Sesame dynamically rewires lignan metabolism during germination

Sesame dynamically rewires lignan metabolism during germination Lisa Lock Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Sesame seeds are rich in lipid-soluble lignans such as sesamin, which are widely known as health-promoting phytochemicals. While these compounds rapidly decrease during germination and are converted into water-soluble glucosides, the molecular mechanism underlying this large-scale metabolic transition had remained unclear. Researchers at the Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences uncovered a previously unknown metabolic system that enables sesame seeds to extensively remodel lignan metabolism during germination. They identified a new group of cytochrome P450 enzymes, CYP706V12–V14, that function specifically during germination and are distinct from the previously characterized sesamin oxidase CYP92B14, which acts during seed maturation. The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study further revealed that these enzymes act cooperatively with UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) to generate structurally diverse water-soluble lignan glucosides through sequential oxidation and glucosylation reactions. The findings demonstrate that sesame dynamically reorganizes its specialized metabolic network depending on developmental stage. The work also provides new insight into the evolutionary diversification of plant specialized metabolism and may contribute to future breeding strategies aimed at enhancing beneficial lignan composition in sesame. Publication details Erisa Harada et al, Dynamic diversification of lignan metabolism in sesame via coordinated oxygenation and glucosylation across germination, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2605774123 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Provided by Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences