Diversification of diterpene biosynthesis occurred early in octocoral evolution.

ABSTRACT: Octocorals are the major source of marine-derived bioactive terpenoids. However, the vast majority of explored chemistry is known from shallow-water species, leaving deep-sea octocorals largely unexplored. Recent genomic work uncovered terpene biosynthetic pathways encoded in octocoral genomes, enabling deeper investigation into the evolution and ecological distribution of these compounds. Here, we collected nine deep-sea octocoral specimens representing both taxonomic orders and profiled their terpenoid chemistry. These samples revealed extensive diversity in sesquiterpene scaffolds, along with repeated detection of five widespread structural families of diterpenes (xeniaphyllene-, cembrene B-, elisabethatriene-, cembrene A-, and klysimplexin R; collectively, "XBECK-type" diterpenoids). P

SUBMITTER: Burkhardt I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12685057 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature