Ether Bridge Formation and Chemical Diversification in Loline Alkaloid Biosynthesis

155 Pages·2017·4.78 MB·English

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Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology Plant Pathology
2014
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Juan Pan
University of Kentucky, [email protected]
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Pan, Juan, "Ether Bridge Formation and Chemical Diversification in Loline Alkaloid Biosynthesis" (2014).
Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology. 14.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/plantpath_etds/14
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Juan Pan, Student
Dr. Christopher L. Schardl, Major Professor
Dr. Lisa J. Vaillancourt, Director of Graduate Studies
ETHER BRIDGE FORMATION AND CHEMICAL DIVERSIFICATION IN LOLINE
ALKALOID BIOSYNTHESIS

DISSERTATION

A dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of
Kentucky

By
Juan Pan
Lexington, Kentucky

Director: Dr. Christopher L. Schardl, Professor Plant Pathology
Lexington, Kentucky
2014

Copyright © Juan Pan 2014
ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION

ETHER BRIDGE FORMATION AND CHEMICAL DIVERSIFICATION IN LOLINE
ALKALOID BIOSYNTHESIS

Loline alkaloids, found in many grass-Epichloë symbiota, are toxic or feeding
deterrent to invertebrates. The loline alkaloids all share a saturated pyrrolizidine ring with
a 1-amine group and an ether bridge linking C2 and C7. The steps in biosynthesis of
loline alkaloids are catalyzed by enzymes encoded by a gene cluster, designated LOL, in
the Epichloë genome. This dissertation addresses the enzymatic, genetic and evolutionary
basis for diversification of these alkaloids, focusing on ether bridge formation and the
subsequent modifications of the 1-amine to form different loline alkaloids.

Through gene complementation of a natural lolO mutant and comparison of LOL
clusters in strains with different loline alkaloid profiles, I found that lolO, predicted to
encode a 2-oxoglutarate-dependent nonheme iron (2OG/Fe) dioxygenase, is required in
formation of the ether bridge. Through application of isotopically labeled compound to
Epichloë uncinata culture, I established that exo-1-acetamidopyrrolizidine (AcAP) and N-
acetylnorloline (NANL) are true pathway intermediates. Application of AcAP to yeast
expressing lolO resulted in production of NANL, establishing that LolO is sufficient to
catalyze this unusual oxygenation reaction.

After ether formation, modifications on the 1-amino group give loline, N-
methylloline (NML), N-formylloline (NFL) and N-acetylloline (NAL). A double
knockout of lolN, predicted to encode an acetamidase, and lolM, predicted to encode a
methyltransferase, produced only NANL. Complementation of the double knockout with
wild-type lolN and lolM restored the loline alkaloid profile. These results indicate that
LolN is involved in deacetylating NANL to produce norloline, which is then modified to
form the other lolines. Crude protein extract of a yeast transformant expressing LolM
converted norloline to loline and NML, and loline to NML, supporting the hypothesis
that LolM functions as a methyltransferase in the loline-alkaloid biosynthesis pathway.
The alkaloid NAL was observed in some but not all plants symbiotic with Epichloë
siegelii, and when provided with exogenous loline, asymbiotic meadow fescue (Lolium
pratense) plants produced N-acetylloline (NAL), indicating that a plant acetyltransferase
converts loline to NAL.

I further analyzed the basis for loline alkaloid diversity by comparing the LOL
clusters in the Epichloë and Atkinsonella species with different loline alkaloid profiles,
and found that LOL clusters changed position, orientation and gene content over their
evolutionary history. Frequent, independent losses of some or all late pathway genes,
lolO, lolN, lolM and lolP, resulted in diverse loline alkaloid profiles. In addition,
phylogenetic analyses demonstrated transspecies polymorphism of the LOL clusters.
Based on my findings, I established that in Epichloë and Atkinsonella species the
ether bridge is formed on acetamidopyrrolizidine. My study of the loline alkaloid profile
of Adenocarpus decorticans (Fabaceae) suggests that these plants probably use a similar
strategy at least with respect to ether-bridge formation. Further diversification steps of
loline alkaloids in grass-Clavicipitaceae symbiota are carried out by enzymes of both
Epichloë species and the host plant. Finally, I present evidence that LOL clusters have
evolved by balancing selection for chemical diversity.

Keywords: loline alkaloids, Epichloë, ether bridge, biosynthesis, chemical diversification

_________ Juan Pan ______________
Student’s Signature

_________6/25/2014______________
Date
ETHER BRIDGE FORMATION AND CHEMICAL DIVERSIFICATION IN LOLINE
ALKALOID BIOSYNTHESIS

By

Juan Pan

Dr. Christopher L. Schardl
_____________________________
Director of Dissertation

Dr. Lisa J. Vaillancourt
_____________________________
Director of Graduate Studies

6/25/2014
_____________________________
Date
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The last four and half years in the University of Kentucky has been both short and long,
and there are days of joy and days of frustration, but I am only sure that it has been
rewarding. I’d like to take the chance to acknowledge my advisor Dr. Christopher L.
Schardl, who has always been patient, supportive, enthusiastic, and inspiring. He showed
me a way I would like myself to work with my students if one day I am to take the route
of being a faculty; his way of treating a student with such respect as he does with a decent
scientist, being patient with even the seemingly silly question or easiest concepts and to
lead the discussion to a deeper understanding, and to infect the student simply with his
passion for his work.

I also greatly appreciate Dr. Robert B. Grossman for his kind advice and help regarding
the chemical side of the work I have been involved in, and Minakashi Bhardwaj in his lab
for synthesizing the compounds, helping with isolations, explaining to me the chemical
concepts, and the moral support as a great friend. I would also like to thank the other
committee members, Dr. Mark L. Farman, Dr. Aardra Kachroo, and Dr. Steve Van Lanen
for the advice and support. Also I’d like to thank my outside examiner Dr. Robert B.
Houtz for his insights and help with my work.

I would also like to extend my deep appreciation to Dr. Patrick J. Calie, who kindly
allowed me to freely invade his bench when he was busy working in Eastern Kentucky
University, and always generously shared his wisdom and kindness as a committed
scientist and a great friend. I would also like to express my gratitude to Dr. Carolyn A.
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Young for generously sharing her insights and resources regarding my research, and her
encouragements and friendship.

I would like to thank past and present CLS lab members and lab manager for their help
and support, especially Dr. Padmaja Nagabhyru, who showed me the basics of loline
work and has been supportive like an elder sister. I’m thankful to John May at the ERTL
of the University of Kentucky for GC-MS analysis and discussion of my work; Dr. Neil
Fannin for advice on purification of loline alkaloids with TLC; Dr. Judit Pogany, Jannine
Baker, Ching-kai Chuang, and Kai Xu in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Nagy, and Hexiang
Luan and Wendy Havens in the laboratory of Dr. Aardra Kachroo for help with protein
expression and extraction. I am also grateful for the help I got from undergraduate
students, Trevor Kellen, Haley Herndon, and Julien Nolleau. I would also like to thank all
the members of the Department of Plant Pathology for their support and encouragement.

I would like to share this with my dear friends I’ve made in the past several years: a
friend is a person who knows the song in your heart, and sings it back to you when
you’ve forgotten the words. I’m lucky to have you as my friends to remind me what is
worthy in times of need.

Finally, I’d like to thank my parents far away in China for their tremendous love, to
respect me and support me to be the person I’d like to be, and to pursue what I like all
through the years.

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………iii
List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………..ix
List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………..x

Chapter One: Introduction
Plant associated alkaloids…………………………………………………………1
Grass-Epichloë symbiosis…………………………………………………………2
Biological effects of loline alkaloids………………..………………………….…3
Loline alkaloid biosynthesis pathway and LOL gene cluster……………………...5

Chapter Two: Investigation of ether bridge formation in loline alkaloid biosynthesis
Introduction………………………………………………………………………11
Results
Identification of exo-1-acetamidopyrrolizidine……………………….....11
Meadow fescue infected with lolO RNAi transformants accumulated
relatively higher amounts of AcAP compared with controls………….…14
Accumulation of compound AcAP is associated with lolO mutations......14
Heterologous expression of wild-type lolO complemented a natural lolO
mutant……………………………………………………………………18
Labeling from L-[U-2H7]Pro showed retention of the deuterium atoms in
lolines…….................................................................................................18
Retention of the deuterium atoms from tetradeuterium labeled AcAP
([2H ]AcAP) in loline alkaloid product………………………………..…24
4
LolO heterologously expressed in yeast catalyzed conversion of AcAP to
NANL……………………………………………………………………26
Knocking down or knocking out lolE did not change the loline alkaloid
profile…......……………………………………………………………...29
Discussion……………………………………………………………………..…33
Concluding Remarks………………………………………..……………………37
Materials and Methods………………………….………………………….…….37
v
General experimental procedures………………………………………..39
Biological materials……………………………………………………...39
Loline alkaloid analysis………………………………………………….39
Application of [2H ]AcAP to loline inducing medium…………………..39
4
Plasmid construction……………………………………………………..39
Fungal transformation……………………………………………………41
Purification of exo-1-acetamidopyrrolizidine (exo-AcAP)……………....41
Genome sequencing……………………………………………………...42
Analysis of lolO gene…………………………………………………….42
RNA extraction and RT-PCR……………………………………………42
Application of L-[U-2H7]Pro to plants………………………………..….42
Yeast expression of lolO………………………………………………....42
Application of AcAP or [2H ]AcAP to yeast…………………………….42
4

Chapter Three: Enzymes from fungal and plant origin required for chemical
diversification of loline alkaloids in grass-Epichloë symbiota
Introduction………………………………………………………………………44
Results and Discussion
The lolN knockdown strains accumulated NANL both in vitro and in
symbio…………..........................................................................................45
Deletion of the lolN and lolM genes resulted in accumulation of NANL
and eliminated NFL production. ………………………………………...49
Natural NANL accumulators have mutations in or deletions of lolN.…..54
LolM expressed in yeast catalyzed methylation of norloline and loline
…….........………………………………………………………………..57
Plant acetyltransferase activity is responsible for NAL production..........60
Evolution and implications of loline alkaloid diversity………………….63
Concluding Remarks………………………….…………………………………64
Materials and Methods………………………………………..…………………64
Biological materials and general experimental procedures……………...64
Construction of gene-replacement and complementation plasmids……..67
vi