Agarwood, a non-timber fragrant wood, is produced in wounded Aquilaria trees and widely used in perfume, incense, and medicine. Sesquiterpene is one of its main active compounds. It has been demonstrated that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) plays a role in promoting agarwood sesquiterpene biosynthesis, but little is known about its signaling pathway. In this study, the pruning of actively growing saplings of A. sinensis resulted in an H2O2 burst and the accumulation of jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and ethylene (ET), which was followed by the up-regulation of sesquiterpene synthase and the production of sesquiterpene in the pruned stems. This process could be enhanced by absorbed H2O2 and inhibited by an H2O2 scavenger (ascorbate, AsA) in pruned stems, although the concentration of ET and transcription of ET-related synthase genes remained unaffected. These results confirmed that the H2O2 burst in wounded stems triggered JA and SA accumulation to promote agarwood sesquiterpene biosynthesis. ET was also activated by injury that was independent with H2O2. All results excavated a full-scale signaling transduction nets among multiple stress signals during wound-induced agarwood production in A. sinensis and provide a new insight into improving the artificial technology of agarwood production.
Keywords: Ethylene; Hydrogen peroxide; Jasmonic acid; Salicylic acid; Sesquiterpene.
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