Elucidation of the Amygdalin Pathway Reveals the Metabolic Basis of Bitter and Sweet Almonds (Prunus dulcis). 2018

Sara Thodberg, and Jorge Del Cueto, and Rosa Mazzeo, and Stefano Pavan, and Concetta Lotti, and Federico Dicenta, and Elizabeth H Jakobsen Neilson, and Birger Lindberg Møller, and Raquel Sánchez-Pérez
Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.

Almond (Prunus dulcis) is the principal Prunus species in which the consumed and thus commercially important part of the fruit is the kernel. As a result of continued selection, the vast majority of almonds have a nonbitter kernel. However, in the field, there are trees carrying bitter kernels, which are toxic to humans and, consequently, need to be removed. The toxicity of bitter almonds is caused by the accumulation of the cyanogenic diglucoside amygdalin, which releases toxic hydrogen cyanide upon hydrolysis. In this study, we identified and characterized the enzymes involved in the amygdalin biosynthetic pathway: PdCYP79D16 and PdCYP71AN24 as the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes catalyzing phenylalanine-to-mandelonitrile conversion, PdUGT94AF3 as an additional monoglucosyl transferase (UGT) catalyzing prunasin formation, and PdUGT94AF1 and PdUGT94AF2 as the two enzymes catalyzing amygdalin formation from prunasin. This was accomplished by constructing a sequence database containing UGTs known, or predicted, to catalyze a β(1→6)-O-glycosylation reaction and a Basic Local Alignment Search Tool search of the draft version of the almond genome versus these sequences. Functional characterization of candidate genes was achieved by transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that the expression of PdCYP79D16 and PdCYP71AN24 was not detectable or only reached minute levels in the sweet almond genotype during fruit development, while it was high and consistent in the bitter genotype. Therefore, the basis for the sweet kernel phenotype is a lack of expression of the genes encoding the two CYPs catalyzing the first steps in amygdalin biosynthesis.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009570 Nitriles Organic compounds containing the -CN radical. The concept is distinguished from CYANIDES, which denotes inorganic salts of HYDROGEN CYANIDE. Nitrile
D009754 Nuts Botanically, a type of single-seeded fruit in which the pericarp enclosing the seed is a hard woody shell. In common usage the term is used loosely for any hard, oil-rich kernel. Of those commonly eaten, only hazel, filbert, and chestnut are strictly nuts. Walnuts, pecans, almonds, and coconuts are really drupes. Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamias, and cashews are really seeds with a hard shell derived from the testa rather than the pericarp. Nut
D010641 Phenotype The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment. Phenotypes
D010802 Phylogeny The relationships of groups of organisms as reflected by their genetic makeup. Community Phylogenetics,Molecular Phylogenetics,Phylogenetic Analyses,Phylogenetic Analysis,Phylogenetic Clustering,Phylogenetic Comparative Analysis,Phylogenetic Comparative Methods,Phylogenetic Distance,Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares,Phylogenetic Groups,Phylogenetic Incongruence,Phylogenetic Inference,Phylogenetic Networks,Phylogenetic Reconstruction,Phylogenetic Relatedness,Phylogenetic Relationships,Phylogenetic Signal,Phylogenetic Structure,Phylogenetic Tree,Phylogenetic Trees,Phylogenomics,Analyse, Phylogenetic,Analysis, Phylogenetic,Analysis, Phylogenetic Comparative,Clustering, Phylogenetic,Community Phylogenetic,Comparative Analysis, Phylogenetic,Comparative Method, Phylogenetic,Distance, Phylogenetic,Group, Phylogenetic,Incongruence, Phylogenetic,Inference, Phylogenetic,Method, Phylogenetic Comparative,Molecular Phylogenetic,Network, Phylogenetic,Phylogenetic Analyse,Phylogenetic Clusterings,Phylogenetic Comparative Analyses,Phylogenetic Comparative Method,Phylogenetic Distances,Phylogenetic Group,Phylogenetic Incongruences,Phylogenetic Inferences,Phylogenetic Network,Phylogenetic Reconstructions,Phylogenetic Relatednesses,Phylogenetic Relationship,Phylogenetic Signals,Phylogenetic Structures,Phylogenetic, Community,Phylogenetic, Molecular,Phylogenies,Phylogenomic,Reconstruction, Phylogenetic,Relatedness, Phylogenetic,Relationship, Phylogenetic,Signal, Phylogenetic,Structure, Phylogenetic,Tree, Phylogenetic
D010940 Plant Proteins Proteins found in plants (flowers, herbs, shrubs, trees, etc.). The concept does not include proteins found in vegetables for which PLANT PROTEINS, DIETARY is available. Plant Protein,Protein, Plant,Proteins, Plant
D003577 Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System A superfamily of hundreds of closely related HEMEPROTEINS found throughout the phylogenetic spectrum, from animals, plants, fungi, to bacteria. They include numerous complex monooxygenases (MIXED FUNCTION OXYGENASES). In animals, these P-450 enzymes serve two major functions: (1) biosynthesis of steroids, fatty acids, and bile acids; (2) metabolism of endogenous and a wide variety of exogenous substrates, such as toxins and drugs (BIOTRANSFORMATION). They are classified, according to their sequence similarities rather than functions, into CYP gene families (>40% homology) and subfamilies (>59% homology). For example, enzymes from the CYP1, CYP2, and CYP3 gene families are responsible for most drug metabolism. Cytochrome P-450,Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme,Cytochrome P-450-Dependent Monooxygenase,P-450 Enzyme,P450 Enzyme,CYP450 Family,CYP450 Superfamily,Cytochrome P-450 Enzymes,Cytochrome P-450 Families,Cytochrome P-450 Monooxygenase,Cytochrome P-450 Oxygenase,Cytochrome P-450 Superfamily,Cytochrome P450,Cytochrome P450 Superfamily,Cytochrome p450 Families,P-450 Enzymes,P450 Enzymes,Cytochrome P 450,Cytochrome P 450 Dependent Monooxygenase,Cytochrome P 450 Enzyme,Cytochrome P 450 Enzyme System,Cytochrome P 450 Enzymes,Cytochrome P 450 Families,Cytochrome P 450 Monooxygenase,Cytochrome P 450 Oxygenase,Cytochrome P 450 Superfamily,Enzyme, Cytochrome P-450,Enzyme, P-450,Enzyme, P450,Enzymes, Cytochrome P-450,Enzymes, P-450,Enzymes, P450,Monooxygenase, Cytochrome P-450,Monooxygenase, Cytochrome P-450-Dependent,P 450 Enzyme,P 450 Enzymes,P-450 Enzyme, Cytochrome,P-450 Enzymes, Cytochrome,Superfamily, CYP450,Superfamily, Cytochrome P-450,Superfamily, Cytochrome P450
D005838 Genotype The genetic constitution of the individual, comprising the ALLELES present at each GENETIC LOCUS. Genogroup,Genogroups,Genotypes
D005960 Glucosides A GLYCOSIDE that is derived from GLUCOSE. Glucoside
D000068181 Prunus dulcis A plant species in the family ROSACEAE, genus Prunus which produces edible seeds called almonds. Almond Tree,Almonds,Amygdalus communis,Prunis communis,Prunus amygdalus,Sweet Almond,Almond,Almond Trees,Almond, Sweet,Almonds, Sweet,Sweet Almonds,Tree, Almond,Trees, Almond
D000678 Amygdalin A cyanogenic glycoside found in the seeds of Rosaceae. Amygdaloside,Mandelonitrile-beta-Gentiobioside,Vitamin B17,Laetrile,Neoamygdalin,Mandelonitrile beta Gentiobioside

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