Production of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones in Aquilaria sinensis calli under different treatments

• Published in: Plant cell, tissue and organ culture tissue and organ culture, 2018-10, Vol.135 (1), p.53-62
• Main Authors: Dong, Xianjuan, Gao, Bowen, Feng, Yingying, Liu, Xiao, Wang, Juan, Wang, Jinling, Tu, Pengfei, Wang, Xiaohui, Shi, Shepo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abiotic stress; Abscisic acid; Ammonium sulfate; Aquilaria sinensis; Aromatic compounds; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biosynthesis; Calcium chloride; Cold treatment; Congeners; Drought; Hormones; Incense; Life Sciences; Original Article; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant Pathology; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Resins; Stresses
• ISSN: 0167-6857; 1573-5044
• DOI: 10.1007/s11240-018-1442-5

2-(2-Phenylethyl)chromones are main classes of aromatic compounds isolated from agarwood, the resinous portion derived from Aquilaria sinensis used as traditional medicine, incense and perfume. However, the mechanisms of biosynthesis of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones and agarwood formation are still unknown. Previous studies indicated that 6,7-dimethoxy-2-[2-(4′-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]chromone (AH 8 ) and 6,7-dimethoxy-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone (AH 6 ) were more sensitive to salt stress and can be used as markers to analyze the production of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones. In this study, the content of AH 6 and AH 8 was analyzed by an AB Sciex 5500 Qtrap mass spectrometer and the congeners of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones were detected by LC-DAD-IT-TOF-MS system in A. sinensis calli under various abiotic stresses and hormone treatments. Among the abiotic stresses, salt and drought stress remarkably increased the production of AH 6 and AH 8 , and could induce 41 and 23 species of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones, respectively. However, cold treatment has little influence on the production of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones. Ion stresses induced by KNO 3 , CaCl 2 , and (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 also significantly increased the content of AH 6 and AH 8 , and could induced 14, 18, and 14 congeners of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones, respectively. Exogenous hormones including MeJA, SA and ABA induced a small amount of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones in calli within 20 days, while 6, 5, and 7 species of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones were detected after MeJA, SA and ABA treatment, respectively. Our study would provide solid basis for further research on biosynthesis of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones and agarwood formation.