Metabolomes and transcriptomes revealed the saponin distribution in root tissues of and .

BACKGROUND

and are widely used and well known for their pharmacological effects. As main pharmacological components, saponins have different distribution patterns in the root tissues of plants.

METHODS

In this study, the representative ginsenosides were detected and quantified by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis to demonstrate saponin distribution in the root tissues of and , and saponin metabolite profiles were analyzed by metabolomes to obtain the biomarkers of different root tissues. Finally, the transcriptome analysis was performed to demonstrate the molecular mechanisms of saponin distribution by gene profiles.

RESULTS

There was saponin distribution in the root tissues differed between and . Eight-eight and 24 potential biomarkers were detected by metabolome analysis, and a total of 340 and 122 transcripts involved in saponin synthesis that were positively correlated with the saponin contents ( > 0.6,  < 0.05) in the root tissues of and , respectively. Among them, GDPS1, CYP51, CYP64, and UGT11 were significantly correlated with the contents of Rg1, Re, Rc, Rb2, and Rd in . UGT255 was markedly related to the content of R1; CYP74, CYP89, CYP100, CYP103, CYP109, and UGT190 were markedly correlated with the Rd content in .

CONCLUSIONS

These results provided the visual and quantitative profiles of and confirmed the pivotal transcripts of CYPs and UGTs regulating the saponin distribution in the root tissues of and .