Abstract

Plants respond to UV-B irradiation (280–315 nm wavelength) via elaborate metabolic regulatory mechanisms that help them adapt to this stress. To investigate the metabolic response of the medicinal herb Chinese liquorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) to UV-B irradiation, we performed liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based metabolomic analysis, combined with analysis of differentially expressed genes in the leaves of plants exposed to UV-B irradiation at various time points. Fifty-four metabolites, primarily amino acids and flavonoids, exhibited changes in levels after the UV-B treatment. The amino acid metabolism was altered by UV-B irradiation: the Asp family pathway was activated and closely correlated to Glu. Some amino acids appeared to be converted into antioxidants such as γ-aminobutyric acid and glutathione. Hierarchical clustering analysis revealed that various flavonoids with characteristic groups were induced by UV-B. In particular, the levels of some ortho-dihydroxylated B-ring flavonoids, which might function as scavengers of reactive oxygen species, increased in response to UV-B treatment. In general, unigenes encoding key enzymes involved in amino acid metabolism and flavonoid biosynthesis were upregulated by UV-B irradiation. These findings lay the foundation for further analysis of the mechanism underlying the response of G. uralensis to UV-B irradiation.

Details

Title
Measurement of metabolite variations and analysis of related gene expression in Chinese liquorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) plants under UV-B irradiation
Author
Zhang, Xiao 1 ; Ding, Xiaoli 2 ; Ji, Yaxi 1 ; Wang, Shouchuang 3 ; Chen, Yingying 1 ; Luo, Jie 3 ; Shen, Yingbai 1 ; Li, Peng 2 

 College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Tree Breeding, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China 
 Key Lab of Ministry of Education for Protection and Utilization of Special Biological Resources in Western China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China; School of Life Science, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China 
 National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China 
Pages
1-17
Publication year
2018
Publication date
Apr 2018
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2027020110
Copyright
© 2018. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.