Identification of a functional allene oxide synthase-lipoxygenase fusion protein in the soft coral Gersemia fruticosa suggests the generality of this pathway in octocorals

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta Vol. 1780; no. 2; pp. 315 - 321
• Main Authors: Lõhelaid, Helike, Järving, Reet, Valmsen, Karin, Varvas, Külliki, Kreen, Malle, Järving, Ivar, Samel, Nigulas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.02.2008
• Subjects: Allene oxide synthase; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Anthozoa - enzymology; AOS-LOX; Coral; Gersemia fruticosa; HETE; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases - chemistry; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases - genetics; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases - metabolism; LC-MS; Lipoxygenase; Lipoxygenase - chemistry; Lipoxygenase - genetics; Lipoxygenase - metabolism; Lipoxygenase-peroxidase fusion protein; Molecular Sequence Data; RT; AOS; AOS-LOX; Lipoxygenase-peroxidase fusion protein; HETE; Allene oxide synthase; LC-MS; LOX; Coral; RACE; Lipoxygenase; PCR; RP; Gersemia fruticosa
• ISSN: 0304-4165; 0006-3002; 1872-8006
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2007.10.010

The conversion of fatty acid hydroperoxides to allene epoxides is catalysed by a cytochrome P450 in plants. In contrast, in the coral Plexaura homomalla, a catalase-related hemoprotein fused to the lipoxygenase (LOX) was found to function as an allene oxide synthase. This work reports the homology-based RT-PCR cloning and functional expression of a Gersemia fruticosa analogue of the allene oxide synthase-lipoxygenase (AOS-LOX) fusion protein. The G. fruticosa mRNA codes for a protein with 84% sequence identity to the P. homomalla AOS-LOX. Our data indicate that the AOS-LOX fusion protein pathway is used by another coral and P. homomalla represents no exception.