Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of MeJA Responsive Enzymes Involved in Phillyrin Biosynthesis of Forsythia suspensa

Xiaoran Liu; Jiaqi Zhang; Hao Liu; Huixiang Shang; Xingli Zhao; Huawei Xu; Hongxiao Zhang; Dianyun Hou

doi:10.3390/metabo12111143

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of MeJA Responsive Enzymes Involved in Phillyrin Biosynthesis of Forsythia suspensa

Metabolites. 2022 Nov 20;12(11):1143. doi: 10.3390/metabo12111143.

Authors

Xiaoran Liu^{1

2}, Jiaqi Zhang^{1

2}, Hao Liu^{1

2}, Huixiang Shang³, Xingli Zhao^{1

2}, Huawei Xu^{1

2}, Hongxiao Zhang^{1

2}, Dianyun Hou^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Agricultural of College, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, China.
² The Luoyang Engineering Research Center of Breeding and Utilization of Dao-di Herbs, Luoyang 471023, China.
³ Sanmenxia Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanmenxia 472000, China.

Abstract

Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) has been widely used in traditional medicines in Asia. According to the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, phillyrin is the main active ingredient in F. suspensa, which is effective in clearing heat, reducing swelling, and dispersing nodules. F. suspensa leaf is a non-toxic substance and it can be used to make a health tea. Here, we combine elicitors and transcriptomics to investigate the inducible biosynthesis of the phillyrin from the F. suspensa. After the fruits and leaves of F. suspensa were treated with different concentrations of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), the content of phillyrin in the fruits reached a peak at 200 µM MeJA for 12 h, but which was decreased in leaves. To analyze the differences in key enzyme genes involved in the phillyrin biosynthesis, we sequenced the transcriptome of F. suspensa leaves and fruits treated with 200 µM MeJA for 12 h. We hypothesized that nine genes related to coniferin synthesis including: F. suspensa UDP-glycosyltransferase (FsUGT); F. suspensa 4-coumarate coenzyme CoA ligase (Fs4CL); and F. suspensa Caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase (FsCCoAOMT) etc. The qRT-PCR analysis of genes related to phillyrin biosynthesis was consistent with RNA-seq analysis. We also investigated the dynamic changes of genes in F. suspensa leaves and fruits at different time points after 200 µM MeJA treatment, which laid the foundation for further study of the molecular mechanisms regulating the biosynthesis of phillyrin.

Keywords: Forsythia suspensa; MeJA treatment; comparative transcriptome; phillyrin; phillyrin biosynthesis.

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1404829), a key project at central government level: The ability establishment of sustainable use for valuable Chinese medicine resources (2060302), Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province (202300410151). This research was also supported by a special fund for the construction of technical systems of the traditional Chinese medicine industry in Henan Province. Henan Province Chinese medicine industry science and technology commissioner service group.