Biosynthesis and evolutionary origin of cardenolides
This study aims to investigate the biosynthesis and evolutionary origin of cardenolides, a group of bioactive steroidal metabolites that play important roles in organismal defense and have recognized medicinal value. Through generating and analyzing sequencing data from relevant species and tissues, we seek to identify candidate genes, reconstruct pathway components, and compare their distribution and divergence across lineages to understand how cardenolide biosynthesis emerged and evolved.