Convergent acquisition of disulfide-forming enzymes in malodorous flowers.
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| Title: | Convergent acquisition of disulfide-forming enzymes in malodorous flowers. |
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| Authors: | Okuyama, Yudai, Fukushima, Kenji, Kakishima, Satoshi, Valchanova, Anna K., Takano, Kohei Takenaka, Ito-Inaba, Yasuko, Nakazato, Takeru, Nagano, Atsushi J. |
| Source: | Science. 5/8/2025, Vol. 388 Issue 6747, p656-661. 6p. |
| Subjects: | Disulfides, Aristolochiaceae, Methanethiol, Prokaryotes, Pollinators |
| Abstract: | Identifying the metabolic and genetic changes that confer evolutionary novelty is essential for understanding the factors facilitating or constraining the occurrence of traits. We show that dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), a volatile compound that attracts saprophilous pollinators, is produced by a disulfide synthase (DSS) in the plant genus Asarum (Aristolochiaceae). DSS is derived from methanethiol oxidase (MTOX), an enzyme conserved among animals and plants, and similar DSS enzymes have independently evolved in two other plant genera. Three amino acid changes shared among the DSSs of independent origins were sufficient to cause a functional switch between MTOX and DSS. The small number of amino acid changes and the co-option of a highly conserved enzyme may explain why DMDS-emitting flowers are widespread among floral mimics. Editor's summary: There are many ways for plants to attract pollinators, and some flowers are specialized to mimic the smell of rotting meat. Okuyama et al. identified the disulfide synthase enzymes responsible for producing volatile oligosulfides in three plant genera, including Asarum species (see the Perspective by Caputi and O'Connor). By examining enzymatic functions and reconstructing ancestral genetic sequences, the authors found that disulfide synthases probably evolved from a methanethiol oxidase gene that is widely conserved across prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Disulfide synthases were independently co-opted for oligosulfide production in each floral lineage, and this process could be achieved with just two or three amino acid substitutions. The work provides insight into the convergent evolution of new traits in the context of floral mimicry. —Madeleine Seale [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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