The enzymatic basis for quinine 1 biosynthesis was investigated. Transcriptomic data from the producing plant Cinchona pubescens led to the discovery of three enzymes involved in early and late steps of the pathway. A medium-chain alcohol dehydrogenase (CpDCS) and an esterase (CpDCE) yielded the biosynthetic intermediate dihydrocorynantheal 2 from strictosidine aglycone 3. Additionally, the discovery of an O-methyltransferase specific for 6´-hydroxycinchoninone 4 suggested the final steps order to be cinchoninone 16/17 hydroxylation, methylation and keto-reduction.

This transcriptomic dataset was acquired from Cinchona pubescens. Illumina data were acquired, assembled and annotated by BGI-seq.

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Tissues isolated for transcriptome

Cinchona1_2nd                       Cinchona Plant 1; 2nd Leaf

Cinchona1_3rd                       Cinchona Plant 1; 3rd Leaf     

Cinchona2_1st                        Cinchona Plant 2; 1st Leaf      

Cinchona2_2nd                       Cinchona Plant 2; 2nd Leaf     

Cinchona2_3rd                        Cinchona Plant 2; 3rd Leaf     

Cinchona4_1st                        Cinchona Plant 4; 1st Leaf      

Cinchona5_1st                        Cinchona Plant 5; 1st Leaf      

Cinchona5_2nd                       Cinchona Plant 5; 2nd Leaf

Cinchona5_3rd                       Cinchona Plant 5; 3rd Leaf     

Cinchona_1_root                    Cinchona Plant 1; root            

Cinchona_root2                      Cinchona Plant 2; root

Cinchona_root5                      Cinchona Plant 5; root

Cinchona_stem2                     Cinchona Plant 2; stem

Cinchona_stem3                     Cinchona Plant 3; stem

Cinchona_stem5                     Cinchona Plant 5; stem