Origin Of Evolutionary Bifurcation In An Enzyme

Evolution can lead to significantly distinct outcomes depending on the mutational path taken. Evolutionary bifurcation, in which two mutational trajectories segregate, becoming non-interchangeable over time, is the basis of diversification in all kingdoms of life. Here, we present a detailed molecular description of a bifurcation event that rapidly led to the emergence of two distinct enzymes from a common ancestor. When initiated from two starting points that differed by a single amino acid, the laboratory evolution of a phosphotriesterase (PTE) toward arylester hydrolysis resulted in different genetic and phenotypic outcomes. One trajectory led to a >35,000-fold increase in activity via the reorganization of its active site to achieve exquisite enzyme-substrate complementarity. The second trajectory gave rise to an evolved variant with a [~]500-fold increase in activity, but exhibiting an alternative substrate binding mode resulting from the destabilization of an active site loop. While initial mutations tend to dictate mutational accessibility, we rather observed the gradual divergence and specialisation of each trajectory, following the emergence of distinct molecular interaction networks. Intramolecular epistasis underlay pathway bifurcation by promoting unique synergistic interactions within each trajectory, while restricting the fixation of mutation across pathways. Our results illustrate how distinct molecular outcomes can radiate from a common protein ancestor and give rise to phenotypic diversity.