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Physiological performance, secondary metabolite and expression profiling of genes associated with drought tolerance in Withania somnifera

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Abstract

Physiological, biochemical, and gene expression responses under drought stress were studied in Withania somnifera. Photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, relative water content, chlorophyll content, and quantum yield of photosystems I and II (PSI and PSII) decreased in response to drought stress. Comparative expression of genes involved in osmoregulation, detoxification, signal transduction, metabolism, and transcription factor was analyzed through quantitative RT–PCR. The genes encoding 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), serine threonine-protein kinase (STK), serine threonine protein phosphatase (PSP), aldehyde dehydrogenase (AD), leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase/anthocyanin synthase (LD/AS), HSP, MYB, and WRKY have shown upregulation in response to drought stress condition in leaf tissues. Enhanced detoxification and osmoregulation along with increased withanolides production were also observed under drought stress. The results of this study will be helpful in developing stress-tolerant and high secondary metabolite yielding genotypes.

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Acknowledgments

The authors S, RS, and AM are thankful to CSIR, New Delhi, India for CSIR-SRF fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biotechnology Division, CSIR–Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, India

    Sanchita, Anand Mishra, Sunita S. Dhawan & Ashok Sharma

  2. Plant Physiology Division, CSIR–National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India

    Ruchi Singh & Pramod A. Shirke

  3. Chemical Sciences Division, CSIR–Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, India

    Madan M. Gupta

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  1. Sanchita
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  2. Ruchi Singh
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Correspondence to Ashok Sharma.

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Sanchita, Singh, R., Mishra, A. et al. Physiological performance, secondary metabolite and expression profiling of genes associated with drought tolerance in Withania somnifera . Protoplasma 252, 1439–1450 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-015-0771-z

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