Chen Xinlian, Wu Duan, Li Chunyu, Liao Baosheng, Shen Qi
Institute of Medical Plant Physiology and Ecology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Key Laboratory of Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine of the Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration, the Second Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Adv Biotechnol (Singap). 2025 Sep 12;3(3):26. doi: 10.1007/s44307-025-00077-5.
Trichomes are crucial for plant defense and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. In Artemisia argyi, T-shaped non-glandular trichomes (TSTs) are a defining morphological feature and the primary structural component of moxa floss. We observed pronounced TST accumulation on the lower leaf surfaces. To elucidate the genetic regulation of TST development, we performed comparative transcriptomics of TSTs and non-TST tissues. This identified several MIXTA-like transcription factors (named AarMIXTAs) as key regulators of TST differentiation. Phylogenetic analyses revealed gene expansion and functional divergence between the AarMIXTAs and their homologs in Artemisia annua. Heterologous overexpression of AarMIXTA1.2 in Arabidopsis significantly increased TST density, demonstrating its positive regulatory role via transcriptional activation of downstream targets. These findings elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying TST morphogenesis and provide a genetic framework for enhancing moxa floss yield in A. argyi cultivars.
腺毛对于植物防御和次生代谢物生物合成至关重要。在艾蒿中，T形非腺毛（TSTs）是一个决定性的形态特征，也是艾绒的主要结构成分。我们观察到TSTs在叶片下表面大量积累。为了阐明TST发育的遗传调控机制，我们对TSTs和非TST组织进行了比较转录组学分析。这确定了几个类MIXTA转录因子（命名为AarMIXTAs）是TST分化的关键调节因子。系统发育分析揭示了AarMIXTAs与其在青蒿中的同源物之间的基因扩张和功能差异。AarMIXTA1.2在拟南芥中的异源过表达显著增加了TST密度，证明了其通过转录激活下游靶点发挥的正调控作用。这些发现阐明了TST形态发生的分子机制，并为提高艾蒿品种的艾绒产量提供了遗传框架。
