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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 14, 2026

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products

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Published on: October 4, 2019

Atomic basis for functional evolution of plant lanosterol synthase.

Aimin Ma¹, Hongjuan Diao^2,3, Tong Xia^1,4

¹State Key Laboratory of Forage Breeding-by-Design and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.

The New Phytologist

|October 21, 2025

Summary

Plant lanosterol synthases (LAS) evolved from cycloartenol synthases (CAS) and show distinct catalytic mechanisms. This convergent evolution in sterol biosynthesis offers targets for developing stress-resilient crops.

Keywords:

QM/MM MD simulations enzyme catalysis evolution lanosterol synthase plants

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Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Evolutionary Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Lanosterol synthase (LAS) and cycloartenol synthase (CAS) are key enzymes in sterol biosynthesis, producing lanosterol in animals/fungi and cycloartenol in plants.
The evolutionary origin and catalytic mechanisms of plant LASs, distinct from animal/fungal counterparts, remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the atomic-level catalytic mechanisms of LASs across plants, animals, and fungi.
To investigate the evolutionary trajectory of plant LASs and their relationship with CAS.
To define the functional role of plant LAS in plant development.

Main Methods:

Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations were employed to analyze catalytic mechanisms.
Phylogenetic and microcollinearity analyses were conducted to trace evolutionary origins.

Main Results:

Plant LASs exhibit a distinct dominant reaction pathway from a C8 cation intermediate to lanosterol compared to animal/fungal LASs.
Phylogenetic analyses revealed that plant LASs evolved from an ancestral plant CAS and are primarily found in eudicots.
Plant LASs were found to play a role in root development, indicating convergent evolution with animal/fungal LASs.

Conclusions:

The lanosterol biosynthesis pathway represents a significant example of convergent evolution across eukaryotes, with independent origins in plants, animals, and fungi.
Plant LASs have convergently evolved to support root development, providing potential molecular targets for enhancing crop resilience to environmental stresses.