Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, 1041 E. Lowell St, Tucson, AZ, 85721 USA

Evolution of l ‐ DOPA 4,5‐dioxygenase activity allows for recurrent speciali...

Published in New Phytologist

The evolution of l‐DOPA 4,5‐dioxygenase activity, encoded by the gene DODA, was a key step in the origin of betalain biosynthesis in Caryophyllales. We previously proposed that l‐DOPA 4,5‐dioxygenase activity evolved via a single Caryophyllales‐specific neofunctionalisation event within the DODA gene lineage. However, this neofunctionalisation even...