Molecular evolution of parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) membrane-bound prenyltransferases for linear and/or angular furanocoumarin biosynthesis

In Apiaceae, furanocoumarins (FCs) are plant defence compounds that are present as linear or angular isomers. Angular isomers appeared during plant evolution as a protective response to herbivores that are resistant to linear molecules. Isomeric biosynthesis occurs through prenylation at the C6 or C8 position of umbelliferone. Here, we report cloning and functional characterization of two different prenyltransferases, Pastinaca sativa prenyltransferase 1 and 2 (PsPT1 and PsPT2), that are involved in these crucial reactions. Both enzymes are targeted to plastids and synthesize osthenol and demethylsuberosin (DMS) using exclusively umbelliferone and dimethylallylpyrophosphate (DMAPP) as substrates. Enzymatic characterization using heterologously expressed proteins demonstrated that PsPT1 is specialized for the synthesis of the linear form, demethylsuberosin, whereas PsPT2 more efficiently catalyses the synthesis of its angular counterpart, osthenol. These results are the first example of a complementary prenyltransferase pair from a single plant species that is involved in synthesizing defensive compounds. This study also provides a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing the angular FC biosynthetic pathway in apiaceous plants, which involves two paralogous enzymes that share the same phylogenetic origin.