Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42702616›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Biosynthetic mechanism and ecological function of chirality in Solanum steroidal alkaloids.

Yang Gao, Wei Song, Xuan Zhang, Wenfeng Ye, Yibin Lin, Junyu Ma, Ying Fu, Boyang Wang, Wenxian Lan, Xiaoyan Xu and 6 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

16 authors.

Yang Gao *State Key Laboratory of Plant Trait Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Wei Song *Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
Xuan Zhang *School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7319-4120
Wenfeng YeState Key Laboratory of Plant Trait Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0750-3236
Yibin LinState Key Laboratory of Plant Trait Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Junyu MaState Key Laboratory of Plant Trait Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Ying FuState Key Laboratory of Plant Trait Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Boyang WangState Key Laboratory of Plant Trait Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Wenxian LanCore Facility Center, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Xiaoyan XuCore Facility Center, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7950-6706
Weijie HuangState Key Laboratory of Plant Trait Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Chen LinSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Ian T BaldwinState Key Laboratory of Plant Trait Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5371-2974
José Maurício S BentoDepartment of Entomology and Acarology, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8655-5178
Zheyong XueKey Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Plant Bioactive Substance Biosynthesis and Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China. xuezheyong@caas.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7203-9794
Jiancai LiState Key Laboratory of Plant Trait Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. jcli@cemps.ac.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4417-7612

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) W2412106
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Chirality fundamentally influences the bioactivity and ecological roles of plant natural products. Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) in tomato and wild relatives exhibit this stereochemical variation. Forward genetics identifies C26 hydroxylase GAME8 as the key enzyme controlling SGA chirality. Cultivated tomato harbors two identical GAME8 copies yielding S-configured intermediates, whereas Solanum pennellii homologs GAME8a and GAME8b dominantly produce R- and S-configured products, respectively. Site-saturation mutagenesis and molecular docking reveal four residues sufficient to switch this chirality. Bioassays demonstrate that R-type SGAs, predominant in wild tomato, offer superior defense against the specialist pest Phthorimaea absoluta, although chirality does not affect resistance to the generalist Spodoptera litura. Collectively, these results elucidate the biosynthetic mechanism and ecological significance of SGA chirality, establishing a basis for tailoring phytochemical stereochemistry to enhance crop protection.

Indexed as

AlkaloidsSolanaceous AlkaloidsSolanumSteroidsAnimalsMolecular Docking SimulationPlant ProteinsSolanum lycopersicumSpodopteraStereoisomerismAlkaloidsPlant ProteinsSolanaceous AlkaloidsSteroids

Identifiers

PMID42702616
PMCPMC13547406

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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.