Integrative Biology Journals
JIPB

J Integr Plant Biol.

• Review Article •    

Plant prenyltransferases: Diversity, catalytic activities, mechanisms, and application in heterologous production of prenylated natural products

Yibo Zhang1,2,3, Dian Jiao2, Chenjia Shen3, Junhui Zhou2, Juan Guo2,4, Jian Yang2,5*, Shuang Liu1*, Ping Su2*   

  1. 1. Experimental Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China

    2. State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao‐di Herbs, National Resource Center for Chinese MateriaMedica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China

    3. College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China

    4. Dalian Institute of Marine Traditional Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Dalian University, Dalian 116622, China

    5. Research Center for Quality Evaluation of Dao‐di Herbs, Nanchang 330000, China

    *Correspondences: Jian Yang (yangchem2012@163.com); Shuang Liu (scarlett0706@163.com); Ping Su (suping120@nrc.ac.cn, Dr. Suis fully responsible for the distribution of all materials associated with this article)

  • Received:2025-04-29 Accepted:2025-07-03 Online:2025-08-07
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (82304672, 82204568), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Public Welfare Research Institutes (ZZ16‐YQ‐037, ZZ16‐YQ‐042), the Scienti?c and Technological Innovation Project of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CI2023E002, CI2021B013, CI2024C004YN), China Agricultural Research System of MOF and MARA (CARS‐21), Innovation Team and Talents Cultivation Program of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ZYYZDXK‐2023244).

HTML

PDF

Abstract: Plant prenyltransferases (PTs) are pivotal enzymes in the biosynthetic pathways of prenylated natural products (PNPs) that catalyze the transfer of isoprenyl units (C5) to specific receptor molecules, including aromatic compounds and terpene precursors. Recent advancements in plant genomics and synthetic biology have significantly accelerated research on PTs in natural product synthesis, positioning them as a focal point for scientific investigation. Although there are existing reviews on the functions and classification of PTs, the functional diversity of plant PTs remains in-adequately understood. Consequently, this study provides an exhaustive summary of over 160 reported plant ubiquinone biosynthesis gene A(UbiA)‐type PTs and selected representative isopentenyl diphosphate synthases (IDSs). We systematically reviewed the classification, function,catalytic mechanisms, and enzyme engineering strategies of plant PTs, and their application in the heterologous production of PNPs. This study aimed to advance PT characterization and application, thereby establishing a foundation for PNP‐based drug development.

Key words: catalytic activities, heterologous production, IDSs, prenyltransferases, UbiA‐type PTs

Editorial Office, Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, Institute of Botany, CAS
No. 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
Tel: +86 10 6283 6133 Fax: +86 10 8259 2636 E-mail: jipb@ibcas.ac.cn
Copyright © 2022 by the Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Online ISSN: 1744-7909 Print ISSN: 1672-9072 CN: 11-5067/Q
备案号：京ICP备16067583号-22