Unraveling the evolutionary dynamics of the gene family in land plants.

Front Plant Sci

National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.

Published: October 2023

AI Article Synopsis

  • - Terpenes and terpenoids are important compounds in plants that contribute to their defense and the quality of plant oils, significantly impacting commercial value.
  • - Terpene synthases are key enzymes responsible for the diversity of terpenes and studying their gene family can help improve oil-producing plants genetically.
  • - Phylogenetic analysis indicates that a significant gene fusion event occurred in the ancestor of land plants, with evidence of gene transfer between microbes and plants, highlighting the evolutionary patterns influencing terpene diversity.

Article Abstract

Terpenes and terpenoids are key natural compounds for plant defense, development, and composition of plant oil. The synthesis and accumulation of a myriad of volatile terpenoid compounds in these plants may dramatically alter the quality and flavor of the oils, which provide great commercial utilization value for oil-producing plants. Terpene synthases () are important enzymes responsible for terpenic diversity. Investigating the differentiation of the gene family could provide valuable theoretical support for the genetic improvement of oil-producing plants. While the origin and function of genes have been extensively studied, the exact origin of the initial gene fusion event - it occurred in plants or microbes - remains uncertain. Furthermore, a comprehensive exploration of the gene differentiation is still pending. Here, phylogenetic analysis revealed that the fusion of the gene likely occurred in the ancestor of land plants, following the acquisition of individual C- and N- terminal domains. Potential mutual transfer of genes was observed among microbes and plants. Gene synteny analysis disclosed a differential divergence pattern between TPS-c and TPS-e/f subfamilies involved in primary metabolism and those (TPS-a/b/d/g/h subfamilies) crucial for secondary metabolites. Biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) analysis suggested a correlation between lineage divergence and potential natural selection in structuring terpene diversities. This study provides fresh perspectives on the origin and evolution of the gene family.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10600500PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1273648DOI Listing

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