Overview

• Field surveys show populations on younger western islands predominantly produce the ancestral 25R steroidal glycoalkaloid while older eastern islands retain the derived 25S form
• Genetic analyses identify specific amino acid substitutions in the GAME8 enzyme that restore its ancestral stereospecificity in some tomato populations
• Functional assays introducing ancestral and modern GAME8 into model plants verify that the ancestral sequence yields the 25R isomer and the modern sequence yields the 25S isomer
• Scientists are examining island-specific environmental factors such as soil chemistry and herbivore pressures that may drive the stereochemical reversal
• Researchers aim to leverage insights into GAME8-mediated defense pathways for crop breeding to enhance pest resistance or reduce toxicity