Effects of phosphorus stress on the growth and secondary metabolism of Artemisia argyi

• Published in: Journal of plant research Vol. 136; no. 6; pp. 879 - 889
• Main Authors: Wang, Zixin, Ma, Lin, Chen, Changjie, Guo, Lujuan, Guo, Lanping, Zhao, Tingting, Liu, Dahui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 01-11-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acids; Artemisia argyi; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Chlorogenic acid; Economic importance; Energy metabolism; Enzymatic activity; Enzyme activity; Flavonoids; Gene expression; Gene regulation; Genes; Leaves; Life Sciences; Metabolic pathways; Metabolism; Molecular modelling; Phenolic acids; Phenols; Phosphorus; Photosynthesis; Plant Biochemistry; Plant biomass; Plant Ecology; Plant growth; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plants; Plants (botany); Regular Paper – Physiology/Biochemistry/Molecular and Cellular Biology; Stress response; Terpenes; Transcriptomics; Flavonoids; Transcriptome analysis; Volatile oil; Phosphorus fertilizer; Secondary metabolism; Stress; Artemisia argyi
• ISSN: 0918-9440; 1618-0860
• DOI: 10.1007/s10265-023-01479-z

Phosphorus is essential in critical plant processes such as signaling, photosynthesis, energy metabolism, and enzyme activity during respiration. Phosphorus stress therefore has a significant impact on plant growth and metabolism. Here, we characterized the biochemical responses of
Artemisia argyi
Level.
et
Vant to low phosphorus (LP) and high phosphorus (HP) stress. Plants were treated with 0 g (LP), 1.5 g (control), or 3 g (HP) P per 10 kg of soil. The results demonstrated that CK encouraged the most plant growth, as quantified by leaf size and plant biomass. We also found that the total amounts of phenolic and flavonoid compounds (such as chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid B, isochlorogenic acid C, cryptochlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, hispidulin, jaceosidin, eupatilin, and casticin) were increased in the leaves of
A. argyi
plants exposed to LP stress compared to those raised under CK conditions. The levels of these compounds were inversely related to the amount of phosphorus added, and therefore peaked in plants treated with LP stress. Levels of terpenoids were also found to fluctuate under LP and HP stress compared to CK conditions. Furthermore, transcriptomic analyses showed up-regulation of several genes encoding key enzymes in the flavonoid and phenolic acid metabolic pathways under LP stress. There were also alterations in the expression levels of genes in the methylerythritol 4-phosphate and mevalonate pathways of terpene synthesis. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying phosphorus stress responses and their impacts on the growth and quality of the economically important species
A. argyi
.