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Fallon MA, Tadfie H, Watson AP, Dyke MM, Flores C, Cook N, Fei Z, Holland CK. Molecular basis of one-step methyl anthranilate biosynthesis in grapes, sweet orange, and maize. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 119:2363-2374. [PMID: 38976445 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Plants synthesize an array of volatile compounds, many of which serve ecological roles in attracting pollinators, deterring herbivores, and communicating with their surroundings. Methyl anthranilate (MeAA) is an anti-herbivory defensive volatile responsible for grape aroma that is emitted by several agriculturally relevant plants, including citrus, grapes, and maize. Unlike maize, which uses a one-step anthranilate methyltransferase (AAMT), grapes have been thought to use a two-step pathway for MeAA biosynthesis. By mining available transcriptomics data, we identified two AAMTs in Vitis vinifera (wine grape), as well as one ortholog in "Concord" grape. Many angiosperms methylate the plant hormone salicylic acid (SA) to produce methyl salicylate, which acts as a plant-to-plant communication molecule. Because the Citrus sinensis (sweet orange) SA methyltransferase can methylate both anthranilate (AA) and SA, we used this enzyme to examine the molecular basis of AA activity by introducing rational mutations, which identified several active site residues that increase activity with AA. Reversing this approach, we introduced mutations that imparted activity with SA in the maize AAMT, which uncovered different active site residues from those in the citrus enzyme. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis revealed that one of the Vitis AAMTs shares an ancestor with jasmonic acid methyltransferases, similar to the AAMT from strawberry (Frageria sp.). Collectively, these data demonstrate the molecular mechanisms underpinning AA activity across methyltransferases and identify one-step enzymes by which grapes synthesize MeAA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Fallon
- Department of Biology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, 01267, USA
| | - Hisham Tadfie
- Department of Biology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, 01267, USA
| | - Aracely P Watson
- Department of Biology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, 01267, USA
| | - Madeline M Dyke
- Department of Biology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, 01267, USA
| | - Christopher Flores
- Department of Biology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, 01267, USA
| | - Nathan Cook
- Department of Chemistry, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, 01267, USA
| | - Zhangjun Fei
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, New York, 14850, USA
| | - Cynthia K Holland
- Department of Biology, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, 01267, USA
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2
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Crum AH, Philander L, Busta L, Yang Y. Traditional medicinal use is linked with apparency, not specialized metabolite profiles in the order Caryophyllales. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2024; 111:e16308. [PMID: 38581167 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
PREMISE Better understanding of the relationship between plant specialized metabolism and traditional medicine has the potential to aid in bioprospecting and untangling of cross-cultural use patterns. However, given the limited information available for metabolites in most plant species, understanding medicinal use-metabolite relationships can be difficult. The order Caryophyllales has a unique pattern of lineages of tyrosine- or phenylalanine-dominated specialized metabolism, represented by mutually exclusive anthocyanin and betalain pigments, making Caryophyllales a compelling system to explore the relationship between medicine and metabolites by using pigment as a proxy for dominant metabolism. METHODS We compiled a list of medicinal species in select tyrosine- or phenylalanine-dominant families of Caryophyllales (Nepenthaceae, Polygonaceae, Simmondsiaceae, Microteaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Amaranthaceae, Limeaceae, Molluginaceae, Portulacaceae, Cactaceae, and Nyctaginaceae) by searching scientific literature until no new uses were recovered. We then tested for phylogenetic clustering of uses using a "hot nodes" approach. To test potential non-metabolite drivers of medicinal use, like how often humans encounter a species (apparency), we repeated the analysis using only North American species across the entire order and performed phylogenetic generalized least squares regression (PGLS) with occurrence data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). RESULTS We hypothesized families with tyrosine-enriched metabolism would show clustering of different types of medicinal use compared to phenylalanine-enriched metabolism. Instead, wide-ranging, apparent clades in Polygonaceae and Amaranthaceae are overrepresented across nearly all types of medicinal use. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that apparency is a better predictor of medicinal use than metabolism, although metabolism type may still be a contributing factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex H Crum
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 1445 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, 55108, MN, USA
| | - Lisa Philander
- Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, 1225 Estabrook Drive, St. Paul, 55103, MN, USA
| | - Lucas Busta
- University of Minnesota Duluth, 1038 University Drive, Duluth, 55812, MN, USA
| | - Ya Yang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 1445 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, 55108, MN, USA
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3
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Ding Q, Guo N, Gao L, McKee M, Wu D, Yang J, Fan J, Weng JK, Lei X. The evolutionary origin of naturally occurring intermolecular Diels-Alderases from Morus alba. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2492. [PMID: 38509059 PMCID: PMC10954736 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46845-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Biosynthetic enzymes evolutionarily gain novel functions, thereby expanding the structural diversity of natural products to the benefit of host organisms. Diels-Alderases (DAs), functionally unique enzymes catalysing [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions, have received considerable research interest. However, their evolutionary mechanisms remain obscure. Here, we investigate the evolutionary origins of the intermolecular DAs in the biosynthesis of Moraceae plant-derived Diels-Alder-type secondary metabolites. Our findings suggest that these DAs have evolved from an ancestor functioning as a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-dependent oxidocyclase (OC), which catalyses the oxidative cyclisation reactions of isoprenoid-substituted phenolic compounds. Through crystal structure determination, computational calculations, and site-directed mutagenesis experiments, we identified several critical substitutions, including S348L, A357L, D389E and H418R that alter the substrate-binding mode and enable the OCs to gain intermolecular DA activity during evolution. This work provides mechanistic insights into the evolutionary rationale of DAs and paves the way for mining and engineering new DAs from other protein families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Ding
- School of Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Nianxin Guo
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Lei Gao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Michelle McKee
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Dongshan Wu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jun Yang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Junping Fan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jing-Ke Weng
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Institute for Plant-Human Interface, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02120, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02120, USA
| | - Xiaoguang Lei
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
- Institute for Cancer Research, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
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4
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Chaudhary A, Mathur D, Gaba R, Pasricha R, Sharma K. Greening up organic reactions with caffeine: applications, recent developments, and future directions. RSC Adv 2024; 14:8932-8962. [PMID: 38500612 PMCID: PMC10945742 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra00432a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies in the field of alkaloid chemistry have provided researchers with valuable insights into their unique properties as catalysts. Among the diverse natural catalysts, caffeine has emerged as a green, expedient, and biodegradable catalyst with high efficiency and applicability. Interest in using caffeine as a catalyst has burgeoned over the past few years with its role in diverse multicomponent reactions. Preparation of its imidazolium salts and further conversion to Nitrogen Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) ligands and ionic liquids offers new paradigms. Caffeine has also played a multifaceted role as a support material in influencing the structural properties of nanoparticles. We hope that the chemistry of caffeine and its applications for sustainable organic transformations discussed in this review will stimulate new thinking and open new avenues in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Chaudhary
- Department of Chemistry, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi Delhi - 110 021 India
| | - Divya Mathur
- Department of Chemistry, Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi Delhi - 110 007 India
| | - Ritu Gaba
- Department of Chemistry, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi Delhi - 110 021 India
| | - Raaina Pasricha
- Department of Chemistry, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi Delhi - 110 021 India
| | - Khyati Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi Delhi - 110 021 India
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5
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DeMars MD, O’Connor SE. Evolution and diversification of carboxylesterase-like [4+2] cyclases in aspidosperma and iboga alkaloid biosynthesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318586121. [PMID: 38319969 PMCID: PMC10873640 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318586121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) are a large and diverse class of plant natural products, and their biosynthetic construction has been a subject of intensive study for many years. The enzymatic basis for the production of aspidosperma and iboga alkaloids, which are produced exclusively by members of the Apocynaceae plant family, has recently been discovered. Three carboxylesterase (CXE)-like enzymes from Catharanthus roseus and Tabernanthe iboga catalyze regio- and enantiodivergent [4+2] cycloaddition reactions to generate the aspidosperma (tabersonine synthase, TS) and iboga (coronaridine synthase, CorS; catharanthine synthase, CS) scaffolds from a common biosynthetic intermediate. Here, we use a combined phylogenetic and biochemical approach to investigate the evolution and functional diversification of these cyclase enzymes. Through ancestral sequence reconstruction, we provide evidence for initial evolution of TS from an ancestral CXE followed by emergence of CorS in two separate lineages, leading in turn to CS exclusively in the Catharanthus genus. This progression from aspidosperma to iboga alkaloid biosynthesis is consistent with the chemotaxonomic distribution of these MIAs. We subsequently generate and test a panel of chimeras based on the ancestral cyclases to probe the molecular basis for differential cyclization activity. Finally, we show through partial heterologous reconstitution of tabersonine biosynthesis using non-pathway enzymes how aspidosperma alkaloids could have first appeared as "underground metabolites" via recruitment of promiscuous enzymes from common protein families. Our results provide insight into the evolution of biosynthetic enzymes and how new secondary metabolic pathways can emerge through small but important sequence changes following co-option of preexisting enzymatic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. DeMars
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena07745, Germany
| | - Sarah E. O’Connor
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena07745, Germany
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6
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Catania EM, Dubs NM, Soumen S, Barkman TJ. The Mutational Road not Taken: Using Ancestral Sequence Resurrection to Evaluate the Evolution of Plant Enzyme Substrate Preferences. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae016. [PMID: 38290535 PMCID: PMC10853004 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
We investigated the flowering plant salicylic acid methyl transferase (SAMT) enzyme lineage to understand the evolution of substrate preference change. Previous studies indicated that a single amino acid replacement to the SAMT active site (H150M) was sufficient to change ancestral enzyme substrate preference from benzoic acid to the structurally similar substrate, salicylic acid (SA). Yet, subsequent studies have shown that the H150M function-changing replacement did not likely occur during the historical episode of enzymatic divergence studied. Therefore, we reinvestigated the origin of SA methylation preference here and additionally assessed the extent to which epistasis may act to limit mutational paths. We found that the SAMT lineage of enzymes acquired preference to methylate SA from an ancestor that preferred to methylate benzoic acid as previously reported. In contrast, we found that a different amino acid replacement, Y267Q, was sufficient to change substrate preference with others providing small positive-magnitude epistatic improvements. We show that the kinetic basis for the ancestral enzymatic change in substate preference by Y267Q appears to be due to both a reduced specificity constant, kcat/KM, for benzoic acid and an improvement in KM for SA. Therefore, this lineage of enzymes appears to have had multiple mutational paths available to achieve the same evolutionary divergence. While the reasons remain unclear for why one path was taken, and the other was not, the mutational distance between ancestral and descendant codons may be a factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Catania
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
| | - Nicole M Dubs
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
| | - Shejal Soumen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
| | - Todd J Barkman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
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7
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Ono E, Murata J. Exploring the Evolvability of Plant Specialized Metabolism: Uniqueness Out Of Uniformity and Uniqueness Behind Uniformity. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 64:1449-1465. [PMID: 37307423 PMCID: PMC10734894 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcad057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The huge structural diversity exhibited by plant specialized metabolites has primarily been considered to result from the catalytic specificity of their biosynthetic enzymes. Accordingly, enzyme gene multiplication and functional differentiation through spontaneous mutations have been established as the molecular mechanisms that drive metabolic evolution. Nevertheless, how plants have assembled and maintained such metabolic enzyme genes and the typical clusters that are observed in plant genomes, as well as why identical specialized metabolites often exist in phylogenetically remote lineages, is currently only poorly explained by a concept known as convergent evolution. Here, we compile recent knowledge on the co-presence of metabolic modules that are common in the plant kingdom but have evolved under specific historical and contextual constraints defined by the physicochemical properties of each plant specialized metabolite and the genetic presets of the biosynthetic genes. Furthermore, we discuss a common manner to generate uncommon metabolites (uniqueness out of uniformity) and an uncommon manner to generate common metabolites (uniqueness behind uniformity). This review describes the emerging aspects of the evolvability of plant specialized metabolism that underlie the vast structural diversity of plant specialized metabolites in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiichiro Ono
- Suntory Global Innovation Center Ltd. (SIC), 8-1-1 Seikadai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, 619-0284 Japan
| | - Jun Murata
- Bioorganic Research Institute (SUNBOR), Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, 8-1-1 Seikadai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, 619-0284 Japan
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8
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Watkins JL, Li Q, Yeaman S, Facchini PJ. Elucidation of the mescaline biosynthetic pathway in peyote (Lophophora williamsii). THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 116:635-649. [PMID: 37675639 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) is an entheogenic and medicinal cactus native to the Chihuahuan desert. The psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties of peyote are principally attributed to the phenethylamine derivative mescaline. Despite the isolation of mescaline from peyote over 120 years ago, the biosynthetic pathway in the plant has remained undiscovered. Here, we use a transcriptomics and homology-guided gene discovery strategy to elucidate a near-complete biosynthetic pathway from l-tyrosine to mescaline. We identified a cytochrome P450 that catalyzes the 3-hydroxylation of l-tyrosine to l-DOPA, a tyrosine/DOPA decarboxylase yielding dopamine, and four substrate-specific and regiospecific substituted phenethylamine O-methyltransferases. Biochemical assays with recombinant enzymes or functional analyses performed by feeding putative precursors to engineered yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) strains expressing candidate peyote biosynthetic genes were used to determine substrate specificity, which served as the basis for pathway elucidation. Additionally, an N-methyltransferase displaying broad substrate specificity and leading to the production of N-methylated phenethylamine derivatives was identified, which could also function as an early step in the biosynthesis of tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids in peyote.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta L Watkins
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Qiushi Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Sam Yeaman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Peter J Facchini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
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9
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Florean M, Luck K, Hong B, Nakamura Y, O’Connor SE, Köllner TG. Reinventing metabolic pathways: Independent evolution of benzoxazinoids in flowering plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2307981120. [PMID: 37812727 PMCID: PMC10589660 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307981120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Benzoxazinoids (BXDs) form a class of indole-derived specialized plant metabolites with broad antimicrobial and antifeedant properties. Unlike most specialized metabolites, which are typically lineage-specific, BXDs occur sporadically in a number of distantly related plant orders. This observation suggests that BXD biosynthesis arose independently numerous times in the plant kingdom. However, although decades of research in the grasses have led to the elucidation of the BXD pathway in the monocots, the biosynthesis of BXDs in eudicots is unknown. Here, we used a metabolomic and transcriptomic-guided approach, in combination with pathway reconstitution in Nicotiana benthamiana, to identify and characterize the BXD biosynthetic pathways from both Aphelandra squarrosa and Lamium galeobdolon, two phylogenetically distant eudicot species. We show that BXD biosynthesis in A. squarrosa and L. galeobdolon utilize a dual-function flavin-containing monooxygenase in place of two distinct cytochrome P450s, as is the case in the grasses. In addition, we identified evolutionarily unrelated cytochrome P450s, a 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, a UDP-glucosyltransferase, and a methyltransferase that were also recruited into these BXD biosynthetic pathways. Our findings constitute the discovery of BXD pathways in eudicots. Moreover, the biosynthetic enzymes of these pathways clearly demonstrate that BXDs independently arose in the plant kingdom at least three times. The heterogeneous pool of identified BXD enzymes represents a remarkable example of metabolic plasticity, in which BXDs are synthesized according to a similar chemical logic, but with an entirely different set of metabolic enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Florean
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena07745, Germany
| | - Katrin Luck
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena07745, Germany
| | - Benke Hong
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena07745, Germany
| | - Yoko Nakamura
- Research Group Biosynthesis/NMR, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena07745, Germany
| | - Sarah E. O’Connor
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena07745, Germany
| | - Tobias G. Köllner
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena07745, Germany
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10
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Snell-Rood EC, Smirnoff D. Biology for biomimetics I: function as an interdisciplinary bridge in bio-inspired design. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2023; 18:052001. [PMID: 37429293 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ace5fb] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
In bio-inspired design, the concept of 'function' allows engineers and designers to move between biological models and human applications. Abstracting a problem to general functions allows designers to look to traits that perform analogous functions in biological organisms. However, the idea of function can mean different things across fields, presenting challenges for interdisciplinary research. Here we review core ideas in biology that relate to the concept of 'function,' including adaptation, tradeoffs, and fitness, as a companion to bio-inspired design approaches. We align these ideas with a top-down approach in biomimetics, where engineers or designers start with a problem of interest and look to biology for ideas. We review how one can explore a range of biological analogies for a given function by considering function across different parts of an organism's life, such as acquiring nutrients or avoiding disease. Engineers may also draw inspiration from biological traits or systems that exhibit a particular function, but did not necessarily evolve to do so. Such an evolutionary perspective is important to how biodesigners search biological space for ideas. A consideration of the evolution of trait function can also clarify potential trade-offs and biological models that may be more promising for an application. This core set of concepts from evolutionary and organismal biology can aid engineers and designers in their search for biological inspiration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie C Snell-Rood
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, United States of America
| | - Dimitri Smirnoff
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Department of Biology Teaching and Learning, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
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11
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Negin B, Jander G. Convergent and divergent evolution of plant chemical defenses. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 73:102368. [PMID: 37087925 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The majority of the several hundred thousand specialized metabolites produced by plants function in defense against insects and other herbivores. Despite this diversity, identical metabolites or structurally distinct metabolites hitting the same targets in herbivorous animals have evolved repeatedly. This convergent evolution may reflect the constraints of plant primary metabolism in providing metabolic precursors, as well as the limited number of readily accessible targets in animals. These restrictions may make it uncommon for plants to develop completely novel toxic and deterrent metabolites, despite the ongoing evolution of resistance mechanisms in insect herbivores. Defensive compounds that are unique to individual genera or species often have long biosynthetic pathways that may complicate the repeated evolution of these metabolites in different plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boaz Negin
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Georg Jander
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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12
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Shen F, He H, Huang X, Deng Y, Yang X. Insights into the convergent evolution of fructan biosynthesis in angiosperms from the highly characteristic chicory genome. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:1245-1262. [PMID: 36751914 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Fructans in angiosperms play essential roles in physiological functions and environmental adaptations. As a major source of industrial fructans (especially inulin-type), chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is a model species for studying fructan biosynthesis. However, the genes underlying this process and their evolutionary history in angiosperms remain elusive. We combined multiple sequencing technologies to assemble and annotate the chicory genome and scan its (epi)genomic features, such as genomic components, DNA methylation, and three-dimensional (3D) structure. We also performed a comparative genomics analysis to uncover the associations between key traits and gene families. We achieved a nearly complete chicory genome assembly and found that continuous bursts of a few highly active retrotransposon families largely shaped the (epi)genomic characteristics. The highly methylated genome with its unique 3D structure potentially influences critical biological processes. Our comprehensive comparative genomics analysis deciphered the genetic basis for the rich sesquiterpene content in chicory and indicated that the fructan-accumulating trait resulted from convergent evolution in angiosperms due to shifts in critical sites of fructan-active enzymes. The highly characterized chicory genome provides insight into Asteraceae evolution and fructan biosynthesis in angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Shen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Hao He
- Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Yang Deng
- Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Xiaozeng Yang
- Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
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13
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Suttiyut T, Benzinger SW, McCoy RM, Widhalm JR. Strategies to study the metabolic origins of specialized plant metabolites: The specialized 1,4-naphthoquinones. Methods Enzymol 2023; 680:217-246. [PMID: 36710012 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
One of the hallmarks of specialized plant metabolites is that they are produced using precursors from central metabolism. Therefore, in addition to identifying and characterizing the pathway genes and enzymes involved in synthesizing a specialized compound, it is critical to study its metabolic origins. Identifying what primary metabolic pathways supply precursors to specialized metabolism and how primary metabolism has diversified to sustain fluxes to specialized metabolite pathways is imperative to optimizing synthetic biology strategies for producing high-value plant natural products in crops and microbial systems. Improved understanding of the metabolic origins of specialized plant metabolites has also revealed instances of recurrent evolution of the same compound, or nearly identical compounds, with similar ecological functions, thereby expanding knowledge about the factors driving the chemical diversity in the plant kingdom. In this chapter, we describe detailed methods for performing tracer studies, chemical inhibitor experiments, and reverse genetics. We use examples from investigations of the metabolic origins of specialized plant 1,4-naphthoquinones (1,4-NQs). The plant 1,4-NQs provide an excellent case study for illustrating the importance of investigating the metabolic origins of specialized metabolites. Over half a century of research by many groups has revealed that the pathways to synthesize plant 1,4-NQs are the result of multiple events of convergent evolution across several disparate plant lineages and that plant 1,4-NQ pathways are supported by extraordinary events of metabolic innovation and by various primary metabolic sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiti Suttiyut
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States; Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Scott W Benzinger
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States; Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Rachel M McCoy
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States; Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Joshua R Widhalm
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States; Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States.
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14
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Rieseberg TP, Dadras A, Fürst-Jansen JMR, Dhabalia Ashok A, Darienko T, de Vries S, Irisarri I, de Vries J. Crossroads in the evolution of plant specialized metabolism. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 134:37-58. [PMID: 35292191 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The monophyletic group of embryophytes (land plants) stands out among photosynthetic eukaryotes: they are the sole constituents of the macroscopic flora on land. In their entirety, embryophytes account for the majority of the biomass on land and constitute an astounding biodiversity. What allowed for the massive radiation of this particular lineage? One of the defining features of all land plants is the production of an array of specialized metabolites. The compounds that the specialized metabolic pathways of embryophytes produce have diverse functions, ranging from superabundant structural polymers and compounds that ward off abiotic and biotic challenges, to signaling molecules whose abundance is measured at the nanomolar scale. These specialized metabolites govern the growth, development, and physiology of land plants-including their response to the environment. Hence, specialized metabolites define the biology of land plants as we know it. And they were likely a foundation for their success. It is thus intriguing to find that the closest algal relatives of land plants, freshwater organisms from the grade of streptophyte algae, possess homologs for key enzymes of specialized metabolic pathways known from land plants. Indeed, some studies suggest that signature metabolites emerging from these pathways can be found in streptophyte algae. Here we synthesize the current understanding of which routes of the specialized metabolism of embryophytes can be traced to a time before plants had conquered land.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim P Rieseberg
- University of Goettingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Goldschmidtstr. 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Armin Dadras
- University of Goettingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Goldschmidtstr. 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Janine M R Fürst-Jansen
- University of Goettingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Goldschmidtstr. 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Amra Dhabalia Ashok
- University of Goettingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Goldschmidtstr. 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Tatyana Darienko
- University of Goettingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Goldschmidtstr. 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Sophie de Vries
- University of Goettingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Goldschmidtstr. 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Iker Irisarri
- University of Goettingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Goldschmidtstr. 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany; University of Goettingen, Campus Institute Data Science (CIDAS), Goldschmidstr. 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Jan de Vries
- University of Goettingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Goldschmidtstr. 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany; University of Goettingen, Campus Institute Data Science (CIDAS), Goldschmidstr. 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany; University of Goettingen, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Goldschmidtsr. 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany.
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15
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Lashley A, Miller R, Provenzano S, Jarecki SA, Erba P, Salim V. Functional Diversification and Structural Origins of Plant Natural Product Methyltransferases. Molecules 2022; 28:43. [PMID: 36615239 PMCID: PMC9822479 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28010043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In plants, methylation is a common step in specialized metabolic pathways, leading to a vast diversity of natural products. The methylation of these small molecules is catalyzed by S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases, which are categorized based on the methyl-accepting atom (O, N, C, S, or Se). These methyltransferases are responsible for the transformation of metabolites involved in plant defense response, pigments, and cell signaling. Plant natural product methyltransferases are part of the Class I methyltransferase-superfamily containing the canonical Rossmann fold. Recent advances in genomics have accelerated the functional characterization of plant natural product methyltransferases, allowing for the determination of substrate specificities and regioselectivity and further realizing the potential for enzyme engineering. This review compiles known biochemically characterized plant natural product methyltransferases that have contributed to our knowledge in the diversification of small molecules mediated by methylation steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Lashley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
| | - Ryan Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Stephanie Provenzano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71103, USA
| | - Sara-Alexis Jarecki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
| | - Paul Erba
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Vonny Salim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
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16
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Elucidation of tropane alkaloid biosynthesis in Erythroxylum coca using a microbial pathway discovery platform. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2215372119. [PMID: 36442128 PMCID: PMC9894180 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215372119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropane alkaloids (TAs) are heterocyclic nitrogenous metabolites found across seven orders of angiosperms, including Malpighiales (Erythroxylaceae) and Solanales (Solanaceae). Despite the well-established euphorigenic properties of Erythroxylaceae TAs like cocaine, their biosynthetic pathway remains incomplete. Using yeast as a screening platform, we identified and characterized the missing steps of TA biosynthesis in Erythroxylum coca. We first characterize putative E. coca polyamine synthase- and amine oxidase-like enzymes in vitro, in yeast, and in planta to show that the first tropane ring closure in Erythroxylaceae occurs via bifunctional spermidine synthase/N-methyltransferases and both flavin- and copper-dependent amine oxidases. We next identify a SABATH family methyltransferase responsible for the 2-carbomethoxy moiety characteristic of Erythroxylaceae TAs and demonstrate that its coexpression with methylecgonone reductase in yeast engineered to express the Solanaceae TA pathway enables the production of a hybrid TA with structural features of both lineages. Finally, we use clustering analysis of Erythroxylum transcriptome datasets to discover a cytochrome P450 of the CYP81A family responsible for the second tropane ring closure in Erythroxylaceae, and demonstrate the function of the core coca TA pathway in vivo via reconstruction and de novo biosynthesis of methylecgonine in yeast. Collectively, our results provide strong evidence that TA biosynthesis in Erythroxylaceae and Solanaceae is polyphyletic and that independent recruitment of unique biosynthetic mechanisms and enzyme classes occurred at nearly every step in the evolution of this pathway.
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17
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Macquet J, Mounichetty S, Raffaele S. Genetic co-option into plant-filamentous pathogen interactions. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 27:1144-1158. [PMID: 35909010 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plants are engaged in a coevolutionary arms race with their pathogens that drives rapid diversification and specialization of genes involved in resistance and virulence. However, some major innovations in plant-pathogen interactions, such as molecular decoys, trans-kingdom RNA interference, two-speed genomes, and receptor networks, evolved through the expansion of the functional landscape of genes. This is a typical outcome of genetic co-option, the evolutionary process by which available genes are recruited into new biological functions. Co-option into plant-pathogen interactions emerges generally from (i) cis-regulatory variation, (ii) horizontal gene transfer (HGT), (iii) mutations altering molecular promiscuity, and (iv) rewiring of gene networks and protein complexes. Understanding these molecular mechanisms is key for the functional and predictive biology of plant-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris Macquet
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plante-Microbe-Environnement (LIPME), Université de Toulouse, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation, et l'Environnement (INRAE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Shantala Mounichetty
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plante-Microbe-Environnement (LIPME), Université de Toulouse, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation, et l'Environnement (INRAE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Sylvain Raffaele
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plante-Microbe-Environnement (LIPME), Université de Toulouse, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation, et l'Environnement (INRAE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Castanet Tolosan, France.
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18
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Roy S, Chatterjee A, Bal S, Das D. Cross β Amyloid Nanotubes Demonstrate Promiscuous Catalysis in a Chemical Reaction Network via Co‐option. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202210972. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202210972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Soumili Roy
- Department of Chemical Sciences & Centre for Advanced Functional Materials Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, Mohanpur West Bengal 741246 India
| | - Ayan Chatterjee
- Department of Chemical Sciences & Centre for Advanced Functional Materials Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, Mohanpur West Bengal 741246 India
| | - Subhajit Bal
- Department of Chemical Sciences & Centre for Advanced Functional Materials Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, Mohanpur West Bengal 741246 India
| | - Dibyendu Das
- Department of Chemical Sciences & Centre for Advanced Functional Materials Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, Mohanpur West Bengal 741246 India
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19
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Tang D, Shen Y, Li F, Yue R, Duan J, Ye Z, Lin Y, Zhou W, Yang Y, Chen L, Wang H, Zhao J, Li P. Integrating metabolite and transcriptome analysis revealed the different mechanisms of characteristic compound biosynthesis and transcriptional regulation in tea flowers. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1016692. [PMID: 36247612 PMCID: PMC9557745 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1016692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The flowers of tea plants (Camellia sinensis), as well as tea leaves, contain abundant secondary metabolites and are big potential resources for the extraction of bioactive compounds or preparation of functional foods. However, little is known about the biosynthesis and transcriptional regulation mechanisms of those metabolites in tea flowers, such as terpenoid, flavonol, catechins, caffeine, and theanine. This study finely integrated target and nontarget metabolism analyses to explore the metabolic feature of developing tea flowers. Tea flowers accumulated more abundant terpenoid compounds than young leaves. The transcriptome data of developing flowers and leaves showed that a higher expression level of later genes of terpenoid biosynthesis pathway, such as Terpene synthases gene family, in tea flowers was the candidate reason of the more abundant terpenoid compounds than in tea leaves. Differently, even though flavonol and catechin profiling between tea flowers and leaves was similar, the gene family members of flavonoid biosynthesis were selectively expressed by tea flowers and tea leaves. Transcriptome and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the regulatory mechanism of flavonol biosynthesis was perhaps different between tea flowers and leaves. However, the regulatory mechanism of catechin biosynthesis was perhaps similar between tea flowers and leaves. This study not only provides a global vision of metabolism and transcriptome in tea flowers but also uncovered the different mechanisms of biosynthesis and transcriptional regulation of those important compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingkun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Yihua Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Fangdong Li
- College of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Rui Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Jianwei Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Zhili Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Ying Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Yilin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Lixiao Chen
- Municipal Research Institute for Processing of Agricultural and Featured Products, Shiyan Academy of Agricultural Science, Shiyan, China
| | - Hongyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Jian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Penghui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
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20
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Drummond CP, Renner T. Genomic insights into the evolution of plant chemical defense. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 68:102254. [PMID: 35777286 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant trait evolution can be impacted by common mechanisms of genome evolution, including whole-genome and small-scale duplication, rearrangement, and selective pressures. With the increasing accessibility of genome sequencing for non-model species, comparative studies of trait evolution among closely related or divergent lineages have supported investigations into plant chemical defense. Plant defensive compounds include major chemical classes, such as terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenolics, and are used in primary and secondary plant functions. These include the promotion of plant health, facilitation of pollination, defense against pathogens, and responses to a rapidly changing climate. We discuss mechanisms of genome evolution and use examples from recent studies to impress a stronger understanding of the link between genotype and phenotype as it relates to the evolution of plant chemical defense. We conclude with considerations for how to leverage genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and functional assays for studying the emergence and evolution of chemical defense systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe P Drummond
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Entomology, 501 ASI Building University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Tanya Renner
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Entomology, 501 ASI Building University Park, PA 16802, USA
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21
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Zhou MZ, O'Neill Rothenberg D, Zeng W, Luo L, Yan CY, Zeng Z, Huang YH. Discovery and Biochemical Characterization of N-methyltransferase Genes Involved in Purine Alkaloid Biosynthetic Pathway of Camellia gymnogyna Hung T.Chang (Theaceae) from Dayao Mountain. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2022; 199:113167. [PMID: 35378107 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, purine alkaloid analysis and transcriptome of Camellia gymnogyna Hung T. Chang (Theaceae) from Dayao Mountain were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and RNA-Seq, respectively. The results showed that the major purine alkaloids accumulated in Camellia gymnogyna Hung T. Chang (Theaceae) were theobromine together with a small amount of theacrine and caffeine. Through polymerase chain reaction (PCR), three types of cDNA encoding N-methyltransferases were isolated from the leaves of Camellia gymnogyna Hung T. Chang (Theaceae) and designated GCS1, GCS2, and GCS3. We subsequently expressed GCS1, GCS2, and GCS3 in Escherichia coli and incubated lysates of the bacterial cells with a variety of xanthine substrates in the presence of S-adenosyl-L-methionine as the methyl donor. We found that the recombinant GCS1 proteins catalyzed 1,3,7-trimethyluric acid to produce theacrine, the recombinant GCS3 proteins catalyzed 7-methylxanthine to produce theobromine, while the recombinant GCS2 proteins did not catalyze any xanthine derivatives. Simultaneous analysis of the expressions of GCS1, GCS2, GCS3, and a caffeine synthase gene (TCS1) in Camellia gymnogyna Hung T. Chang (Theaceae) and other tea plants provided a reference for further research on the functions of these genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Zhen Zhou
- Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Tea Research Institute, Meizhou Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Meizhou, 514071, China
| | - Dylan O'Neill Rothenberg
- Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Wen Zeng
- Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Li Luo
- Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Chang-Yu Yan
- Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Zhen Zeng
- Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Ya-Hui Huang
- Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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22
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Schenck CA, Busta L. Using interdisciplinary, phylogeny-guided approaches to understand the evolution of plant metabolism. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 109:355-367. [PMID: 34816350 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-021-01220-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
To cope with relentless environmental pressures, plants produce an arsenal of structurally diverse chemicals, often called specialized metabolites. These lineage-specific compounds are derived from the simple building blocks made by ubiquitous core metabolic pathways. Although the structures of many specialized metabolites are known, the underlying metabolic pathways and the evolutionary events that have shaped the plant chemical diversity landscape are only beginning to be understood. However, with the advent of multi-omics data sets and the relative ease of studying pathways in previously intractable non-model species, plant specialized metabolic pathways are now being systematically identified. These large datasets also provide a foundation for comparative, phylogeny-guided studies of plant metabolism. Comparisons of metabolic traits and features like chemical abundances, enzyme activities, or gene sequences from phylogenetically diverse plants provide insights into how metabolic pathways evolved. This review highlights the power of studying evolution through the lens of comparative biochemistry, particularly how placing metabolism into a phylogenetic context can help a researcher identify the metabolic innovations enabling the evolution of structurally diverse plant metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig A Schenck
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
| | - Lucas Busta
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN, USA
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23
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Rodríguez-López CE, Jiang Y, Kamileen MO, Lichman BR, Hong B, Vaillancourt B, Buell CR, O'Connor SE. Phylogeny-aware chemoinformatic analysis of chemical diversity in the Lamiaceae enables iridoid pathway assembly and discovery of aucubin synthase. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6550147. [PMID: 35298643 PMCID: PMC9048965 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Countless reports describe the isolation and structural characterization of natural products, yet this information remains disconnected and under-utilized. Using a cheminformatics approach, we leverage the reported observations of iridoid glucosides with the known phylogeny of a large iridoid producing plant family (Lamiaceae), to generate a set of biosynthetic pathways that best explain the extant iridoid chemical diversity. We developed a pathway reconstruction algorithm that connects iridoid reports via reactions, and prunes this solution space by considering phylogenetic relationships between genera. We formulate a model that emulates the evolution of iridoid glucosides to create a synthetic dataset, used to select the parameters that would best reconstruct the pathways, and apply them to the iridoid dataset to generate Pathway Hypotheses. These computationally generated pathways were then used as the basis by which to select and screen biosynthetic enzyme candidates. Our model was successfully applied to discover a cytochrome P450 enzyme from Callicarpa americana that catalyzes the oxidation of bartsioside to aucubin, predicted by our model despite neither molecule having been observed in the genus. We also demonstrate aucubin synthase activity in orthologues of Vitex agnus-castus, and the outgroup Paulownia tomentosa, further strengthening the hypothesis, enabled by our model, that the reaction was present in the ancestral biosynthetic pathway. This is the first systematic hypothesis on the epi-iridoid glucosides biosynthesis in 25 years, and sets the stage for streamlined work on the iridoid pathway. This work highlights how curation and computational analysis of widely available structural data can facilitate hypothesis-based gene discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E Rodríguez-López
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany.,Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Tecnologico de Monterrey, 64849 Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Yindi Jiang
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Mohamed O Kamileen
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Benjamin R Lichman
- Department of Biology, University of York, YO10 5DD York, United Kingdom
| | - Benke Hong
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Brieanne Vaillancourt
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - C Robin Buell
- Department of Crop & Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Sarah E O'Connor
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
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24
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Zhang Y, Fu J, Zhou Q, Li F, Shen Y, Ye Z, Tang D, Chi N, Li L, Ma S, Inayat MA, Guo T, Zhao J, Li P. Metabolite Profiling and Transcriptome Analysis Revealed the Conserved Transcriptional Regulation Mechanism of Caffeine Biosynthesis in Tea and Coffee Plants. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:3239-3251. [PMID: 35245048 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c06886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Caffeine is a characteristic bioactive compound in tea and coffee plants, which is synthesized and accumulated extensively in leaves and seeds. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanism of caffeine synthesis in plants. This study compared the caffeine metabolite between tea and coffee plants. We found that tea leaves contained significantly higher caffeine than coffee leaves, which is perhaps due to more members of N-methyltransferase (NMT) genes as well as higher expression levels in tea plants. Substantial numbers of transcription factors were predicted to be involved in caffeine biosynthesis regulation, combining weighted gene co-expression network analysis and the cis-element of NMT promoter analysis in tea and coffee plants. Furthermore, analysis of the transcription factors from the caffeine-related modules suggested that the regulatory mechanism of caffeine biosynthesis was probably partly conservative in tea and coffee plants. This study provides an essential resource for the regulatory mechanism of caffeine biosynthesis in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanrui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Jiamin Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Qiying Zhou
- Henan Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology, College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
| | - Fangdong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Yihua Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Zhili Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Dingkun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Ning Chi
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Lanqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Shuyu Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Mallano Ali Inayat
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Tieying Guo
- Dehong Tropical Agriculture Research Institute of Yunnan, Ruili 679600, China
| | - Jian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Penghui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
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25
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Gao R, Lou Q, Hao L, Qi G, Tian Y, Pu X, He C, Wang Y, Xu W, Xu Z, Song J. Comparative genomics reveal the convergent evolution of CYP82D and CYP706X members related to flavone biosynthesis in Lamiaceae and Asteraceae. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 109:1305-1318. [PMID: 34907610 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Distant species producing the same secondary metabolites is an interesting and common phenomenon in nature. A classic example of this is scutellarein whose derivatives have been used clinically for more than 30 years. Scutellarein occurs in significant amounts in species of two different orders, Scutellaria baicalensis and Erigeron breviscapus, which diverged more than 100 million years ago. Here, according to the genome-wide selection and functional identification of 39 CYP450 genes from various angiosperms, we confirmed that only seven Scutellaria-specific CYP82D genes and one Erigeron CYP706X gene could perform the catalytic activity of flavone 6-hydroxylase (F6H), suggesting that the convergent evolution of scutellarein production in these two distant species was caused by two independently evolved CYP450 families. We also identified seven Scutellaria-specific CYP82D genes encoding flavone 8-hydroxylase (F8H). The evolutionary patterns of CYP82 and CYP706 families via kingdom-wide comparative genomics highlighted the evolutionary diversity of CYP82D and the specificity of CYP706X in angiosperms. Multi-collinearity and phylogenetic analysis of CYP82D in Scutellaria confirmed that the function of F6H evolved from F8H. Furthermore, the SbaiCYP82D1A319D , EbreCYP706XR130A , EbreCYP706XF312D and EbreCYP706XA318D mutants can significantly decrease the catalytic activity of F6H, revealing the contribution of crucial F6H amino acids to the scutellarein biosynthesis of distant species. This study provides important insights into the multi-origin evolution of the same secondary metabolite biosynthesis in the plant kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranran Gao
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Qian Lou
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Lijun Hao
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Guihong Qi
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ya Tian
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xiangdong Pu
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Chunnian He
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Wenjie Xu
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhichao Xu
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jingyuan Song
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Southern Medicine Utilization, Yunnan Branch Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinghong, 666100, China
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26
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Stankeviciute G, Tang P, Ashley B, Chamberlain JD, Hansen ME, Coleman A, D’Emilia R, Fu L, Mohan EC, Nguyen H, Guan Z, Campopiano DJ, Klein EA. Convergent evolution of bacterial ceramide synthesis. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:305-312. [PMID: 34969973 PMCID: PMC8891067 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00948-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The bacterial domain produces numerous types of sphingolipids with various physiological functions. In the human microbiome, commensal and pathogenic bacteria use these lipids to modulate the host inflammatory system. Despite their growing importance, their biosynthetic pathway remains undefined since several key eukaryotic ceramide synthesis enzymes have no bacterial homolog. Here we used genomic and biochemical approaches to identify six proteins comprising the complete pathway for bacterial ceramide synthesis. Bioinformatic analyses revealed the widespread potential for bacterial ceramide synthesis leading to our discovery of a Gram-positive species that produces ceramides. Biochemical evidence demonstrated that the bacterial pathway operates in a different order from that in eukaryotes. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses support the hypothesis that the bacterial and eukaryotic ceramide pathways evolved independently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Stankeviciute
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA,Rutgers Center for Lipid Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Peijun Tang
- East Chem School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ben Ashley
- East Chem School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, United Kingdom
| | - Joshua D. Chamberlain
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Matthew E.B. Hansen
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aimiyah Coleman
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Rachel D’Emilia
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Larina Fu
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Eric C. Mohan
- East Chem School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, United Kingdom
| | - Hung Nguyen
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Dominic J. Campopiano
- East Chem School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FJ, United Kingdom,Correspondence to: , , and
| | - Eric A. Klein
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA,Rutgers Center for Lipid Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA,Biology Department, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08102, USA.,Correspondence to: , , and
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27
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Convergent evolution of a blood-red nectar pigment in vertebrate-pollinated flowers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2114420119. [PMID: 35074876 PMCID: PMC8812537 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114420119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Beyond sugars, many types of nectar solutes play important ecological roles; however, the molecular basis for the diversity of nectar composition across species is less explored. One rare trait among flowering plants is the production of colored nectar, which may function to attract and guide prospective pollinators. Our findings indicate convergent evolution of a red-colored nectar has occurred across two distantly related plant species. Behavioral data show that the red pigment attracts diurnal geckos, the likely pollinator of one of these plants. These findings join a growing list of examples of distinct biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying evolutionary convergence and provide a fascinating system for testing how interactions across species drive the evolution of novel pigments in an understudied context. Nearly 90% of flowering plants depend on animals for reproduction. One of the main rewards plants offer to pollinators for visitation is nectar. Nesocodon mauritianus (Campanulaceae) produces a blood-red nectar that has been proposed to serve as a visual attractant for pollinator visitation. Here, we show that the nectar’s red color is derived from a previously undescribed alkaloid termed nesocodin. The first nectar produced is acidic and pale yellow in color, but slowly becomes alkaline before taking on its characteristic red color. Three enzymes secreted into the nectar are either necessary or sufficient for pigment production, including a carbonic anhydrase that increases nectar pH, an aryl-alcohol oxidase that produces a pigment precursor, and a ferritin-like catalase that protects the pigment from degradation by hydrogen peroxide. Our findings demonstrate how these three enzymatic activities allow for the condensation of sinapaldehyde and proline to form a pigment with a stable imine bond. We subsequently verified that synthetic nesocodin is indeed attractive to Phelsuma geckos, the most likely pollinators of Nesocodon. We also identify nesocodin in the red nectar of the distantly related and hummingbird-visited Jaltomata herrerae and provide molecular evidence for convergent evolution of this trait. This work cumulatively identifies a convergently evolved trait in two vertebrate-pollinated species, suggesting that the red pigment is selectively favored and that only a limited number of compounds are likely to underlie this type of adaptation.
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28
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Dubs NM, Davis BR, de Brito V, Colebrook KC, Tiefel IJ, Nakayama MB, Huang R, Ledvina AE, Hack SJ, Inkelaar B, Martins TR, Aartila SM, Albritton KS, Almuhanna S, Arnoldi RJ, Austin CK, Battle AC, Begeman GR, Bickings CM, Bradfield JT, Branch EC, Conti EP, Cooley B, Dotson NM, Evans CJ, Fries AS, Gilbert IG, Hillier WD, Huang P, Hyde KW, Jevtovic F, Johnson MC, Keeler JL, Lam A, Leach KM, Livsey JD, Lo JT, Loney KR, Martin NW, Mazahem AS, Mokris AN, Nichols DM, Ojha R, Okorafor NN, Paris JR, Reboucas TF, Sant'Anna PB, Seitz MR, Seymour NR, Slaski LK, Stemaly SO, Ulrich BR, Van Meter EN, Young ML, Barkman TJ. A collaborative classroom investigation of the evolution of SABATH methyltransferase substrate preference shifts over 120 million years of flowering plant history. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6503504. [PMID: 35021222 PMCID: PMC8890502 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing has resulted in an explosion of available data, much of which remains unstudied in terms of biochemical function; yet, experimental characterization of these sequences has the potential to provide unprecedented insight into the evolution of enzyme activity. One way to make inroads into the experimental study of the voluminous data available is to engage students by integrating teaching and research in a college classroom such that eventually hundreds or thousands of enzymes may be characterized. In this study, we capitalize on this potential to focus on SABATH methyltransferase enzymes that have been shown to methylate the important plant hormone, salicylic acid (SA), to form methyl salicylate. We analyze data from 76 enzymes of flowering plant species in 23 orders and 41 families to investigate how widely conserved substrate preference is for SA methyltransferase orthologs. We find a high degree of conservation of substrate preference for SA over the structurally similar metabolite, benzoic acid, with recent switches that appear to be associated with gene duplication and at least three cases of functional compensation by paralogous enzymes. The presence of Met in active site position 150 is a useful predictor of SA methylation preference in SABATH methyltransferases but enzymes with other residues in the homologous position show the same substrate preference. Although our dense and systematic sampling of SABATH enzymes across angiosperms has revealed novel insights, this is merely the “tip of the iceberg” since thousands of sequences remain uncharacterized in this enzyme family alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Dubs
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Breck R Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Victor de Brito
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Kate C Colebrook
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Ian J Tiefel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Madison B Nakayama
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Ruiqi Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Audrey E Ledvina
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Samantha J Hack
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Brent Inkelaar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Talline R Martins
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Sarah M Aartila
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Kelli S Albritton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Sarah Almuhanna
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Ryan J Arnoldi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Clara K Austin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Amber C Battle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Gregory R Begeman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Caitlin M Bickings
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Jonathon T Bradfield
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Eric C Branch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Eric P Conti
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Breana Cooley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Nicole M Dotson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Cheyone J Evans
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Amber S Fries
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Ivan G Gilbert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Weston D Hillier
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Pornkamol Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Kaitlin W Hyde
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Filip Jevtovic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Mark C Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Julie L Keeler
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Albert Lam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Kyle M Leach
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Jeremy D Livsey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Jonathan T Lo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Kevin R Loney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Nich W Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Amber S Mazahem
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Aurora N Mokris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Destiny M Nichols
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Ruchi Ojha
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Nnanna N Okorafor
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Joshua R Paris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | | | | | - Mathew R Seitz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Nathan R Seymour
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Lila K Slaski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Stephen O Stemaly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Benjamin R Ulrich
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Emile N Van Meter
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Meghan L Young
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
| | - Todd J Barkman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
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29
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Lichman BR. Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction for Exploring Alkaloid Evolution. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2505:165-179. [PMID: 35732944 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2349-7_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The complex and bioactive monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) found in Catharanthus roseus and related species are the products of many millions of years of evolution through mutation and natural selection. Ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) is a method that combines phylogenetic analysis and experimental biochemistry to infer details about past events in protein evolution. Here, I propose that ASR could be leveraged to understand how enzymes catalyzing the formation of complex alkaloids arose over evolutionary time. I discuss the steps of ASR, including sequence selection, multiple sequence alignment, tree inference, and the generation and characterization of inferred ancestral enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R Lichman
- Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK.
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30
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Kennedy DO, Wightman EL. Mental Performance and Sport: Caffeine and Co-consumed Bioactive Ingredients. Sports Med 2022; 52:69-90. [PMID: 36447122 PMCID: PMC9734217 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-022-01796-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
The plant defence compound caffeine is widely consumed as a performance enhancer in a sporting context, with potential benefits expected in both physiological and psychological terms. However, although caffeine modestly but consistently improves alertness and fatigue, its effects on mental performance are largely restricted to improved attention or concentration. It has no consistent effect within other cognitive domains that are important to sporting performance, including working memory, executive function and long-term memory. Although caffeine's central nervous system effects are often attributed to blockade of the receptors for the inhibitory neuromodulator adenosine, it also inhibits a number of enzymes involved both in neurotransmission and in cellular homeostasis and signal propagation. Furthermore, it modulates the pharmacokinetics of other endogenous and exogenous bioactive molecules, in part via interactions with shared cytochrome P450 enzymes. Caffeine therefore enjoys interactive relationships with a wide range of bioactive medicinal and dietary compounds, potentially broadening, increasing, decreasing, or modulating the time course of their functional effects, or vice versa. This narrative review explores the mechanisms of action and efficacy of caffeine and the potential for combinations of caffeine and other dietary compounds to exert psychological effects in excess of those expected following caffeine alone. The review focusses on, and indeed restricted its untargeted search to, the most commonly consumed sources of caffeine: products derived from caffeine-synthesising plants that give us tea (Camellia sinensis), coffee (Coffea genus), cocoa (Theabroma cacao) and guaraná (Paullinia cupana), plus multi-component energy drinks and shots. This literature suggests relevant benefits to mental performance that exceed those associated with caffeine for multi-ingredient energy drinks/shots and several low-caffeine extracts, including high-flavanol cocoa and guarana. However, there is a general lack of research conducted in such a way as to disentangle the relative contributions of the component parts of these products.
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Affiliation(s)
- David O. Kennedy
- Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Centre, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST UK
| | - Emma L. Wightman
- Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Centre, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST UK
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31
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Jibrin MO, Liu Q, Guingab-Cagmat J, Jones JB, Garrett TJ, Zhang S. Metabolomics Insights into Chemical Convergence in Xanthomonas perforans and Metabolic Changes Following Treatment with the Small Molecule Carvacrol. Metabolites 2021; 11:879. [PMID: 34940636 PMCID: PMC8706651 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11120879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbes are natural chemical factories and their metabolome comprise diverse arrays of chemicals. The genus Xanthomonas comprises some of the most important plant pathogens causing devastating yield losses globally and previous studies suggested that species in the genus are untapped chemical minefields. In this study, we applied an untargeted metabolomics approach to study the metabolome of a globally spread important xanthomonad, X. perforans. The pathogen is difficult to manage, but recent studies suggest that the small molecule carvacrol was efficient in disease control. Bacterial strains were treated with carvacrol, and samples were taken at time intervals (1 and 6 h). An untreated control was also included. There were five replicates for each sample and samples were prepared for metabolomics profiling using the standard procedure. Metabolomics profiling was carried out using a thermo Q-Exactive orbitrap mass spectrometer with Dionex ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and an autosampler. Annotation of significant metabolites using the Metabolomics Standards Initiative level 2 identified an array of novel metabolites that were previously not reported in Xanthomonas perforans. These metabolites include methoxybrassinin and cyclobrassinone, which are known metabolites of brassicas; sarmentosin, a metabolite of the Passiflora-heliconiine butterfly system; and monatin, a naturally occurring sweetener found in Sclerochiton ilicifolius. To our knowledge, this is the first report of these metabolites in a microbial system. Other significant metabolites previously identified in non-Xanthomonas systems but reported in this study include maculosin; piperidine; β-carboline alkaloids, such as harman and derivatives; and several important medically relevant metabolites, such as valsartan, metharbital, pirbuterol, and ozagrel. This finding is consistent with convergent evolution found in reported biological systems. Analyses of the effect of carvacrol in time-series and associated pathways suggest that carvacrol has a global effect on the metabolome of X. perforans, showing marked changes in metabolites that are critical in energy biosynthesis and degradation pathways, amino acid pathways, nucleic acid pathways, as well as the newly identified metabolites whose pathways are unknown. This study provides the first insight into the X. perforans metabolome and additionally lays a metabolomics-guided foundation for characterization of novel metabolites and pathways in xanthomonad systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Ojonuba Jibrin
- Tropical Research and Education Center, IFAS, University of Florida, Homestead, FL 33031, USA; (M.O.J.); (Q.L.)
- Department of Crop Protection, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810103, Nigeria
| | - Qingchun Liu
- Tropical Research and Education Center, IFAS, University of Florida, Homestead, FL 33031, USA; (M.O.J.); (Q.L.)
| | - Joy Guingab-Cagmat
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (J.G.-C.); (T.J.G.)
| | - Jeffrey B. Jones
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
| | - Timothy J. Garrett
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (J.G.-C.); (T.J.G.)
| | - Shouan Zhang
- Tropical Research and Education Center, IFAS, University of Florida, Homestead, FL 33031, USA; (M.O.J.); (Q.L.)
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
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32
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Tsugawa H, Rai A, Saito K, Nakabayashi R. Metabolomics and complementary techniques to investigate the plant phytochemical cosmos. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 38:1729-1759. [PMID: 34668509 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00014d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to 2021Plants and their associated microbial communities are known to produce millions of metabolites, a majority of which are still not characterized and are speculated to possess novel bioactive properties. In addition to their role in plant physiology, these metabolites are also relevant as existing and next-generation medicine candidates. Elucidation of the plant metabolite diversity is thus valuable for the successful exploitation of natural resources for humankind. Herein, we present a comprehensive review on recent metabolomics approaches to illuminate molecular networks in plants, including chemical isolation and enzymatic production as well as the modern metabolomics approaches such as stable isotope labeling, ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry, metabolome imaging (spatial metabolomics), single-cell analysis, cheminformatics, and computational mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometry-based strategies to characterize plant metabolomes through metabolite identification and annotation are described in detail. We also highlight the use of phytochemical genomics to mine genes associated with specialized metabolites' biosynthesis. Understanding the metabolic diversity through biotechnological advances is fundamental to elucidate the functions of the plant-derived specialized metabolome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Tsugawa
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan. .,RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan.,Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan.,Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Amit Rai
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan. .,Plant Molecular Science Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Kazuki Saito
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan. .,Plant Molecular Science Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Ryo Nakabayashi
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan.
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Jamieson CS, Misa J, Tang Y, Billingsley JM. Biosynthesis and synthetic biology of psychoactive natural products. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:6950-7008. [PMID: 33908526 PMCID: PMC8217322 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00065a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Psychoactive natural products play an integral role in the modern world. The tremendous structural complexity displayed by such molecules confers diverse biological activities of significant medicinal value and sociocultural impact. Accordingly, in the last two centuries, immense effort has been devoted towards establishing how plants, animals, and fungi synthesize complex natural products from simple metabolic precursors. The recent explosion of genomics data and molecular biology tools has enabled the identification of genes encoding proteins that catalyze individual biosynthetic steps. Once fully elucidated, the "biosynthetic pathways" are often comparable to organic syntheses in elegance and yield. Additionally, the discovery of biosynthetic enzymes provides powerful catalysts which may be repurposed for synthetic biology applications, or implemented with chemoenzymatic synthetic approaches. In this review, we discuss the progress that has been made toward biosynthetic pathway elucidation amongst four classes of psychoactive natural products: hallucinogens, stimulants, cannabinoids, and opioids. Compounds of diverse biosynthetic origin - terpene, amino acid, polyketide - are identified, and notable mechanisms of key scaffold transforming steps are highlighted. We also provide a description of subsequent applications of the biosynthetic machinery, with an emphasis placed on the synthetic biology and metabolic engineering strategies enabling heterologous production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cooper S Jamieson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Joshua Misa
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Yi Tang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - John M Billingsley
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. and Invizyne Technologies, Inc., Monrovia, CA, USA
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Abstract
Tremendous chemical diversity is the hallmark of plants and is supported by highly complex biochemical machinery. Plant metabolic enzymes originated and were transferred from eukaryotic and prokaryotic ancestors and further diversified by the unprecedented rates of gene duplication and functionalization experienced in land plants. Unlike microbes, which have frequent horizontal gene transfer events and multiple inputs of energy and organic carbon, land plants predominantly rely on organic carbon generated from CO2 and have experienced very few, if any, gene transfers during their recent evolutionary history. As such, plant metabolic networks have evolved in a stepwise manner and on existing networks under various evolutionary constraints. This review aims to take a broader view of plant metabolic evolution and lay a framework to further explore evolutionary mechanisms of the complex metabolic network. Understanding the underlying metabolic and genetic constraints is also an empirical prerequisite for rational engineering and redesigning of plant metabolic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi A Maeda
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA;
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany;
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Folly AJ, Koch H, Farrell IW, Stevenson PC, Brown MJF. Agri-environment scheme nectar chemistry can suppress the social epidemiology of parasites in an important pollinator. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210363. [PMID: 34034519 PMCID: PMC8150011 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Emergent infectious diseases are one of the main drivers of species loss. Emergent infection with the microsporidian Nosema bombi has been implicated in the population and range declines of a suite of North American bumblebees, a group of important pollinators. Previous work has shown that phytochemicals found in pollen and nectar can negatively impact parasites in individuals, but how this relates to social epidemiology and by extension whether plants can be effectively used as pollinator disease management strategies remains unexplored. Here, we undertook a comprehensive screen of UK agri-environment scheme (AES) plants, a programme designed to benefit pollinators and wider biodiversity in agricultural settings, for phytochemicals in pollen and nectar using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Caffeine, which occurs across a range of plant families, was identified in the nectar of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), a component of UK AES and a major global crop. We showed that caffeine significantly reduces N. bombi infection intensity, both prophylactically and therapeutically, in individual bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), and, for the first time, that such effects impact social epidemiology, with colonies reared from wild-caught queens having both lower prevalence and intensity of infection. Furthermore, infection prevalence was lower in foraging bumblebees from caffeine-treated colonies, suggesting a likely reduction in population-level transmission. Combined, these results show that N. bombi is less likely to be transmitted intracolonially when bumblebees consume naturally available caffeine, and that this may in turn reduce environmental prevalence. Consequently, our results demonstrate that floral phytochemicals at ecologically relevant concentrations can impact pollinator disease epidemiology and that planting strategies that increase floral abundance to support biodiversity could be co-opted as disease management tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arran J. Folly
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | | | | | - Philip C. Stevenson
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent, UK
| | - Mark J. F. Brown
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
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Abstract
The purine alkaloid caffeine is the most widely consumed psychostimulant drug in the world and has multiple beneficial pharmacological activities, for example, in neurodegenerative diseases. However, despite being an extensively studied bioactive natural product, the mechanistic understanding of caffeine's pharmacological effects is incomplete. While several molecular targets of caffeine such as adenosine receptors and phosphodiesterases have been known for decades and inspired numerous medicinal chemistry programs, new protein interactions of the xanthine are continuously discovered providing potentially improved pharmacological understanding and a molecular basis for future medicinal chemistry. In this Perspective, we gather knowledge on the confirmed protein interactions, structure activity relationship, and chemical biology of caffeine on well-known and upcoming targets. The diversity of caffeine's molecular activities on receptors and enzymes, many of which are abundant in the CNS, indicates a complex interplay of several mechanisms contributing to neuroprotective effects and highlights new targets as attractive subjects for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Faudone
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Silvia Arifi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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Agerbirk N, Hansen CC, Kiefer C, Hauser TP, Ørgaard M, Asmussen Lange CB, Cipollini D, Koch MA. Comparison of glucosinolate diversity in the crucifer tribe Cardamineae and the remaining order Brassicales highlights repetitive evolutionary loss and gain of biosynthetic steps. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2021; 185:112668. [PMID: 33743499 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We review glucosinolate (GSL) diversity and analyze phylogeny in the crucifer tribe Cardamineae as well as selected species from Brassicaceae (tribe Brassiceae) and Resedaceae. Some GSLs occur widely, while there is a scattered distribution of many less common GSLs, tentatively sorted into three classes: ancient, intermediate and more recently evolved. The number of conclusively identified GSLs in the tribe (53 GSLs) constitute 60% of all GSLs known with certainty from any plant (89 GSLs) and apparently unique GSLs in the tribe constitute 10 of those GSLs conclusively identified (19%). Intraspecific, qualitative GSL polymorphism is known from at least four species in the tribe. The most ancient GSL biosynthesis in Brassicales probably involved biosynthesis from Phe, Val, Leu, Ile and possibly Trp, and hydroxylation at the β-position. From a broad comparison of families in Brassicales and tribes in Brassicaceae, we estimate that a common ancestor of the tribe Cardamineae and the family Brassicaceae exhibited GSL biosynthesis from Phe, Val, Ile, Leu, possibly Tyr, Trp and homoPhe (ancient GSLs), as well as homologs of Met and possibly homoIle (intermediate age GSLs). From the comparison of phylogeny and GSL diversity, we also suggest that hydroxylation and subsequent methylation of indole GSLs and usual modifications of Met-derived GSLs (formation of sulfinyls, sulfonyls and alkenyls) occur due to conserved biochemical mechanisms and was present in a common ancestor of the family. Apparent loss of homologs of Met as biosynthetic precursors was deduced in the entire genus Barbarea and was frequent in Cardamine (e.g. C. pratensis, C. diphylla, C. concatenata, possibly C. amara). The loss was often associated with appearance of significant levels of unique or rare GSLs as well as recapitulation of ancient types of GSLs. Biosynthetic traits interpreted as de novo evolution included hydroxylation at rare positions, acylation at the thioglucose and use of dihomoIle and possibly homoIle as biosynthetic precursors. Biochemical aspects of the deduced evolution are discussed and testable hypotheses proposed. Biosyntheses from Val, Leu, Ile, Phe, Trp, homoPhe and homologs of Met are increasingly well understood, while GSL biosynthesis from mono- and dihomoIle is poorly understood. Overall, interpretation of known diversity suggests that evolution of GSL biosynthesis often seems to recapitulate ancient biosynthesis. In contrast, unprecedented GSL biosynthetic innovation seems to be rare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels Agerbirk
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | - Cecilie Cetti Hansen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Christiane Kiefer
- Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thure P Hauser
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Marian Ørgaard
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Conny Bruun Asmussen Lange
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Don Cipollini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH, 45435, USA
| | - Marcus A Koch
- Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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Parallel evolution of UbiA superfamily proteins into aromatic O-prenyltransferases in plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2022294118. [PMID: 33883279 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022294118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants produce ∼300 aromatic compounds enzymatically linked to prenyl side chains via C-O bonds. These O-prenylated aromatic compounds have been found in taxonomically distant plant taxa, with some of them being beneficial or detrimental to human health. Although their O-prenyl moieties often play crucial roles in the biological activities of these compounds, no plant gene encoding an aromatic O-prenyltransferase (O-PT) has been isolated to date. This study describes the isolation of an aromatic O-PT gene, CpPT1, belonging to the UbiA superfamily, from grapefruit (Citrus × paradisi, Rutaceae). This gene was shown responsible for the biosynthesis of O-prenylated coumarin derivatives that alter drug pharmacokinetics in the human body. Another coumarin O-PT gene encoding a protein of the same family was identified in Angelica keiskei, an apiaceous medicinal plant containing pharmaceutically active O-prenylated coumarins. Phylogenetic analysis of these O-PTs suggested that aromatic O-prenylation activity evolved independently from the same ancestral gene in these distant plant taxa. These findings shed light on understanding the evolution of plant secondary (specialized) metabolites via the UbiA superfamily.
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Copley SD. Setting the stage for evolution of a new enzyme. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 69:41-49. [PMID: 33865035 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of novel enzymes has fueled the diversification of life on earth for billions of years. Insights into events that set the stage for the evolution of a new enzyme can be obtained from ancestral reconstruction and laboratory evolution. Ancestral reconstruction can reveal the emergence of a promiscuous activity in a pre-existing protein and the impact of subsequent mutations that enhance a new activity. Laboratory evolution provides a more holistic view by revealing mutations elsewhere in the genome that indirectly enhance the level of a newly important enzymatic activity. This review will highlight recent studies that probe the early stages of the evolution of a new enzyme from these complementary points of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley D Copley
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
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40
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Scossa F, Fernie AR. Ancestral sequence reconstruction - An underused approach to understand the evolution of gene function in plants? Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:1579-1594. [PMID: 33868595 PMCID: PMC8039532 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Whilst substantial research effort has been placed on understanding the interactions of plant proteins with their molecular partners, relatively few studies in plants - by contrast to work in other organisms - address how these interactions evolve. It is thought that ancestral proteins were more promiscuous than modern proteins and that specificity often evolved following gene duplication and subsequent functional refining. However, ancestral protein resurrection studies have found that some modern proteins have evolved de novo from ancestors lacking those functions. Intriguingly, the new interactions evolved as a consequence of just a few mutations and, as such, acquisition of new functions appears to be neither difficult nor rare, however, only a few of them are incorporated into biological processes before they are lost to subsequent mutations. Here, we detail the approach of ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR), providing a primer to reconstruct the sequence of an ancestral gene. We will present case studies from a range of different eukaryotes before discussing the few instances where ancestral reconstructions have been used in plants. As ASR is used to dig into the remote evolutionary past, we will also present some alternative genetic approaches to investigate molecular evolution on shorter timescales. We argue that the study of plant secondary metabolism is particularly well suited for ancestral reconstruction studies. Indeed, its ancient evolutionary roots and highly diverse landscape provide an ideal context in which to address the focal issue around the emergence of evolutionary novelties and how this affects the chemical diversification of plant metabolism.
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Key Words
- APR, ancestral protein resurrection
- ASR, ancestral sequence reconstruction
- Ancestral sequence reconstruction
- CDS, coding sequence
- Evolution
- GR, glucocorticoid receptor
- GWAS, genome wide association study
- Genomics
- InDel, insertion/deletion
- MCMC, Markov Chain Monte Carlo
- ML, maximum likelihood
- MP, maximum parsimony
- MR, mineralcorticoid receptor
- MSA, multiple sequence alignment
- Metabolism
- NJ, neighbor-joining
- Phylogenetics
- Plants
- SFS, site frequency spectrum
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Scossa
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology (MPI-MP), 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics (CREA-GB), Rome, Italy
| | - Alisdair R. Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology (MPI-MP), 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
- Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology (CPSBB), Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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41
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O'Donnell AJ, Huang R, Barboline JJ, Barkman TJ. Convergent Biochemical Pathways for Xanthine Alkaloid Production in Plants Evolved from Ancestral Enzymes with Different Catalytic Properties. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:2704-2714. [PMID: 33662138 PMCID: PMC8233510 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Convergent evolution is widespread but the extent to which common ancestral conditions are necessary to facilitate the independent acquisition of similar traits remains unclear. In order to better understand how ancestral biosynthetic catalytic capabilities might lead to convergent evolution of similar modern-day biochemical pathways, we resurrected ancient enzymes of the caffeine synthase (CS) methyltransferases that are responsible for theobromine and caffeine production in flowering plants. Ancestral CS enzymes of Theobroma, Paullinia, and Camellia exhibited similar substrate preferences but these resulted in the formation of different sets of products. From these ancestral enzymes, descendants with similar substrate preference and product formation independently evolved after gene duplication events in Theobroma and Paullinia. Thus, it appears that the convergent modern-day pathways likely originated from ancestral pathways with different inferred flux. Subsequently, the modern-day enzymes originated independently via gene duplication and their convergent catalytic characteristics evolved to partition the multiple ancestral activities by different mutations that occurred in homologous regions of the ancestral proteins. These results show that even when modern-day pathways and recruited genes are similar, the antecedent conditions may be distinctive such that different evolutionary steps are required to generate convergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J O'Donnell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
| | - Ruiqi Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
| | - Jessica J Barboline
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
| | - Todd J Barkman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
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42
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Meyer GW, Bahamon Naranjo MA, Widhalm JR. Convergent evolution of plant specialized 1,4-naphthoquinones: metabolism, trafficking, and resistance to their allelopathic effects. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:167-176. [PMID: 33258472 PMCID: PMC7853596 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Plant 1,4-naphthoquinones encompass a class of specialized metabolites known to mediate numerous plant-biotic interactions. This class of compounds also presents a remarkable case of convergent evolution. The 1,4-naphthoquinones are synthesized by species belonging to nearly 20 disparate orders spread throughout vascular plants, and their production occurs via one of four known biochemically distinct pathways. Recent developments from large-scale biology and genetic studies corroborate the existence of multiple pathways to synthesize plant 1,4-naphthoquinones and indicate that extraordinary events of metabolic innovation and links to respiratory and photosynthetic quinone metabolism probably contributed to their independent evolution. Moreover, because many 1,4-naphthoquinones are excreted into the rhizosphere and they are highly reactive in biological systems, plants that synthesize these compounds also needed to independently evolve strategies to deploy them and to resist their effects. In this review, we highlight new progress made in understanding specialized 1,4-naphthoquinone biosynthesis and trafficking with a focus on how these discoveries have shed light on the convergent evolution and diversification of this class of compounds in plants. We also discuss how emerging themes in metabolism-based herbicide resistance may provide clues to mechanisms plants employ to tolerate allelopathic 1,4-naphthoquinones.
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Affiliation(s)
- George W Meyer
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, IN, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Maria A Bahamon Naranjo
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, IN, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Joshua R Widhalm
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, IN, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Correspondence:
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43
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Zhou MZ, Yan CY, Zeng Z, Luo L, Zeng W, Huang YH. N-Methyltransferases of Caffeine Biosynthetic Pathway in Plants. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2020; 68:15359-15372. [PMID: 33206517 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c06167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Caffeine (Cf) is one of the important components of plant-derived drinks, such as tea, coffee, and cola. It can protect soft tissues from being infected by pathogens and is also medically beneficial for human health. In this review, we first introduced the Cf biosynthesis pathways in plants and the related N-methyltransferases (NMTs), with a focus on the current research status of the substrate specificity, structural basis for substrate recognition, and catalytic mechanism in members of the caffeine synthase gene family. In addition, we addressed the expression characteristics and potential regulatory mechanisms of NMTs and also projected the future research directions. The goal was to summarize the Cf biosynthetic pathway and related NMTs in plants and to provide the molecular basis for regulating the caffeine biosynthesis, so as to effectively guide future tea and coffee breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Zhen Zhou
- Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Chang-Yu Yan
- Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhen Zeng
- Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Li Luo
- Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Wen Zeng
- Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Ya-Hui Huang
- Department of Tea Science, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, Guangzhou 510642, China
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44
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Zhang Z, Liu Y, Yuan L, Weber E, van Kleunen M. Effect of allelopathy on plant performance: a meta‐analysis. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:348-362. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhijie Zhang
- Ecology Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz78464Germany
| | - Yanjie Liu
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment Northeast Institute of Geography and AgroecologyChinese Academy Sciences Changchun130102China
| | - Ling Yuan
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Taizhou University Taizhou318000China
| | - Ewald Weber
- Department of Biodiversity Research Institute of Biochemistry and BiologyUniversity of Potsdam Potsdam14469Germany
| | - Mark van Kleunen
- Ecology Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz78464Germany
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Taizhou University Taizhou318000China
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45
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Guo Y, Qiao D, Yang C, Chen J, Li Y, Liang S, Lin K, Chen Z. Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of SABATH methyltransferases in tea plant ( Camellia sinensis): insights into their roles in plant defense responses. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2020; 15:1804684. [PMID: 32787495 PMCID: PMC8550540 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2020.1804684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
SABATH methyltransferases convent plant small-molecule metabolites into volatile methyl esters, which play important roles in many biological processes and defense reactions in plants. In this study, a total of 32 SABATH genes were identified in the Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (CSS) genome, which were renamed CsSABATH1 to CsSABATH32. Genome location annotation suggested that tandem duplication was responsible for the expansion of SABATH genes in tea plant. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that the CsSABATHs could be classified into three groups (I, II and III), which were also supported by gene structures and conserved motifs analysis. Group II contained only two CsSABATH proteins, which were closely related to PtIAMT, AtIAMT and OsIAMT. The group III SABATH genes of tea plant exhibited expansion on the CSS genome compared with Camellia sinensis var. assamica (CSA) genome. Based on RNA-seq data, the CsSABATHs exhibited tissue-specific expression patterns, and the members with high expression in buds and young leaves were also obviously upregulated after MeJA treatment. The expression of many transcription factors was significantly correlated with that of different members of the CsSABATH gene family, suggesting a potential regulatory relationship between them. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) expression analysis showed that CsSABATHs could respond to exogenous JA, SA and MeSA treatments in tea plants. RNA-seq data analysis and qPCR validation suggested that CsSABATH8, 11, 16, 25, 29 and 32 might play a special role in plant defense against insect herbivory. These results provide references for evolutionary studies of the plant SABATH family and the exploration of the potential roles of CsSABATHs in tea plant defense responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Guo
- Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Dahe Qiao
- Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Chun Yang
- Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Juan Chen
- Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Yan Li
- Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Sihui Liang
- Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Kaiqin Lin
- Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Zhengwu Chen
- Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
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46
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Deng C, Ku X, Cheng LL, Pan SA, Fan L, Deng WW, Zhao J, Zhang ZZ. Metabolite and Transcriptome Profiling on Xanthine Alkaloids-Fed Tea Plant ( Camellia sinensis) Shoot Tips and Roots Reveal the Complex Metabolic Network for Caffeine Biosynthesis and Degradation. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:551288. [PMID: 33013969 PMCID: PMC7509060 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.551288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
While caffeine is one of the most important bioactive metabolites for tea as the most consumed non-alcohol beverage, its biosynthesis and catabolism in tea plants are still not fully understood. Here, we integrated purine alkaloid profiling and transcriptome analysis on shoot tips and roots fed with caffeine, theophylline, or theobromine to gain further understanding of caffeine biosynthesis and degradation. Shoot tips and roots easily took up and accumulated high concentrations of alkaloids, but roots showed much faster caffeine and theophylline degradation rates than shoot tips, which only degraded theophylline significantly but almost did not degrade caffeine. Clearly feedback inhibition on caffeine synthesis or inter-conversion between caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, and 3-methylxanthine had been observed in alkaloids-fed shoot tips and roots, and these were also evidenced by significant repression of TCS and MXMT genes critical for caffeine biosynthesis. Among these responsively repressed genes, two highly expressed genes TCS-4 and TCS-8 were characterized for their enzyme activity. While we failed to detect TCS-4 activity, TCS-8 displayed N-methyltransferase activities towards multiple substrates, supporting the complex metabolic network in caffeine biosynthesis in tea plants since at least 13 TCS-like N-methyltransferase genes may function redundantly. This study provides new insight into complex metabolic networks of purine alkaloids in tea plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Xiuping Ku
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Lin-Lin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Si-An Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Limao Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Wei-Wei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Jian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Zheng-Zhu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
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47
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Nguyen TD, O’Connor SE. The Progesterone 5β-Reductase/Iridoid Synthase Family: A Catalytic Reservoir for Specialized Metabolism across Land Plants. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:1780-1787. [PMID: 32501002 PMCID: PMC7467569 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
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Iridoids are plant-derived
terpenoids with a rich array of bioactivities.
The key step in iridoid skeleton formation is the reduction of 8-oxogeranial
by certain members of the progesterone 5β-reductase/iridoid
synthase (PRISE) family of short-chain alcohol dehydrogenases. Other
members of the PRISE family have previously been implicated in the
biosynthesis of the triterpenoid class of cardenolides, which requires
the reduction of progesterone. Here, we explore the occurrence and
activity of PRISE across major lineages of plants. We observed trace
activities toward either 8-oxogeranial or progesterone in all PRISEs,
including those from nonseed plants and green algae. Phylogenetic
analysis, coupled with enzymatic assays, show that these activities
appear to have become specialized in specific angiosperm lineages.
This broad analysis of the PRISE family provides insight into how
these enzymes evolved in plants and also suggests that iridoid synthase
activity is an ancestral trait in all land plants, which might have
contributed to the rise of iridoid metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trinh-Don Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Sarah E. O’Connor
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
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48
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Xu Z, Pu X, Gao R, Demurtas OC, Fleck SJ, Richter M, He C, Ji A, Sun W, Kong J, Hu K, Ren F, Song J, Wang Z, Gao T, Xiong C, Yu H, Xin T, Albert VA, Giuliano G, Chen S, Song J. Tandem gene duplications drive divergent evolution of caffeine and crocin biosynthetic pathways in plants. BMC Biol 2020; 18:63. [PMID: 32552824 PMCID: PMC7302004 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00795-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plants have evolved a panoply of specialized metabolites that increase their environmental fitness. Two examples are caffeine, a purine psychotropic alkaloid, and crocins, a group of glycosylated apocarotenoid pigments. Both classes of compounds are found in a handful of distantly related plant genera (Coffea, Camellia, Paullinia, and Ilex for caffeine; Crocus, Buddleja, and Gardenia for crocins) wherein they presumably evolved through convergent evolution. The closely related Coffea and Gardenia genera belong to the Rubiaceae family and synthesize, respectively, caffeine and crocins in their fruits. Results Here, we report a chromosomal-level genome assembly of Gardenia jasminoides, a crocin-producing species, obtained using Oxford Nanopore sequencing and Hi-C technology. Through genomic and functional assays, we completely deciphered for the first time in any plant the dedicated pathway of crocin biosynthesis. Through comparative analyses with Coffea canephora and other eudicot genomes, we show that Coffea caffeine synthases and the first dedicated gene in the Gardenia crocin pathway, GjCCD4a, evolved through recent tandem gene duplications in the two different genera, respectively. In contrast, genes encoding later steps of the Gardenia crocin pathway, ALDH and UGT, evolved through more ancient gene duplications and were presumably recruited into the crocin biosynthetic pathway only after the evolution of the GjCCD4a gene. Conclusions This study shows duplication-based divergent evolution within the coffee family (Rubiaceae) of two characteristic secondary metabolic pathways, caffeine and crocin biosynthesis, from a common ancestor that possessed neither complete pathway. These findings provide significant insights on the role of tandem duplications in the evolution of plant specialized metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Xu
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China.,Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xiangdong Pu
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ranran Gao
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Olivia Costantina Demurtas
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Casaccia Res. Ctr, 00123, Rome, Italy
| | - Steven J Fleck
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Michaela Richter
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Chunnian He
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China.,Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Aijia Ji
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Wei Sun
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Jianqiang Kong
- Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Kaizhi Hu
- Chongqing Institute of Medicinal Plant Cultivation, Chongqing, 408435, China
| | - Fengming Ren
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China.,Chongqing Institute of Medicinal Plant Cultivation, Chongqing, 408435, China
| | - Jiejie Song
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Ting Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Chao Xiong
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Haoying Yu
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Tianyi Xin
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Victor A Albert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Giovanni Giuliano
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Casaccia Res. Ctr, 00123, Rome, Italy.
| | - Shilin Chen
- Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China. .,Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Jingyuan Song
- Key Lab of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China. .,Engineering Research Center of Chinese Medicine Resource, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100193, China. .,Yunnan Branch, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Jinghong, 666100, China.
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49
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Keller J, Delaux PM. Evolution of Plant Metabolism: A (Bio)synthesis. Curr Biol 2020; 30:R432-R435. [PMID: 32428471 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Studying the evolution of metabolism is technically challenging. A new study combining in silico metabolic maps and phylogenomics allows reconstructing the diversification of plant metabolism across one billion years of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Keller
- LRSV, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Castanet-Tolosan, France
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50
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Temporal flexibility of gene regulatory network underlies a novel wing pattern in flies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:11589-11596. [PMID: 32393634 PMCID: PMC7261121 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2002092117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental genes can be coopted to generate evolutionary novelties by changing their spatial regulation. However, developmental genes seldom act independently, but rather work in a gene regulatory network (GRN). How is it possible to recruit a single gene from a whole GRN? What are the properties that allow parallel cooptions of the same genes during evolution? Here, we show that a novel engrailed gene expression underlies a novel wing color pattern in flies. We show that cooption is facilitated 1) because of GRN flexibility over development and 2) because every single gene of the GRN has its own functional time window. We suggest these two temporal properties could explain why the same gene can be independently recruited several times during evolution. Organisms have evolved endless morphological, physiological, and behavioral novel traits during the course of evolution. Novel traits were proposed to evolve mainly by orchestration of preexisting genes. Over the past two decades, biologists have shown that cooption of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) indeed underlies numerous evolutionary novelties. However, very little is known about the actual GRN properties that allow such redeployment. Here we have investigated the generation and evolution of the complex wing pattern of the fly Samoaia leonensis. We show that the transcription factor Engrailed is recruited independently from the other players of the anterior–posterior specification network to generate a new wing pattern. We argue that partial cooption is made possible because 1) the anterior–posterior specification GRN is flexible over time in the developing wing and 2) this flexibility results from the fact that every single gene of the GRN possesses its own functional time window. We propose that the temporal flexibility of a GRN is a general prerequisite for its possible cooption during the course of evolution.
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