Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 12, 2026

Author Spotlight: Understanding Microbe Adaptation Using Innovative Techniques for Exploring Thermophilic Evolution
Published on: June 14, 2024
Functional divergence of tandem duplicate SCPL acyltransferase genes reveals convergent evolution of chicoric acid
Yuting Xiang1, Tingting Liang1, Ruixi Yang1
1Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
Abstract:
Chicoric acid, a caffeic acid derivative exhibiting diverse bioactivities, has been identified in more than 60 plant species. Here we report an alternative biosynthetic pathway in lettuce (Lactuca sativa). BAHD acyltransferases catalyze the synthesis of chlorogenic acid, which serves as the acyl donor for four serine carboxypeptidase-like (SCPL) acyltransferases (LsSCPL1-4) encoded by tandemly duplicated genes. LsSCPL2 and LsSCPL4 catalyze the synthesis of chicoric acid using caftaric acid as the acyl acceptor. In contrast to the BAHD acyltransferases found in Echinacea species, LsSCPL1 and LsSCPL3 alter their substrate preferences through key amino acid substitutions and use tartaric acid as the acyl acceptor to synthesize caftaric acid. These tandemly duplicated SCPL genes are observed across several evolutionarily related species within the tribe Cichorieae. These findings illustrate the convergent evolution of chicoric acid biosynthesis in Asteraceae and highlight the complexity of acyltransferase activity in specialized metabolism in plants.
More Related Videos
09:27Functional Complementation Analysis FCA: A Laboratory Exercise Designed and Implemented to Supplement the Teaching of Biochemical Pathways
Published on: June 24, 2016
09:08From a Natural Product to Its Biosynthetic Gene Cluster: A Demonstration Using Polyketomycin from Streptomyces diastatochromogenes Tü6028
Published on: January 13, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Gene Duplication and Divergence
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are...
Convergent Evolution
Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways
Biosynthesis in Bacteria
Gene Families
Occasionally these regions can be adapted to take on new roles within the organism, becoming novel genes...
Exon Recombination
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon...