A new spin on chemotaxonomy: Using non-proteogenic amino acids as a test case.

ABSTRACT:

Premise

Specialized metabolites serve various roles for plants and humans. Unlike core metabolites, specialized metabolites are restricted to certain plant lineages; thus, in addition to their ecological functions, specialized metabolites can serve as diagnostic markers of plant lineages.

Methods

We investigated the phylogenetic distribution of plant metabolites using non-proteogenic amino acids (NPAA). Species-NPAA associations for eight NPAAs were identified from the existing literature and placed within a phylogenetic context using R packages and the Interactive Tree of Life. To confirm and extend the literature-based NPAA distribution, we selected azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (Aze) and screened over 70 diverse plants using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

SUBMITTER: Gibson M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12319704 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul-Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature