Authors
Guangyi Wang, Mengmeng Li, Xuehui Dai, Yanchen Zhang, Yuhan Wu, Zhaotao Yan, Chenfei Tian, Hongkai Fan, Haili Liu, Xiaowei Zhang, Yiming Yang, Jiayu Lu, Yuwei Sun, Yong Wang
Published in
Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany). Pages e76159. Jun 18, 2026. Epub Jun 18, 2026.
Abstract
Tandem duplication of tailoring enzymes allows evolutionary innovation that diversifies plant specialized metabolism. Here, we present an interesting example of how tandem duplicated UDP-glycosyltransferases undergo neofunctionalization and shape the chemical diversity of triterpenoid saponins in the Cucurbitaceae family. A chromosome-level genome of Siraitia grosvenorii was assembled and aligned with multiple cucurbit genomes, revealing a specific UGT73AM tandem duplication responsible for regio-selective glycosylation (e.g. the rare 1,4-linked disaccharide) of diverse saponins such as mogrosides, ginsenosides, and momordicines. Comparative genomics depicted the evolutionary trajectory of a universal saponin-biosynthesizing UGT73 tandem arrays syntenously preserved across core eudicots, where lineage-specific UGT copies contribute to distinct metabolic phenotypes. A crystal structure of SgUGT73AM30 (mogrol 25-O-glycosyltransferase) in complex with UDP and mogrol was obtained to elucidate the molecular basis of the regio-specific decoration on vicinal diol of the substrates. Altogether, these findings provide insights into tandem duplication-driven diversification of glycosyltransferases and lay the foundation for engineered glycosylation of valuable triterpenoid saponins.
PMID:
42314050
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 19 Jun 2026.
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