Tracing the Evolutionary Origins of Jasmonate Signaling: Co-Evolution of Oxylipin Metabolism and Hormone Perception in the Green Lineage.

Jasmonate signaling evolved in the last common ancestor of streptophytes and became more complex during plant terrestrialization, with JA-Ile emerging in vascular plants.

• Why it matters: Understanding the evolution of jasmonate signaling sheds light on how plants adapted to land environments and developed sophisticated defense and developmental mechanisms.
• What they did: The study synthesizes biochemical, structural, and evolutionary evidence, highlighting the stepwise development of the COI1/JAZ hormone pathway and the shift from dn-OPDA to JA-Ile as ligands in land plants.
• The result: This evolutionary model explains how diversification of oxylipins and receptor-ligand co-evolution expanded jasmonate signaling, enabling systemic plant responses crucial for terrestrial adaptation.