Taxol is a kind of isoprenoid with strong anticancer activity. It is difficult to be obtained because of its low concentration in nature, which hinders its application in cancer treatment. Recently, biosynthesis methods for taxol production have attracted more attentions. Several systems including Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Physcomitrella patens, Arabidopsis, tomato and ginseng were explored. This review focuses on the advance in biosynthesis of taxol in different systems and features the bottleneck of scale fermentation for producing the intermediates. At the same time some advices for the further were given. At last, the future and character of Physcomitrella patens system used in taxol combinatorial biosynthesis were analyzed based on our lab's research.
Biotechnology ; trends ; Bryopsida ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; Genetic Engineering ; Paclitaxel ; biosynthesis

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents from Rhodobryum roseum.

METHODThe compounds were isolated and purified by recrystallization and chromatography with silica gel and sephadex LH-20 column. Their structures were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral analysis.

RESULTEight compounds were isolated and identified as apigenin (1), quercetin (2), oleanolic acid (3), 2alpha-hydroxyoleanolic acid (4), 2alpha-hydroxyursolic acid (5), protocatechuic acid (6), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (7), p-hydroxycinnamic acid (8).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1-8 were isolated from R. roseum for the first time.

Apigenin ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Bryopsida ; chemistry ; Oleanolic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Cold acclimation can improve freezing tolerance. Here cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) was used to isolate differentially expressed cDNAs and a Pp-LIM only A cDNA was isolated and identified in the cold acclimation of Physcomitrella patens. Real-time RT-PCR indicated it is obviously up-regulated at 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after cold acclimation. After comparing the cDNA with the gene sequence, seven introns and eight exons were identified in the cDNA. The cDNA putatively encodes a protein of 345 amino acid residues and only contains one LIM domain which has highly similarity with the PDZ/LIM domains of the protein family in animals. We proposed that Pp-LIM only A be a new gene coding for the LIM-domain containing protein and enhance stability of cell membrane via their effects on cytoskeleton during cold acclimation in P. patens.
Acclimatization ; genetics ; physiology ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis ; Base Sequence ; Bryopsida ; genetics ; physiology ; Cloning, Molecular ; Cold Temperature ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Transcription Factors ; genetics