What’s your poison? Cyanide production regulated by a bHLH transcription factor in Lotus japonicus

Humans hold a love–hate relationship with cyanogenic plants. Preferentially selected for domestication due to their heightened pest resistance, they can nevertheless threaten both human and livestock health if not consumed in moderation or adequately processed. Over 20% of crops are cyanogenic due to the stable accumulation of cyanogenic glucosides (CNglcs) and, while the biochemical pathways of these specialized metabolites are known, the same cannot be said regarding their underlying molecular pathways. In a comprehensive study, Chen et al. (2022) characterized a basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factor that is responsive to methyl jasmonate and directly induces expression of the key CNglc biosynthetic gene in the model species Lotus japonicus.