Rheum moorcroftianum Transcriptome or Gene expression

R. moorcroftianum Royle, also known as Moorcroft's Rhubarb, is an important medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine due to its high content of pharmaceutically significant secondary metabolites, particularly AQs. This perennial, stemless herb belongs to the family Polygonaceae and thrives at an altitude ranging from 2400 to 3800 m a.s.l. Notably, AQs (both total and free) are considered key contributors to the pharmacological efficacy of rhubarb besides flavonoids and phenolic acids. In higher plants, the biosynthesis of emodin-type AQs and flavonoids occurs through the polyketide pathway. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the enzymes and modifications involved in this pathway. Consequently, the presence, and thereby utility, of these pathway-specific genes or their homologs remains uncertain in rhubarb, in general, and R. moorcroftianum, in particular. We, therefore, aim to understand the relation of the strategic PKS genes with that of AQs in the selected species using a transcriptome approach.