Molecular cloning, functional expression, and tissue distribution of a potato sprout allene oxide synthase involved in a 9-lipoxygenase pathway

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants are rich in 9-lipoxygenase, which converts linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid to 9S-hydroperoxy-10E,12Z-octadecadienoic acid (9-HPOD) and 9S-hydroperoxy-10E,12Z,15Z-octadecatrienoic acid (9-HPOT) respectively. The allene oxide synthase (AOS) involved in 9-HPOD/9-HPOT metabolism in potato, however, has not been characterized in detail. We cloned a cDNA encoding a novel AOS from potato sprouts by reverse transcriptase-PCR based on a partial sequence in the EST database. This AOS was successfully expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris, and purified using Ni-NTA resin. The recombinant enzyme metabolized 9-HPOD, 9-HPOT, 13-HPOD, and 13-HPOT with reaction efficiencies of 2.5 x 10(7), 1.0 x 10(7), 2.5 x 10(6), and 7.6 x 10(6) m(-1) s(-1) respectively. The a-ketol formed from 9-HPOD was composed mainly of the 9R-enatimomer (90%). Besides sprouts, the mRNA of this AOS was detected in buds, flowers, and stems, but not in leaves, tubers, or roots of mature plants, suggesting that this enzyme has a tissue-specific function.