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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Bioinformatics
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1431148

Transcriptome-associated metabolomics reveals the molecular mechanism of flavonoid biosynthesis in Desmodium styracifolium (Osbeck.) Merr under abiotic stress

Provisionally accepted
Hongyang Gao Hongyang Gao Xi Huang Xi Huang Pengfei Lin Pengfei Lin Yuqing Hu Yuqing Hu Ziqi Zheng Ziqi Zheng Quan Yang Quan Yang *
  • Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The primary pharmacological components of Desmodium styracifolium (Osbeck.) Merr. are flavonoids, which have a broad range of pharmacological effects and are important in many applications. However, there have been few reports on the molecular mechanisms underlying flavonoid biosynthesis in the pharmacodynamic constituents of D. styracifolium. Flavonoid biosynthesis in D. styracifolium pharmacodynamic constituents has, however, been rarely studied. In this study, we investigated how salt stress, 6-BA (6-Benzylaminopurine) treatment, and PEG 6000-simulated drought stress affect flavonoid accumulation in D. styracifolium leaves. We integrated metabolomics and transcriptomic analysis to map the secondary metabolism regulatory network of D. styracifolium and identify key transcription factors involved in flavonoid biosynthesis.We then constructed overexpression vectors for the transcription factors and used them to transiently infiltrate Nicotiana benthamiana for functional validation. This experiment confirmed that the transcription factor DsMYB60 promotes the production of total flavonoids in Nicotiana tabacum L. leaves. This study lays the foundation for studying flavonoid biosynthesis in D. styracifolium at the molecular level. Furthermore, this study contributes novel insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in the biosynthesis of active ingredients in medicinal plants.

    Keywords: Desmodium styracifolium (Osbeck.) Merr., Flavonoids, Transcriptomics, Metabolomics, transcription factor

    Received: 11 May 2024; Accepted: 31 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Gao, Huang, Lin, Hu, Zheng and Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Quan Yang, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China

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