title: The jasmonate-responsive AaMYC2 transcription factor positively regulates artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua.
abstract: The plant Artemisia annua is well known due to the production of artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone that is widely used in malaria treatment. Phytohormones play important roles in plant secondary metabolism, such as jasmonic acid (JA), which can induce artemisinin biosynthesis in A. annua. Nevertheless, the JA-inducing mechanism remains poorly understood. The expression of gene AaMYC2 was rapidly induced by JA and AaMYC2 binds the G-box-like motifs within the promoters of gene CYP71AV1 and DBR2, which are key structural genes in the artemisinin biosynthetic pathway. Overexpression of AaMYC2 in A. annua significantly activated the transcript levels of CYP71AV1 and DBR2, which resulted in an increased artemisinin content. By contrast, artemisinin content was reduced in the RNAi transgenic A. annua plants in which the expression of AaMYC2 was suppressed. Meanwhile, the RNAi transgenic A. annua plants showed lower sensitivity to methyl jasmonate treatment than the wild-type plants. These results demonstrate that AaMYC2 is a positive regulator of artemisinin biosynthesis and is of great value in genetic engineering of A. annua for increased artemisinin production.
authors: Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors: Qian
authors: Q
authors: Shen
authors: State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
authors: Xu
authors: X
authors: Lu
authors: Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors: Tingxiang
authors: T
authors: Yan
authors: Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors: Xueqing
authors: X
authors: Fu
authors: Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors: Zongyou
authors: Z
authors: Lv
authors: Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors: Fangyuan
authors: F
authors: Zhang
authors: Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors: Qifang
authors: Q
authors: Pan
authors: Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors: Guofeng
authors: G
authors: Wang
authors: Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors: Xiaofen
authors: X
authors: Sun
authors: Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors: Kexuan
authors: K
authors: Tang
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000494:pharmacology; D031172:Artemisia annua / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000378:metabolism*; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression; D054883:Oxylipins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D034622:RNA Interference; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D037621:Artemisinins; D003517:Cyclopentanes; D054883:Oxylipins; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C011006:jasmonic acid; C072239:methyl jasmonate
keywords: AaMYC2; Artemisia annua; artemisinin; metabolic regulation; transcription factor