Advances in the biosynthesis of long sugar-chain saponins

XIAO He; YAO Mingju; QIAO Xue

doi:10.12211/2096-8280.2025-049

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Advances in the biosynthesis of long sugar-chain saponins

Comment | 更新时间：2026-09-04

- Advances in the biosynthesis of long sugar-chain saponins
- 长糖链皂苷的生物合成研究进展
- Synthetic Biology Journal Vol. 7, Issue 4, Pages: 695-702(2026)
- 作者机构：
  
  北京大学药学院，天然药物及仿生药物全国重点实验室，北京大学-云南白药国际医学研究中心，北京 100191
- 作者简介：
- 基金信息：
- DOI：10.12211/2096-8280.2025-049
  CLC： Q816
- Received：27 May 2025，
  
  Revised：2025-06-27，
  
  Published：31 August 2026
- 稿件说明：
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肖和，姚明菊，乔雪. 长糖链皂苷的生物合成研究进展［J］. 合成生物学， 2026， 7（4）： 695-702

XIAO He， YAO Mingju， QIAO Xue. Advances in the biosynthesis of long sugar-chain saponins［J］. Synthetic Biology Journal， 2026， 7（4）： 695-702
肖和，姚明菊，乔雪. 长糖链皂苷的生物合成研究进展［J］. 合成生物学， 2026， 7（4）： 695-702 DOI： 10.12211/2096-8280.2025-049.

XIAO He， YAO Mingju， QIAO Xue. Advances in the biosynthesis of long sugar-chain saponins［J］. Synthetic Biology Journal， 2026， 7（4）： 695-702 DOI： 10.12211/2096-8280.2025-049.

摘要

含有多个糖基的长糖链皂苷是常见的植物次生代谢产物，具有调节免疫、抗肿瘤、降脂等药理活性，糖链组成差异是其结构多样性的重要原因。近期，英国约翰英纳斯中心Anne Osbourn教授团队和美国佐治亚大学Jim Leebens-Mack教授团队在

Nat.

Chem.

Biol.

期刊上发表文章，解析了肥皂草中八糖皂苷saponarioside B的生物合成途径。其他长糖链皂苷如avenacin A-1、yossoside V、α-tomatine、QS-21等的生物合成途径也已于近年阐明。本文结合相关研究，针对长糖链皂苷生物合成途径中的糖基化酶进行评论，为长糖链皂苷的生物合成酶挖掘与生物制造提供思路，为植物源皂苷的合成生物学提供线索。

Abstract

Saponins

characterized by the presence of multiple glycosyl residues arranged in extended oligosaccharide chains

represent a prominent class of plant-derived secondary metabolites. They exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities

including immunomodulatory

antitumor

and lipid-lowering effects. Variations in sugar chain composition critically contribute to their structural diversity. Recently

the biosynthetic pathway of Saponarioside B

an octasaccharide saponin derived from

Saponaria

officinalis

was elucidated through collaborative research efforts led by Prof. Anne Osbourn (John Innes Centre

UK) and Prof. Jim Leebens-Mack (University of Georgia

USA)

as published in

Nature

Chemical

Biology

. The biosynthetic pathways of other long sugar-chain saponins

such as avenacin A-1

yossoside V

α-tomatine

and QS-21

have also been elucidated in recent years. This review aims to explore the glycosylation reactions and thei

r catalytic enzymes in the biosynthesis of long sugar-chain saponins

integrating recent advances to update enzyme discoveries

optimize biomanufacturing strategies

and develop synthetic biology approaches for plant-derived saponins.

关键词

Keywords

references

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CHUNG S Y , SEKI H , FUJISAWA Y , et al . A cellulose synthase-derived enzyme catalyses 3- O -glucuronosylation in saponin biosynthesis [J ] . Nature Communications , 2020 , 11 : 5664 .

LIU Y Z , ZHAO X X , GAN F , et al . Complete biosynthesis of QS-21 in engineered yeast [J ] . Nature , 2024 , 629 ( 8013 ): 937 - 944 .

QU G Y , SONG Y F , XU X H , et al . De novo biosynthesis of mogroside V by multiplexed engineered yeasts [J ] . Metabolic Engineering , 2025 , 88 : 160 - 171 .

BOCCIA M , KESSLER D , SEIBT W , et al . A scaffold protein manages the biosynthesis of steroidal defense metabolites in plants [J ] . Science , 2024 , 386 ( 6728 ): 1366 - 1372 .

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Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica， Chinese Academy of Sciences

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