Plant biosynthetic gene clusters in the context of metabolic evolution

Plants produce a wide range of structurally and biosynthetically diverse natural products to interact with their environment. These specialised metabolites typically evolve in limited taxonomic groups presumably in response to specific selective pressures. With the increasing availability of sequencing data, it has become apparent that in many cases the genes encoding biosynthetic enzymes for specialised metabolic pathways are not randomly distributed on the genome. Instead they are physically linked in structures such as arrays, pairs and clusters. The exact function of these clusters is debated. In this review we take a broad view of gene arrangement in plant specialised metabolism, examining types of structures and variation. We discuss the evolution of biosynthetic gene clusters in the wider context of metabolism, populations and epigenetics. Finally, we synthesise our observations to propose a new hypothesis for biosynthetic gene cluster formation in plants.

Automated summary

Plants produce a diverse range of natural products to interact with their environment, and these specialized metabolites evolve in response to specific selective pressures. Recent studies have shown that the genes encoding biosynthetic enzymes for specialized metabolic pathways are not randomly distributed on the genome, but instead physically linked in structures such as arrays, pairs, and clusters. The exact function of these clusters is still debated. In this review, the authors discuss the gene arrangement in plant specialized metabolism, examining different structures and variation, and propose a new hypothesis for the formation of biosynthetic gene clusters in plants.