Wang Fengqing, Jiang Zhennan, Gao Junge, Miao Chunyan, Song Ci, Yang Yahe, Ding Ning, Li Yajing, Sun Hongzheng, Xie Caixia, Zhang Bao, Zhang Pengyu, Gu Li, Hao Qiuwen, Zhang Zhongyi, Huang Luqi, Yuan Yuan
College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.
State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Experimental Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS), Beijing, China.
Nat Commun. 2025 Jul 1;16(1):6035. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-60909-9.
Rehmannia chingii (2n = 2x = 28) is an important folk medicinal plant with high therapeutic value, particularly due to its richness in iridoid glycosides. However, research on its evolution and gene functional identification has been hindered by the lack of a high-quality genome. Here, we present the 1.169 Gb telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome sequence of R. chingii. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that Rehmannia belongs to the Orobanchaceae family. We find that structural genes of the 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathway and the iridoid pathway are predominantly expressed in R. chingii leaves. Further analyses reveal a cytochrome P450 gene cluster localized on chromosome 8, and identify RcCYP72H7 within this cluster as an aucubin epoxidase, capable of catalyzing aucubin epoxidation to form catalpol. The genome offers valuable resources for studying iridoid glycoside biosynthesis and the evolutionary history of Rehmannia, and will help to faciliate genetic improvement of R. chingii for pharmaceutical and health-related applications.
地黄（2n = 2x = 28）是一种重要的民间药用植物，具有很高的治疗价值，特别是因其富含环烯醚萜苷。然而，由于缺乏高质量的基因组，其进化和基因功能鉴定的研究受到了阻碍。在此，我们展示了地黄的1.169 Gb端粒到端粒（T2T）基因组序列。系统发育分析证实地黄属于列当科。我们发现2-C-甲基-D-赤藓糖醇-4-磷酸（MEP）途径和环烯醚萜途径的结构基因主要在地黄叶片中表达。进一步分析揭示了一个位于8号染色体上的细胞色素P450基因簇，并鉴定出该簇中的RcCYP72H7为梓醇环氧化酶，能够催化梓醇环氧化形成地黄苷。该基因组为研究环烯醚萜苷生物合成和地黄的进化历史提供了有价值的资源，并将有助于促进地黄在制药和健康相关应用方面的遗传改良。
