Integrated analysis on biochemical profiling and transcriptome revealed nitrogen-driven difference in accumulation of saponins in a medicinal plant Panax notoginseng

The medicinal plant Panax notoginseng is considered a promising source of secondary metabolites due to its saponins. However, there are relatively few studies on the response of saponins to nitrogen (N) availability and the mechanisms underlying the N-driven regulation of saponins. Saponins content and saponins -related genes were analyzed in roots of P. notoginseng grown under low N (LN), moderate N (MN) and high N (HN). Saponins was obviously increased in LN individuals with a reduction in β-glucosidase activity. LN facilitated root architecture and N uptake rate. Compared with the LN individuals, 2872 and 1122 genes were incorporated into as differently expressed genes (DEGs) in the MN and HN individuals. Clustering and enrichment showed that DEGs related to “carbohydrate biosynthesis”, “plant hormone signal transduction”, “terpenoid backbone biosynthesis”, “sesquiterpenoid and triterpenoid biosynthesis” were enriched. The up-regulation of some saponins-related genes and microelement transporters was found in LN plants. Whereas the expression of IPT3, AHK4 and GS2 in LN plants fell far short of that in HN ones. Anyways, LN-induced accumulation of C-based metabolites as saponins might derive from the interaction between N and phytohormones in processing of N acquisition, and HN-induced reduction of saponins might be result from an increase in the form of β-glucosidase activity and N-dependent cytokinins (CKs) biosynthesis.