Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Leveraging CyVerse Resources for De Novo Comparative Transcriptomics of Underserved Non-model Organisms
Published on: May 9, 2017
De novo leaf and root transcriptome analysis to explore biosynthetic pathway of Celangulin V in Celastrus angulatus
Weiguo Li1,2,3, Ranran Xu1,2,3, Xiaoguang Yan1,2,3
1Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People's Republic of China.
Background:
Celastrus angulatus Maxim is a kind of crucial and traditional insecticidal plant widely distributed in the mountains of southwest China. Celangulin V is the efficient insecticidal sesquiterpenoid of C. angulatus and widely used in pest control in China, but the low yield and discontinuous supply impeded its further popularization and application. Fortunately, the development of synthetic biology provided an opportunity for sustainable supply of Celangulin V, for which understanding its biosynthetic pathway is indispensable.
Results:
In this study, six cDNA libraries were prepared from leaf and root of C. angulatus before global transcriptome analyses using the BGISEQ-500 platform. A total of 104,950 unigenes were finally obtained with an average length of 1200 bp in six transcriptome databases of C. angulatus, in which 51,817 unigenes classified into 25 KOG classifications, 39,866 unigenes categorized into 55 GO functional groups, and 48,810 unigenes assigned to 135 KEGG pathways, 145 of which were putative biosynthetic genes of sesquiterpenoid and triterpenoid. 16 unigenes were speculated to be related to Celangulin V biosynthesis. De novo assembled sequences were verified by Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis.
Conclusions:
This study is the first report on transcriptome analysis of C. angulatus, and 16 unigenes probably involved in the biosynthesis of Celangulin V were finally collected. The transcriptome data will make great contributions to research for this specific insecticidal plant and the further gene mining for biosynthesis of Celangulin V and other sesquiterpene polyol esters.
Related Concept Videos
Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways
C4 Pathway and CAM
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots
Root Mean Square
For example, consider the velocity of gas molecules in a container. The gas molecules are moving in different directions, which might impart positive and negative...
Other Glycolytic Pathways
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...

