Multiple regiospecific methylations of a flavonoid by plant O-methyltransferases expressed in E. coli

Biotechnol Lett. 2005 Dec;27(23-24):1861-4. doi: 10.1007/s10529-005-3893-0.

Abstract

Quercetin was methylated with two O-methyltransferases (OMTs) expressed in E. coli. A construct (RSOMT) was designed to express two OMTs: ROMT-9, which methylates specifically at the 3'-hydroxyl group of quercetin and SOMT-2, which methylates at the 4'-hydroxyl group. Both OMT genes were driven by T7 promoters and had ribosome binding sites. Both ROMT-9 and SOMT-2 were successfully expressed in E. coli transformant harboring RSOMT. Reaction products of quercetin with E. coli transformant containing RSOMT showed two methylation products that corresponded to the 3'-methylated and the 3',4'-dimethylated quercetin, which were confirmed by NMR. More than 90% of quercetin was converted into the 3',4'-dimethylated quercetin after 24 h incubation with E. coli transformant harboring RSOMT.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Biotransformation
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Escherichia coli / genetics*
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Flavonoids / metabolism*
  • Flavonols / biosynthesis
  • Flavonols / metabolism
  • Gene Expression / genetics
  • Genetic Vectors / genetics
  • Kinetics
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Methylation
  • Methyltransferases / genetics
  • Methyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Oryza / enzymology
  • Oryza / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism
  • Quercetin / analogs & derivatives
  • Quercetin / metabolism
  • Transformation, Genetic / genetics

Substances

  • Flavonoids
  • Flavonols
  • Plant Proteins
  • 3-methylquercetin
  • Quercetin
  • Methyltransferases