UGT88B2: A promiscuous O-glycosyltransferase from Carthamus tinctorius

OBJECTIVE: In order to obtain new glycosyltransferases with highly efficient catalysis, the glycosyltransferases from Carthamus tinctorius which contains diverse types of glycosides were mined. Methods: A new glycosyltransferase gene (UGT88B2) with full length was obtained by PCR and further transformed into Escherichia coli for heterologous expression. The catalytic activity of recombinant UGT88B2 was determined by HPLC-MS(n). The structures of representative catalytic products were elucidated by MS and NMR. RESULTS: UGT88B2 exhibited catalytic promiscuity and various patterns in glycosylation of flavonoids with high efficiency. CONCLUSION: A new glycosyltransferase named UGT88B2 was successfully mined and can be employed as enzymatic tools in glycosylation of flavonoids.