2026/05/16 by Katharina Wolff, Julie Anne V.S. de Oliveira, Lena Fuerstenberg +4 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Medicine · #DNA sequencing #Fermentation and Sensory Analysis #Flavonoid #Flavonoid biosynthesis #Gene #Genome #Identification (biology) #Medicinal plant effects and applications #Nanopore sequencing #Silymarin and Mushroom Poisoning #Urtica dioica #Whole genome sequencing
paper · pdf · doi:10.64898/2026.05.15.725508
published in bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
openalex publication_date 2026/05/16 · openalex created_date 2026/05/17 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/14
Abstract Background Urtica dioica , also known as stinging nettle, is a widespread plant that can indicate high nitrogen availability in the soil. It is probably best known for the pain caused by touching it. U. dioica is also recognized as a medicinal plant with reports claiming applicability against numerous diseases. Results A highly continuous genome sequence was constructed based on nanopore long read sequencing data. The total assembly size is 1.1 Gbp with an N50 of 40.7 Mbp. RNA-seq data and hints from other species were integrated to produce a high quality annotation of the protein encoding genes. This genomic resource enabled the identification of genes involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis. A particular focus was on anthocyanin biosynthesis genes as these are crucial for high light and nitrogen deprivation stress response, which is revealed by redding of the leaves. Conclusion This genomic resource provides the basis for future studies unraveling the biosynthesis pathways underlying various medically important compounds produced by stinging nettles.