Abstract
BackgroundTanshinones are diterpenoid compounds that are used to treat cardiovascular diseases. As current extraction methods for tanshinones are inefficient, there is a pressing need to improve the production of these bioactive compounds to meet increasing demand.ResultsOverexpression of SmMDS (2-c-methyl-d-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate synthase, a tanshinone biosynthesis gene) in transgenic Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy roots significantly increased the tanshinone yield compared to the control, and total tanshinone content in SmMDS-overexpressing lines increased after elicitor treatment. Total tanshinones increased to 2.5, 2.3, and 3.2 mg/g DW (dry weight) following treatment with Ag+, YE (yeast extract), and MJ (methyl jasmonate), respectively, compared with the non-induced transgenic line (1.7 mg/g DW). Also, qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of two pathway genes was positively correlated with increased accumulation of tanshinone.ConclusionsOur study provides an effective strategy for increasing the content of tanshinones and other natural compounds using a combination of genetic engineering and elicitor treatment.
Highlights
Tanshinones are diterpenoid compounds that are used to treat cardiovascular diseases
The biosynthetic pathway of tanshinones has been well studied in S. miltiorrhiza, that are mainly derived from two common precursors, dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) and isoprene diphosphate (IPP) (Additional file 1: Fig. S1) [14,15,16,17,18]
Genomic DNA was extracted from the selected S. miltiorrhiza hairy root lines and PCR analysis was performed using primers designed to amplify the CaMV35S promoter and the N-terminal portion of the SmMDS gene
Summary
Tanshinones are diterpenoid compounds that are used to treat cardiovascular diseases. The biosynthetic pathway of tanshinones has been well studied in S. miltiorrhiza, that are mainly derived from two common precursors, dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) and isoprene diphosphate (IPP) (Additional file 1: Fig. S1) [14,15,16,17,18]. These two precursors are synthesized in separate cell compartments by two different pathways; the MVA (mevalonate) pathway is found in the cytoplasm, while the MEP pathway is active in the plastid. IPP is a common intermediate in the two pathways, which is converted into diterpenoids by GGPPS (geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase), CPS
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