Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
Bioscience Technology Facility, Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
Nat Commun. 2022 Jun 7;13(1):3150. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-30856-w.
The STORR gene fusion event is considered essential for the evolution of the promorphinan/morphinan subclass of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) in opium poppy as the resulting bi-modular protein performs the isomerization of (S)- to (R)-reticuline essential for their biosynthesis. Here, we show that of the 12 Papaver species analysed those containing the STORR gene fusion also contain promorphinans/morphinans with one important exception. P. californicum encodes a functionally conserved STORR but does not produce promorphinans/morphinans. We also show that the gene fusion event occurred only once, between 16.8-24.1 million years ago before the separation of P. californicum from other Clade 2 Papaver species. The most abundant BIA in P. californicum is (R)-glaucine, a member of the aporphine subclass of BIAs, raising the possibility that STORR, once evolved, contributes to the biosynthesis of more than just the promorphinan/morphinan subclass of BIAs in the Papaveraceae.
STORR 基因融合事件被认为是罂粟中苯并异喹啉生物碱（BIAs）的前吗啡/吗啡亚类进化所必需的，因为由此产生的双模块蛋白执行了（S）-到（R）-异胡黄连碱的异构化，这对于它们的生物合成至关重要。在这里，我们表明，在分析的 12 种罂粟属物种中，那些含有 STORR 基因融合的物种也含有前吗啡/吗啡，但有一个重要的例外。P. californicum 编码一个功能保守的 STORR，但不产生前吗啡/吗啡。我们还表明，基因融合事件仅发生过一次，发生在 1680-2410 万年前，在 P. californicum 与其他 2 类罂粟属物种分离之前。P. californicum 中最丰富的 BIA 是（R）-格尔辛，它是 BIAs 的阿朴啡亚类的一员，这表明 STORR 一旦进化，就不仅仅有助于罂粟科中前吗啡/吗啡亚类 BIAs 的生物合成。
