Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Ammonium/Nitrate Ratio Affects the Growth and Shikonin Accumulation in Arnebia euchroma

Linyuan Shi
,
Jiuwen Liang
,
Ruishan Wang
,
Xiufu Wan
,
Binbin Yan
ORCID logo ,
Yan Zhang
,
Meilan Chen
,
Changzheng Liu
,
Qi Li
,
Sheng Wang
* ,
Lanping Guo
*
Version 1 : Received: 20 April 2023 / Approved: 21 April 2023 / Online: 21 April 2023 (03:30:29 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Shi, L.; Liang, J.; Wang, R.; Wan, X.; Yan, B.; Zhang, Y.; Chen, M.; Liu, C.; Li, Q.; Wang, S.; Guo, L. The Ammonium/Nitrate Ratio Affects the Growth and Shikonin Accumulation in Arnebia euchroma. Agronomy 2023, 13, 1318. Shi, L.; Liang, J.; Wang, R.; Wan, X.; Yan, B.; Zhang, Y.; Chen, M.; Liu, C.; Li, Q.; Wang, S.; Guo, L. The Ammonium/Nitrate Ratio Affects the Growth and Shikonin Accumulation in Arnebia euchroma. Agronomy 2023, 13, 1318.

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) strongly affects plant growth and metabolism. For shikonin biosynthesis, although the ammonium toxicity phenomenon has been reported, the effects of nitrogen on the shikonin synthesis remains obscure. In this study, we carried out four different concentrations of NH4+ treatments on Arnebia euchroma hairy roots (AEHR) to clarify the influence of NH4+ on the growth and shikonin accumulation in A. euchroma and the possible mechanism. The results showed that compared with the 0% NH4+ treatment (only nitrate as nitrogen source), 10% NH4+ treatment increased the fresh weight and the dry weight of AEHR, and promoted the synthesis of shikonins; 20% NH4+ treatment started to show the inhibition effects on growth and shikonin accumulation of AEHR and 30% NH4+ treatment exhibited the strongest inhibition effects. With increased percentage of NH4+, AEHRs became shorter and thicker with more branches. To further elucidate the mechanism, we analyzed the time-course of nitrogen assimilation, gene expression level of key enzymes involved in the shikonin biosynthesis pathway, and contents of various endogenous hormones under NH4+ toxicity condition. Results indicated that auxin and cytokinin might regulate the growth and architecture of AEHR under NH4+ toxicity, and jasmonate level was reduced along with the inhibition of shikonin biosynthesis. This first comprehensive investigation into the effects of ammonium/nitrate ratio on shikonin biosynthesis not only provided valuable data for optimizing the in vitro culture and shikonin production in A. euchroma, but also suggested potential fertilizer strategies for its cultivation.

Keywords

ammonium/nitrate ratio; Arnebia euchroma; shikonin; hairy root; ammonium toxicity

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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