriched for a 98kDa protein detected using anti-PKG antisera, contain cGMP-induced protein kinase activity that is sensitive to inhibition by Compound 1. To enable a more thorough characterization of PfPKG we expressed a synthetic cDNA incorporating T. gondii codon preference (Pf(Tg)PKG) in T. gondii parasites. The protein kinase activity of purified recombinant Pf(Tg)PKG is stimulated by cGMP, with significant cooperativity as demonstrated by a Hill coefficient of 2. Both substrate preference and inhibition of Pf(Tg)PKG kinase activity by Compound 1 are similar to that seen with native PfPKG, as well as PKG enzymes from Eimeria spp. and T. gondii. We conclude that PfPKG has biochemical and pharmacological properties that are similar to previously characterized apicomplexan PKG enzymes. Compound 1 is active against blood cell stages of P. falciparum cultured in vitro. In a Plasmodium berghei mouse model of infection, Compound 1 delays the onset of parasitemia but does not cure the parasite infection.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Characterization of protein kinase CK2 from Trypanosoma brucei.

CK2 is a ubiquitous but enigmatic kinase. The difficulty in assigning a role to CK2 centers on the fact that, to date, no biologically relevant modulator of its function has been identified. One common theme revolves around a constellation of known substrates involved in growth control, compatible with its concentration in the nucleus and nucleolus. We had previously described the identification of two catalytic subunits of CK2 in Trypanosoma brucei and characterized one of them. Here we report the characterization of the second catalytic subunit, CK2alpha', and the identification and characterization of the regulatory subunit CK2beta. All three subunits are primarily localized to the nucleolus in T. brucei. We also show that CK2beta interacts with the nucleolar protein NOG1, adding to the interaction map which previously linked CK2alpha to the nucleolar protein NOPP44/46, which in turn associates with the rRNA binding protein p37. CK2 activity has four distinctive features: near equal affinity for GTP and ATP, heparin sensitivity, and stimulation by polyamines and polybasic peptides. Sequence comparison shows that the parasite orthologues have mutations in residues previously mapped as important in specifying affinity for GTP and stimulation by both polyamines and polybasic peptides. Studies of the enzymatic activity of the T. brucei CK2s show that both the affinity for GTP and stimulation by polyamines have been lost and only the features of heparin inhibition and stimulation by polybasic peptides are conserved.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

C5 complement deficiency in a Spanish family. Molecular characterization of the double mutation responsible for the defect.

The complement C5 deficiency is a recessive autosomal defect associated with recurrent infectious episodes, generally caused by Gram-negative micro-organisms. To date, only two mutations responsible for C5 deficiency have been characterized, both in heterozygosis. In this paper, we evaluate by immunochemical methods the C5 deficiency in a six-member family, in which one member suffered from meningococcal sepsis and several pneumonia episodes; and a second one with two bacterial meningitis episodes and frequent tonsillitis, pneumonia and herpetic episodes. We also characterize the molecular basis of this deficiency. No C5 protein was found in the serum from three of the children. They were found to be homozygous for a double mutation in the exon 40 of the C5 gene. The parents and the other children have half-normal levels of C5, and they were heterozygotes for the double mutation. This mutation modifies the reading frame, leading to a premature stop codon, and the resulting protein lacks 50 amino acids. As a result, homozygotes and heterozygotes have a total or a partial C5 deficiency respectively. This is the first report of a whole molecular characterization of C5 deficiency.

Codon, Nonsense↗

PubMed2006

Identification and characterization of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS-3) homologues in teleost fish.

The suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS-3) is a member of a newly discovered protein family, which have been shown to regulate the responses of many immune cytokines, such as interferon (IFN), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-6, etc., by inhibiting Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) signaling in a negative auto-regulatory manner. Although SOCS-3 was well characterized in several mammal species, there was still no report in fish. In present study, we initially identified and characterized the SOCS-3 genes from three fishes, the Tetraodon nigroviridis, the Danio rerio and the Fugu rubripes. The results showed that Tetraodon SOCS-3 gene located within a 2666 bp genomic fragment of chromosome 3, transcribed into a 1445 bp mRNA including 273 bp 5' UTR (untranslated region), 606 bp ORF (open reading frame) and 566 bp 3' UTR. Tetraodon SOCS-3 with 201aa (amino acid) has a calculated molecular mass of 22.76 kDa and a theoretical pI of 8.99. Danio SOCS-3 gene located within a 3617 bp genomic fragment of chromosome 3, transcribed into a 1927 bp mRNA including 178 bp 5' UTR, 624 bp ORF and 1125 bp 3' UTR. Danio SOCS-3 with 207aa has a calculated molecular mass of 23.68 kDa and a theoretical pI of 9.19. Fugu SOCS-3 gene located within a 2842 bp genomic fragment of Scaffold_1118, transcribed into a 1528 bp mRNA including 209 bp 5' UTR, 606 bp ORF and 713 bp 3' UTR. Fugu SOCS-3 with 201aa has a calculated molecular mass of 22.76 kDa and a theoretical pI of 8.18. The fish SOCS-3-encoding genes with the same organization as the mammalians consist of two exons and a single intron that lies in the 5' UTR of the transcript. The deduced amino acid sequences of the fish SOCS-3s showed: 60.7-61.7% sequence identity to mammalian SOCS-3s; 62.3-63.2% sequence identity to bird SOCS-3s; and 55.3-57.8% sequence identity to amphibian SOCS-3s. Phylogenetic analysis separates the fish SOCS-3s into an exclusive group. Expression study of Tetraodon SOCS-3 mRNA in ten selected tissues showed that it was constitutively expressed and induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) strikingly. These results indicated that SOCS-3s in fish may be involved in inflammatory responses. This is the first report of cloning and characterization of SOCS-3 cDNAs and genes in fish.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Characterization of two APP gene promoter polymorphisms that appear to influence risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by formation of plaques of amyloid beta peptide (Abeta). Autosomally-inherited or "familial" AD had been demonstrated only in connection with coding sequence mutations. We characterized DNA-protein interaction and expression influence of two polymorphisms that occur in the promoter (C<-->T at -3829 and T<-->C at -1023, +1 transcription start site) of the Abeta precursor protein (APP) gene. We report distinct functional differences in reporter expression and in DNA-protein interaction for variant sequences in both -3829 and -1023 polymorphic regions. The -3829T variant has reduced DNA-protein interaction and reporter expression compared to -3829C, while -1023C has greater DNA-protein interaction and reporter expression than -1023T. Our predictions for likely transcription factors for loss of function (-3829T) are ADR1, MIG1, and PuF, and for gain of function (-1023C) are E12/E47, ITF-2, and RFX2. Characterization of the activity of a regulatory polymorphism of the APP gene points towards understanding mechanisms that likely underlie the majority of AD cases and may contribute to promoter-based drug design.

Alzheimer Disease↗

PubMed2004

Characterization of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit Cgamma expressed and purified from sf9 cells.

The Cgamma and Calpha subunits of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) contain 350 amino acids that are highly homologous (83% amino acid sequence), with 91% homology within the catalytic domain (a.a. 40-300). Unlike Cgamma, the Calpha subunit has been readily purified and characterized as a recombinant protein in vitro, in intact cells, and in vivo. This report describes for the first time the expression, purification, and characterization of Cgamma. The expression of active Cgamma was eukaryote-specific, from mammalian and insect cells, but not bacteria. Active recombinant Cgamma was optimally expressed and purified to homogeneity from Sf9 cells with a 273-fold increase in specific activity and a 21% recovery after sequential CM-Sepharose and Sephacryl S-300 chromatography. The specific activity of pure Cgamma was 0.31 and 0.81 U/mg with kemptide and histone as substrates, respectively. Physical characterization showed Cgamma had a lower apparent molecular weight and Stokes radii than Calpha, suggesting differences in tertiary structures. Steady-state kinetics demonstrated that like Calpha and Cbeta, Cgamma phosphorylates substrates requiring basic amino acids at P-3 and P-2. However, Cgamma generally exhibited a lower Km and Vmax than Calpha for peptide substrates tested. Cgamma also exhibited a distinct pseudosubstrate specificity showing inhibition by homogeneous preparations of RIalpha and RIIalpha-subunits, but not by pure recombinant protein kinase inhibitors PKIalpha and PKIbeta, PKA-specific inhibitors. These studies suggest that Cgamma and Calpha exhibit differences in structure and function in vitro, supporting the hypothesis that functionally different C-subunit isozymes could diversify and/or fine-tune cAMP signal transduction downstream of PKA activation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

Multidrug transporter MexB of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: overexpression, purification, and initial structural characterization.

Structural and functional characterization of the multidrug transporter, MexB, of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is significantly restricted due to a low yield of approximately 0.1 mg/L of culture from natural sources. To facilitate structural studies of this medically important transporter protein, we developed a large-scale system for expression of the genetically engineered recombinant, MexB, in the Escherichia coli cell. Using the system, the eventual yield of MexB attained was about 10mg/L of culture. The optimized purification protocol in the presence of dodecyl beta-D-maltoside allowed isolation of highly homogeneous MexB. The oligomeric state of the protein in detergent solution has been characterized to verify that the native state of the purified protein has been preserved. The molecular mass of the protein-detergent complex was found to be 380-450kDa. The MexB-dodecyl beta-d-maltoside mass ratio was determined to be 1.8 +/- 0.05. Taking into account the monomeric MexB molecular mass deduced from its amino acid sequence (112.8 kDa), we concluded that the purified MexB exists as the homotrimer in the surfactant solution. Circular dichroism analysis of MexB showed dominance of the alpha-helix structures. High yield, homogeneity, and stability of MexB position it as a good candidate for structural and functional characterization.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗

PubMed2005

In vitro expression and characterization of native apomyoglobin under low molecular crowding conditions.

The labile nature of membranes and organelles poses serious challenges to in situ biomolecule characterization in intact cells. Cell-free in vitro systems provide an alternative promising medium for the expression and characterization of protein conformation and function in a biochemical context that bears several similarities to the cellular environment. In addition, cell-free transcription-translation has recently emerged as a convenient method for protein selective isotope labeling, providing significant advantages for detailed NMR analysis. We report the cell-free expression of the model protein apomyoglobin (apoMb) in an Escherichia coli cell-free system and the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the expression yields. In contrast with in vivo protein production under control of the strong T7 promoter, apoMb is expressed in vitro in 100% soluble form. In-gel tryptic digestion followed by mass spectrometry were performed to confirm the protein identity. In order to probe the conformation of the newly expressed protein and investigate the feasibility of in situ structural analysis, high resolution protein characterization was carried out by 2D NMR spectroscopy. In vitro apoMb expression in a PEG-free environment is a convenient method for the production of soluble native-like protein under conditions amenable to selective isotopic labeling. Yields can be easily scaled-up by dialysis-assisted cell-free expression.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

Mass spectrometric characterization of crustacean hyperglycemic hormone precursor-related peptides (CPRPs) from the sinus gland of the crab, Cancer productus.

Crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) precursor-related peptides (CPRPs) are produced during the proteolytic processing of CHH preprohormones. Currently, the physiological roles played by CPRPs are unknown. Due to their large size, direct mass spectrometric sequencing of intact CPRPs is difficult. Here, we describe a novel strategy for sequencing Cancer productus CPRPs directly from a tissue extract using nanoflow liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. Four novel CPRPs were characterized with the aid of MS/MS de novo sequencing of 27 truncated CPRP peptides. Extensive modifications (methionine oxidation and carboxy-terminal methylation) were identified in both the full-length and truncated peptides. To investigate the origin of the modifications and truncations, a full-length CPRP was synthesized and subjected to the same storage and extraction protocols used for the characterization of the native peptides. Here, some methionine oxidation was seen, however, no methylation or truncation was evident suggesting much of the chemical complexity seen in the native CPRPs is unlikely due to a sample preparation artifact. Collectively, our study represents the most complete characterization of CPRPs to date and provides a foundation for future investigation of CPRP function in C. productus.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

14,15-EET analogs: characterization of structural requirements for agonist and antagonist activity in bovine coronary arteries.

Arachidonic acid metabolites contribute to the regulation of vascular tone and therefore tissue blood flow. The vascular endothelium metabolizes arachidonic acid by cytochrome P450 epoxygenases to epoxyeicosatrienoic acids or EETs. The placement of the epoxide group can occur on any of the double bonds of arachidonic acid resulting in four EET regioisomers; 5,6-, 8,9-, 11,12- and 14,15-EET. In the vasculature, EETs are key components of cellular signaling cascades that culminate in the activation of smooth muscle potassium channels to induce membrane hyperpolarization and vascular relaxation. In some vasculatures such as bovine coronary arteries, EET regioisomers are equipotent in inducing relaxations, while in other arteries, a specific EET regioisomer induces relaxation while others do not. Therefore, the position of the double bonds and/or the epoxide group may alter vascular agonist activity. This observation suggests that small alterations in the chemical structure of EETs can significantly impact vascular activity. To explore this hypothesis, we synthesized a series of EET analogs and characterized their vasodilator agonist and antagonist activity in bovine coronary arteries. In this chapter, we first review the mechanisms of EET-dependent relaxations in bovine coronary arteries to familiarize the reader with the role of EETs in these arteries. The second component is a synopsis of the functional characterization of the 14,15-EET analogs and the resulting description of structural components required for vascular dilator activity. Lastly, we discussed the characterization of three 14,15-EET analogs with specific EET-antagonist activity and compared this to the activity of similar 11,12-EET analogs. These studies have revealed that specific structural components of the 14,15-EET molecule are critical for dilator activity and that alteration of these components influences agonist activity and may confer antagonist properties.

8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic Acid↗

PubMed2006

Functional characterization of the rice kaurene synthase-like gene family.

The rice (Oryza sativa) genome contains a family of kaurene synthase-like genes (OsKSL) presumably involved in diterpenoid biosynthesis. While a number of OsKSL enzymes have been functionally characterized, several have not been previously investigated, and the gene family has not been broadly analyzed. Here we report cloning of several OsKSL genes and functional characterization of the encoded enzymes. In particular, we have verified the expected production of ent-kaur-16-ene by the gibberellin phytohormone biosynthesis associated OsKS1 and demonstrated that OsKSL3 is a pseudo-gene, while OsKSL5 and OsKSL6 produce ent-(iso)kaur-15-ene. Similar to previous reports, we found that our sub-species variant of OsKSL7 produces ent-cassa-12,15-diene, OsKSL10 produces ent-(sandaraco)pimar-8(14),15-diene, and OsKSL8 largely syn-stemar-13-ene, although we also identified syn-stemod-12-ene as an alternative product formed in approximately 20% of the reactions catalyzed by OsKSL8. Along with our previous reports identifying OsKSL4 as a syn-pimara-7,15-diene synthase and OsKSL11 as a syn-stemod-13(17)-ene synthase, this essentially completes biochemical characterization of the OsKSL gene family, enabling broader analyses. For example, because several OsKSL enzymes are involved in phytoalexin biosynthesis and their gene transcription is inducible, promoter analysis was used to identify a pair of specifically conserved motifs that may be involved in transcriptional up-regulation during the rice plant defense response. Also examined is the continuing process of gene evolution in the OsKSL gene family, which is particularly interesting in the context of very recently reported data indicating that a japonica sub-species variant of OsKSL5 produces ent-pimara-8(14),15-diene, rather than the ent-(iso)kaur-15-ene produced by the indica sub-species variant analyzed here.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗