Does D-amino acids metabolism mirror evolutionary origins of plant cells
and their adaptation to the environment?
- Guillaume Tcherkez,
- Jaime Porras-Dominguez,
- Jeremy Lothier,
- Anis Limami
Jaime Porras-Dominguez
Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences
Author ProfileJeremy Lothier
Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences
Author ProfileAnis Limami
Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences
Author ProfileAbstract
D-amino acids are the D stereoisomers of common L-amino acids found in
proteins. In the past two decades, the occurrence of D-amino acids in
plants has been reported and circumstantial evidence for a role in
several processes has been provided, including the interaction with soil
microorganisms or an interference with cellular signalling. However,
examples are relatively scarce and D-amino acids can also be
detrimental, some of them inhibiting growth and development. Thus, the
persistence of a D-amino acid metabolism in plants is rather surprising
and evolutive origins of D-amino acid metabolism is presently unclear.
Systemic analysis of sequences associated with enzymes of D-amino acid
metabolism shows that they are not simply inherited from cyanobacterial
metabolism. In effect, the history of enzymes of plant D-amino acid
metabolism likely involves several steps, cellular compartments, gene
transfers and losses. Regardless of evolutive steps, enzymes of D-amino
acid metabolism like D-amino acid transferases or racemases have been
kept by higher plants and not simply eliminated, hence it is likely that
they fulfil important metabolic roles, which can be illustrated with
serine, tryptophan, and folate metabolism. We suggest that D-amino acid
metabolism was perhaps crucial to support metabolic functions required
during land plants evolution.23 Jun 2023Submitted to Plant, Cell & Environment 23 Jun 2023Submission Checks Completed
23 Jun 2023Assigned to Editor
25 Jun 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
07 Jul 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
03 Sep 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
01 Nov 20231st Revision Received