Convergent evolution in biosynthesis of cyanogenic defence compounds in plants and insects

Niels Bjerg Jensen; Mika Zagrobelny; Karin Hjernø; Carl Erik Olsen; Jens Hougton-Larsen; Jonas Borch-Jensen; Birger Lindberg Møller; Søren Bak

doi:10.1038/ncomms1271

Convergent evolution in biosynthesis of cyanogenic defence compounds in plants and insects

Niels Bjerg Jensen, Mika Zagrobelny, Karin Hjernø, Carl Erik Olsen, Jens Hougton-Larsen, Jonas Borch-Jensen, Birger Lindberg Møller, Søren Bak

87 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

For more than 420 million years, plants, insects and their predators have co-evolved based on a chemical arms race including deployment of refined chemical defence systems by each player. Cyanogenic glucosides are produced by numerous plants and by some specialized insects and serve an important role as defence compounds in these intimate interactions. Burnet moth larvae are able to sequester cyanogenic glucosides from their food plant as well as to carry out de novo biosynthesis. Here we show that three genes (CYP405A2, CYP332A3 and UGT33A1) encode the entire biosynthetic pathway of cyanogenic glucosides in the Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae. In both plants and insects, convergent evolution has led to two multifunctional P450 enzymes each catalysing unusual reactions and a glucosyl-transferase acting in sequence to catalyse cyanogenic glucoside formation. Thus, plants and insects have independently found a way to package a cyanide time bomb to fend off herbivores and predators.

Original language	English
Journal	Nature Communications
Number of pages	7
ISSN	2041-1723
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1271
Publication status	Published - 2011

Access to Document

10.1038/ncomms1271

Cite this

@article{496856c2663a4b6fab89b33c8c87bd0e,

title = "Convergent evolution in biosynthesis of cyanogenic defence compounds in plants and insects",

abstract = "For more than 420 million years, plants, insects and their predators have co-evolved based on a chemical arms race including deployment of refined chemical defence systems by each player. Cyanogenic glucosides are produced by numerous plants and by some specialized insects and serve an important role as defence compounds in these intimate interactions. Burnet moth larvae are able to sequester cyanogenic glucosides from their food plant as well as to carry out de novo biosynthesis. Here we show that three genes (CYP405A2, CYP332A3 and UGT33A1) encode the entire biosynthetic pathway of cyanogenic glucosides in the Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae. In both plants and insects, convergent evolution has led to two multifunctional P450 enzymes each catalysing unusual reactions and a glucosyl-transferase acting in sequence to catalyse cyanogenic glucoside formation. Thus, plants and insects have independently found a way to package a cyanide time bomb to fend off herbivores and predators.",

author = "Jensen, {Niels Bjerg} and Mika Zagrobelny and Karin Hjern{\o} and Olsen, {Carl Erik} and Jens Hougton-Larsen and Jonas Borch-Jensen and M{\o}ller, {Birger Lindberg} and S{\o}ren Bak",

year = "2011",

doi = "10.1038/ncomms1271",

language = "English",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "nature publishing group",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Convergent evolution in biosynthesis of cyanogenic defence compounds in plants and insects

AU - Jensen, Niels Bjerg

AU - Zagrobelny, Mika

AU - Hjernø, Karin

AU - Olsen, Carl Erik

AU - Hougton-Larsen, Jens

AU - Borch-Jensen, Jonas

AU - Møller, Birger Lindberg

AU - Bak, Søren

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - For more than 420 million years, plants, insects and their predators have co-evolved based on a chemical arms race including deployment of refined chemical defence systems by each player. Cyanogenic glucosides are produced by numerous plants and by some specialized insects and serve an important role as defence compounds in these intimate interactions. Burnet moth larvae are able to sequester cyanogenic glucosides from their food plant as well as to carry out de novo biosynthesis. Here we show that three genes (CYP405A2, CYP332A3 and UGT33A1) encode the entire biosynthetic pathway of cyanogenic glucosides in the Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae. In both plants and insects, convergent evolution has led to two multifunctional P450 enzymes each catalysing unusual reactions and a glucosyl-transferase acting in sequence to catalyse cyanogenic glucoside formation. Thus, plants and insects have independently found a way to package a cyanide time bomb to fend off herbivores and predators.

AB - For more than 420 million years, plants, insects and their predators have co-evolved based on a chemical arms race including deployment of refined chemical defence systems by each player. Cyanogenic glucosides are produced by numerous plants and by some specialized insects and serve an important role as defence compounds in these intimate interactions. Burnet moth larvae are able to sequester cyanogenic glucosides from their food plant as well as to carry out de novo biosynthesis. Here we show that three genes (CYP405A2, CYP332A3 and UGT33A1) encode the entire biosynthetic pathway of cyanogenic glucosides in the Burnet moth Zygaena filipendulae. In both plants and insects, convergent evolution has led to two multifunctional P450 enzymes each catalysing unusual reactions and a glucosyl-transferase acting in sequence to catalyse cyanogenic glucoside formation. Thus, plants and insects have independently found a way to package a cyanide time bomb to fend off herbivores and predators.

U2 - 10.1038/ncomms1271

DO - 10.1038/ncomms1271

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2041-1723

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

ER -

Convergent evolution in biosynthesis of cyanogenic defence compounds in plants and insects

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this