Integration of Gene-to-Metabolite Networks for Understanding Global Responses of Phenolic Acids Biosynthesis in Salvia miltiorrhiza

Abstract

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, named “Dan-Shen” in Chinese as a traditional Chinese medicine, is used for improving body function, as well as for cardiac symptoms treatment for hundreds of years in China. The phenolic acids such as rosmarinic acid (RA) and its derivative lithospermic acid B (LAB) aroused scientists' interest in the last twenty years because of their notable pharmacological activities [1]. In our present study, abiotic elicitors such as methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and Ag+ were found to enhance the phenolic acids at various levels. Meantime, based on the profiling changes of several related gene transcripts and metabolites (intermediates) accumulations, in response to elicitors, a gene-to-metabolite network for understanding of global responses to abiotic elicitation in S. miltiorrhiza is established (1), and a potential (putative) biosynthesis process form RA to LAB was presumed (2), which prompted the possibility of a key gene-based metabolic engineering for the synthesis of active pharmaceutical compounds in S. miltiorrhiza, and would certainly help us to globally and deeply understand metabolic flux of RA synthesis, both at stressed-elicitation and genetic-regulation levels. Acknowledgements: This research was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (20572130, 30600807).