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Plant-specialized metabolism is complex, with frequent examples of highly branched biosynthetic pathways, and shared chemical intermediates. As such, many plant-specialized metabolic networks are poorly characterized. The N-methyl Δ1 -pyrrolinium cation is a simple pyrrolidine alkaloid and precursor of pharmacologically important tropane alkaloids. Silencing of pyrrolidine ketide synthase (AbPyKS) in the roots of Atropa belladonna (Deadly Nightshade) reduces tropane alkaloid abundance and causes high N-methyl Δ1 -pyrrolinium cation accumulation. The consequences of this metabolic shift on alkaloid metabolism are unknown. In this study, we utilized discovery metabolomics coupled with AbPyKS silencing to reveal major changes in the root alkaloid metabolome of A. belladonna. We discovered and annotated almost 40 pyrrolidine alkaloids that increase when AbPyKS activity is reduced. Suppression of phenyllactate biosynthesis, combined with metabolic engineering in planta, and chemical synthesis indicates several of these pyrrolidines share a core structure formed through the nonenzymatic Mannich-like decarboxylative condensation of the N-methyl Δ1 -pyrrolinium cation with 2-O-malonylphenyllactate. Decoration of this core scaffold through hydroxylation and glycosylation leads to mono- and dipyrrolidine alkaloid diversity. This study reveals the previously unknown complexity of the A. belladonna root metabolome and creates a foundation for future investigation into the biosynthesis, function, and potential utility of these novel alkaloids.
Pubmed ID: 36451537 RIS Download
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Complex systems are defined as systems with many interdependent parts which give rise to non-linear and emergent properties determining the high-level functioning and behavior of such systems. Due to the interdependence of their constituent elements and other characteristics of complex systems, it is difficult to predict system behavior based on the sum of their parts alone. Examples of complex systems include bee hives, bees themselves, human economies and societies, nervous systems, molecular interactions, cells and living things, ecosystems, as well as modern energy or telecommunication infrastructures. Arguably one of the most striking properties of complex systems is that conventional experimental and engineering approaches are inadequate to capture and predict the behavior of such systems. To complement the conventional experimental and engineering approaches, computer-based simulations of complex natural phenomena and complex man-made artifacts are increasingly employed across a wide range of sectors. Typically, such simulations require computing environments which meet very high specifications in terms of processing units, primary and secondary storage, and communication. Supercomputers constitute the de facto technology to deliver the required specifications. Acquiring, operating and maintaining supercomputers involve considerable costs, which many organizations cannot afford. The working assumption of the QosCosGrid project is that a grid could be enhanced by suitable middleware to provide features and performance characteristics that resemble those of a supercomputer.
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