Establishment of the grass lignin metabolic network during monocot evolution
- 1University of Wisconsin-Madison
Abstract
Plants produce a vast diversity of chemical compounds, yet the evolutionary history of the underlying complex metabolic networks remains poorly understood. Grasses (Poaceae family) possess a unique lignin metabolic network that can utilize both phenylalanine and tyrosine as precursors to synthesize canonical lignin as well as non-canonical acylated and tricin-conjugated lignin subunits. This study traces the evolutionary remodeling and establishment of the grass lignin metabolic network by combining phylogenomics with biochemical and chemical analyses across Poaceae, Poales, and other monocot species. These multidisciplinary comparative analyses reveal that the acylated lignin evolved in commelinids, followed by tyrosine-derived lignin biosynthesis in non-grass graminids through fine-tuning of pathway enzymes and transcriptional factors. Later, biosynthesis and incorporation of the flavonoid tricin into the cell wall took place within the core grasses via the evolution of chrysoeriol 5'-hydroxylase (C5'H) activity within the CYP75B enzyme family. These findings illustrate the emergence of different network modules at distinct times during monocot evolution that became integrated into the complex yet coherent metabolic network underlying the unique lignin chemical diversity of grasses.
Related
- Cytogenetic constraints on hybridization: a meta-analysis investigating the role of chromosome number in monocot hybrid evolution using a newly developed tool, the ploidy deviation index (PDI)
- Evolution of CTCF underlies the establishment of loop extrusion as a predominant chromatin folding mechanism in vertebrates
- Root gene regulatory network analysis reveals roles for defense hormones and secondary metabolites in establishment of disease-suppressive soil
- Establishment of a cochlear lymphatic vascular network and immune surveillance system following cochlear implantation
- Metabolic complexity in the human brain supports metastable network dynamics and declines in normative ageing
BibTeX
@misc{moore2026establishment,
title = {{Establishment of the grass lignin metabolic network during monocot evolution}},
author = {B. Moore and Y. Takeda-Kimura and S. D. Karlen and J. El-Azaz and M. McKain and J. Leebens-Mack and J. Ralph and H. Maeda},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.14.751253},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.14.751253v1},
note = {CC BY-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Establishment of the grass lignin metabolic network during monocot evolution
AU - B. Moore
AU - Y. Takeda-Kimura
AU - S. D. Karlen
AU - J. El-Azaz
AU - M. McKain
AU - J. Leebens-Mack
AU - J. Ralph
AU - H. Maeda
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/14
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.14.751253
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.14.751253v1
AB - Plants produce a vast diversity of chemical compounds, yet the evolutionary history of the underlying complex metabolic networks remains poorly understood. Grasses (Poaceae family) possess a unique lignin metabolic network that can utilize both phenylalanine and tyrosine as precursors to synthesize canonical lignin as well as non-canonical acylated and tricin-conjugated lignin subunits. This study traces the evolutionary remodeling and establishment of the grass lignin metabolic network by combining phylogenomics with biochemical and chemical analyses across Poaceae, Poales, and other monocot species. These multidisciplinary comparative analyses reveal that the acylated lignin evolved in commelinids, followed by tyrosine-derived lignin biosynthesis in non-grass graminids through fine-tuning of pathway enzymes and transcriptional factors. Later, biosynthesis and incorporation of the flavonoid tricin into the cell wall took place within the core grasses via the evolution of chrysoeriol 5'-hydroxylase (C5'H) activity within the CYP75B enzyme family. These findings illustrate the emergence of different network modules at distinct times during monocot evolution that became integrated into the complex yet coherent metabolic network underlying the unique lignin chemical diversity of grasses.
ER -