Genome evolution and glycosyltransferase diversification shape asperosaponin biosynthesis in Dipsacus asperoides

DaUGT73GZ2 in Dipsacus asperoides roots preferentially glycosylates C-3 substrates that retain a free C-28 carboxyl group, establishing a C-3-before-C-28 order.

• Why it matters: High-abundance specialized metabolites like asperosaponin require linking genome evolution and enzyme function to pathway logic, enabling rational engineering of triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis.
• What they did: The study combined chromosome-level genome assembly, comparative genomics, transcriptomics, metabolite profiling, and biochemical assays to reconstruct the asperosaponin route and test glycosyltransferase substrate preferences and UGT85CA differentiation.
• The result: It revealed ordered glycosylation and lineage-specific duplication and transcriptional regulation of pathway genes, providing a framework to understand and engineer the distinctive high-abundance triterpenoid saponin profile in D. asperoides roots.

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