This unexpected plant discovery could change how drugs are made

Scientists want to better understand how plants create alkaloids so they can develop medicines faster, at lower cost, and with less harm to the environment.

A Powerful Plant Chemical With an Unexpected Origin

Researchers at the University of York focused on a plant known as Flueggea suffruticosa, which makes a strong alkaloid called securinine. While studying how this compound is produced, the team uncovered a surprising detail. The key gene responsible for making securinine resembles genes typically found in bacteria rather than in plants.

This finding suggests that plants may have adopted an unusual evolutionary strategy. Instead of relying only on traditional plant chemistry, they appear to reuse molecular tools commonly seen in microbes to build defensive chemicals. The researchers believe this approach may be more widespread across the plant kingdom than previously thought.

Plants Reusing Microbial Tools

Dr. Benjamin Lichman from the University of York's Department of Biology explained why the discovery stood out. "Plants and bacteria are really different forms of life, and so it really was a surprise to see that this significant plant chemical was being driven from a bacterial-like gene.

"We think that this means plants 'recycle' biological tools that are more commonly found in microbes, when they can be useful to them. Even more interesting was that this gene makes securinine in a completely different way from other well-known plant chemicals."

Once the researchers recognized this new chemical pathway, they began finding similar genes hidden within the DNA of many other plants. This gave scientists a powerful new method for identifying useful natural compounds and understanding how they are made.

New Paths for Drug Production and Safety

These plant genes could eventually be used to manufacture valuable chemicals in laboratory settings. Doing so would reduce the need to harvest rare plants or rely on environmentally damaging industrial processes.

Dr. Lichman noted that alkaloids often need careful handling. "Alkaloids can be toxic, so when we use them in medicines they have to be highly controlled and often modified, so understanding the process that goes into making alkaloids can help us develop new methods for producing them in the lab or removing them to make some plants less toxic.

"Now that we know how to look for this chemical production, and that we can find it in more plants than we originally thought, we have new avenues to explore for the production and discovery of safe drugs."

Implications for Agriculture and the Environment

The findings, published in the journal New Phytologist, may also deepen scientists' understanding of how plants grow and survive. This knowledge could eventually support the development of stronger and more resilient crops.

Researchers say the study highlights how much remains to be learned from nature. Unexpected discoveries in basic plant science can lead to major advances in medicine, agriculture, and environmental sustainability.