The AP2/ERF Transcription Factor PgERF120 Regulates Ginsenoside Biosynthesis in Ginseng

Ginseng (<i>Panax ginseng</i> C.A. Meyer) is a perennial herb belonging to the family <i>Araliaceae</i> and has been used for thousands of years in East Asia as an essential traditional medicine with a wide range of pharmacological activities of its main active ingredient, gi...

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Main Authors: Yang Jiang, Qi Zhang, Zixia Zeng, Yi Wang, Mingzhu Zhao, Kangyu Wang, Meiping Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-03-01
Series:Biomolecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/14/3/345
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author Yang Jiang
Qi Zhang
Zixia Zeng
Yi Wang
Mingzhu Zhao
Kangyu Wang
Meiping Zhang
author_facet Yang Jiang
Qi Zhang
Zixia Zeng
Yi Wang
Mingzhu Zhao
Kangyu Wang
Meiping Zhang
author_sort Yang Jiang
collection DOAJ
description Ginseng (<i>Panax ginseng</i> C.A. Meyer) is a perennial herb belonging to the family <i>Araliaceae</i> and has been used for thousands of years in East Asia as an essential traditional medicine with a wide range of pharmacological activities of its main active ingredient, ginsenosides. The <i>AP2/ERF</i> gene family, widely present in plants, is a class of transcription factors capable of responding to ethylene regulation that has an influential role in regulating the synthesis of major active ingredients in medicinal plants and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses, which have not been reported in <i>Panax ginseng</i>. In this study, the <i>AP2/ERF</i> gene was localized on the ginseng chromosome, and an <i>AP2/ERF</i> gene duplication event was also discovered in <i>Panax ginseng</i>. The expression of seven <i>ERF</i> genes and three key enzyme genes related to saponin synthesis was measured by fluorescence quantitative PCR using ethylene treatment of ginseng hairy roots, and it was observed that ethylene promoted the expression of genes related to the synthesis of ginsenosides, among which the <i>PgERF120</i> gene was the most sensitive to ethylene. We analyzed the sequence features and expression patterns of the <i>PgERF120</i> gene and found that the expression of the <i>PgERF120</i> gene was specific in time and space. The <i>PgERF120</i> gene was subsequently cloned, and plant overexpression and RNA interference vectors were constructed. Ginseng adventitious roots were transformed using the <i>Agrobacterium tumefaciens</i>-mediated method to obtain transgenic ginseng hairy roots, and the gene expression, ginsenoside content and malondialdehyde content in overexpression-positive hairy roots were also analyzed. This study preliminarily verified that the <i>PgERF120</i> gene can be involved in the regulation of ginsenoside synthesis, which provides a theoretical basis for the study of functional genes in ginseng and a genetic resource for the subsequent use of synthetic biology methods to improve the yield of ginsenosides.
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spelling doaj.art-1600285692e245738d932fc985e56de02024-03-27T13:28:00ZengMDPI AGBiomolecules2218-273X2024-03-0114334510.3390/biom14030345The AP2/ERF Transcription Factor PgERF120 Regulates Ginsenoside Biosynthesis in GinsengYang Jiang0Qi Zhang1Zixia Zeng2Yi Wang3Mingzhu Zhao4Kangyu Wang5Meiping Zhang6College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaGinseng (<i>Panax ginseng</i> C.A. Meyer) is a perennial herb belonging to the family <i>Araliaceae</i> and has been used for thousands of years in East Asia as an essential traditional medicine with a wide range of pharmacological activities of its main active ingredient, ginsenosides. The <i>AP2/ERF</i> gene family, widely present in plants, is a class of transcription factors capable of responding to ethylene regulation that has an influential role in regulating the synthesis of major active ingredients in medicinal plants and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses, which have not been reported in <i>Panax ginseng</i>. In this study, the <i>AP2/ERF</i> gene was localized on the ginseng chromosome, and an <i>AP2/ERF</i> gene duplication event was also discovered in <i>Panax ginseng</i>. The expression of seven <i>ERF</i> genes and three key enzyme genes related to saponin synthesis was measured by fluorescence quantitative PCR using ethylene treatment of ginseng hairy roots, and it was observed that ethylene promoted the expression of genes related to the synthesis of ginsenosides, among which the <i>PgERF120</i> gene was the most sensitive to ethylene. We analyzed the sequence features and expression patterns of the <i>PgERF120</i> gene and found that the expression of the <i>PgERF120</i> gene was specific in time and space. The <i>PgERF120</i> gene was subsequently cloned, and plant overexpression and RNA interference vectors were constructed. Ginseng adventitious roots were transformed using the <i>Agrobacterium tumefaciens</i>-mediated method to obtain transgenic ginseng hairy roots, and the gene expression, ginsenoside content and malondialdehyde content in overexpression-positive hairy roots were also analyzed. This study preliminarily verified that the <i>PgERF120</i> gene can be involved in the regulation of ginsenoside synthesis, which provides a theoretical basis for the study of functional genes in ginseng and a genetic resource for the subsequent use of synthetic biology methods to improve the yield of ginsenosides.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/14/3/345<i>Panax ginseng</i><i>PgERF120</i> geneginsenosideabiotic stressgenetic transformation
spellingShingle Yang Jiang
Qi Zhang
Zixia Zeng
Yi Wang
Mingzhu Zhao
Kangyu Wang
Meiping Zhang
The AP2/ERF Transcription Factor PgERF120 Regulates Ginsenoside Biosynthesis in Ginseng
Biomolecules
<i>Panax ginseng</i>
<i>PgERF120</i> gene
ginsenoside
abiotic stress
genetic transformation
title The AP2/ERF Transcription Factor PgERF120 Regulates Ginsenoside Biosynthesis in Ginseng
title_full The AP2/ERF Transcription Factor PgERF120 Regulates Ginsenoside Biosynthesis in Ginseng
title_fullStr The AP2/ERF Transcription Factor PgERF120 Regulates Ginsenoside Biosynthesis in Ginseng
title_full_unstemmed The AP2/ERF Transcription Factor PgERF120 Regulates Ginsenoside Biosynthesis in Ginseng
title_short The AP2/ERF Transcription Factor PgERF120 Regulates Ginsenoside Biosynthesis in Ginseng
title_sort ap2 erf transcription factor pgerf120 regulates ginsenoside biosynthesis in ginseng
topic <i>Panax ginseng</i>
<i>PgERF120</i> gene
ginsenoside
abiotic stress
genetic transformation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/14/3/345
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