Plant derived chemicals named cardenolides are known to treat heart disease and are also known as cancer therapies. However, the doctors prescribe the compound with caution as they are a bit toxic. Researchers have now found Wallflower to be a good source for cardenolides.
Boyce Thompson Institute faculty member Georg Jander and researcher at University of Bern’s Institute of Plant Sciences Tobias Zust led the study. Jander said that they were looking for a right species and Wallflower was found to be a good one. They had a short life and readily inbred, he added.
In the study, they assembled complete genome of wormseed wallflower and sequenced more than 9,000 genes from E.cheiranthoides and 47 other Erysimum species. The genome was assembled with long-read data and Hi-C scaffolding. With this, it could give a more contiguous genome than previous approaches.
They said that the genes underlying the biosynthetic pathways could be inserted into bacteria. And this could be used to manufacture the drugs that are safer than available now.
