Identification and characterization of (+)-α-bisabolol and 7-epi-silphiperfol-5-ene synthases from Artemisia abrotanum

Triquinane is a type of sesquiterpenoid with a unique structure that contains a fused tricyclopentane ring and exhibits a wide range of bioactivities. Like other sesquiterpenoids, the first committed step in triquinane-type sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis is the cyclization of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), a common precursor of all sesquiterpenoids, catalyzed by sesquiterpene synthase. Artemisia abrotanum L. (Asteraceae), a common plant used in the culinary and cosmetics industries, has been reported to accumulate high levels of triquinane silphiperfol-5-en-3-one A. This compound is potentially biosynthesized from the cyclization of FPP into 7-epi-silphiperfol-5-ene followed by a multi-step oxidation to silphiperfol-5-en-3-one A. In this study, we aimed to identify the sesquiterpene synthase responsible for the synthesis of 7-epi-silphiperfol-5-ene. We performed RNA sequencing of A. abrotanum leaves and gene candidates were mined by homology searches using the triquinane α-isocomene synthase of chamomile (MrTPS2) as query. After gene cloning, we obtained five variants of putative sesquiterpene synthase showing greater than 85% amino acid identity to MrTPS2 and greater than 95% amino acid identity to each other. Heterologous expression of these variants in a FPP-high-producing yeast strain revealed the first four variants to be (+)-α-bisabolol synthases (AabrBOS1-4). However, the fifth candidate cyclized FPP into 7-epi-silphiperfol-5-ene and can therefore be defined as a 7-epi-silphiperfol-5-ene synthase (AabrSPS). These findings revealed the first committed enzyme involved in silphiperfol-5-en-3-one A and (+)-α-bisabolol biosyntheses in A. abrotanum. Furthermore, the results of this study will be useful for enhancing the production of these compounds for further applications.