Combining transcriptomics and traditional Chinese medicine – a case study in Jasminum elongatum

Abstract

Jasminum elongatum is a herb used in traditional Chinese medicine, and its secondary metabolites contribute significantly to its medicinal properties. There are currently no reports that analyse the biosynthetic pathways in J. elongatum plants. To partially fill this knowledge gap, we sequenced and analysed RNA from three different J. elongatum tissues, namely leaf, stem and root. Differential gene expression analysis was then performed and functional annotation was done on the differentially expressed genes. The enrichment analysis showed that although the leaves and stems are the medicinal parts of the plant, the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites primarily happens in roots, while leaves and stems are enriched for photosynthetic processes. Finally, we identified genes that were involved in the biosynthetic pathways of secologanin, sesquiterpenoids and triterpenoids and monitored their expression in the different tissue types. The transcriptomic analysis conducted in this study revealed key genes involved in biosynthetic pathways of secondary metabolites, and allows for future further research.