Characterization of development and artemisinin biosynthesis in self-pollinated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Artemisia annua</Emphasis> plants

Artemisia annua L. is the only natural resource that produces artemisinin (Qinghaosu), an endoperoxide sesquiterpene lactone used in the artemisinin-combination therapy of malaria. The cross-hybridization properties of A. annua do not favor studying artemisinin biosynthesis. To overcome this problem, in this study, we report on selection of self-pollinated A. annua plants and characterize their development and artemisinin biosynthesis. Self-pollinated F2 plants selected were grown under optimized growth conditions, consisting of long day (16 h of light) and short day (9 h of light) exposures in a phytotron. The life cycles of these plants were approximately 3 months long, and final heights of 30–35 cm were achieved. The leaves on the main stems exhibited obvious morphological changes, from indented single leaves to odd, pinnately compound leaves. Leaves and flowers formed glandular and T-shaped trichomes on their surfaces. The glandular trichome densities increased from the bottom to the top leaves. High performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry-based metabolic profiling analyses showed that leaves, flowers, and young seedlings of F2 plants produced artemisinin. In leaves, the levels of artemisinin increased from the bottom to the top of the plants, showing a positive correlation to the density increase of glandular trichomes. RT-PCR analysis showed that progeny of self-pollinated plants expressed the amorpha-4, 11-diene synthase (ADS) and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase 71 AV1 (CYP71AV1) genes, which are involved in artemisinin biosynthesis in leaves and flowers. The use of self-pollinated A. annua plants will be a valuable approach to the study of artemisinin biosynthesis.     

Studies on the expression of linalool synthase using a promoter-β-glucuronidase fusion in transgenic Artemisia annua

Artemisinin, an antimalarial endoperoxide sesquiterpene, is synthesized in glandular trichomes of Artemisia annua L. A number of other enzymes of terpene metabolism utilize intermediates of artemisinin biosynthesis, such as isopentenyl and farnesyl diphosphate, and may thereby influence the yield of artemisinin. In order to study the expression of such enzymes, we have cloned the promoter regions of some enzymes and fused them to β-glucuronidase (GUS). In this study, we have investigated the expression of the monoterpene synthase linalool synthase (LIS) using transgenic A. annua carrying the GUS gene under the control of the LIS promoter. The 652 bp promoter region was cloned by the genome walker method. A number of putative cis-acting elements were predicted indicating that the LIS is driven by a complex regulation mechanism. Transgenic plants carrying the promoter-GUS fusion showed specific expression of GUS in T-shaped trichomes (TSTs) but not in glandular secretory trichomes, which is the site for artemisinin biosynthesis. GUS expression was observed at late stage of flower development in styles of florets and in TSTs and guard cells of basal bracts. GUS expression after wounding showed that LIS is involved in plant responsiveness to wounding. Furthermore, the LIS promoter responded to methyl jasmonate (MeJA). These results indicate that the promoter carries a number of cis-acting regulatory elements involved in the tissue-specific expression of LIS and in the response of the plant to wounding and MeJA treatment. Southern blot analysis indicated that the GUS gene was integrated in the A. annua genome as single or multi copies in different transgenic lines. Promoter activity analysis by qPCR showed that both the wild-type and the recombinant promoter are active in the aerial parts of the plant while only the recombinant promoter was active in roots. Due to the expression in TSTs but not in glandular trichomes, it may be concluded that LIS expression will most likely have little or no effect on artemisinin production.     

Differentially Expressed Genes during Contrasting Growth Stages of Artemisia annua for Artemisinin Content

Artemisia annua is the source of antimalarial phytomolecule, artemisinin. It is mainly produced and stored in the glandular secretory trichomes present in the leaves of the plant. Since, the artemisinin biosynthesis steps are yet to be worked out, in this investigation a microarray chip was strategized for the first time to shortlist the differentially expressing genes at a stage of plant producing highest artemisinin compared to the stage with no artemisinin. As the target of this study was to analyze differential gene expression associated with contrasting artemisinin content in planta and a genotype having zero/negligible artemisinin content was unavailable, it was decided to compare different stages of the same genotype with contrasting artemisinin content (seedling - negligible artemisinin, mature leaf - high artemisinin). The SCAR-marked artemisinin-rich (∼1.2%) Indian variety ‘CIM-Arogya’ was used in the present study to determine optimal plant stage and leaf ontogenic level for artemisinin content. A representative EST dataset from leaf trichome at the stage of maximal artemisinin biosynthesis was established. The high utility small scale custom microarray chip of A. annua containing all the significant artemisinin biosynthesis-related genes, the established EST dataset, gene sequences isolated in-house and strategically selected candidates from the A. annua Unigene database (NCBI) was employed to compare the gene expression profiles of two stages. The expression data was validated through semiquantitative and quantitative RT-PCR followed by putative annotations through bioinformatics-based approaches. Many candidates having probable role in artemisinin metabolism were identified and described with scope for further functional characterization.     

Localization of enzymes of artemisinin biosynthesis to the apical cells of glandular secretory trichomes of Artemisia annua L.

A method based on the laser microdissection pressure catapulting technique has been developed for isolation of whole intact cells. Using a modified tissue preparation method, one outer pair of apical cells and two pairs of sub-apical, chloroplast-containing cells, were isolated from glandular secretory trichomes of Artemisia annua. A. annua is the source of the widely used antimalarial drug artemisinin. The biosynthesis of artemisinin has been proposed to be located to the glandular trichomes. The first committed steps in the conversion of FPP to artemisinin are conducted by amorpha-4,11-diene synthase, amorpha-4,11-diene hydroxylase, a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP71AV1) and artemisinic aldehyde Δ11(13) reductase. The expression of the three biosynthetic enzymes in the different cell types has been studied. In addition, the expression of farnesyldiphosphate synthase producing the precursor of artemisinin has been investigated. Our experiments showed expression of farnesyldiphosphate synthase in apical and sub-apical cells as well as in mesophyl cells while the three enzymes involved in artemisinin biosynthesis were expressed only in the apical cells. Elongation factor 1α was used as control and it was expressed in all cell types. We conclude that artemisinin biosynthesis is taking place in the two outer apical cells while the two pairs of chloroplast-containing cells have other functions in the overall metabolism of glandular trichomes.     

木香薷腺毛形态结构发生发育规律的研究

采用常规石蜡切片法及扫描电镜技术对木香薷(Elsholtzia stauntoni Benth)腺毛发生发育及其规律进行了研究。结果表明：木香薷表皮上主要有两种表皮毛：无分泌细胞的表皮毛与有分泌细胞的腺毛。前者包括单细胞乳头状毛、2~3细胞管状毛、分枝状毛及多细胞管状毛;后者包括头状腺毛与盾状腺毛。成熟头状腺毛头部由1、2或4个分泌细胞构成,头部呈圆球形或半圆球形;成熟盾状腺毛头部由8~12个分泌细胞构成,分泌细胞横向扩展形成盾状头部。木香薷腺毛主要在茎端幼叶处大量发生,从茎端第一对幼叶处开始产生;从幼叶期到成熟期均有腺毛发生,大部分腺毛在幼叶期发生发育,只有极少部分在叶的成熟期进行发生发育。     

From chromosome doubling to DNA sequence changes: outcomes of an improved in vitro procedure developed for allotriploid “Híbrido de Timor” (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Coffea arabica</Emphasis> L. × <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coffea canephora</Emphasis> Pierre ex A. Froehner)

Gibberellins (GAs) are diterpenoid hormones, control various physiological developments in plants. The role of gibberellins on morphology and secondary metabolite production was examined in Artemisia annua, a medicinal plant that has been acknowledged as a source of artemisinin, an antimalarial compound. Subsequently, the GA20ox gene from Torenia fournieri (TfGA20ox2) was transferred to A. annua by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Compared with wild type plants, all nine transgenic plants showed significantly higher plant heights and artemisinin contents. The highest artemisinin content and yield in TfGA20ox2-overexpressing plants was around two-fold higher than wild type. Moreover, transgenic plants had higher numbers of branches (52.4%) and greater branch lengths (60–203%), but smaller leaf size (77.6%). Interestingly, relative to wild type the number and size of glandular trichomes in transgenic leaves was about 30 and 35% higher, respectively. From GC–MS analysis, the proportion of diterpenes in transgenic plant extracts was 1.5-fold lower than those noticed in wild type, while the proportion of sesquiterpenes was increased about 1.6 times when compared to wild type. However, the content proportion of monoterpenes showed a slightly increase, whereas the level of triterpenes showed no variation. In addition, two monoterpenes (eucalyptol and borneol), four sesquiterpenes (α-caryophyllene, β-guaiene, δ-cadinene and β-cubebene) and one triterpenes (isomultiflorenone) were detected only in transgenic extract, whereas d-α-tocopherol, a diterpenoid compound was found only in wild type but not transgenic plant. These results suggested that gibberellins play a significant role in regards to morphology, trichome formation and terpenoid metabolite production in A. annua.     

A glandular trichome-specific monoterpene alcohol dehydrogenase from Artemisia annua

The major components of the isoprenoid-rich essential oil of Artemisia annua L. accumulate in the subcuticular sac of glandular secretory trichomes. As part of an effort to understand isoprenoid biosynthesis in A. annua, an expressed sequence tag (EST) collection was investigated for evidence of genes encoding trichome-specific enzymes. This analysis established that a gene denoted Adh2, encodes an alcohol dehydrogenase and shows a high expression level in glandular trichomes relative to other tissues. The gene product, ADH2, has up to 61% amino acid identity to members of the short chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily, including Forsythia × intermedia secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase (49.8% identity). Through in vitro biochemical analysis, ADH2 was found to show a strong preference for monoterpenoid secondary alcohols including carveol, borneol and artemisia alcohol. These results indicate a role for ADH2 in monoterpenoid ketone biosynthesis in A. annua glandular trichomes.     

Effect of wounding on gene expression involved in artemisinin biosynthesis and artemisinin production in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Artemisia annua</Emphasis>

Abstract-Effects of mechanical wounding on gene expression involved in artemisinin biosynthesis and artemisinin production in Artemisia annua leaves were investigated. HPLC-ELSD analysis indicated that there was a remarkable enhancement of the artemisinin content in 2 h after wounding treatment, and the content reached the maximum value at 4 h (nearly 50% higher than that in the control plants). The expression profile analysis showed that many important genes (HMGR, ADS, CPR, and CYP71AV1) involved in the artemisinin biosynthetic pathway were induced in a short time after wounding treatment. This study indicates that the artemisinin biosynthesis is affected by mechanical wounding. The possible mechanism of the control of gene expression during wounding is discussed.     

Isolation, characterization and structural studies of amorpha - 4, 11-diene synthase (ADS(3963)) from Artemisia annua L

With the escalating prevalence of malaria in recent years, artemisinin demand has placed considerable stress on its production worldwide. At present, the relative low­yield of artemisinin (0.01­1.1 %) in the source plant (Artemisia annua L. plant) has imposed a serious limitation in commercializing the drug. Amorpha­4, 11­diene synthase (ADS) has been reported a key enzyme in enhancing the artemisinin level in Artemisia annua L. An understanding of the structural and functional correlations of Amorpha­4, 11­diene synthase (ADS) may therefore, help in the molecular up­regulation of the enzyme. In this context, an in silico approach was used to study the ADS₃₉₆₃ (3963 bp) gene cloned by us, from high artemisinin (0.7­0.9% dry wt basis) yielding strain of A. annua L. The full­length putative gene of ADS₃₉₆₃ was found to encode a protein consisting of 533 amino acid residues with conserved aspartate rich domain. The isoelectric point (pI) and molecular weight of the protein were 5.25 and 62.2 kDa, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis of ADS genes from various species revealed evolutionary conservation. Homology modeling method was used for prediction of the 3D structure of ADS3963 protein and Autodock 4.0 version was used to study the ligand binding. The predicted 3D model and docking studies may further be used in characterizing the protein in wet laboratory.     

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza and phosphorus application on artemisinin concentration in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Artemisia annua</Emphasis> L.

Annual wormwood (Artemisia annua L.) produces an array of complex terpenoids including artemisinin, a compound of current interest in the treatment of drug-resistant malaria. However, this promising antimalarial compound remains expensive and is hardly available on the global scale. Synthesis of artemisinin has not been proved to be feasible commercially. Therefore, increase in yield of naturally occurring artemisinin is an important area of investigation. The effects of inoculation by two arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, Glomus macrocarpum and Glomus fasciculatum, either alone or supplemented with P-fertilizer, on artemisinin concentration in A. annua were studied. The concentration of artemisinin was determined by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. The two fungi significantly increased concentration of artemisinin in the herb. Although there was significant increase in concentration of artemisinin in nonmycorrhizal P-fertilized plants as compared to control, the extent of the increase was less compared to mycorrhizal plants grown with or without P-fertilization. This suggests that the increase in artemisinin concentration may not be entirely attributed to enhanced P-nutrition and improved growth. A strong positive linear correlation was observed between glandular trichome density on leaves and artemisinin concentration. Mycorrhizal plants possessed higher foliar glandular trichome (site for artemisinin biosynthesis and sequestration) density compared to nonmycorrhizal plants. Glandular trichome density was not influenced by P-fertilizer application. The study suggests a potential role of AM fungi in improving the concentration of artemisinin in A. annua.