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1. June 2026
When wallflowers (Erysimum cheiri) bloom in spring, most people notice their striking colours first – ranging from vivid yellow and orange to deep purple. For scientists, however, this ornamental plant also represents a unique opportunity to study what determines the final flower colour.
An international team of researchers from CEITEC Masaryk University and China joined forces to sequence and assemble the wallflower genome. The study’s first author, Daozong Chen from Gannan Normal University in China, spent a year in Brno from May 2025 working in Martin Lysák’s research group. Thanks to this collaboration, the researchers were able to show that the final flower colour results from a combination of two groups of plant pigments – carotenoids and flavonoids. They also identified genes responsible for the different colour variants and, for the first time, gained chromosome-level insight into the origin and evolution of the wallflower genome.
Published in Plant Physiology, the results offer a new perspective on the genetic and metabolic mechanisms that determine flower colour and provide a foundation for future breeding of ornamental plant species. The study also highlights the importance of international collaboration and shared expertise in modern plant genomics.
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