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Abstract:
Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) possess a diversity of alkaloid skeletons whose biosynthesis is poorly understood. A
bioinformatic search of candidate genes, combined with their
virus-induced gene silencing, targeted MIA profiling and in vitro/
in vivo pathway reconstitution identified and functionally characterized
six genes as well as a seventh enzyme reaction required for
the conversion of 19E-geissoschizine to tabersonine and catharanthine.
The involvement of pathway intermediates in the formation
of four MIA skeletons is described, and the role of stemmadenine-
O-acetylation in providing necessary reactive substrates for the
formation of iboga and aspidosperma MIAs is described. The results
enable the assembly of complex dimeric MIAs used in cancer
chemotherapy and open the way to production of many other
biologically active MIAs that are not easily available from nature