A research team led by Professor Ning Guogui from Huazhong Agricultural University's College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences has published a significant study in the international journal Cell titled "A de novo originated gene drives rose scent diversification". This groundbreaking research identifies a completely new gene that emerged "from scratch" in nature and uncovers the multi-step process by which it influences plant characteristics.
The research provides a new perspective on the origin of plant genes and opens up new avenues for designing genes and improving biological traits in synthetic biology. The team's discovery of a taxon-restricted gene, named SCREP, marks the first time the multi-step evolution of a de novo gene has been revealed.
The study found that the gene, which originated about 16.8 million years ago, orchestrated eugenol biosynthesis in roses, directly contributing to the diversification of their scent. Additionally, researchers found that a transposable element was recruited to the gene's promoter, leading to better expression. This finding provides crucial insight into how newly formed genes can be integrated into existing regulatory networks to drive phenotypic evolution.
By shedding light on the mechanisms of gene origination and the role of transposable elements in gene expression, this research offers a significant contribution to both evolutionary biology and the future of synthetic biology.

Origins of SCREP genes. [Photo/news.hzau.edu.cn]