LAUSR

The alkaloid 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) is the main bioactive ingredient in the hypoglycemic action of mulberry leaves (Morus alba L.). Our previous research clarified the upstream pathway from lysine to Δ1-piperideine in the biosynthesis of DNJ in mulberry leaves, but the pathway and related reductase genes from Δ1-piperideine to piperidine are still unclear. Here, a comparative transcriptome was used to analyze the transcriptome data of two samples (July and November) of mulberry leaves with significant differences in the content of DNJ and screen-related reductase genes. Results showed that expression levels of MaSDR1 and MaSDR2 were significantly and positively correlated with the content of DNJ (P < 0.05) in different seasons. MaSDR1 (GenBank accession no. MT989445) and MaSDR2 (GenBank accession no. MT989446) were successfully cloned and used for prokaryotic expression and functional analysis in vitro. MaSDR1 and MaSDR2 could catalyze the reaction of Δ1-piperideine with the coenzyme NADPH to generate piperidine. The kinetic parameters of MaSDR1 and MaSDR2 indicated that MaSDR2 had a higher binding ability to Δ1-piperideine than MaSDR1. This study provided insights into the biosynthesis of DNJ in mulberry leaves.