Strictosidine aglycone is a precursor to about 2,000 other indole alkaloids, so the enzyme producing it has been called the "gatekeeper" to this diversity.
Distribution
Strictosidine is found in the following plant families:
Recent efforts in metabolic engineering have permitted the synthesis of strictosidine by yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). This was accomplished by adding 21 genes and 3 gene deletions.
Role in plant defense
The involvement of the glucoalkaloid strictosidine in the antimicrobial and antifeedant activity of Catharanthus roseus leaves showed that strictosidine and its aglycone were active against several microorganisms and the derived toxic indole alkaloids provide further defense to herbivores.
References
↑Mizukami H, Nordlöv H, Lee SL, Scott AI (August 1979). "Purification and properties of strictosidine synthetase (an enzyme condensing tryptamine and secologanin) from Catharanthus roseus cultured cells". Biochemistry. 18 (17): 3760–3763. doi:10.1021/bi00584a018. PMID476085.
12Stathaki A, Pantidi G, Thomopoulou M, Koudounas K (2024). "Β-Glucosidases in specialized metabolism: Towards a new understanding of the gatekeepers of plant chemical arsenal". Current Opinion in Plant Biology. 82 102638. doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2024.102638. PMID39326155.
↑Luijendijk TJ, van der Meijden E, Verpoorte R (August 1996). "Involvement of strictosidine as a defensive chemical in Catharanthus roseus". Journal of Chemical Ecology. 22 (8): 1355–66. doi:10.1007/BF02027718. PMID24226242.