TRV-VIGS establishment and functional characterization identify cinnamoyl-CoA reductase 4 as a crucial enzyme for lignan biosynthesis in Phryma leptostachya.

PlCCR4 is identified as a crucial enzyme for lignan biosynthesis in Phryma leptostachya, exhibiting the highest in vitro catalytic efficiency among CCR family members.

• Why it matters: Understanding the biosynthetic pathways of bioactive lignans is essential for developing sustainable insecticidal compounds, yet these pathways remain incompletely characterized in this species.
• What they did: The study used a Tobacco rattle virus-based virus-induced gene silencing system and combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to investigate gene function, focusing on the PlCCR family and its role in lignan biosynthesis.
• The result: PlCCR4 was confirmed as a dedicated catalytic enzyme with high efficiency (Kcat/Km = 244.90 min-1/nM) and is essential for lignan production, making it a promising target for bioengineering lignan-based insecticides.