Identification and characterization of multiple curcumin synthases from the herb Curcuma longa.

Yohei Katsuyama, Tomoko Kita, Sueharu Horinouchi

Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

FEBS letters 2009 Sep 3

filter terms:

Curcuminoids are pharmaceutically important compounds isolated from the herb Curcuma longa. Two additional type III polyketide synthases, named CURS2 and CURS3, that are capable of curcuminoid synthesis were identified and characterized. In vitro analysis revealed that CURS2 preferred feruloyl-CoA as a starter substrate and CURS3 preferred both feruloyl-CoA and p-coumaroyl-CoA. These results suggested that CURS2 synthesizes curcumin or demethoxycurcumin and CURS3 synthesizes curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin and demethoxycurcumin. The availability of the substrates and the expression levels of the three different enzymes capable of curcuminoid synthesis with different substrate specificities might influence the composition of curcuminoids in the turmeric and in different cultivars.

Citation

Yohei Katsuyama, Tomoko Kita, Sueharu Horinouchi. Identification and characterization of multiple curcumin synthases from the herb Curcuma longa. FEBS letters. 2009 Sep 3;583(17):2799-803