Apple latent spherical virus (ALSV)-induced gene silencing in a medicinal plant, Lithospermum erythrorhizon.

Lithospermum erythrorhizon is a medicinal plant that produces shikonin, a red lipophilic naphthoquinone derivative that accumulates exclusively in roots. The biosynthetic steps required to complete the naphthalene ring of shikonin and its mechanism of secretion remain unclear. Multiple omics studies identified several candidate genes involved in shikonin production.