De novo assembly and annotation of the Zhe-Maidong (Ophiopogon japonicus (L.f.) Ker-Gawl) transcriptome in different growth stages

Abstract

Zhe-Maidong (Ophiopogon japonicus (L.f.) Ker-Gawl) is a traditional medicinal herb in the family Liliaceae that has significant pharmacological effects on immunity and cardiovascular disease. In this study, three different growth stages of Zhe-Maidong were investigated using RNA-seq, and a total of 16.4 Gb of raw data was obtained. After filtering and assembling, 96,738 unigenes with an average length of 605.3 bp were ultimately generated. A total of 77,300 unigenes were annotated using information from five databases, including the NT, NR, SwissProt, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) databases. Additionally, the mechanisms of flavonoid, saponin and polysaccharide biosynthesis and of accumulation at different stages of tuber development were also characterized. From the first to third years, the contents of flavonoids, saponins and polysaccharides all increased, whereas the expression levels of related genes decreased in the flavonoid and saponin pathways and first increased and then decreased in the polysaccharide pathway. The results of this study provide the most comprehensive expressed sequence resource for Zhe-Maidong and will expand the available O. japonicus gene library and facilitate further genome-wide research and analyses of this species.

Comparative transcriptome and metabolome analyses provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying taproot thickening in Panax notoginseng

“…For example, comparative transcriptome studies between tuberous roots and shoots in Aconitum heterophyllum showed that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoAreductase (HMGR), mevalonate kinase (MVK), mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MVDD), and 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate synthase (HDS) were required for aconite alkaloid biosynthesis, while genes encoding TFs, including bHLH, MYB basic leucine zipper (bZIP), and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, were implicated in tuberous root development [14]. In Ophiopogon japonicus , genes related to flavonoid and saponin synthesis were negatively regulated with tuberous root development, while genes related to polysaccharide synthesis were positively regulated in the early stage and negatively regulated in the later stage [15]. However, these studies lack a systematic investigation of the enlargement of these tissues.…”

Virtual screening and network pharmacology-based synergistic mechanism identification of multiple components contained in Guanxin V against coronary artery disease

“…ShenMai injection, prepared from Panax ginseng and Ophiopogon japonicus, is used as an add-on therapy for CAD [72,73]. The main components of Ophiopogon japonicus exhibit various pharmacological activities, such as cardiovascular protection [74][75][76][77], anti-inflammation [74,76,[78][79][80], antioxidation [74][75][76]81], mitochondrial function preservation [81], apoptosis inhibition [75,81], and immunomodulation [74,77]. The extract of Ophiopogon japonicus decreased ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 to play an endothelial protective role from oxidative damage and dysfunction [82].…”

Residue of Paclobutrazol and Its Regulatory Effects on the Secondary Metabolites of Ophiopogon japonicas

“…To date, more than 30 flavonoids, 70 saponins, and 10 bioactive polysaccharides have been isolated from Ophiopogonis Radix [1,8]. Modern pharmacological studies show that Ophiopogonis Radix is rich in flavonoids, steroidal saponins, and polysaccharides, which have beneficial effects on immunomodulatory, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, antihyperlipidaemic, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammation, and antidiabetic activities [1,9].…”

“…Hence, most of the commonly used herbal medicines, such as Ophiopogonis Radix, are now obtained by artificial planting. O. japonicus usually requires three years from planting to harvest, according to the history of planting [9]. However, in recent years, with the demand of the market and the maximization of farmers’ economic interests, a cultivation mode of one-year-old O. japonicus has been developed.…”