Genome of Tripterygium wilfordii and identification of cytochrome P450 involved in triptolide biosynthesis

Tripterygium wilfordii contains triptolide and has antitumor properties. By PacBio, 10×Genomics sequencing, the researchers obtained a high-quality tripterygium wilfordii genome (~365.95Mb, Contig N50=4.36Mb). Combining with the Hi-C data, the sequence ~315.08Mb was mounted on 23 chromosomes, Scaffold N50=13.52Mb. Through gene family analysis, the authors found that the gene of triptolide biosynthesis pathway was affected by a genome-wide triploidy event that occurred in tripterygium wilfordii itself recently. The authors further integrated genomic, transcriptome, and metabolomic data to construct a gene-metabolism network, and identified that cytochrome P450 (CYP728B70) catalyzed the oxidation of a methyl group on dehydrorosin acid into a carboxyl group during triptolide biosynthesis.

Figure: Genome evolution of T. wilfordii

In order to further prove the role of CYP728B70 in triptolide biosynthesis, the function of CYP728B70 was verified by overexpression technique, which supported the potential role of CYP720B70 in increasing triptolide production.