Subfunctionalization and epigenetic regulation of a biosynthetic gene cluster in <i>Solanaceae</i>.

ABSTRACT: Biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) are sets of often heterologous genes that are genetically and functionally linked. Among eukaryotes, BGCs are most common in plants and fungi and ensure the coexpression of the different enzymes coordinating the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites. Here, we report the identification of a withanolide BGC in Physalis grisea (ground-cherry), a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae). A combination of transcriptomic, epigenomic, and metabolic analyses revealed that, following a duplication event, this BGC evolved two tissue-specifically expressed subclusters, containing several pairs of paralogs that contribute to related but distinct biochemical processes; this subfunctionalization is tightly associated with epigenetic features and the

SUBMITTER: Priego-Cubero S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11874288 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature