Transcriptomics analysis investigates sesquiterpenoids accumulation pattern in different tissues of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. plantlet

Atractylodes lancea: (Thunb.) DC. is an endangered traditional Chinese medicinal herb with broad pharmacological activity, reflected by an abundance of sesquiterpenoids. However, the biosynthesis of these sesquiterpenoids is largely unknown due to a lack of genetic information. To understand sesquiterpenoid distribution in A. lancea, tissue-specific sesquiterpenoids accumulation patterns during different growth periods of plantlets were analyzed via gas chromatography (n = 3). Transcriptomic analyses were furthermore performed via RNA-Seq in an attempt to reveal the molecular mechanism regulating sesquiterpenoids formation in leaves, stems and roots. 85,170 unigenes with an average sequence length of 768 bp were acquired. Via analysis of differentially expressed genes, 857 unigenes were identified to be involved in sesquiterpenoids formation. Consequently, a putative sesquiterpenoid biosynthetic pathway was proposed, including mevalonate, 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate, sesquiterpene synthase, cytochrome P450, and the peroxisome pathway. Moreover, the relationship between gene expression and sesquiterpenoid production in different growth periods of leaves, stems, and roots was analyzed based on Quantitative Real-Time PCR (n = 3) and gas chromatography data. In this study, the sesquiterpenoid distribution in different tissues of sterile tissue culture plantlets of A. lancea was systematically investigated via metabolite quantitative and transcriptomics analysis. This study provides a central theoretical basis for the manipulation of sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis in A. lancea.