Chao Wang ¹ , Honglin Wang ^1,2 , Degang Zhao ^1,2

1 National-local Joint Engineering Research Center of Karst Region Plant ResourcesUtilization & Breeding (Guizhou), College of Life Sciences/Institute of AgroBioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
2 Plant Conservation & Breeding Technology Center, Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology/Guizhou Institute of Pomology Science, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Molecular Evolution and Biodiversity, 2024, Vol. 14, No. 6   
Received: 15 Sep., 2024    Accepted: 27 Oct., 2024    Published: 09 Nov., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Eucommia ulmoides, a relict tree species from the Tertiary Period. It was commonly known as the hardy rubber tree, has garnered significant attention due to its unique ability to produce trans-polyisoprene, a type of natural rubber，also known as Eucommia rubber,. This study delves into the evolutionary pathways of rubber biosynthesis in Eucommia ulmoides, highlighting the genetic, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying this process. Based on the research findings of the rubber synthesis pathways of other latex-producing species such as Brazilian rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), the unique biosynthesis pathway of eucommia rubber is being continuously elucidated.. Notably, Eucommia ulmoides can utilize two pathways, both the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway and the methylvalerate (MVA) pathway, to synthesize the rubber synthesis precursor isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP). In the elongation process of eucommia rubber long-chain molecules,, the farnesyl diphosphate synthases (FPSs) ，Small rubber particle proteins (SRPPs) and rubber elongation factors (REFs) played the key roles. Additionally, the regulatory roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) in rubber biosynthesis have been elucidated, offering potential targets for genetic engineering to enhance rubber yield. This study synthesizes current knowledge and identifies future research directions to further understand and exploit the rubber biosynthesis pathways in Eucommia ulmoides for industrial and medical applications.

Hardy rubber tree (Eucommia ulmoides); Trans-polyisoprene; Rubber biosynthesis; Methylerythritol-phosphate pathway; Mevalonate pathway; Farnesyl diphosphate synthase; Non-coding RNAs