Cloning and expression of a potato cDNA encoding hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:Tyramine N-(hydroxycinnamoyl)transferase

Hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:tyramine N-(hydroxycinnamoyl)transferase (THT; EC 2.3.1.110) catalyzes the transfer of hydroxycinnamic acids from the respective CoA esters to tyramine and other amines in the formation of N-(hydroxycinnamoyl)amines. Expression of THT is induced by Phytophthora infestans, the causative agent of late blight disease in potato. The amino acid sequences of nine endopeptidase LysC-liberated peptides from purified potato THT were determined. Using degenerate primers, a THT-specific fragment was obtained by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and THT cDNA clones were isolated from a library constructed from RNA of elicitor-treated potato cells. The open reading frame encoding a protein of 248 amino acids was expressed in Escherichia coli, Recombinant THT exhibited a broad substrate specificity, similar to that of native potato THT, accepting cinnamoyl-, 4-coumaroyl-, caffeoyl-, feruloyl- and sinapoyl-CoA as acyl donors and tyramine, octopamine, and noradrenalin as accepters tested. Elicitor-induced THT transcript accumulation in cultured potato cells peaked 5 h after initiation of treatment, whereas enzyme activity was highest from 5 to 30 h after elicitation, In soil-grown potato plants, THT mRNA was most abundant in roots. Genomic Southern analyses indicate that, in potato, THT is encoded by a multigene family.