Independent evolution of rosmarinic acid biosynthesis in two sister families under the Lamiids clade of flowering plants
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1-s2.0-S0021925820337662-main.pdf
Description
Published version
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3.62 MB
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Checksum (MD5)
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Author(s)
Levsh, Olesya
Pluskal, Tomáš
Carballo, Valentina
Mitchell, Andrew J
Weng, Jing-Ke
Date Issued
2019
Journal
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Version
Final published version
Abstract
© 2019 Levsh et al. As a means to maintain their sessile lifestyle amid challenging environments, plants produce an enormous diversity of compounds as chemical defenses against biotic and abiotic insults. The underpinning metabolic pathways that support the biosynthesis of these specialized chemicals in divergent plant species provide a rich arena for understanding the molecular evolution of complex metabolic traits. Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a phenolic natural product first discovered in plants of the mint family (Lamiaceae) and is recognized for its wide range of medicinal properties and potential applications in human dietary and medical interventions. Interestingly, the RA chemotype is present sporadically in multiple taxa of flowering plants as well as some hornworts and ferns, prompting the question whether its biosynthesis arose independently across different lineages. Here we report the elucidation of the RA biosynthetic pathway in Phacelia campanularia (desert bells). This species represents the borage family (Boraginaceae), an RA-producing family closely related to the Lamiaceae within the Lamiids clade. Using a multi-omics approach in combination with functional characterization of candidate genes both in vitro and in vivo, we found that RA biosynthesis in P. campanularia involves specific activities of a BAHD acyltransferase and two cytochrome P450 hydroxylases. Further phylogenetic and comparative structure–function analyses of the P. campanularia RA biosynthetic enzymes clearly indicate that RA biosynthesis has evolved independently at least twice in the Lamiids, an exemplary case of chemotypic convergence through disparate evolutionary trajectories.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1074/JBC.RA119.010454
