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A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
Published on: October 4, 2019
Evolution of a novel phenolic pathway for pollen development.
Michiyo Matsuno1, Vincent Compagnon, Guillaume A Schoch
1Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes, CNRS-UPR2357, Université de Strasbourg, 28 Rue Goethe, 67083 Strasbourg Cedex, France.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|September 26, 2009
Summary
Plant evolution involves gene creation for adaptation. A novel phenolic pathway in Brassicaceae evolved through gene duplication and modification of cytochrome P450 enzymes, impacting phenylpropanoid metabolism.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Molecular evolution
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Metabolic plasticity, driven by gene creation, is crucial for plant adaptation and speciation.
- The diversification of cytochrome P450 enzymes exemplifies this evolutionary process in plants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the evolutionary pathway leading to a novel phenolic pathway in Brassicaceae.
- To understand the role of gene duplication and neofunctionalization in enzyme evolution.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of retroposition, neofunctionalization, and gene duplication events.
- Investigation of selective amino acid replacements in cytochrome P450 enzymes.
- Characterization of a six-hydroxylation pathway for N1,N5-di(hydroxyferuloyl)-N10-sinapoylspermidine synthesis.
Main Results:
- A novel phenolic pathway evolved in Brassicaceae via a sequence of retroposition, neofunctionalization, and duplication.
- Two partially redundant cytochrome P450 enzymes catalyze six successive hydroxylations.
- The pathway produces N1,N5-di(hydroxyferuloyl)-N10-sinapoylspermidine, a key pollen component.
Conclusions:
- Positive Darwinian selection drives enzyme evolution through targeted amino acid substitutions.
- This study reveals a previously overlooked pathway in phenylpropanoid metabolism.
- Gene duplication and neofunctionalization are key mechanisms for metabolic innovation in plants.
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