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The biosynthesis pathways of alkaloids and carotenoids in this spectacularly flowering desert plant are the result of different evolutionary processes – Publication in “The Plant Cell”
Characteristic features of plants, such as their active ingredients or flower color, may have developed through very different evolutionary histories. This is shown by an international study on the orange-flowering California poppy led by researchers at Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU). The multidisciplinary research team compared the biosynthesis of alkaloids and carotenoids as well as flower control factors of this plant at the genetic level. For the first time, the researchers analyzed a transcriptome, i.e., the entirety of all RNA transcripts. Their findings have now been published in the journal “The Plant Cell”. The extensive transcriptome data provide a valuable resource for future evolutionary studies and for the search for pharmacologically interesting active substances.
Extracts from the leaves of the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) are used for their calming and analgesic effects and are utilized for spiritual purposes by indigenous peoples in the western United States. The plant contains more than 16 different alkaloids, which are used to repel pests, for example. “Our study shows that the many benzylisochinoline alkaloids present in the California poppy plant have evolved through numerous gene duplications,” says Le-Han Rössner from the Plant Developmental Biology working group at the Institute of Botany at JLU and co-first author of the study. “This is demonstrated by the tandem copies of individual genes.” The alkaloid biosynthesis genes form so-called phylogenetic clusters: genes with similar DNA sequences are located close to each other on the chromosome, which indicates a related function.
The various benzylisochinoline alkaloids occur in different concentrations in the leaves, fruits, shoots, and roots of the poppy plant. In their study, the researchers used an expression atlas to show for the first time that the alkaloid gene families are indeed expressed to varying degrees in the individual tissues, i.e., different amounts of gene products are formed there. “It was only through transcriptome analysis and additional phylogenetic analyses that the co-expression of the different gene families and the tissue-specific expression of the genes for the biosynthesis pathways could be demonstrated,” explains Clemens Rössner, co-first author of the study.
In addition to its active ingredients, California poppy captivates with its spectacular flowers. Carotenoids give the flowers their bright orange color. The seeds of this desert plant, which originates in the southwestern United States and Mexico, can survive in the soil for a long time before they all bloom simultaneously after many years when there is sufficient rain. They then form huge carpets of flowers, which NASA has already photographed from space.
In contrast to the biosynthesis genes for alkaloids, surprisingly few genes are responsible for carotenoid biosynthesis in California poppies. The study shows that during flower development, some carotenoid biosynthesis genes are expressed extremely strongly. “We were very surprised that a plant with bright orange flowers does not need more carotenoid biosynthesis genes than, for example, the completely inconspicuous flowering Arabidopsis thaliana,” says Prof. Dr. Annette Becker from the Institute of Botany at JLU. Her research group is investigating the evolution of flowering plants and has contributed to the California poppy recently becoming a model plant in evolutionary research.
The flower development control genes analyzed in this study are – like the carotenoids – distributed across only a few gene families and show few gene duplications. They are highly conserved and show little variation.
With the extensive transcriptome data now available, the scientists are providing an important basis not only for evolutionary research. “Our data show that the majority of biosynthesis genes for benzylisoquinoline alkaloids are species-specific,” said Prof. Becker. “This means there is enormous potential for finding new pharmacological agents in the many lesser-known and unused members of the poppy family.” In their study, the researchers also carried out comparisons with the genes of the closely related opium poppy.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Annette Becker
Institute of Botany
Phone: +49 (0)641 99-35200
Le-Han Rössner, Clemens Rössner et al., (2026) Gene and genome duplications have contrasting impacts on biosynthetic and flower developmental pathways in California poppy. The Plant Cell. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koag039
Carotenoids give California poppies their distinctive orange color, visible from afar. The spectacul ...
Source: Annette Becker
Copyright: Annette Becker
First author Le-Han Rössner extracting nucleic acids in the lab.
Source: Clemens Rössner
Copyright: Clemens Rössner
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Biology, Zoology / agricultural and forest sciences
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