AI Article Synopsis
- Catnip, a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), is known for attracting cats due to a compound called nepetalactone, which also acts as an insect repellent.
- Using advanced techniques like comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses, researchers investigated how iridoid biosynthesis, which was lost in ancestors, later re-emerged in the lineage.
- The findings detail the timeline of events that contributed to the development of nepetalactone and its associated metabolic gene cluster, shedding light on the evolution of plant chemical diversity.
Article Abstract
Catnip or catmint ( spp.) is a flowering plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae) famed for its ability to attract cats. This phenomenon is caused by the compound nepetalactone, a volatile iridoid that also repels insects. Iridoids are present in many Lamiaceae species but were lost in the ancestor of the Nepetoideae, the subfamily containing . Using comparative genomics, ancestral sequence reconstructions, and phylogenetic analyses, we probed the re-emergence of iridoid biosynthesis in . The results of these investigations revealed mechanisms for the loss and subsequent re-evolution of iridoid biosynthesis in the lineage. We present evidence for a chronology of events that led to the formation of nepetalactone biosynthesis and its metabolic gene cluster. This study provides insights into the interplay between enzyme and genome evolution in the origins, loss, and re-emergence of plant chemical diversity.
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Source |
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7220310 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aba0721 | DOI Listing |
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