Multi-Omics Approach in the Transcriptional Regulation of Coumarin Biosynthetic Pathway

Coumarin, a significant secondary metabolite derived from the phenylpropanoid pathway, exhibits a broad spectrum of biological activities and medicinal properties. Structurally, coumarins are categorized into simple and angular types based on variations in the core structure of the parent skeleton, with further classifications as furanocoumarins and pyranocoumarins depending on their carbon atom count. In nature, coumarins are predominantly found in plants within families such as Apiaceae, Asteraceae, and Thymelaeaceae. The structural diversity observed among coumarins in higher plants is largely driven by coevolutionary interactions between herbivorous insects and their host plants. With recent advancements in multi-omics technologies, research has increasingly focused on unraveling the transcriptional regulation of key genes in the coumarin biosynthetic pathway. This review consolidates recent findings from genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics studies to identify, characterize, and regulate coumarin-related genes. These insights provide a foundational reference for further research efforts in gene discovery, molecular regulation, and synthetic biology applications in the context of coumarin biosynthesis.