Metabolomic and gene expression approaches reveal the developmental and environmental regulation of the secondary metabolism of yacón (Smallanthus sonchifolius, Asteraceae)

Abstract Acting as chemical defense or signaling compounds, secondary metabolites (SMs) play an essential role in the evolutionary success of many angiosperm plant families. However, the adaptive advantages that SMs confer, and the influence of environmental and developmental factors on SMs expressi...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Guillermo F. Padilla-González, Maximilian Frey, Javier Gómez-Zeledón, Fernando B. Da Costa, Otmar Spring
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Nature Portfolio 2019
Materias:
R
Q
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/9442d9c121684ffdbace4c6f69db172b
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
Descripción
Sumario:Abstract Acting as chemical defense or signaling compounds, secondary metabolites (SMs) play an essential role in the evolutionary success of many angiosperm plant families. However, the adaptive advantages that SMs confer, and the influence of environmental and developmental factors on SMs expression, remains poorly understood. A study of taxa endemic to the variable Andean climate, using a metabolomics approach, may provide further insight. By analyzing gene expression patterns and metabolic fingerprints, we report herein the developmental and environmental regulation of the secondary metabolism of Smallanthus sonchifolius (yacón), a medicinal Andean plant. Our results demonstrate a clear developmental stage dependent regulation of the secondary metabolism of yacón leaves wherein the metabolic diversity increases with plant age. However, environmental factors seem to regulate biosynthetic pathways, creating differences in the expression of chemical classes, pointing to an association between transcription levels of relevant genes and the relative amounts of more than 40 different metabolites. This study suggests that the secondary metabolism of yacón is regulated by a complex interplay between environmental factors and developmental stage and provides insight into the regulatory factors and adaptive roles of SMs in Andean taxa.