A cytosine analogue 5-azacitidine improves the accumulation of licochalcone A in licorice Glycyrrhiza inflata.

Xiaoling Ma, Ningxin Jiang, Jingxian Fu, Yuping Li, Lijun Zhou, Ling Yuan, Ying Wang, Yongqing Li

Journal of plant physiology 2024 Jan

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Licochalcone A (LCA) is a characteristic compound of Glycyrrhiza inflata with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antitumor activities. However, G. inflata produces LCA in low quantities that does not meet the market demand. In this study, we found that DNA methylation inhibitor 5-azacitidine (5-azaC) successfully improved the LCA contents in G. inflata seedlings. Transcriptome analysis revealed a series of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including transcription factors such as MYB, ERF, WRKY, and some structural genes related to flavonoid biosynthesis. However, whole genome bisulfite sequencing (BS-seq) results showed little effect of the 5-azaC treatment on the alteration of DNA methylation on these genes, indicating the possibility that 5-azaC acts as a stimulus, but not an epigenetic modulation factor to improve the LCA content in G. inflata. Additionally, we applied the 5-azaC treatment to field plants and hairy roots and successfully increased the LCA contents in both cases. This research demonstrates the feasibility of 5-azaC treatments in future applications to improve plant production of LCA. Copyright © 2023 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Citation

Xiaoling Ma, Ningxin Jiang, Jingxian Fu, Yuping Li, Lijun Zhou, Ling Yuan, Ying Wang, Yongqing Li. A cytosine analogue 5-azacitidine improves the accumulation of licochalcone A in licorice Glycyrrhiza inflata. Journal of plant physiology. 2024 Jan;292:154145