近日，云南师范大学马铃薯科学研究院在国际著名杂志《New Phytologist》上，发表题为《Vacuolar MATE/DTX protein-mediated cucurbitacin C transport is co-regulated with bitterness biosynthesis in cucumber》，阐述了浸泡脱毒中蛋白介导的苦瓜素C转运与黄瓜苦味生物合成共同调控机制。

Vacuolar MATE/DTX protein-mediated cucurbitacin C transport is co-regulated with bitterness biosynthesis in cucumber

Yongshuo Ma1,2* , Dawei Li1*, Yang Zhong1, Xiaohan Wang3, Legong Li3 ,

Anne Osbourn4 , William J. Lucas1,5 , Sanwen Huang1 and Yi Shang6,7

Summary

Membrane-localized transporters constitute important components for specialized metabolism

in plants. However, due to the vast array of specialized metabolites produced by plants, and

the large families of transporter genes, knowledge about the intracellular and intercellular

transport of plant metabolites is still in its infancy.

Cucurbitacins are bitter and defensive triterpenoids produced mainly in the cucurbits. Using a

comparative genomics and multi-omics approach, a MATE gene (CsMATE1), physically

clustered with cucurbitacinC(CuC) biosynthetic genes, was identified and functionally shown to

sequester CuC in cucumber leaf mesophyll cells.

Notably, the CuC transport process is strictly co-regulated with CuC biosynthesis. CsMATE1

clustering with bitterness biosynthesis genes may provide benefits and a basis for this feedback

regulation on CuC sequestration and biosynthesis.

Identification of transport systems for plant-specialized metabolites can accelerate the

metabolic engineering of high-value-added compounds by simplifying their purification process.