Trading acyls and swapping sugars: metabolic innovations in Solanum trichomes.

Solanaceae (nightshade family) species synthesize a remarkable array of clade- and tissue-specific specialized metabolites. Protective acylsugars, one such class of structurally diverse metabolites, are produced by ACYLSUGAR ACYLTRANSFERASE (ASAT) enzymes from sugars and acyl-coenzyme A esters. Published research has revealed trichome acylsugars composed of glucose and sucrose cores in species across the family. In addition, acylsugars have been analyzed across a small fraction of the >1200 species in the phenotypically megadiverse Solanum genus, with a handful containing inositol and glycosylated inositol cores. The current study sampled several dozen species across subclades of Solanum to get a more detailed view of acylsugar chemodiversity. In depth characterization of acylsugars from the Clade II species brinjal eggplant (Solanum melongena) led to the identification of eight unusual structures with inositol or inositol glycoside cores and hydroxyacyl chains. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of 31 additional species in the Solanum genus revealed striking acylsugar diversity, with some traits restricted to specific clades and species. Acylinositols and inositol-based acyldisaccharides were detected throughout much of the genus. In contrast, acylglucoses and acylsucroses were more restricted in distribution. Analysis of tissue-specific transcriptomes and interspecific acylsugar acetylation differences led to the identification of the brinjal eggplant ASAT 3-LIKE 1 (SmASAT3-L1; SMEL4.1_12g015780) enzyme. This enzyme is distinct from previously characterized acylsugar acetyltransferases, which are in the ASAT4 clade, and appears to be a functionally divergent ASAT3. This study provides a foundation for investigating the evolution and function of diverse Solanum acylsugar structures and harnessing this diversity in breeding and synthetic biology.

Rampant Misexpression in a Mimulus (Monkeyflower) Introgression Line Caused by Hybrid Sterility, Not Regulatory Divergence.

Divergence in gene expression regulation is common between closely related species and may give rise to incompatibilities in their hybrid progeny. In this study, we investigated the relationship between regulatory evolution within species and reproductive isolation between species. We focused on a well-studied case of hybrid sterility between two closely related yellow monkeyflower species, Mimulus guttatus and Mimulus nasutus, that is caused by two epistatic loci, hybrid male sterility 1 (hms1) and hybrid male sterility 2 (hms2). We compared genome-wide transcript abundance across male and female reproductive tissues (i.e., stamens and carpels) from four genotypes: M. guttatus, M. nasutus, and sterile and fertile progeny from an advanced M. nasutus-M. guttatus introgression line carrying the hms1-hms2 incompatibility. We observed substantial variation in transcript abundance between M. guttatus and M. nasutus, including distinct but overlapping patterns of tissue-biased expression, providing evidence for regulatory divergence between these species. We also found rampant genome-wide misexpression, but only in the affected tissues (i.e., stamens) of sterile introgression hybrids carrying incompatible alleles at hms1 and hms2. Examining patterns of allele-specific expression in sterile and fertile introgression hybrids, we found evidence for interspecific divergence in cis- and trans-regulation, including compensatory cis-trans mutations likely to be driven by stabilizing selection. Nevertheless, species divergence in gene regulatory networks cannot explain the vast majority of the gene misexpression we observe in Mimulus introgression hybrids, which instead likely manifests as a downstream consequence of sterility itself.

Epistasis × environment interactions among Arabidopsis thaliana glucosinolate genes impact complex traits and fitness in the field.

Despite the growing number of studies showing that genotype × environment and epistatic interactions control fitness, the influences of epistasis × environment interactions on adaptive trait evolution remain largely uncharacterized. Across three field trials, we quantified aliphatic glucosinolate (GSL) defense chemistry, leaf damage, and relative fitness using mutant lines of Arabidopsis thaliana varying at pairs of causal aliphatic GSL defense genes to test the impact of epistatic and epistasis × environment interactions on adaptive trait variation. We found that aliphatic GSL accumulation was primarily influenced by additive and epistatic genetic variation, leaf damage was primarily influenced by environmental variation and relative fitness was primarily influenced by epistasis and epistasis × environment interactions. Epistasis × environment interactions accounted for up to 48% of the relative fitness variation in the field. At a single field site, the impact of epistasis on relative fitness varied significantly over 2 yr, showing that epistasis × environment interactions within a location can be temporally dynamic. These results suggest that the environmental dependency of epistasis can profoundly influence the response to selection, shaping the adaptive trajectories of natural populations in complex ways, and deserves further consideration in future evolutionary studies.

Network quantitative trait loci mapping of circadian clock outputs identifies metabolic pathway-to-clock linkages in Arabidopsis.

Modern systems biology permits the study of complex networks, such as circadian clocks, and the use of complex methodologies, such as quantitative genetics. However, it is difficult to combine these approaches due to factorial expansion in experiments when networks are examined using complex methods. We developed a genomic quantitative genetic approach to overcome this problem, allowing us to examine the function(s) of the plant circadian clock in different populations derived from natural accessions. Using existing microarray data, we defined 24 circadian time phase groups (i.e., groups of genes with peak phases of expression at particular times of day). These groups were used to examine natural variation in circadian clock function using existing single time point microarray experiments from a recombinant inbred line population. We identified naturally variable loci that altered circadian clock outputs and linked these circadian quantitative trait loci to preexisting metabolomics quantitative trait loci, thereby identifying possible links between clock function and metabolism. Using single-gene isogenic lines, we found that circadian clock output was altered by natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana secondary metabolism. Specifically, genetic manipulation of a secondary metabolic enzyme led to altered free-running rhythms. This represents a unique and valuable approach to the study of complex networks using quantitative genetics.

Trading acyls and swapping sugars: metabolic innovations in Solanum trichomes.

Solanaceae (nightshade family) species synthesize a remarkable array of clade- and tissue-specific specialized metabolites. Protective acylsugars, one such class of structurally diverse metabolites, are produced by AcylSugar AcylTransferases from sugars and acyl-coenzyme A esters. Published research revealed trichome acylsugars composed of glucose and sucrose cores in species across the family. In addition, acylsugars were analyzed across a small fraction of the >1200 species in the phenotypically megadiverse Solanum genus, with a handful containing inositol and glycosylated inositol cores. The current study sampled several dozen species across subclades of the Solanum to get a more detailed view of acylsugar chemodiversity. In depth characterization of acylsugars from the Clade II species Solanum melongena (brinjal eggplant) led to the identification of eight unusual structures with inositol or inositol glycoside cores, and hydroxyacyl chains. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of 31 additional species in the Solanum genus revealed striking acylsugar diversity with some traits restricted to specific clades and species. Acylinositols and inositol-based acyldisaccharides were detected throughout much of the genus. In contrast, acylglucoses and acylsucroses were more restricted in distribution. Analysis of tissue-specific transcriptomes and interspecific acylsugar acetylation differences led to the identification of the S. melongena AcylSugar AcylTransferase 3-Like 1 (SmASAT3-L1; SMEL4.1_12g015780) enzyme. This enzyme is distinct from previously characterized acylsugar acetyltransferases, which are in the ASAT4 clade, and appears to be a functionally divergent ASAT3. This study provides a foundation for investigating the evolution and function of diverse Solanum acylsugar structures and harnessing this diversity in breeding and synthetic biology.

Tomato root specialized metabolites evolved through gene duplication and regulatory divergence within a biosynthetic gene cluster.

Tremendous plant metabolic diversity arises from phylogenetically restricted specialized metabolic pathways. Specialized metabolites are synthesized in dedicated cells or tissues, with pathway genes sometimes colocalizing in biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). However, the mechanisms by which spatial expression patterns arise and the role of BGCs in pathway evolution remain underappreciated. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms driving acylsugar evolution in the Solanaceae. Previously thought to be restricted to glandular trichomes, acylsugars were recently found in cultivated tomato roots. We demonstrated that acylsugars in cultivated tomato roots and trichomes have different sugar cores, identified root-enriched paralogs of trichome acylsugar pathway genes, and characterized a key paralog required for root acylsugar biosynthesis, SlASAT1-LIKE (SlASAT1-L), which is nested within a previously reported trichome acylsugar BGC. Last, we provided evidence that ASAT1-L arose through duplication of its paralog, ASAT1, and was trichome-expressed before acquiring root-specific expression in the Solanum genus. Our results illuminate the genomic context and molecular mechanisms underpinning metabolic diversity in plants.

The Arabidopsis thaliana Myo-inositol 1-phosphate synthase1 gene is required for Myo-inositol synthesis and suppression of cell death.

l-myo-inositol 1-phosphate synthase (MIPS; EC 5.5.1.4) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of myo-inositol, a critical compound in the cell. Plants contain multiple MIPS genes, which encode highly similar enzymes. We characterized the expression patterns of the three MIPS genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and found that MIPS1 is expressed in most cell types and developmental stages, while MIPS2 and MIPS3 are mainly restricted to vascular or related tissues. MIPS1, but not MIPS2 or MIPS3, is required for seed development, for physiological responses to salt and abscisic acid, and to suppress cell death. Specifically, a loss in MIPS1 resulted in smaller plants with curly leaves and spontaneous production of lesions. The mips1 mutants have lower myo-inositol, ascorbic acid, and phosphatidylinositol levels, while basal levels of inositol (1,4,5)P(3) are not altered in mips1 mutants. Furthermore, mips1 mutants exhibited elevated levels of ceramides, sphingolipid precursors associated with cell death, and were complemented by a MIPS1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion construct. MIPS1-, MIPS2-, and MIPS3-GFP each localized to the cytoplasm. Thus, MIPS1 has a significant impact on myo-inositol levels that is critical for maintaining levels of ascorbic acid, phosphatidylinositol, and ceramides that regulate growth, development, and cell death.

Mechanisms of Transmission Ratio Distortion at Hybrid Sterility Loci Within and Between Mimulus Species.

Hybrid incompatibilities are a common correlate of genomic divergence and a potentially important contributor to reproductive isolation. However, we do not yet have a detailed understanding of how hybrid incompatibility loci function and evolve within their native species, or why they are dysfunctional in hybrids. Here, we explore these issues for a well-studied, two-locus hybrid incompatibility between hybrid male sterility 1 (hms1) and hybrid male sterility 2 (hms2) in the closely related yellow monkeyflower species Mimulus guttatus and M. nasutus By performing reciprocal backcrosses with introgression lines (ILs), we find evidence for gametic expression of the hms1-hms2 incompatibility. Surprisingly, however, hybrid transmission ratios at hms1 do not reflect this incompatibility, suggesting that additional mechanisms counteract the effects of gametic sterility. Indeed, our backcross experiment shows hybrid transmission bias toward M. guttatus through both pollen and ovules, an effect that is particularly strong when hms2 is homozygous for M. nasutus alleles. In contrast, we find little evidence for hms1 transmission bias in crosses within M. guttatus, providing no indication of selfish evolution at this locus. Although we do not yet have sufficient genetic resolution to determine if hybrid sterility and transmission ratio distortion (TRD) map to the same loci, our preliminary fine-mapping uncovers a genetically independent hybrid lethality system involving at least two loci linked to hms1 This fine-scale dissection of TRD at hms1 and hms2 provides insight into genomic differentiation between closely related Mimulus species and reveals multiple mechanisms of hybrid dysfunction.

Genome Wide Association Mapping in Arabidopsis thaliana Identifies Novel Genes Involved in Linking Allyl Glucosinolate to Altered Biomass and Defense.

A key limitation in modern biology is the ability to rapidly identify genes underlying newly identified complex phenotypes. Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have become an increasingly important approach for dissecting natural variation by associating phenotypes with genotypes at a genome wide level. Recent work is showing that the Arabidopsis thaliana defense metabolite, allyl glucosinolate (GSL), may provide direct feedback regulation, linking defense metabolism outputs to the growth, and defense responses of the plant. However, there is still a need to identify genes that underlie this process. To start developing a deeper understanding of the mechanism(s) that modulate the ability of exogenous allyl GSL to alter growth and defense, we measured changes in plant biomass and defense metabolites in a collection of natural 96 A. thaliana accessions fed with 50 µM of allyl GSL. Exogenous allyl GSL was introduced exclusively to the roots and the compound transported to the leaf leading to a wide range of heritable effects upon plant biomass and endogenous GSL accumulation. Using natural variation we conducted GWAS to identify a number of new genes which potentially control allyl responses in various plant processes. This is one of the first instances in which this approach has been successfully utilized to begin dissecting a novel phenotype to the underlying molecular/polygenic basis.

The Glucosinolate Biosynthetic Gene AOP2 Mediates Feed-back Regulation of Jasmonic Acid Signaling in Arabidopsis.

Survival in changing and challenging environments requires an organism to efficiently obtain and use its resources. Due to their sessile nature, it is particularly critical for plants to dynamically optimize their metabolism. In plant primary metabolism, metabolic fine-tuning involves feed-back mechanisms whereby the output of a pathway controls its input to generate a precise and robust response to environmental changes. By contrast, few studies have addressed the potential for feed-back regulation of secondary metabolism. In Arabidopsis, accumulation of the defense compounds glucosinolates has previously been linked to genetic variation in the glucosinolate biosynthetic gene AOP2. AOP2 expression can increase the transcript levels of two known regulators (MYB28 and MYB29) of the pathway, suggesting that AOP2 plays a role in positive feed-back regulation controlling glucosinolate biosynthesis. We generated mutants affecting AOP2, MYB28/29, or both. Transcriptome analysis of these mutants identified a so far unrecognized link between AOP2 and jasmonic acid (JA) signaling independent of MYB28 and MYB29. Thus, AOP2 is part of a regulatory feed-back loop linking glucosinolate biosynthesis and JA signaling and thereby allows the glucosinolate pathway to influence JA sensitivity. The discovery of this regulatory feed-back loop provides insight into how plants optimize the use of resources for defensive metabolites.

A novel 2-oxoacid-dependent dioxygenase involved in the formation of the goiterogenic 2-hydroxybut-3-enyl glucosinolate and generalist insect resistance in Arabidopsis,.

Glucosinolates are secondary metabolites found almost exclusively in the order Brassicales. They are synthesized from a variety of amino acids and can have numerous side chain modifications that control biological function. We investigated the biosynthesis of 2-hydroxybut-3-enyl glucosinolate, which has biological activities including toxicity to Caenorhabditis elegans, inhibition of seed germination, induction of goiter disease in mammals, and production of bitter flavors in Brassica vegetable crops. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) accessions contain three different patterns of 2-hydroxybut-3-enyl glucosinolate accumulation (present in leaves and seeds, seeds only, or absent) corresponding to three different alleles at a single locus, GSL-OH. Fine-scale mapping of the GSL-OH locus identified a 2-oxoacid-dependent dioxygenase encoded by At2g25450 required for the formation of both 2R- and 2S-2-hydroxybut-3-enyl glucosinolate from the precursor 3-butenyl glucosinolate precursor. Naturally occurring null mutations and T-DNA insertional mutations in At2g25450 exhibit a complete absence of 2-hydroxybut-3-enyl glucosinolate accumulation. Analysis of herbivory by the generalist lepidopteran Trichoplusia ni showed that production of 2-hydroxybut-3-enyl glucosinolate provides increased resistance. These results show that At2g25450 is necessary for the hydroxylation of but-3-enyl glucosinolate to 2-hydroxybut-3-enyl glucosinolate in planta and that this metabolite increases resistance to generalist herbivory.