"You could say that chemistry guided the discovery of the genes in our study. The upstream genes of strychnine biosynthesis to the formation of an important intermediate (geissoschizine) have been fully elucidated in the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle), which is also being studied in Sarah O'Connor's department, and the homologous genes have been identified in the poison nut tree.įurther progress required a detective's gift for combining molecular and genetic clues, which scientists call chemical logic. We selected candidate genes for each step based on the proposed chemical transformation, which we did not know was correct or not," Benke Hong explains. As a first step, we compared the expression of genes (transcriptome) from two species of the same genus (Strychnos), but of which only the poison nut tree produces strychnine. Surprisingly, however, no one had yet succeeded in finding out how plants produce this natural product.īenke Hong's team has now tackled this mammoth task: "Our key question was how to find the genes responsible for the biosynthesis of strychnine in the poison nut. Many chemists were excited by the architecture of the strychnine molecule and developed ways to produce this molecule using chemical synthesis. The chemist and Nobel Prize winner Robert Robinson, who was one of the first to elucidate the structure of strychnine in the 1940s, once described this monoterpene indole alkaloid as the most complex chemical substance for its molecular size. To stay in the language of crime literature, one could say: They have solved the case. The researchers led by Benke Hong and Sarah O'Connor from the Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis not only had to find one missing link, but unravel the entire chain of biosynthetic events that lead to the formation of strychnine in the poison nut tree. In science, too, investigative instinct and detective work is sometimes required. The final clue to solving the case was found by the famous detective character Hercule Poirot in his first literary appearance. She described what is probably the best-known fictional murder case involving the highly toxic alkaloid used as rat poison in her first novel "The Mysterious Affair at Styles." Agatha Christie had several of her victims die of strychnine poisoning. You can also get all the latest Kino Knits news, sneak peeks, and the best discount codes by signing up for the Kino Knits newsletter.Many of us know strychnine from crime reports, novels or films. Please also tag MORE?Ĭome join the fun in the Kino Knits Ravelry group. Please post your finished hat on social media with #KinoKnitsEBook, #ElucidateHat, and #KinoKnits. US 4 (3.5 mm) needles for knitting a small circumference in the round, or size needed to get gauge 8: 22.75”/58 cm circ, 12.75”/32.5 cm heightĢ4 stitches and 32 rounds per 4”/10 cm in stockinette in the round, blocked.ģ0 stitches and 32 rounds per 4”/10 cm in cable brim pattern in the round, blocked.When between sizes, choose the smaller size.) (Choose a size 1-3”/2.5-7.5 cm smaller than your head circumference (circ). Sample shown in size 7 on 22”/56 cm head in Rainbow Heirloom Sweater (100% superwash merino) (250 yds/229 m per 4.06 oz/115 g). Knitting and purling in the round, complex cables involving two cable needles, K2tog and SSK decreases. The rest of the hat was an easy take along project that traveled with me on the bus and to the park.”
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