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Gene regulation patterns in triterpene biosynthetic pathway driven by overexpression of squalene synthase and methyl jasmonate elicitation in Bupleurum falcatum

Planta volume 233, pages 343–355 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

The root of Bupleurum falcatum L. (Apiaceae) has long been one of the most important traditional herbal medicines in Asian countries. A group of triterpene saponins (saikosaponins) are the major constituents of this plant. Squalene synthase (SS) may play a regulatory role in directing triterpene intermediates and sterol pathways. Here, we investigated the regulatory role of the squalene synthase (BfSS1) gene in the biosynthesis of phytosterol and triterpene in B. falcatum. BfSS1 mRNA accumulated ubiquitously in plant organs and markedly increased in roots after treatment with methyl jasmonate (MeJA), ABA and ethephon. Transgenic B. falcatum constructs overexpressing BfSS1 in the sense and antisense orientations were assembled using the Agrobacterium-mediated method. Transgenic roots overexpressing BfSS1 in the sense orientation resulted in enhanced production of both phytosterol and saikosaponins. Overexpression of the BfSS1 gene in the sense orientation increased the mRNA accumulation of downstream genes such as squalene epoxidase and cycloartenol synthase but unexpectedly decreased the mRNA levels of β-amyrin synthase (β-AS), a triterpene synthase mRNA. MeJA treatment of wild-type roots strongly stimulated β-AS mRNA accumulation and saikosaponin production but suppressed phytosterol production. MeJA treatment of transgenic roots overexpressing BfSS1 in the sense orientation failed to stimulate β-AS mRNA accumulation but still enhanced saikosaponin and phytosterol production. These results indicate that overexpression of BfSS1 in B. falcatum regulates more powerfully the downstream genes than elicitor (MeJA) treatment in triterpene and phytosterol biosynthesis.

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Abbreviations

β-AS:

β-Amyrin synthase

FPP:

Farnesyl pyrophosphate

MeJA:

Methyl jasmonate

OSC:

Oxidosqualene cyclase

SS:

Squalene synthase

BfSS1:

Bupleurum falcatum squalene synthase

SE:

Squalene epoxidase

CAS:

Cycloartenol synthase

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants (20100301-061-032-001-04) from Biogreen 21, the Rural Development Administration and the WCU project (R33-10157) of the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology (MEST), Republic of Korea.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioenergy Research Institute, Interdisciplinary Program for Bioenergy and Biomaterials of Graduate School, Chonnam National University, 300 Yongbong-dong, Gwangju, 500-757, Korea

    Young Soon Kim, Jung Hyun Cho, Sangkyu Park & Kyoungwhan Back

  2. Division of Forest Resources, College of Forest and Environmental Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chunchon, 200-701, Kangwon-do, Republic of Korea

    Jung-Yeon Han & Yong-Eui Choi

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  1. Young Soon Kim
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  2. Jung Hyun Cho
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  3. Sangkyu Park
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  6. Yong-Eui Choi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yong-Eui Choi.

Additional information

The nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper are available in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank nucleotide sequence database with the accession number AY964186.

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Kim, Y.S., Cho, J.H., Park, S. et al. Gene regulation patterns in triterpene biosynthetic pathway driven by overexpression of squalene synthase and methyl jasmonate elicitation in Bupleurum falcatum . Planta 233, 343–355 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-010-1292-9

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