Effects of different doses of cadmium on secondary metabolites and gene expression in Artemisia annua L

• Published in: Frontiers of medicine Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 137 - 146
• Main Authors: Zhou, Liangyun, Yang, Guang, Sun, Haifeng, Tang, Jinfu, Yang, Jian, Wang, Yizhan, Garran, Thomas Avery, Guo, Lanping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Higher Education Press 01.03.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Artemisia annua - chemistry; Artemisia annua - genetics; Artemisia annua L; Artemisinins - metabolism; Biosynthesis; Cadmium - administration & dosage; Cadmium - toxicity; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; gene expressions; Genes, Plant; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolites; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Research Article; Secondary Metabolism; secondary metabolites; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Cd; gene expressions; secondary metabolites; L; Artemisia annua L
• ISSN: 2095-0217; 2095-0225
• DOI: 10.1007/s11684-016-0486-3

This study aims to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of artemisinin accumulation induced by cadmium （Cd）. The effects of different Cd concentrations （0, 20, 60, and 120 μmol/L） on the biosynthesis ofArtemisia annua L. were examined. Intermediate and end products were quantified by HPLC-ESI- MS/MS analysis. The expression of key biosynthesis enzymes was also determined by qRT-PCR. The results showed that the application of treatment with 60 and 120 μmol/L Cd for 3 days significantly improved the biosynthesis of artemisinic acid, arteannuin B, and artemisinin. The concentrations of artemisinic acid, arteannuin B, and artemisinin in the 120 llmol/L Cd-treated group were 2.26, 102.08, and 33.63 times higher than those in the control group, respectively. The concentrations of arteannuin B and artemisinin in 60 μmol/L Cd-treated leaves were 61.10 and 26.40 times higher than those in the control group, respectively. The relative expression levels of HMGR, FPS, ADS, CYP71AV1, DBR2, ALDH1, and DXR were up-regulated in the 120 μmol/L Cd-treated group because of increased contents of artemisinic metabolites after 3 days of treatment. Hence, appropriate doses of Cd can increase the concentrations of artemisinic metabolites at a certain time point by up-regulating the relative expression levels of key enzyme genes involved in artemisinin biosynthesis.