Production of mustard oils: On the origin of an enzyme
Thursday, March 17, 2011 - 10:00
in Biology & Nature
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the evolutionary arms race, small changes can be sufficient to gain a crucial advantage over the enemy. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology found out recently that the ancestor of a gene involved in making chemical defenses in plants of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), such as rapeseed and cabbage, originally had a completely different function, playing a part in the formation of leucine, an essential amino acid for humans. Only small changes in the structure of the enzyme enabled it to take over completely new tasks that could, as shown in this study, increase the survival advantage of the plants.