Full-length transcriptome analysis provides new insights into the early bolting occurrence in medicinal Angelica sinensis

Xue Gao,Jianqin Jin,Fengxia Guo,Qing Wang,Yuxiao Liu,Gang Bai,Yuan Chen

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-92494-4

Xue Gao, Jianqin Jin + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92494-4

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Journal: Scientific Reports	Publication Date: Jun 21, 2021
Citations: 14	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Gansu Agricultural University

Abstract

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels root part is an integral component of traditional Chinese medicine, widely prescribed to improve blood circulation and blood stasis. However, early bolting of A. sinensis compromises the quality of the roots and hence is a major limitation for yield of medicinal materials. To date, little information about the molecular mechanisms underlying bolting is available for this important medicinal plant. To identify genes putatively involved in early bolting, we have conducted the transcriptome analysis of the shoot tips of the early-bolting plants and non-bolting (normal) plants of A. sinensis, respectively, using a combination of third-generation sequencing and next-generation sequencing. A total of 43,438 non-redundant transcripts were collected and 475 unique differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Gene annotation and functional analyses revealed that DEGs were highly involved in plant hormone signaling and biosynthesis pathways, three main flowering pathways, pollen formation, and very-long-chain fatty acids biosynthesis pathways. The levels of endogenous hormones were also changed significantly in the early bolting stage of A. sinensis. This study provided new insights into the transcriptomic control of early bolting in A. sinensis, which could be further applied to enhance the yield of medicinally important raw materials.

Highlights

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Apiaceae), known as Danggui in China, is a traditional Chinese medicinal h erb[1,2]
A. sinensis has a long history of use as a traditional herbal medicine in China, the early bolting of A. sinensis severely restricted its sustainability of resource utilization
Bolting greatly reduced the accumulation of secondary metabolites contents like ferulic acid and soluble sugar in the roots of A. sinensis[50], causing a complete loss in its medicinal value

Summary

Introduction

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Apiaceae), known as Danggui in China, is a traditional Chinese medicinal h erb[1,2]. Limiting the prevalence of early bolting is critical to improving the production of high-quality A. sinensis roots. Few reports provide evidence on the molecular mechanisms underlying early bolting in A. sinensis, and the related genes are largely unknown. Third-generation sequencing (TGS) technologies, such as the Single-Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing platform from Pacific Biosciences (Pacific Biosciences, CA, USA) enable the rapid identification of genes and molecular mechanisms underlying crucial crop phenology. These technologies facilitate gene discovery in non-model species, such as traditional medicinal crops for which published reference genomes. The improved read lengths of TGS platforms render it advantageous to nextgeneration sequencing (NGS), greatly reducing the difficulty of transcriptome a nalysis[18]

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