植物聚酮类化合物主要包括酚类、芪类及类黄酮化合物等,在植物花色、防止紫外线伤害、预防病原菌、昆虫危害以及作为植物与环境互作信号分子方面行使着重要的生物学功能。该类化合物具有显著多样的生物学活性,对人体保健及疾病治疗有显著意义。植物类型Ⅲ聚酮化合物合酶(PKS)在该类化合物生物合成起始反应中行使着关键作用,决定该类化合物基本分子骨架建成和代谢途径碳硫走向,为合成途径关键酶和限速酶。以查尔酮合酶为原型酶的植物类型Ⅲ PKS超家族是研究系统进化和蛋白结构与功能关系的模式分子家族,目前已经分离得到14种植物类型Ⅲ PKS基因,这些同祖同源基因及其表达产物既有共性,也表现出许多独特个性,这些个性赋予此类次生代谢产物结构上的多样性。以下综述了植物类型Ⅲ PKS超家族基因结构、功能及代谢产物研究进展。
Plant-specific type Ⅲ polyketide synthase(PKS) produces a variety of plant secondary metabolites with notable structural diversity and biological activity.So far 14 plant-specific type Ⅲ PKS have been identified according to their enzymatic products,and the corresponding genes have been cloned and characterized.The differences among the various PKS are mainly in their substrate specificities,the number of their condensation reactions,and the type of ring closure of their products.However,numerous studies have revealed the common features among the plant-specific type Ⅲ PKS,which include sequence homology,similar gene structure,conserved amino acid residues in the reaction center,enzymatic characteristics and reaction mechanism.We briefly reviewed 14 plant-specific type Ⅲ PKS to better understand genetic and metabolic engineering of plant-specific type Ⅲ PKS.