Biosynthetic study and its application of daurichromenic acid, an anti-HIV natural product

本研究通过RT-PCR技术克隆了杜鹃花抗hiv成分桃尿色素酸生物合成途径中涉及的聚酮合成酶和氧化环化酶编码基因，并对细菌表达的重组聚酮合成酶和氧化环化酶进行了表征，详细阐明了其结构和功能特性。此外，我试图通过EST分析获得合成达乌尔红素酸碳骨架的戊烯基转移酶（farnesyltransferase）基因，克隆了几个戊烯基转移酶候选基因。有趣的是，其中一种假定的戊烯基转移酶与一种法尼基转移酶（原血红素法尼基转移酶）序列相似。

In this study, I cloned genes encoding polyketide synthase and oxidocyclase that are involved in the biosynthetic pathway of daurichromenic acid, an anti-HIV component in Rhododendron dauricum, by means of RT-PCR, and characterized bacterially expressed recombinant polyketide synthase and oxidocyclase to clarify the structural and functional properties in detail. In addition, I attempted to obtain a gene for the prenyltransferase(farnesyltransferase) that synthesizes the carbon skeleton of daurichromenic acid by EST analysis, resulting in cloning of several candidate genes for the prenyltransferase. Interestingly, one of these putative prenyltransferases showed sequence similarity with a farnesyltransferase(protoheme farnesyltransferase).