Regioselective stilbene O -methylations in Saccharinae grasses

O -Methylated stilbenes are prominent nutraceuticals but rarely produced by crops. Here, the inherent ability of two Saccharinae grasses to produce regioselectively O -methylated stilbenes is reported. A stilbene O -methyltransferase, SbSOMT, is first shown to be indispensable for pathogen-inducible pterostilbene (3,5-bis- O -methylated) biosynthesis in sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ). Phylogenetic analysis indicates the recruitment of genus-specific SOMTs from canonical caffeic acid O -methyltransferases (COMTs) after the divergence of Sorghum spp. from Saccharum spp. In recombinant enzyme assays, SbSOMT and COMTs regioselectively catalyze O -methylation of stilbene A-ring and B-ring respectively. Subsequently, SOMT-stilbene crystal structures are presented. Whilst SbSOMT shows global structural resemblance to SbCOMT, molecular characterizations illustrate two hydrophobic residues (Ile144/Phe337) crucial for substrate binding orientation leading to 3,5-bis- O -methylations in the A-ring. In contrast, the equivalent residues (Asn128/Asn323) in SbCOMT facilitate an opposite orientation that favors 3ʹ- O -methylation in the B-ring. Consistently, a highly-conserved COMT is likely involved in isorhapontigenin (3ʹ- O -methylated) formation in wounded wild sugarcane ( Saccharum spontaneum ). Altogether, our work reveals the potential of Saccharinae grasses as a source of O -methylated stilbenes, and rationalize the regioselectivity of SOMT activities for bioengineering of O -methylated stilbenes.