Isolation and Characterization of S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine:Tetrahydroberberine-cis-N-Methyltransferase from Suspension Cultures of Sanguinaria canadensis L.

As part of a continuing study of the induction of alkaloid biosynthesis, we report the isolation to homogeneity and characterization of S-adenosyl-L-methionine:tetrahydroberberine-cis-N-mehtyltransferase from suspension cultures of Sanguinaria canadensis that were induced to produce alkaloids by hormone depletion. This enzyme catalyzes the stereospecific transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine to the tertiary nitrogen of the protoberberine alkaloid tetrahydroberberine (canadine). The enzyme was purified 315-fold by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel permeation chromatography, affinity dye chromatography, and both diethylaminoethyl and Mono-Q ion-exchange chromatography. The enzyme was further purified to an optimum specific activity of 225 nkat/mg of protein (3500-fold) and electrophoretic homogeneity by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). In contrast to previous reports with partially purified enzyme, the isolated protein was found to have a pH optimum of 7.0, a temperature optimum of 25 to 30[deg]C, and an isoelectric point of 5.1. Furthermore, the molecular weight of the homogeneous protein was found to be 39,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE. The homogeneous enzyme preferred tetrahydroberberine over all other substrates tested, showing an apparent Km of 2.1 [mu]M, but also showed partial activity with tetrahydrojatrorrhizine and tetrahydropalmatrubine.