Dataset Information

Comparative metabolomics reveals the metabolic variations between two endangered Taxus species (T. fuana and T. yunnanensis) in the Himalayas.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Plants of the genus Taxus have attracted much attention owing to the natural product taxol, a successful anti-cancer drug. T. fuana and T. yunnanensis are two endangered Taxus species mainly distributed in the Himalayas. In our study, an untargeted metabolomics approach integrated with a targeted UPLC-MS/MS method was applied to examine the metabolic variations between these two Taxus species growing in different environments.

Results

The level of taxol in T. yunnanensis is much higher than that in T. fuana, indicating a higher economic value of T. yunnanensis for taxol production. A series of specific metabolites, including precursors, intermediates, competitors of taxol, were identified. All the identified intermediates are predominantly accumulated in T. yunnanensis than T. fuana, giving a reasonable explanation for the higher accumulation of taxol in T. yunnanensis. Taxusin and its analogues are highly accumulated in T. fuana, which may consume limited intermediates and block the metabolic flow towards taxol. The contents of total flavonoids and a majority of tested individual flavonoids are significantly accumulated in T. fuana than T. yunnanensis, indicating a stronger environmental adaptiveness of T. fuana.

Conclusions

Systemic metabolic profiling may provide valuable information for the comprehensive industrial utilization of the germplasm resources of these two endangered Taxus species growing in different environments.

SUBMITTER: Yu C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6142684 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Comparative metabolomics reveals the metabolic variations between two endangered Taxus species (T. fuana and T. yunnanensis) in the Himalayas.

Yu Chunna C Luo Xiujun X Zhan Xiaori X Hao Juan J Zhang Lei L L Song Yao-Bin YB Shen Chenjia C Dong Ming M

BMC plant biology 20180917 1

<h4>Background</h4>Plants of the genus Taxus have attracted much attention owing to the natural product taxol, a successful anti-cancer drug. T. fuana and T. yunnanensis are two endangered Taxus species mainly distributed in the Himalayas. In our study, an untargeted metabolomics approach integrated with a targeted UPLC-MS/MS method was applied to examine the metabolic variations between these two Taxus species growing in different environments.<h4>Results</h4>The level of taxol in T. yunnanensi ...[more]

PMID: 30223770

Similar Datasets

Project description:BACKGROUND:Trees of the genus Taxus are highly valuable medicinal plants with multiple pharmacological effects on various cancer treatments. Paclitaxel from Taxus trees is an efficient and widely used anticancer drug, however, the accumulation of taxoids and other active ingredients can vary greatly among Taxus species. In our study, the metabolomes of three Taxus species have been investigated. RESULTS:A total of 2246 metabolites assigned to various primary and secondary metabolic pathways were identified using an untargeted approach. Analysis of differentially accumulated metabolites identified 358?T. media-, 220?T. cuspidata-, and 169?T. mairei-specific accumulated metabolites, respectively. By searching the metabolite pool, 7 MEP pathway precursors, 11 intermediates, side chain products and derivatives of paclitaxel, and paclitaxel itself were detected. Most precursors, initiated intermediates were highly accumulated in T. mairei, and most intermediate products approaching the end point of taxol biosynthesis pathway were primarily accumulated in T. cuspidata and T. media. Our data suggested that there were higher-efficiency pathways to paclitaxel in T. cuspidata and T. media compared with in T. mairei. As an important class of active ingredients in Taxus trees, a majority of flavonoids were predominantly accumulated in T. mairei rather than T. media and T. cuspidata. The variations in several selected taxoids and flavonoids were confirmed using a targeted approach. CONCLUSIONS:Systematic correlativity analysis identifies a number of metabolites associated with paclitaxel biosynthesis, suggesting a potential negative correlation between flavonoid metabolism and taxoid accumulation. Investigation of the variations in taxoids and other active ingredients will provide us with a deeper understanding of the interspecific differential accumulation of taxoids and an opportunity to accelerate the highest-yielding species breeding and resource utilization.

Dataset Information

Comparative metabolomics reveals the metabolic variations between two endangered Taxus species (T. fuana and T. yunnanensis) in the Himalayas.

Background

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Comparative metabolomics reveals the metabolic variations between two endangered Taxus species (T. fuana and T. yunnanensis) in the Himalayas.

Similar Datasets

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