Liu Yangzhi, Li Boqiang, Chen Tong, Tian Shiping, Zhang Zhanquan
Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101499, China.
Stress Biol. 2025 May 30;5(1):38. doi: 10.1007/s44154-025-00235-8.
Trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), an intermediate in trehalose metabolic pathways, is ubiquitously present in nearly all cellular organisms except vertebrates. The most well-characterized metabolic route involves its synthesis by trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) and dephosphorylation to trehalose by trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) in the TPS/TPP pathway. Besides, alternative trehalose metabolic pathways aslo exist. In addition to being the precursor of trehalose synthesis, T6P functions as a signal molecule regulating various biological processes. In plants, T6P inhibits SnRK1 (Sucrose-nonfermenting 1 Related Kinase 1), while in fungi, T6P primarily inhibits hexokinase and regulates glycolysis. Notably, TPS and TPP themselves also have some regulatory functions. Genetic studies reveal that deletion of TPS or TPP usually causes developmental and virulence defects in fungi, bacteria and invertebrates. Given that TPS and TPP have important biological functions in pathogenic fungi but are absent in humans and vertebrates, they are ideal targets for fungicide development. This review summarizes trehalose metabolic pathways and the multifaceted roles of T6P in plants, fungi and invertebrates, providing a comprehensive overview of its biological functions. Additionally, it discusses some reported TPS/TPP inhibitor to offer insights for pathogen control strategies.
海藻糖-6-磷酸（T6P）是海藻糖代谢途径中的一种中间体，除脊椎动物外，几乎在所有细胞生物中都普遍存在。最具特征的代谢途径是在TPS/TPP途径中，由海藻糖-6-磷酸合酶（TPS）合成T6P，并由海藻糖-6-磷酸磷酸酶（TPP）将其去磷酸化为海藻糖。此外，还存在其他海藻糖代谢途径。T6P除了是海藻糖合成的前体外，还作为调节各种生物过程的信号分子发挥作用。在植物中，T6P抑制SnRK1（蔗糖非发酵1相关激酶1），而在真菌中，T6P主要抑制己糖激酶并调节糖酵解。值得注意的是，TPS和TPP本身也具有一些调节功能。遗传学研究表明，缺失TPS或TPP通常会导致真菌、细菌和无脊椎动物出现发育和毒力缺陷。鉴于TPS和TPP在致病真菌中具有重要的生物学功能，而在人类和脊椎动物中不存在，它们是开发杀菌剂的理想靶点。本综述总结了海藻糖代谢途径以及T6P在植物、真菌和无脊椎动物中的多方面作用，全面概述了其生物学功能。此外，还讨论了一些已报道的TPS/TPP抑制剂，为病原体控制策略提供见解。
