Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33750949›Full record

ArticlePLoS computational biology2021

Integrating structure-based machine learning and co-evolution to investigate specificity in plant sesquiterpene synthases.

Janani Durairaj, Elena Melillo, Harro J Bouwmeester, Jules Beekwilder, Dick de Ridder, Aalt D J van Dijk

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS computational biology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Integrative geno-metabolomics of tenasserim turmeric (Computational and structural biotechnology journal · 2025
    Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Plant terpene specialized metabolism: complex networks or simple linear pathways?The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology · 2023
    Review
  9. Beyond sequence: Structure-based machine learning.Computational and structural biotechnology journal · 2023
    Review
  10. How a 10-ACS catalysis · 2022
    Article
  11. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Janani DurairajBioinformatics Group, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-1698-4556
Elena MelilloIsobionics, Geleen, The Netherlands.
Harro J BouwmeesterSwammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0907-2732
Jules BeekwilderBioscience, Wageningen Plant Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-3238-4427
Dick de RidderBioinformatics Group, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-4944-4310
Aalt D J van DijkBioinformatics Group, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-8872-5123

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sesquiterpene synthases (STSs) catalyze the formation of a large class of plant volatiles called sesquiterpenes. While thousands of putative STS sequences from diverse plant species are available, only a small number of them have been functionally characterized. Sequence identity-based screening for desired enzymes, often used in biotechnological applications, is difficult to apply here as STS sequence similarity is strongly affected by species. This calls for more sophisticated computational methods for functionality prediction. We investigate the specificity of precursor cation formation in these elusive enzymes. By inspecting multi-product STSs, we demonstrate that STSs have a strong selectivity towards one precursor cation. We use a machine learning approach combining sequence and structure information to accurately predict precursor cation specificity for STSs across all plant species. We combine this with a co-evolutionary analysis on the wealth of uncharacterized putative STS sequences, to pinpoint residues and distant functional contacts influencing cation formation and reaction pathway selection. These structural factors can be used to predict and engineer enzymes with specific functions, as we demonstrate by predicting and characterizing two novel STSs from Citrus bergamia.

Indexed as

Evolution, MolecularMachine LearningAlkyl and Aryl TransferasesAmino Acid SequenceCationsPlantsProtein ConformationSequence Homology, Amino AcidSesquiterpenesSubstrate SpecificityAlkyl and Aryl TransferasesCationsSesquiterpenes

Identifiers

PMID33750949
PMCPMC8016262

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.