Functional characterization of LeWRKY24 targeting LeSAT2 to promote acylshikonin biosynthesis.

Overexpression of LeWRKY24 in Boraginaceae plants increases acetylshikonin production by up to 200-fold, enhancing shikonin biosynthesis pathways.

• Why it matters: Understanding the regulation of shikonin derivatives like acetylshikonin is vital due to their significant pharmaceutical and industrial applications. Addressing this gap can enable targeted metabolic engineering to boost valuable compound yields.
• What they did: Researchers verified the interaction between LeWRKY24 and LeSAT2 using dual-luciferase reporter and yeast one-hybrid assays, then created transgenic Echium plantagineum hairy roots overexpressing LeWRKY24.
• The result: LeWRKY24 overexpression led to a substantial increase in acetylshikonin content and upregulation of related biosynthetic genes, demonstrating its potential as a universal regulator for enhancing shikonin production across Boraginaceae species.