Red foxglove Digitalis purpurea (left), native to Germany, and the rubber tree Calotropis procera (right), native to northern part of Africa, were chosen for the study. (IMAGE)

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

Red foxglove Digitalis purpurea (left), native to Germany, and the rubber tree Calotropis procera (right), native to northern part of Africa, were chosen for the study.

Caption

Both species produce high levels of cardenolides, although they belong to different plant families. Comparative analyses based on genomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic data helped to identify the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of pregnenolone.

Credit

Angela Overmeyer, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

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