Terpenoid Biosynthetic Pathway in Ferula persica Using Transcriptome Analysis and Metabolome Data

An effort was made to analyze metabolome and transcriptome profiles of Ferula persica via GC-MS and RNA-seq data. The analysis of the essential oils extracted from both flower and root tissues demonstrated the prominence of monoterpene constituents, while sesquiterpene compounds were present in the lower magnitudes. Considering transcriptome analysis, ۲۱۲۷ differentially expressed genes were found between root and flower: ۳۹۶ transcripts were up-regulated in root, while ۱۷۳۱ exhibited an up-regulation pattern in flower. Out of ۲۱۲۷ transcripts, ۸۶ were annotated as Terpene Synthases (TPSs), of which ۸۳ TPSs were classified subsequently into five individual sub-families of TPS-a (۳۳), TPS-b (۴۲), TPS-c (۲), TPSe-f (۳), and TPS-g (۳). Several transcription factor families were recognized among the differentially expressed genes, suggesting their direct or indirect regulatory roles for the biosynthesis of terpenoids in F. persica. Finally, according to our phylogenetic results, both F. assa-foetida and F. gummosa were placed in the same clade, while F. persica was lonely settled in one monophyletic clade, with the estimated divergence time of ۲.۹۹ Million Years Ago (MYA) between F. gummosa and F. assa-foetida, and ۳.۸۷ MYA between F. persica and two other Ferula species.

Keywords:

Ferula persica , Genome evolution , Medicinal plant , Phylogenetic results , RNA-Seq.