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Transcriptomic Comparison Reveals Candidate Genes for Triterpenoid Biosynthesis in Two Closely Related Ilex Species

Overview of attention for article published in Frontiers in Plant Science, April 2017
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Title
Transcriptomic Comparison Reveals Candidate Genes for Triterpenoid Biosynthesis in Two Closely Related Ilex Species
Published in
Frontiers in Plant Science, April 2017
DOI 10.3389/fpls.2017.00634
Pubmed ID
Authors

Lingling Wen, Xiaoyun Yun, Xiasheng Zheng, Hui Xu, Ruoting Zhan, Weiwen Chen, Yaping Xu, Ye Chen, Jie Zhang

Abstract

Native to Southern China, Ilex pubescens and Ilex asprella are frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine. Both of them produce a large variety of ursane-type triterpenoid saponins, which have been demonstrated to have different pharmacological effects. However, little is known about their biosynthesis. In this study, transcriptomic analysis of I. pubescens and comparison with its closely related specie I. asprella were carried out to identify potential genes involved in triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis. Through RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and de novo transcriptome assembly of I. pubescens, a total of 68,688 UniGene clusters are obtained, of which 32,184 (46.86%) are successfully annotated by comparison with the sequences in major public databases (NCBI, Swiss-Prot, and KEGG). It includes 128 UniGenes related to triterpenoid backbone biosynthesis, 11 OSCs (oxidosqualene cyclases), 233 CYPs (cytochrome P450), and 269 UGTs (UDP-glycosyltransferases). By homology-based blast and phylogenetic analysis with well-characterized genes involved in triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis, 5 OSCs, 14 CYPs, and 1 UGT are further proposed as the most promising candidate genes. Transcriptomic comparison between two Ilex species using blastp and OrthoMCL method reveals high sequence similarity. All OSCs and UGTs as well as most CYPs are classified as orthologous genes, while only 5 CYPs in I. pubescens and 3 CYPs in I. asprella are species-specific. One of OSC candidates, named as IpAS1, was successfully cloned and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae INVSc1. Analysis of the yeast extract by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) shows IpAS1 is a mixed amyrin synthase, producing α-amyrin and β-amyrin at ratio of 5:1, which is similar to its ortholog IaAS1 from I. asprella. This study is the first exploration to profile the transcriptome of I. pubescens, the generated data and gene models will facilitate further molecular studies on the physiology and metabolism in this plant. By comparative transcriptomic analysis, a series of candidate genes involved in the biosynthetic pathway of triterpenoid saponins are identified, providing new insight into their biosynthesis at transcriptome level.

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Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 20 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Ph. D. Student 4 20%
Lecturer > Senior Lecturer 2 10%
Student > Doctoral Student 2 10%
Other 1 5%
Student > Bachelor 1 5%
Other 3 15%
Unknown 7 35%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 4 20%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 4 20%
Engineering 2 10%
Business, Management and Accounting 1 5%
Unknown 9 45%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 16 May 2017.
All research outputs
#14,345,967
of 22,971,207 outputs
Outputs from Frontiers in Plant Science
#8,219
of 20,410 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#173,155
of 310,534 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Frontiers in Plant Science
#302
of 589 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 22,971,207 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 35th percentile – i.e., 35% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 20,410 research outputs from this source. They receive a mean Attention Score of 4.0. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 55% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 310,534 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 41st percentile – i.e., 41% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 589 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 44th percentile – i.e., 44% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.