The evolutionary origins of the cat attractant nepetalactone in catnip
Benjamin R. Lichman, Grant T. Godden, John P. Hamilton, Lira Palmer, Mohamed O. Kamileen, Dongyan Zhao, Brieanne Vaillancourt, Joshua C. Wood, Miao Sun, Taliesin J. Kinser, Laura K. Henry, Carlos E. Rodríguez López, Natalia Dudareva, Douglas E. Soltis, Pamela S. Soltis, C. Robin Buell, Sarah E. O’Connor
Abstract
lineage. We present evidence for a chronology of events that led to the formation of nepetalactone biosynthesis and its metabolic gene cluster. This study provides insights into the interplay between enzyme and genome evolution in the origins, loss, and re-emergence of plant chemical diversity.
Topics & Concepts
BiologyEvolutionary biologyNeurobiology and Insect Physiology ResearchPrimate Behavior and EcologyInsect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior