Dynamic diversification of lignan metabolism in sesame via coordinated oxygenation and glucosylation across germination
Erisa Harada, Yukie Ohba, Eiichiro Ono, Jun Murata, Hiromi Toyonaga, Akira Shiraishi, Toshiaki Azuma, Toshiyuki Waki, Yuto Uegaki, Eri Okamoto, Atsushi Hoshino, Toru Nakayama, Tatsuya Wakasugi, Masayuki P. Yamamoto, Manabu Horikawa · 2026
Read Dynamic diversification of lignan metabolism in sesame via coordinated oxygenation and glucosylation across germination by Erisa Harada, Yukie Ohba, Eiichiro Ono, Jun Murata, Hiromi Toyonaga, Akira Shiraishi, Toshiaki Azuma, Toshiyuki Waki, Yuto Uegaki, Eri Okamoto, Atsushi Hoshino, Toru Nakayama, Tatsuya Wakasugi, Masayuki P. Yamamoto, Manabu Horikawa (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13250549.txt.
Description
Harada and a large team trace how sesame seeds rebuild their protective lignan chemicals as they sprout. Their 2026 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paper covers compounds such as sesamin and sesamolin, long studied in seeds. During germination the oily lignans are fully converted into sugar-tagged forms, and the enzymes behind that switch were unknown.
The team found a family of oxygenase enzymes that rework sesamin and sesamolin into new oxidized forms during sprouting. Sugar-adding enzymes then tag those products in a set order, creating the final variety of glycosides. One oxygenase also proved central to making a key sesame lignan during seed formation itself. The work shows how plants reuse and reshuffle their enzyme toolkits as seeds develop and wake.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Erisa Harada, Yukie Ohba, Eiichiro Ono, Jun Murata, Hiromi Toyonaga, Akira Shiraishi, Toshiaki Azuma, Toshiyuki Waki, Yuto Uegaki, Eri Okamoto, Atsushi Hoshino, Toru Nakayama, Tatsuya Wakasugi, Masayuki P. Yamamoto, Manabu Horikawa |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 57 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |