Prolonged exposure to salt stress affects specialized metabolites-artemisinin and essential oil accumulation in Artemisia annua L.: metabolic acclimation in preferential favour of enhanced terpenoid accumulation accompanying vegetative to reproductive phase transition.
Artemisia annua accumulates substantial quantities of unique and highly useful antimalarial sesquiternoid artemisinin and related phytomolecules as well as its characteristic essential oil in its glandular trichomes. The phytomolecules are mainly produced in its leaves and inflorescences. Artemisia annua plants were grown under NaCl salinity (50, 100 and 200 mM) stress conditions imposed throughout the entire life cycle of the plant. Results revealed that specialized metabolites like artemisinin, arteannuin-B, artemisinic acid + dihydroartemisinic acid and essential oil accumulation were positively modulated by NaCl salinity stress. Interestingly, total content of monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids of essential oil was induced by NaCl salinity treatment, contrary to previous observations. Production of camphor, the major essential oil constituent was induced under the influence of treatment. The metabolic acclimation and manifestations specific to terpenoid pathway are analysed vis-a-vis vegetative to reproductive periods and control of the modulation. WRKY and CYP71AV1 play a key role in mediating the responses through metabolism in glandular trichomes. The distinctness of the salinity induced responses is discussed in light of differential mechanism of adaptation to abiotic stresses and their impact on terpenoid-specific metabolic adjustments in A. annua. Results provide potential indications of possible adaptation of A. annua under saline conditions for agrarian techno-economic benefaction.
Metabolic and Structural Biology Department, CSIR- Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India.
Ritesh Kumar
RK
Yadav
Metabolic and Structural Biology Department, CSIR- Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India.
Rajender Singh
RS
Sangwan
Metabolic and Structural Biology Department, CSIR- Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India.
Avadesh K
AK
Srivastava
Metabolic and Structural Biology Department, CSIR- Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow, 226015, India. nsangwan5@gmail.com.
Neelam S
NS
Sangwan
D000064:Acclimatization / Q000187:drug effects*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D031172:Artemisia annua / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D037621:Artemisinins; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D055442:Metabolome / Q000187:drug effects*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000378:metabolism*; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000378:metabolism*; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D064201:Trichomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D037621:Artemisinins; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013729:Terpenes; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D011392:Proline; C031327:artemisinin
Artemisinin; Essential oil; Salt stress; Secretory glandular trichome