Physiological performance, secondary metabolite and expression profiling of genes associated with drought tolerance in Withania somnifera

• DOI: 10.1007/s00709-015-0771-z
• Publication Date: 2015-02-18T08:30:00Z
• Authors: Sanchita; Ruchi Singh; Anand Mishra; Sunita S. Dhawan; Pramod A. Shirke; Madan M. Gupta; Ashok Sharma
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Plants, Medicinal; Time Factors; Acclimatization; Gene Expression Profiling; Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins; Withania; 15. Life on land; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; 6. Clean water; Droughts; Plant Leaves; 03 medical and health sciences; Osmoregulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Stress, Physiological; Metabolomics; Photosynthesis; Withanolides; Plant Proteins

Physiological, biochemical, and gene expression responses under drought stress were studied in Withania somnifera. Photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, relative water content, chlorophyll content, and quantum yield of photosystems I and II (PSI and PSII) decreased in response to drought stress. Comparative expression of genes involved in osmoregulation, detoxification, signal transduction, metabolism, and transcription factor was analyzed through quantitative RT-PCR. The genes encoding 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), serine threonine-protein kinase (STK), serine threonine protein phosphatase (PSP), aldehyde dehydrogenase (AD), leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase/anthocyanin synthase (LD/AS), HSP, MYB, and WRKY have shown upregulation in response to drought stress condition in leaf tissues. Enhanced detoxification and osmoregulation along with increased withanolides production were also observed under drought stress. The results of this study will be helpful in developing stress-tolerant and high secondary metabolite yielding genotypes.