The biosynthesis of the tocotrienol and tocopherol forms of vitamin E is initiated by prenylation of homogentisate. Geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGDP) is the prenyl donor for tocotrienol synthesis, whereas phytyl diphosphate (PDP) is the prenyl donor for tocopherol synthesis. We have previously shown that tocotrienol synthesis is initiated in monocot seeds by homogentisate geranylgeranyl transferase (HGGT). This enzyme is related to homogentisate phytyltransferase (HPT), which catalyzes the prenylation step in tocopherol synthesis. Here we show that monocot HGGT is localized in the plastid and expressed primarily in seed endosperm. Despite the close structural relationship of monocot HGGT and HPT, these enzymes were found to have distinct substrate specificities. Barley (
The enzyme geranylgeranyl reductase (CHL P) catalyzes the reduction of geranylgeranyl diphosphate to phytyl diphosphate. We identified a tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cDNA sequence encoding a 52-kD precursor protein homologous to the Arabidopsis and bacterial CHL P. The effects of deficient CHL P activity on chlorophyll (Chl) and tocopherol contents were studied in transgenic plants expressing antisense CHL P RNA. Transformants with gradually reduced Chl P expression showed a delayed growth rate and a pale or variegated phenotype. Transformants grown in high (500 μmol m−2 s−1; HL) and low (70 μmol photon m−2 s−1; LL) light displayed a similar degree of reduced tocopherol content during leaf development, although growth of wild-type plants in HL conditions led to up to a 2-fold increase in tocopherol content. The total Chl content was more rapidly reduced during HL than LL conditions. Up to 58% of the Chl content was esterified with geranylgeraniol instead of phytol under LL conditions. Our results indicate that CHL P provides phytol for both tocopherol and Chl synthesis. The transformants are a valuable model with which to investigate the adaptation of plants with modified tocopherol levels against deleterious environmental conditions.
酶类物质geranylgeranyl reductase (CHL P)催化将geranylgeranyl diphosphate还原为phytyl diphosphate。我们发现了一种烟草(Nicotiana tabacum)cDNA序列,编码了一个52 kD的前体蛋白,与拟南芥和细菌的CHL P同源。研究了表达反义CHL P RNA的转基因植物中,缺乏CHL P活性对叶绿素(Chl)和生育酚含量的影响。逐渐降低Chl P表达的转基因体表现出生长速度延迟和苍白或杂色表型。在高(500 μmol m−2 s−1; HL)和低(70 μmol photon m−2 s−1; LL)光照条件下生长的转基因体,在叶片发育期间显示出相似程度的生育酚含量降低,尽管野生型植物在HL条件下的生长导致生育酚含量增加了2倍。总的Chl含量在HL条件下比LL条件下更快速地降低。在LL条件下,高达58%的Chl含量与geranylgeraniol而不是phytol酯化。我们的结果表明,CHL P为生育酚和Chl合成提供phytol。这些转基因体是研究改变生育酚水平的植物对有害环境条件适应的有价值的模型。