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Multi-omics and functional analyses in Aesculus wilsonii elucidate the biosynthetic pathways of moretane- and oleanane-type triterpenoids.

PubMed · 2026-04-13

Scientists mapped the genetic blueprints behind how Wilson's horsechestnut tree produces aescin and dozens of other medicinal compounds, discovering a brand-new natural molecule called moretenol along the way.

1

Metabolomic profiling identified 135 triterpenoids across 9 structural types, including one completely new scaffold not previously described in science.

2

Four triterpenoid biosynthetic gene clusters were mapped in the near-complete genome, with two CYP716A enzymes shown to perform distinct chemical reactions on the same starting molecule (β-amyrin).

3

A newly evolved enzyme (AwOSC13) produces moretenol via a previously unknown biosynthetic pathway, confirmed by successfully recreating the pathway in tobacco plants.