J Integr Plant Biol.

• Research Article • Previous Articles    

Functional characterization of two O-methyltransferases and a glycosyltransferase catalyzing the last two steps of phillyrin biosynthesis in Forsythia suspensa

Zhiyao Wang1,2, Naichao Zhang3, Peimin Wu1, Fei Chen2, Ying Cao1, Jing Wang1, Yiming Qin1, Wenhui Zheng1, Yinghua Sheng1, Shuai Chen4, Baojing Li4, Lei Wei2, Junli Zhang1, Yuqing Liu2, Ninghua Tan5, Wei Wang2* and Min Chen1*   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
    2. Henan Academy of Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China
    3. College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
    4. College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming 650500, China
    5. State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
    *Correspondences: Min Chen (chenmin@henu.edu.cn, Dr. Chen is fully responsible for distributions of all materials associated with this article); Wei Wang (bioww@hnas.ac.cn)
  • Received:2025-09-16 Accepted:2026-02-18 Online:2026-03-15
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31970344), the Henan Provincial Science and Technology Research Project (232102311150, 235200810037), and the Henan Academy of Sciences (240613011, 20253713001).

Abstract: Phillyrin, a unique antiviral lignan exclusive to Forsythia suspensa, shows potent anti‐influenza activity. However, its broad pharmaceutical application is hindered by low and variable natural accumulation, underscoring the need to elucidate its biosynthetic pathway for sustainable production. In this study, we used an integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic approach to investigate tissue‐specific phillyrin biosynthesis in F. suspensa. We identified two O-methyltransferases (FsE4MT01 and FsE4MT02) that catalyze the methylation of (+)‐epipinoresinol to form phillygenin and a UDP‐glycosyltransferase (FsP4′GT) that glucosylates phillygenin to yield phillyrin. Using recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli, we validated their in vitro catalytic activities and determined their kinetic parameters. Molecular docking and site‐directed mutagenesis of key residues further revealed the structural basis of their catalytic mechanisms. The in vivo functions of these enzymes were confirmed through heterologous expression in Nicotiana benthamiana and F. suspensa leaves. Importantly, by developing a transient leaf‐expression system in F. suspensa, we demonstrated that overexpression of FsE4MTs and FsP4′GT substantially increased the production of phillygenin and phillyrin, respectively, whereas virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) of these genes reduced the accumulation of the corresponding products. Notably, enhanced phillyrin production was also achieved by expressing FsE4MTs and FsP4′GT in the related species Forsythia × intermedia, highlighting the potential of these key enzymes for metabolic engineering. Our findings elucidate the terminal steps of phillyrin biosynthesis and provide a strategic foundation for engineering the sustainable production of this pharmaceutically valuable compound.

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