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Free keywords:
INDOLE ALKALOID BIOSYNTHESIS; GEISSOSCHIZINE METHYL-ETHER;
CATHARANTHUS-ROSEUS; NATURAL-PRODUCTS; SERPENTINE; AJMALINE; VECTORBiochemistry & Molecular Biology;
Abstract:
Cyclization reactions that create complex polycyclic scaffolds are hallmarks of alkaloid biosynthetic pathways. We present the discovery of three homologous cytochrome P450s from three monoterpene indole alkaloid-producing plants (Rauwolfia serpentina, Gelsemium sempervirens and Catharanthus roseus) that provide entry into two distinct alkaloid classes, the sarpagans and the beta-carbolines. Our results highlight how a common enzymatic mechanism, guided by related but structurally distinct substrates, leads to either cyclization or aromatization.