Steroidal alkaloids play a crucial role in plant defense and exhibit distinct stereochemistry at C25, forming either the tomato-type (25 S ) or eggplant-type (25 R ) isomers. Here, we uncover the molecular mechanisms shaping this stereochemical diversity. Phylogenetic analysis of GLYCOALKALOID METABOLISM 8 ( GAME8 ) cytochrome P450 hydroxylases across the Solanaceae family revealed...

On the younger, black-rock islands of the Galápagos archipelago, wild-growing tomatoes are doing something peculiar. They’re shedding millions of years of evolution, reverting to a more primitive genetic state that resurrects ancient chemical defenses.