Triterpenic and phenolic acids production changed in Salvia officinalis via in vitro and in vivo polyploidization: A consequence of altered genes expression

Mansoureh Tavan; Hassan Sarikhani; Mohammad Hossein Mirjalili; Maria Manuela Rigano; Ali Azizi

doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112803

Triterpenic and phenolic acids production changed in Salvia officinalis via in vitro and in vivo polyploidization: A consequence of altered genes expression

Phytochemistry. 2021 Sep:189:112803. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112803. Epub 2021 Jun 16.

Authors

Mansoureh Tavan¹, Hassan Sarikhani², Mohammad Hossein Mirjalili³, Maria Manuela Rigano⁴, Ali Azizi⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu Ali Sina University, 65174, Hamedan, Iran. Electronic address: mansuretavan@yahoo.com.
² Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu Ali Sina University, 65174, Hamedan, Iran. Electronic address: sarikhani@basu.ac.ir.
³ Department of Agriculture, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983969411, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: m-mirjalili@sbu.ac.ir.
⁴ Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, 80055, Naples, Italy. Electronic address: mrigano@unina.it.
⁵ Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu Ali Sina University, 65174, Hamedan, Iran. Electronic address: azizi@basu.ac.ir.

PMID: 34144408
DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112803

Abstract

The induction of polyploidy is an efficient technique for creating a diversity of genetic, phenotypic, and phytochemical novelties in plant taxa. Sage (Salvia officinalis L.) is a well-known medicinal plant rich of valuable bioactive molecules such as triterpenic and phenolic acids. In the present study, the effect of in vitro and in vivo polyploidization on morphological characteristics, anatomical structures, phytochemical traits, and expression level of the genes involved in the biosynthesis of major triterpenic acids (ursolic, betulinic, and oleanolic acids) of the plant was studied. The sterile seeds treated with different concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2%) of colchicine for 24 and 48 h were considered for polyploidy induction. Flow cytometry and chromosome counting were used to confirm the ploidy level of diploid (2n = 2x = 14, 2C DNA = 1.10 pg) and tetraploid (2n = 4x = 28, 2C DNA = 2.12 pg) plants after seven months. The highest polyploidy induction was obtained by applying 0.1% (w/v) colchicine for 48 h with an efficiency of 19.05% in vitro tetraploidy. Polyploids showed differences in leaf shape and color, leaf and stem thickness, trichrome density, root length, plant height, and number of leaves compared to diploid plants. There was also a significant decrease in rosmarinic acid content in polyploid (plants) as compared to diploid plants. Although a significant decrease in ursolic acid content was observed in polyploids, betulinic acid content associated with the expression levels of genes encoding enzymes being active in triterpene biosynthesis such as squalene epoxidase (SQE) and lupeol synthase (LUS). The expression of SQE and LUS was significantly increased in in vitro tertaploids (2.9-fold) and in vivo mixoploids (2.4-fold). The results confirm the idea that induced polyploidy can randomly alter breeding traits of plants as well as the content of bioactive compounds.

Keywords: Gene expression; Induced polyploidy; Lamiaceae; Phenolic acids; Salvia officinalis; Triterpenic acids.

MeSH terms

Plant Leaves
Plants, Medicinal*
Polyploidy
Salvia officinalis* / genetics
Tetraploidy