Divergent Lineage of Terpene Synthases Establishes Terpenoid Biosynthesis in Brown Macroalgae

Abstract

Brown algae of the order Dictyotales uniquely stand out amongst stramenopiles (heterokonts) as prolific producers of bioactive terpenoid molecules associated with chemical defense and antifouling. Although more than 200 sesquiterpenoids and diterpenoids have been reported, largely from the genera of Dictyota and Dictyopteris, their biosynthetic origin has remained unknown for decades. Leveraging de novo genome and transcriptome sequencing in the non-model alga Dictyota coriacea, we identified a brown algal-specific lineage of type I terpene synthases (TSs) that harbors novel catalytic motifs distinct from those characterized in plants, microbes, red algae and metazoans. Across three brown algal species, we characterized fifteen terpene synthases, including DcTS-2, which produces the diterpene alcohol dilophol, a proposed biosynthetic intermediate to the antifouling metabolite pachydictyol A. X-ray crystal structures of the monoterpene synthase DcTS-3 further revealed that the brown algal enzymes retain the canonical terpene synthase fold, and together with mutagenesis studies, suggest the catalytic role of the novel motifs defining this newly established evolutionary lineage. Brown algal terpene synthases separate into two subgroups, with mono- and diTSs containing putative chloroplast-targeting sequences while sesquiTSs lack them, suggesting convergent compartmentalization of terpene biosynthesis with land plants. Together, these findings establish the molecular basis of terpenoid biosynthesis in brown algae and highlight the challenges of adapting established biosynthetic logic to non-model marine algae.