文献类型：期刊文献

英文题名：Tandem Duplication-Driven Neofunctionalization of UDP-Glycosyltransferases Shapes the Diversification of Triterpenoid Saponins in the Cucurbitaceae

作者：Wang, Guangyi[1,2];Li, Mengmeng[1,2];Dai, Xuehui[1,2,3];Zhang, Yanchen[1,2];Wu, Yuhan[1,2];Yan, Zhaotao[1,2];Tian, Chenfei[1,4];Fan, Hongkai[1,2];Liu, Haili[1];Zhang, Xiaowei[1];Yang, Yiming[1,2];Lu, Jiayu[5];Sun, Yuwei[5];Wang, Yong[1,2,3]

机构：[1]Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Plant Physiol & Ecol, CAS Ctr Excellence Mol Plant Sci, CAS Key Lab Synthet Biol, Shanghai, Peoples R China;[2]Univ Chinese Acad Sci, Beijing, Peoples R China;[3]East China Univ Sci & Technol, Sch Biotechnol, State Key Lab Bioreactor Engn, Shanghai, Peoples R China;[4]Shanghai Tobacco Grp Co Ltd, Technol Ctr, Shanghai, Peoples R China;[5]Shanghai Univ Tradit Chinese Med, Inst Chinese Mat Med, SATCM Key Lab New Resources & Qual Evaluat Chinese, Shanghai, Peoples R China

年份：2026

外文期刊名：ADVANCED SCIENCE

收录：;EI(收录号：20262520951784);WOS:【SCI-EXPANDED(收录号:WOS:001796155000001)】；

基金：This work is financially supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2024YFA0919900), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32570312 and No. 32571708), the State Key Laboratory of Plant Trait Design, the Key Laboratory of Plant Carbon Capture (CNTD004), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project, and the 2025 Key Technology Research and Development Program: Synthetic Biology Project (25HC2810300).

语种：英文

外文关键词：comparative genomics; cucurbitaceae; tandem duplication; triterpenoid saponins; UDP-glycosyltransferase

摘要：Tandem duplication of tailoring enzymes allows evolutionary innovation that diversifies plant specialized metabolism. Here, we present an interesting example of how tandem duplicated UDP-glycosyltransferases undergo neofunctionalization and shape the chemical diversity of triterpenoid saponins in the Cucurbitaceae family. A chromosome-level genome of Siraitia grosvenorii was assembled and aligned with multiple cucurbit genomes, revealing a specific UGT73AM tandem duplication responsible for regio-selective glycosylation (e.g. the rare 1,4-linked disaccharide) of diverse saponins such as mogrosides, ginsenosides, and momordicines. Comparative genomics depicted the evolutionary trajectory of a universal saponin-biosynthesizing UGT73 tandem arrays syntenously preserved across core eudicots, where lineage-specific UGT copies contribute to distinct metabolic phenotypes. A crystal structure of SgUGT73AM30 (mogrol 25-O-glycosyltransferase) in complex with UDP and mogrol was obtained to elucidate the molecular basis of the regio-specific decoration on vicinal diol of the substrates. Altogether, these findings provide insights into tandem duplication-driven diversification of glycosyltransferases and lay the foundation for engineered glycosylation of valuable triterpenoid saponins.