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Differential Expression of Calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside Biosynthesis Genes and Accumulation of Related Metabolites in Different Organs of Astragalus membranaceus Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao Under Drought Stress

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Abstract

Calycosin-7-O-β-D-glycoside (CG), as a flavonoid, plays an important role in the abiotic stress response of Astragalus membranaceus Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao (A. mongholicus). CG is also an active ingredient in A. mongholicus with high medicinal value. However, the response mechanism of the CG biosynthetic pathway of drought stress is not clear. In this research, drought stress was inflicted upon A. mongholicus, and the variations in flavonoid metabolites and the correlating gene expression in CG biosynthesis were studied in roots, stems, and leaves of A. mongholicus by UHPLC-MRM-MS/MS and qRT-PCR. Drought stress reduced the dry weight and increased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline. Drought was beneficial to the accumulation of L-phenylalanine and 4-coumaric acid in leaves and promoted the accumulation of all target compounds in the roots, except calycosin. Overexpression of AmIOMT was observed in the leaves, but the content of formononetin which is the product of isoflavone O-methyltransferase (IOMT) catalysis was higher in stems than in leaves. This research aims to further understand the acclimation of abiotic stress and the regulation mechanism of flavonoid accumulation in A. mongholicus.

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Funding

This work was supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 81660630, 81460578).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Sciences, The Good Agriculture Practice Engineering Technology Research Center of Chinese and Mongolian Medicine in Inner Mongolia, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, People’s Republic of China, 010070

    Yinghui Chen, Bingzhen Li, Shuying Sun, Youla Su & Guilin Chen

  2. College of Pharmacy, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, 010110, Inner Mongolia, China

    Xin Jia

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  1. Yinghui Chen
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  2. Bingzhen Li
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  3. Xin Jia
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Contributions

Yinghui Chen and Bingzhen Li conducted the experiments. Yinghui Chen carried out the data analysis and drafted the manuscript. Guilin Chen, Shuying Sun, and Youla Su provided experimental assistance to Yinghui Chen and Bingzhen Li; Guilin Chen (major parts) and Xin Jia revised the manuscript. Guilin Chen with Yinghui Chen designed the experiments and the manuscript. All authors discussed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Guilin Chen.

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Chen, Y., Li, B., Jia, X. et al. Differential Expression of Calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside Biosynthesis Genes and Accumulation of Related Metabolites in Different Organs of Astragalus membranaceus Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao Under Drought Stress. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 194, 3182–3195 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-022-03883-y

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