Plant biochemistry and biosynthesis

Independent evolution of harmala alkaloids in medicinal Syrian rue and ayahuasca plants

This study investigates the independent evolution of harmala alkaloids in Syrian rue and ayahuasca plants, revealing convergent genetic and biochemical pathways.

Reconstruction of a rare {triangleup}10 desaturation pathway enables production of yellow peach moth pheromone precursors in Camelina sativa

The paper reconstructs a rare Δ10 desaturation pathway in Camelina sativa to produce yellow peach moth pheromone precursors, achieving up to 4.7% target fatty acids in seeds.

Engineering the effector specificity of the macrolide-sensing transcription factor MphR for the detection of sesquiterpenes

The paper develops a genetically encoded biosensor to detect four sesquiterpenes by engineering the macrolide-sensing transcription factor MphR.

Biosynthesis of Securinega alkaloids via a cyanogenic glucoside-like pathway

This study identifies and reconstitutes the biosynthetic pathway for Securinega alkaloids in Flueggea suffruticosa, revealing a connection to cyanogenic glucoside biosynthesis.

Multi-omics reveals accumulation mechanisms underlying differences in sesquiterpenoid content across different growth environments of Atractylodes macrocephala rhizome

This study identifies how different growth environments affect sesquiterpenoid accumulation in Atractylodes macrocephala rhizome through multi-omics analysis of metabolites, genes, and microbiota.

Functional characterization of terpene synthases from Dendrobium nobile provides insights into the biosynthesis of copaborneol, a proposed dendrobine precursor

The paper functionally characterizes terpene synthases in Dendrobium nobile to identify copaborneol production and residues affecting product selectivity.

Molecular characterization of a cytochrome P450 involved in the skeletal diversification of tricyclic coumarins in Angelica keiskei.

This study identifies a cytochrome P450 enzyme in Angelica keiskei that determines the skeletal structure of tricyclic coumarins by preferentially forming dihydrofuranocoumarins over unsaturated furanocoumarins.

Biosynthesis of prenylated flavonoids by two membrane-bound prenyltransferases in glandular trichomes of Macaranga tanarius.

This study identifies two prenyltransferase genes in Macaranga tanarius that catalyze the biosynthesis of diverse prenylated flavonoids in glandular trichomes.

An early-diverging Caladeniinae orchid reveals diversification of terpene and apocarotenoid pathways underlying floral scent evolution

This study identifies conserved and divergent terpene and apocarotenoid pathways in an early-diverging orchid, linking molecular evolution to floral scent diversification.

Biocatalytic Production of Galantamine in Yeast through Cytochrome P450 Optimization

This paper demonstrates the production of galantamine in yeast through pathway engineering and optimization, achieving a 173-fold improvement over the parental strain.

Isoprenoid Binding and Substrate Channeling in Drimenol Synthase, a Bifunctional Class II Terpene Cyclase-Phosphatase

This paper reports crystal structures of a bifunctional terpene cyclase-phosphatase enzyme and provides kinetic evidence for substrate channeling in its wild-type form.

Volatile profiling and estimated odor-activity analysis of commercial drug-type cannabis accessions

This study characterizes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 165 cannabis cultivars, identifying three chemotypes based on VOC profiles and their odor activity.

Valeriana officinalis genome sequence reveals candidate genes for valerenic acid biosynthesis and flavonoid metabolism

This paper reports the first genome sequence of Valeriana officinalis, identifies candidate genes for valerenic acid biosynthesis and flavonoid metabolism, and provides a foundation for studying specialized metabolism in valerian.

Molecular sources of monoterpenoid chemodiversity in the Asteraceae Tanacetum vulgare suggest a new model for the evolution of specialized metabolism

The paper identifies molecular mechanisms driving chemodiversity in Tanacetum vulgare, proposing a new model where chemodiversity is selected for at the population level rather than being a reservoir for later selection.

Computational Identification of Candidate Gene Families for Volatile Sulfur Compound Biosynthesis in Cannabis sativa Using Profile Hidden Markov Models

The paper identifies candidate gene families for volatile sulfur compound biosynthesis in Cannabis sativa using profile hidden Markov models and compares results with existing gene annotations.

A cofactor-promiscuous HMGR from the Lyme disease pathogen illuminates diversity in bacterial isoprenoid biosynthesis

This study identifies HMGR as a critical enzyme in B. burgdorferi's mevalonate pathway, revealing its cofactor promiscuity and evolutionary significance.

TRACER navigates rearrangement-driven sesterterpene chemical space via multimodal enzyme-product representation learning

TRACER predicts terpene skeletal rearrangements by learning enzyme-product associations, identifying novel carbon skeletons and mechanistic insights.

Quinoa produces an insect molting hormone through a plant biosynthetic gene cluster

This study identifies a plant biosynthetic pathway in quinoa that produces the insect molting hormone 20E through a seven-gene cluster involving FAH and 2OGD enzymes.

Full-length transcriptome atlas of Panax vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus reveals novel genes and alternative splicing in tissue-specific biosynthesis of ocotillol-type saponins

This study constructs the first full-length transcriptome atlas of Panax vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, identifying novel genes and extensive alternative splicing events related to OCT-type saponin biosynthesis.

Convergent biosynthesis of insect molting hormones in plants

The paper identifies convergent biosynthetic pathways for 20-hydroxyecdysone in spinach, quinoa, and Ajuga, revealing distinct gene clusters and evolutionary convergence.

Missing taxane C13α-O-deacetylases reveal a cryptic acetylation-deacetylation module in paclitaxel biosynthesis

The paper identifies and characterizes two novel C13-O-deacetylases and a C7β-O-deacetylase, demonstrating their role in paclitaxel biosynthesis and enabling a more efficient 19-gene pathway for baccatin III production.

Discovery of a taxusin-mediated route to baccatin III enables its complete biosynthesis in engineered microbes

The paper identifies a novel biosynthetic pathway for baccatin III production using engineered microbes, achieving its complete de novo synthesis through enzymatic validation and pathway engineering.

Evolutionary Origins and Synthetic Reconstruction of Gingerols

The paper identifies the evolutionary origins and reconstructs the biosynthetic pathway of gingerols using multi-omics approaches, enabling microbial production of 6-gingerol.

Revealing taxonomic signals in plant volatiles with phytochemistry, machine learning and trait mapping

The paper integrates phytochemistry, machine learning, and trait mapping to assess if plant volatiles retain taxonomic signals across species and identify which volatile components carry these signals.

A cyanobacterial adenine prenyltransferase enables longer-chain N6 prenylation

This study identifies TvAPT, a cyanobacterial adenine prenyltransferase that catalyzes N6-prenylation with extended prenyl donors, expanding the catalytic scope of adenine prenyltransferases.

Paving the way for plant-based bioproduction of (Z)-13-octadecenoic moth pheromone compounds

This paper demonstrates the biotechnological production of C18 pheromone precursors in Camelina sativa using insect enzymes, enabling sustainable pest control.

A membrane-bound aromatic O-prenyltransferase catalyzes the last reaction step in citrus auraptene biosynthesis

This study identifies CpPT4, a membrane-bound aromatic O-prenyltransferase involved in auraptene biosynthesis in citrus, and shows its functional and evolutionary significance.

Elucidation and engineering of arabinofuranosyltransferase to enable total de novo biosynthesis of paris saponins in yeast

This paper reports the first complete de novo biosynthesis of four bioactive Paris saponins in yeast by engineering sugar donor specificity and integrating biosynthetic modules.

Identification of a volatile chemotype associated with resilience to water stress in domesticated varieties of Cotton

The paper identifies a binary chemotype in cotton associated with drought resilience, showing differential volatile compound production and physiological responses to water stress.

Neryl diphosphate-derived monoterpene biosynthesis via a biosynthetic gene cluster in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

This paper identifies a biosynthetic gene cluster in liverwort Marchantia polymorpha that produces monoterpenes using neryl diphosphate as a substrate, revealing new insights into monoterpene biosynthesis in non-seed plants.