DNA methylation orchestrates secondary metabolite biosynthesis and transport in Papaver somniferum

Our findings suggest that noscapine biosynthesis is under strict, evolutionarily conserved regulatory control, while morphine production is supported by transcriptional and metabolic enhancements in photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. This study provides the first integrative epigenomic perspective on alkaloid biosynthesis in the opium poppy and highlights DNA methylation as a key determinant of metabolic specialization.