A glucosyltransferase specific for 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone in strawberry

ABSTRACT

4-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (HDMF) is a key aroma compound in Fragaria × ananassa (strawberry). A considerable amount of HDMF is converted into HDMF β-D-glucoside and accumulated in mature strawberry fruits. Here we isolated a novel UDP-glucose: HDMF glucosyltransferase, UGT85K16 from Fragaria × ananassa. UGT85K16 preferentially glucosylated the hydroxyl group of HDMF and its structural analogs. Although UGT85K16 also catalyzed the glucosylation of vanillin, its affinity and efficiency toward HDMF was higher. The expression of UGT85K16 mRNA correlated with the accumulation of HDMF and its glucoside in Fragaria × ananassa plants. These results suggest that UGT85K16 might be UDP-glucose: HDMF glucosyltransferase in strawberries.

Abbreviations: DMMF: 2,5-dimethyl-4-methoxy-3(2H)-furanone; EHMF: 2(5)-ethyl-4-hydroxy-5(2)-methyl-3(2H)-furanone; GBV: glycosidically bound volatile; HDMF: 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone; HMF: 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone; HMMF: 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-2-methylene-3(2H)-furanone; PSPG: Plant secondary product glycosyltransferase; RT-PCR: reverse transcription-PCR; OMT: O-methyltransferase; UGT: UDP-glycosyltransferase

Graphical Abstract

Characterization of HDMF glucosyltransferase (UGT85K16) from strawberry.

KEYWORDS:

• HDMF
• glucosyltransferase
• strawberry

Author contributions

TM, HM and KT conceived and supervised the study; AY and KT designed the experiments; AY, KI and KT performed the experiments; AY, KI and KT analyzed the data; AY, KI, TM, HM and KT wrote the manuscript.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. Kanako Sasaki (Kirin Company, Ltd.) for valuable discussion. We would like to thank Dr. Amanda C. Martin (The Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden) for the English language review.

Supplemental Material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher's website.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The present study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number [JP16K08297 to K.T. and JP25460127 to H.M].