Recently, a team led by Professor Kuai-Fei Xia from the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Professor Meng-Ling He from the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, has recently achieved significant advancements in understanding the molecular regulation of patchoulol biosynthesis in Pogostemon cablin (P. cablin). Their research findings have been published in the BMC Plant Biology.

Patchoulol, a valuable compound belonging to the sesquiterpenoid family, is the primary component of patchouli oil produced by Pogostemon cablin (P. cablin). It has a variety of pharmacological and biological activities and is widely used in the medical and cosmetic industries. However, despite its significance, there is a lack of research on the transcriptional modulation of patchoulol biosynthesis.

Dr. Jian Li, the primary author of the study, noted an increase in the transcription level of PatWRKY71 following SA treatment. Additionally, PatWRKY71 was found to bind to the promoter of PatPTS, enhancing its expression. When PatWRKY71 was silenced, there was a decrease in both its own expression and that of PatPTS, leading to a reduction in patchoulol biosynthesis. Heterologous expression of PatWRKY71 in Arabidopsis resulted in heightened salt sensitivity and Cd sensitivity, along with an increase in ROS production.

The studies have uncovered the regulatory function of PatWRKY71 in both patchoulol biosynthesis and plant defense response. This finding offers a theoretical foundation for enhancing patchoulol content and increasing P. cablin resistance through genetic engineering. The article link is: DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04660-7

First author information: Jian Li: Associate Professor, Agriculture and Biotechnology Research Center, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Research field: Sphingolipid and Plant Resistance, E-mail: lijian76@scbg.ac.cn; Tel :13560410991.

PatWRKY71 bound to the promoter of PatPTS and activated the transcription of PatPTS in N. benthamiana leaves. Heterologous expression of PatWRKY71 increased salt sensitivity and Cd sensitivity in Arabidopsis.