Planta Med 2014; 80 - P2B69
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1394946

Transcriptional changes in Artemisia annua L. induced by UV-B radiation

W Pan 1, L Zheng 2, J Wang 1
  • 1School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
  • 2School of Architecture and Urban Environment, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China

Artemisinin, the endoperoxide sesquiterpene lactone, is an effective antimalarial drug isolated from Artemisia annua L. In this study, A. annua plants were treated with low dose UV-B radiation to enhanced artemisinin content by nearly 30.5%. We investigated the gene expression responses of A. annua plants subjecte to UV-B radiation during 10-day period using a new custom made Agilent GeneChip with 43,692 probe sets. A total of 358 significantly differentially expressed genes, involved in signal transduction, antioxidant system and regulation of transcription were identified. The results indicated that the UV-B response was related to redox changes and synthesis of phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). This study also provided a list of potential candidate genes regulating multiple pathways involved in the response.

Acknowledgements: This study is supported by NNSF Project (No. 81273487), PAPD and SRF for ROCS (No. K513201011).