Overexpression of <i>AtMYB2</i> Promotes Tolerance to Salt Stress and Accumulations of Tanshinones and Phenolic Acid in <i>Salvia miltiorrhiza</i>
<i>Salvia miltiorrhiza</i> is a prized traditional Chinese medicinal plant species. Its red storage roots are primarily used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In this study, a transcription factor gene <i>AtMYB2</i> was cloned and introduced in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-04-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/7/4111 |
| Summary: | <i>Salvia miltiorrhiza</i> is a prized traditional Chinese medicinal plant species. Its red storage roots are primarily used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In this study, a transcription factor gene <i>AtMYB2</i> was cloned and introduced into <i>Salvia miltiorrhiza</i> for ectopic expression. Overexpression of <i>AtMYB2</i> enhanced salt stress resistance in <i>S. miltiorrhiza</i>, leading to a more resilient phenotype in transgenic plants exposed to high-salinity conditions. Physiological experiments have revealed that overexpression of <i>AtMYB2</i> can decrease the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during salt stress, boost the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and mitigate oxidative damage to cell membranes. In addition, overexpression of <i>AtMYB2</i> promotes the synthesis of tanshinones and phenolic acids by upregulating the expression of biosynthetic pathway genes, resulting in increased levels of these secondary metabolites. In summary, our findings demonstrate that <i>AtMYB2</i> not only enhances plant tolerance to salt stress, but also increases the accumulation of secondary metabolites in <i>S. miltiorrhiza</i>. Our study lays a solid foundation for uncovering the molecular mechanisms governed by <i>AtMYB2</i> and holds significant implications for the molecular breeding of high-quality <i>S. miltiorrhiza</i> varieties. |
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| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |