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Advances in flavonoid glycosyltransferase research: integrating recent findings with long-term citrus studies

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Abstract

Flavonoid glycosides are required for a number of crucial roles in planta and have the potential for development in a variety of agricultural, medicinal, and biotechnological applications. A number of recent advancements have been made in characterizing glycosyltransferases, the enzymes that are responsible for the synthesis of these important molecules. In this review, glycosyltransferases are considered with regard to biochemical properties, expression patterns, levels of enzyme activity during development, and structure/function relationships. This is presented with historical context to highlight critical findings, particularly with regard to the innovative work that has come from research on citrus species. The plant glycosyltransferase crystal structures that have been solved over the past decade, either alone or in complex with sugar donor and/or acceptor molecules, are discussed. The application of results from these structures to inform current structure/function work as well as implications and goals for future crystallography and tertiary modeling studies are considered. A thorough understanding of the properties of glycosyltransferases will be a critical step in any future biotechnological application of these enzymes in areas such as crop improvement and custom design of enzymes to produce desired compounds for nutritional and/or medicinal usage.

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Notes

  1. To simplify identifying residues and areas of interest throughout this discussion, locations will be given in relation to the lower case letters indicated in Fig. 4 (alignment).

Abbreviations

ACT:

Acetate

B3P:

Bis–tris propane

Cp3GT:

Citrus paradisi flavonol 3-O-glucosyltransferse

DLM:

Delphinidin

EDO:

Ethylene glycol

Gal:

Galactose

Glc:

Glucose

GlcNAC:

N-Acetylglucosamine

GOL:

Glycerol

GT:

Glycosyltransferase

KMP:

Kaempferol

Man:

Mannose

MYC:

Myricetin

P5M:

Petunidin

PSPG:

Plant secondary product glycosyltransferase

QUE:

Quercetin

Rhm:

Rhamnose

RT:

Rhamnosyltransferase

TC7:

Trichlorophenol

TRS:

Tris buffer

U2F:

Uridine-5′-diphosphate-2-deoxy-2-fluoro

UDP:

Uridine-5′-diphosphate

UDPG:

Uridine-5′-diphosphate glucose

Xyl:

Xylose

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge financial support from the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, and East Tennessee State University for the work cited from the McIntosh lab. We also appreciate the undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs who have engaged in the research, most of whom are also coauthors in references cited.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, ETSU Box 70703, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA

    Cecilia A. McIntosh

  2. School of Graduate Studies, East Tennessee State University, ETSU Box 70720, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA

    Cecilia A. McIntosh

  3. Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, ARS, USDA, University, MS, 38655, USA

    Daniel K. Owens

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Correspondence to Cecilia A. McIntosh.

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McIntosh, C.A., Owens, D.K. Advances in flavonoid glycosyltransferase research: integrating recent findings with long-term citrus studies. Phytochem Rev 15, 1075–1091 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-016-9460-6

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