NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCES ENCODING ENZYMES IN BIOSYNTHESIS OF DIHYDROARTEMISINIC ACID

摘要

Isolated nucleic acid molecules cloned from Artemisia annua encode artemisinic/dihydroartemisinic aldehyde dehydrogenase. Artemisinic/dihydroartemisinic aldehyde dehydrogenase enzymatically oxidizes dihydroartemisinic aldehyde to dihydroartemisinic acid and artemisinic aldehyde to artemisinic acid. The nucleic acid molecules, and the enzymes encoded thereby, may be used in processes to produce dihydroartemsinic aldehyde, dihydroartemisinic acid or artemisinic acid in a host cell. Dihydroartemisinic acid is a late precursor to the antimalarial compound artemisinin.