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Annals of Botany Nov 2022Elucidating how plant species respond to variable light conditions is important to understand the ecological adaptation to heterogeneous natural habitats. Plant...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Elucidating how plant species respond to variable light conditions is important to understand the ecological adaptation to heterogeneous natural habitats. Plant performance and its underlying gene regulatory network have been well documented in sun-grown plants. However, the phenotypic and molecular responses of shade-grown plants under variable light conditions have remained largely unclear.
METHODS
We assessed the differences in phenotypic performance between Panax ginseng (shade-grown) and Arabidopsis thaliana (sun-grown) under sunlight, shade and deep-shade conditions. To further address the molecular bases underpinning the phenotypic responses, we compared time-course transcriptomic expression profiling and candidate gene structures between the two species.
KEY RESULTS
Our results show that, compared with arabidopsis, ginseng plants not only possess a lower degree of phenotypic plasticity among the three light conditions, but also exhibit higher photosynthetic efficiency under shade and deep-shade conditions. Further comparisons of the gene expression and structure reveal that differential transcriptional regulation together with increased copy number of photosynthesis-related genes (e.g. electron transfer and carbon fixation) may improve the photosynthetic efficiency of ginseng plants under the two shade conditions. In contrast, the inactivation of phytochrome-interacting factors (i.e. absent and no upregulation of the PIF genes) are potentially associated with the observed low degree of phenotypic plasticity of ginseng plants under variable light conditions.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study provides new insights into how shade-grown plants respond to variable light conditions. Candidate genes related to shade adaptation in ginseng provide valuable genetic resources for future molecular breeding of high-density planting crops.
Topics: Panax; Transcriptome; Light; Arabidopsis; Photosynthesis
PubMed: 35961674
DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac105 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2023The panax genus is a widely used medicinal plant with good biological activity. As one of the main active components of the Panax genus, polysaccharides have various... (Review)
Review
The panax genus is a widely used medicinal plant with good biological activity. As one of the main active components of the Panax genus, polysaccharides have various pharmacological effects. This review summarizes the latest research reports on ginseng, American ginseng, and Panax notoginseng polysaccharides and compares the differences in extraction, isolation and purification, structural characteristics, and biological activities. The current research mainly focuses on ginseng polysaccharides, and the process of extraction, isolation, and structure analysis of each polysaccharide is roughly the same. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that these polysaccharides have antioxidants, antitumor, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, intestinal protection, skin repair, and other biological activities. This review provides new insights into the differences between the three kinds of ginseng polysaccharides which will help to further study the medicinal value of ginseng in traditional Chinese medicine.
Topics: Panax; Polysaccharides; Panax notoginseng; Antioxidants; Plants, Medicinal; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 37175143
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28093733 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jul 2022Although interplays between plant and coevolved microorganisms are believed to drive landscape formation and ecosystem services, the relationships between the mycobiome...
Although interplays between plant and coevolved microorganisms are believed to drive landscape formation and ecosystem services, the relationships between the mycobiome and phytochemical evolution and the evolutionary characteristics of plant-mycobiome interaction patterns are still unclear. The present study explored fungal communities from 405 multiniche samples of three Holarctic disjunct Panax species. The overall mycobiomes showed compartment-dominated variations and dynamic universality. Neutral models were fitted for each compartment at the Panax genus (I) and species (II) levels to infer the community assembly mechanism and identify fungal subgroups potentially representing different plant-fungi interaction results, i.e., the potentially selected, opposed, and neutral taxa. Selection contributed more to the endosphere than to external compartments. The nonneutral taxa showed significant phylogenetic clustering. In Model I, the opposed subgroups could best reflect Panax saponin diversities (r = 0.69), and genera with highly positive correlations to specific saponins were identified using machine learning. Although mycobiomes in the three species differed significantly, subgroups in Model II were phylogenetically clustered based on potential interaction type rather than plant species, indicating potentially conservative plant-fungi interactions. In summary, the finding of strong links between invaders and saponin diversity can help explore the underlying mechanisms of saponin biosynthesis evolution from microbial insights, which is important to understanding the formation of the current landscape. The potential conservatism of plant-fungi interaction patterns suggests that the related genetic modules and selection pressures were convergent across Panax species, advancing our understanding of plant interplay with biotic environments.
Topics: Ecosystem; Fungi; Mycobiome; Panax; Phylogeny; Plants; Saponins; Soil Microbiology
PubMed: 35304141
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154583 -
BioMed Research International 2017Ginseng is a traditional Chinese medicine and has the extensive pharmacological activity. Ginsenosides are the major constituent in ginseng and have the unique... (Review)
Review
Ginseng is a traditional Chinese medicine and has the extensive pharmacological activity. Ginsenosides are the major constituent in ginseng and have the unique biological activity and medicinal value. Ginsenosides have the good effects on antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and inhibition of the cell apoptosis. Studies have showed that the major ginsenosides could be converted into rare ginsenosides, which played a significant role in exerting pharmacological activity. However, the contents of some rare ginsenosides are very little. So it is very important to find the effective way to translate the main ginsenosides to rare ginsenosides. In order to provide the theoretical foundation for the transformation of ginsenoside in vitro, in this paper, many methods of the transformation of ginsenoside were summarized, mainly including physical methods, chemical methods, and biotransformation methods.
Topics: Ginsenosides; Humans; Panax
PubMed: 29387726
DOI: 10.1155/2017/8601027 -
BMC Microbiology Jan 2022The resources of wild ginseng have been reducing sharply, and it is mainly dependent on artificial cultivation in China, Korea and Japan. Based on cultivation modes,... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
BACKGROUND
The resources of wild ginseng have been reducing sharply, and it is mainly dependent on artificial cultivation in China, Korea and Japan. Based on cultivation modes, cultivated ginseng include understory wild ginseng (the seeds or seedlings of cultivated ginseng were planted under the theropencedrymion without human intervention) and farmland cultivated ginseng (grown in farmland with human intervention). Cultivated ginseng, can only be planted on the same plot of land consecutively for several years owing to soilborne diseases, which is mainly because of the variation in the soil microbial community. In contrast, wild ginseng can grow for hundreds of years. However, the knowledge of rhizosphere microbe communities of the wild ginseng is limited.
RESULT
In the present study, the microbial communities in rhizosphere soils of the three types of ginseng were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing of 16 S rRNA for bacteria and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region for fungi. In total, 4,381 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and 2,679 fungal OTUs were identified in rhizosphere soils of the three types of ginseng. Among them, the shared bacterial OTUs was more than fungal OTUs by the three types of ginseng, revealing fungal communities were to be more affected than bacterial communities. In addition, the composition of rhizosphere microbial communities and bacterial diversity were similar between understory wild ginseng and wild ginseng. However, higher bacterial diversity and lower fungal diversity were found in rhizosphere soils of wild ginseng compared with farmland cultivated ginseng. Furthermore, the relative abundance of Chloroflexi, Fusarium and Alternaria were higher in farmland cultivated ginseng compared to wild ginseng and understory wild ginseng.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results showed that composition and diversity of rhizosphere microbial communities were significantly different in three types of ginseng. This study extended the knowledge pedigree of the microbial diversity populating rhizospheres, and provided insights into resolving the limiting bottleneck on the sustainable development of P. ginseng crops, and even the other crops of Panax.
Topics: Bacteria; Crops, Agricultural; Fungi; Microbiota; Panax; Rhizosphere; Soil; Soil Microbiology
PubMed: 34979908
DOI: 10.1186/s12866-021-02421-w -
Plant Biotechnology Journal Nov 2018Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, reputed as the king of medicinal herbs, has slow growth, long generation time, low seed production and complicated genome structure that...
Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, reputed as the king of medicinal herbs, has slow growth, long generation time, low seed production and complicated genome structure that hamper its study. Here, we unveil the genomic architecture of tetraploid P. ginseng by de novo genome assembly, representing 2.98 Gbp with 59 352 annotated genes. Resequencing data indicated that diploid Panax species diverged in association with global warming in Southern Asia, and two North American species evolved via two intercontinental migrations. Two whole genome duplications (WGD) occurred in the family Araliaceae (including Panax) after divergence with the Apiaceae, the more recent one contributing to the ability of P. ginseng to overwinter, enabling it to spread broadly through the Northern Hemisphere. Functional and evolutionary analyses suggest that production of pharmacologically important dammarane-type ginsenosides originated in Panax and are produced largely in shoot tissues and transported to roots; that newly evolved P. ginseng fatty acid desaturases increase freezing tolerance; and that unprecedented retention of chlorophyll a/b binding protein genes enables efficient photosynthesis under low light. A genome-scale metabolic network provides a holistic view of Panax ginsenoside biosynthesis. This study provides valuable resources for improving medicinal values of ginseng either through genomics-assisted breeding or metabolic engineering.
Topics: Adaptation, Biological; Biological Evolution; Diploidy; Genes, Chloroplast; Genes, Plant; Genome, Plant; Ginsenosides; Panax; Tetraploidy
PubMed: 29604169
DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12926 -
BMC Genomics Jun 2023Panax ginseng is a perennial herb and one of the most widely used traditional medicines in China. During its long growth period, it is affected by various environmental...
BACKGROUND
Panax ginseng is a perennial herb and one of the most widely used traditional medicines in China. During its long growth period, it is affected by various environmental factors. Past studies have shown that growth-regulating factors (GRFs) and GRF-interacting factors (GIFs) are involved in regulating plant growth and development, responding to environmental stress, and responding to the induction of exogenous hormones. However, GRF and GIF transcription factors in ginseng have not been reported.
RESULTS
In this study, 20 GRF gene members of ginseng were systematically identified and found to be distributed on 13 chromosomes. The ginseng GIF gene family has only ten members, which are distributed on ten chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis divided these PgGRFs into six clades and PgGIFs into two clades. In total, 18 of the 20 PgGRFs and eight of the ten PgGIFs are segmental duplications. Most PgGRF and PgGIF gene promoters contain some hormone- and stress- related cis-regulatory elements. Based on the available public RNA-Seq data, the expression patterns of PgGRF and PgGIF genes were analysed from 14 different tissues. The responses of the PgGRF gene to different hormones (6-BA, ABA, GA3, IAA) and abiotic stresses (cold, heat, drought, and salt) were studied. The expression of the PgGRF gene was significantly upregulated under GA3 induction and three weeks of heat treatment. The expression level of the PgGIF gene changed only slightly after one week of heat treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study may be helpful for further study of the function of PgGRF and PgGIF genes and lay a foundation for further study of their role in the growth and development of Panax ginseng.
Topics: Phylogeny; Panax; Transcription Factors; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Hormones; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Plant Proteins; Gene Expression Profiling
PubMed: 37328802
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09435-w -
Science China. Life Sciences Mar 2016Ginseng is among the oldest traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and is widely used in China and Southeast Asia. Over the past 50 years, considerable research has focused... (Review)
Review
Ginseng is among the oldest traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and is widely used in China and Southeast Asia. Over the past 50 years, considerable research has focused on the chemical constituents, pharmacological action, and clinical applications of ginseng. In this review, we examine the current state of research on ginseng, including the main active ingredient ginsenoside, its pharmacological effects on the cardiovascular system, and mechanisms of action. We focus on what is known of the effects of ginseng against atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, myocardial ischemia, and its inhibition of ventricular remodeling, providing a basis for expanding the clinical applications of ginseng.
Topics: Animals; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cardiovascular System; Ginsenosides; Humans; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Panax
PubMed: 26798041
DOI: 10.1007/s11427-016-5007-8 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2022flowers have the highest content of saponins compared to the other parts of , but minor ginsenosides have higher pharmacological activity than the main natural...
flowers have the highest content of saponins compared to the other parts of , but minor ginsenosides have higher pharmacological activity than the main natural ginsenosides. Therefore, this study focused on the transformation of the main ginsenosides in flowers to minor ginsenosides using the fungus of isolated from soil. The main ginsenosides Rb, Rb, Rb, and Rc and the notoginsenoside Fa in flowers were transformed into the ginsenosides F and Rd, the notoginsenosides Fd and Fe, and the ginsenoside R; the conversion rates were 100, 100, 100, 88.5, and 100%, respectively. The transformation products were studied by TLC, HPLC, and MS analyses, and the biotransformation pathways of the major ginsenosides were proposed. In addition, the purified enzyme of the fungus was prepared with the molecular weight of 66.4 kDa. The transformation of the monomer ginsenosides by the crude enzyme is consistent with that by the fungus. Additionally, three saponins were isolated from the transformation products and identified as the ginsenoside Rd and the notoginsenosides Fe and Fd by NMR and MS analyses. This study provided a unique and powerful microbial strain for efficiently transformating major ginsenosides in flowers to minor ginsenosides, which will help raise the functional and economic value of the flower.
Topics: Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cladosporium; Flowers; Ginsenosides; Panax; Panax notoginseng; Saponins; Soil
PubMed: 36235151
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196615 -
Journal of Natural Products Jul 2021Monosaccharides play important roles in living organisms. They are present in essential glycoproteins, nucleic acids, and glycolipids as well as cell walls and bioactive...
Monosaccharides play important roles in living organisms. They are present in essential glycoproteins, nucleic acids, and glycolipids as well as cell walls and bioactive natural product glycosides and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides are optically active, and as a routine, scientists make sure that their absolute configurations are determined when new natural glycosides are isolated. Many determination methods for the absolute configuration of monosaccharides have been reported, and thus far, taking advantage of their optical rotation differences is the most used and efficient method to distinguish enantiomers. This method, however, is not very convenient, because it requires a milligram amount of each pure sample and the availability of a polarimeter. Identification methods dealing with comparison of the retention times of the d- and l-diastereomeric monosaccharide derivatives by GC, TLC values, HPLC, or UPLC have been also reported. Although effective, these methods still require sample preparation and a few milligrams of the test compounds. A new method with simple sample preparation to distinguish enantiomers of monosaccharides by analyzing the H NMR spectra of their diastereomeric derivatives has been developed. The monosaccharide components of a commercially available saponin-rich and monoglycosides have been successfully identified using this procedure.
Topics: Biological Products; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Molecular Structure; Monosaccharides; Panax; Stereoisomerism
PubMed: 34191514
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.0c01120