Structure-based tailoring of the first coumarins-specific bergaptol O-methyltransferase to synthesize bergapten for depigmentation disorder treatment

Bergapten has long been used in combination with ultraviolet A irradiation to treat depigmentation disorder. However, extremely low bergapten contents in plants and difficulties in synthesizing bergapten have limited its application. Here, we developed an alternative bergapten-production method. We first determined the crystal structures of bergaptol O-methyltransferase from Peucedanum praeruptorum (PpBMT) and the ternary...