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DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-3399694
Plant-endophyte communication: maytansine as an example
Publication History
Publication Date:
20 December 2019 (online)
Background: Studies on microbe-host interactions in plant and animal systems aimed at understanding the role of these associations and their utility in pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors are gaining impetus.1 Several recent studies have lent evidence to the fact that certain so-called “plant metabolites” are actually biosynthesized by associated endophytic microorganisms [1].
Aims: We wanted to elucidate the biosynthesis of the important anticancer and maytansine in Celastraceae plants in order to elucidate its actual producer(s), which has been an open question since its discovery in the 1970s.
Results: We showed that maytansine is actually a biosynthetic product of root-associated endophytic bacterial community in Putterlickia verrucosa and Putterlickia retrospinosa plants [2]. This extremely interesting outcome provided the scientific basis to investigate the actual producer(s) responsible for maytansine biosynthesis in Maytenus plants. Endophytic communities harboring different tissues of Maytenus serrata originating from Cameroon were investigated using a combination of bioanalytical tools such as HPLC-HRMSn and MALDI-MSI, and targeted genome mining techniques to elucidate the source and sites of maytansine biosynthesis. We proved that the biosynthesis of maytansine in M. serrata is shared between the endophytic bacterial community colonizing the stem and the host plant containing non-culturable cryptic endophytes [3].
Conclusion: Our work demonstrates that maytansine is biosynthesized in M. serrata only when the host plant joins forces with its selected and very eco-specific endophytic bacterial community.
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References
- 1 Kusari S, Hertweck C, Spiteller M. Chemical ecology of endophytic fungi: origins of secondary metabolites. Chem Biol 2012; 19: 792-798.
- 2 Kusari S, Lamshöft M, Kusari P, Gottfried S, Zühlke S, Louven K, Hentschel U, Kayser O, Spiteller M. Endophytes are hidden producers of maytansine in Putterlickia roots. J Nat Prod 2014; 77: 2577-2584.
- 3 Kusari P, Kusari S, Eckelmann D, Zühlke S, Kayser O, Spiteller M. Cross-species biosynthesis of maytansine in Maytenus serrata . RSC Adv 2016; 6: 10011-10016 .