Search

SmANS deletion leads to white flower mutation in Salvia miltiorrhiza. SmANS deletion leads to white flower mutation in Salvia miltiorrhiza. Abstract Salvia miltiorrhiza is an essential traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with purple flowers, and S. miltiorrhiza Bge. f. alba is a unique intraspecific variation with white flowers. The molecular mechanism of flower color formation in S. miltiorrhiza will provide vital information for the variation and evolution. Here, we performed HPLC, transcriptomic, and re-sequencing analyses of purple-flowered S. miltiorrhiza line 'Zihua105' (ZH105) and white-flowered S. miltiorrhiza Bge. f. alba line 'Baihua18' (BH18). Delphinidin was the most anthocyanidin in ZH105, which become the main different between ZH105 vs. BH18 flowers. Transcriptome analysis revealed 299 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). SmANS, the anthocyanidin synthase gene in the down-stream anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway, was significantly expressed in ZH105 corollas, suggesting it might play a key role in white petal formation. Whole-genome re-sequencing revealed that a 6.75 kb segment located on chromosome 5, which contains the complete sequence of the SmANS genes, was lost in BH18 and another S. miltiorrhiza Bge. f. alba line. In contrast, the other five purple-flowered S. miltiorrhiza lines both possessed this segment. Further molecular marker identification also confirmed that wild S. miltiorrhiza Bge. f. alba lines lost regions that contained a complete or important part of SmANS sequences. Subsequently, the research showed that the deletion mutant of SmANS genes resulted in the natural white flower color variant of S. miltiorrhiza.

Salvia miltiorrhiza is an important traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) plant and a model plant in the genetic study of TCM. A series of omics related to Danshen have been published. Integrating, managing, storing, and sharing data has become an urgent problem to be solved in S. miltiorrhiza genetic studies.The genome database is the link for the exchange, acquisition, and use of different omics data between data producers and users, maximizing value and utilization of data.The genome database included DSS3 genome and five RNA-Seq data. The back-end performs data search and retrieval through the LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) framework.Here, we present SmGDB (S. miltiorrhiza genome database; http://8.140.162.85/ ), which houses the latest version of genome sequence and annotation data for S. miltiorrhiza, combining three unpublished RNA-Seq data from our group and two released RNA-Seq data. We also identified a novel gene cluster including seven CYP71D genes involved in the tanshinone synthesis pathway based on genome sequences and expression data. Besides, SmGDB provides user-friendly web interfaces for querying and browsing gene annotation, structure, location, and expression profiles for concerned genes. Popular bioinformatics tools such as 'BLAST', 'Search', 'Heatmap', 'JBrowse', etc., were also provided in SmGDB.SmGDB will provide utility for characterizing the structure of the S. miltiorrhiza genome and better understanding gene functions and biological processes underlying complex secondary metabolism in Danshen.

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play fundamental roles in plant development. However, the information of these noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in Salvia miltiorrhiza remains largely unexplored. In this study, the expression pattern of ncRNAs in six tissues from the same strain of S. miltiorrhiza was analyzed to study the biological function of ncRNAs on active ingredients synthesis.Methods: Analysis of tanshinone content differences of two root simples was carried out on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RNA sequencing, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were applied to analyzing the targets of diferentially expressed ncRNAs in different organs.Results: A total of 6,929 lncRNAs, 6,239 circRNAs, and 360 miRNAs were identified. Forty-eight lncRNAs, 70 miRNAs, and 26 circRNAs expressed differentially between red and white root tissues with significantly different tanshinone content. GO and KEGG pathway analysis of target genes of differently expressed ncRNAs indicated that some target genes are involved in the synthesis pathway of terpene, including diterpene and sesquiterpene. We also found many target genes related to secondary metabolites, including 2-C-Methyl-d-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate Synthase (SmMCS) and several CYP450s. Furthermore, most target genes may be related to the resistance of pathogens, such as receptor kinases, disease-resistant proteins, and pentatricopeptide repeat-containing proteins. Conclusions: The present study exhibited the tissue-specific expression patterns of ncRNAs preliminarily in S. miltiorrhiza, which may reflect that the formation of white root or red root is related to regulation by ncRNAs. It would provide a basis for further research about the regulation mechanism in the tanshinone synthesis process.

Phenolic acids are one of the main active components in Salvia miltiorrhiza root, which have been proved to have extensive pharmacological activities. In this study, quantitative trait loci (QTL) for phenolic acids contents were identified by a new genetic map constructed based on genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The results demonstrated that the map comprised eight linkage groups which were in accord with the haploid chromosome number of S. miltiorrhiza (2n = 2x = 16). The map spanned 397.5 cM with average inter-marker distance as 3.6 cM. A total of six QTL were identified through interval mapping, including three salvianolic acid B (SAB) content-related QTL on linkage group (LG) 7, two lithospermic acid (LA) content markers on LG2 and LG4, as well as one rosmarinic acid (RA) content-linked QTL on LG7. These QTL could be used in marker-assisted breeding for the phenolic acids contents of S. miltiorrhiza.

Background: Cassia tora L. is an annual leguminous plant. Its seeds had wide utility in herbal medicine in Asian, but is usually regard as a potent, invasive weed which even helps farmers eliminate other parasitic weed species. However, compared with other important legume crops, C. tora is far from fully developed and the genetic basis is greatly lacking. A reference genome sequence will be great valuable resource for its genome evolution, genetic breeding and development.Results: Here, we de novo assembled a chromosome-scale genome for C. tora by combining PacBio sequencing technology with chromatin interaction mapping, resulting in 621-Mb genome with a contig N50 of 2.5 Mb, of which 77.44% was ordered and oriented on 13 pseudochromosomes. The genome contained 32,361 protein-coding genes with a repetitive DNA content of approximately 58.15%. Gypsy-type LTRs constituted the largest subfamily. LTR insertion events seldom occurred in this genome over the past 10 million years. Comparative genomic analyses showed that C. tora diverged ~95 million years ago (MYA), which revealed it has the most distant genetic relationship with 11 other legumes. Compared with other legume crops, Cassia tora is maybe an ancient species in Leguminosae.Conclusions: The high-quality reference genome sequence reported here furnishes unprecedented insights into genome dynamics and provides an important basis for future research on legume genome evolution.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, also known as red sage or Danshen, is an important traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that has been used for thousands of years to treat cardiovascular and other diseases. It is also considered an important model TCM plant. Here, a high‐quality reference genome of S. miltiorrhiza was generated by combining PacBio long‐read sequencing and chromatin interaction mapping (Hi‐C) technologies, resulting in the chromosome‐scale assembly of a 594.75‐Mb genome sequence with a contig N50 of 2.70 Mb. This assembly shows the highest level of continuity for a Danshen genome generated thus far. The S. miltiorrhiza genome contained 32,483 protein‐coding genes, with a repetitive DNA content of approximately 64.84%. The high percentage of young LTRs suggests that multiple TE transposition bursts occurred recently in S. miltiorrhiza. Genes unique to secondary metabolism pathways were expanded in the S. miltiorrhiza genome. A new CYP450 gene cluster was identified in the phloem of red roots where active components were synthesized. This reference genome sequence will facilitate future studies aimed at the elucidation of the secondary metabolism synthesis pathway and the genetic improvement of S. miltiorrhiza.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge is an important traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In this study, two S. miltiorrhiza genotypes (BH18 and ZH23) with different phenolic acid concentrations were used for de novo RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). A total of 170,787 transcripts and 56,216 unigenes were obtained. There were 670 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified between BH18 and ZH23, 250 of which were upregulated in ZH23, with genes involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway being the most upregulated genes. Nine genes involved in the lignin biosynthesis pathway were upregulated in BH18 and thus result in higher lignin content in BH18. However, expression profiles of most genes involved in the core common upstream phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway were higher in ZH23 than that in BH18. These results indicated that genes involved in the core common upstream phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway might play an important role in downstream secondary metabolism and demonstrated that lignin biosynthesis was a putative partially competing pathway with phenolic acid biosynthesis. The results of this study expanded our understanding of the regulation of phenolic acid biosynthesis in S. miltiorrhiza.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge is an important traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In this study, two S. miltiorrhiza genotypes (BH18 and ZH23) with different phenolic acid concentrations were used for de novo RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). A total of 170,787 transcripts and 56,216 unigenes were obtained. There were 670 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified between BH18 and ZH23, 250 of which were upregulated in ZH23, with genes involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway being the most upregulated genes. Nine genes involved in the lignin biosynthesis pathway were upregulated in BH18 and thus result in higher lignin content in BH18. However, expression profiles of most genes involved in the core common upstream phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway were higher in ZH23 than that in BH18. These results indicated that genes involved in the core common upstream phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway might play an important role in downstream secondary metabolism and demonstrated that lignin biosynthesis was a putative partially competing pathway with phenolic acid biosynthesis. The results of this study expanded our understanding of the regulation of phenolic acid biosynthesis in S. miltiorrhiza.