Field Density Variation and Metabolite Profiling Reveal Transcriptome Mechanisms Driving Salt-Responsive Root Flavone Accumulation in Scutellaria baicalensis
- 1Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
- 2Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Urumqi 830010, China
- 3Department of Poultry Science, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA
Abstract
Root flavones, especially baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside, and wogonin, contribute substantially to the medicinal quality of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. In the arid and semi-arid regions where this crop is grown, salinized soils constrain establishment but reshape specialized metabolism. We used field density trials, salt-stress experiments, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and time-series RNA-seq, followed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), to ask whether agronomic practices and salt-induced transcriptional changes alter root flavone content. Planting density showed a clear yield-quality trade-off: higher density increased belowground biomass per unit area but reduced individual root growth and flavone content, with 150 plants·m−2 providing a practical balance between population yield and root quality under the tested Xinjiang field conditions. In established seedlings, 0.5% NaCl caused no visible damage over 24 h and specifically raised baicalin and baicalein at 12 h, whereas wogonoside and wogonin (the wogonin-type flavones) remained nearly unchanged. Time-series RNA-seq identified thousands of differentially expressed genes between 2 and 24 h. WGCNA identified a turquoise module (one of the color-named co-expression modules) that was enriched for genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and cytoskeletal/microtubule processes. Salt-responsive NAC, MYB and WRKY transcription factors co-expressed with core structural genes (PAL, 4CL, CHS, CHI); one candidate, SbNAC86, was up-regulated mainly at 24 h after the metabolite peak, consistent with a potential role in the later phase of the response rather than in triggering the initial accumulation peak. These findings outline the temporal dynamics of salt-induced branch-selective flavone accumulation and suggest candidate regulators for functional validation, with implications for quality-focused cultivation on saline marginal lands.
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BibTeX
@article{lin2026field,
title = {{Field Density Variation and Metabolite Profiling Reveal Transcriptome Mechanisms Driving Salt-Responsive Root Flavone Accumulation in Scutellaria baicalensis}},
author = {Zirun Lin and Yaxin Zhang and Chenjie Zhao and Kun Zhao and Denglin Ma and Tao Zhang and Manhong Wang and Hua Yao},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27208996},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/8996},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Field Density Variation and Metabolite Profiling Reveal Transcriptome Mechanisms Driving Salt-Responsive Root Flavone Accumulation in Scutellaria baicalensis
AU - Zirun Lin
AU - Yaxin Zhang
AU - Chenjie Zhao
AU - Kun Zhao
AU - Denglin Ma
AU - Tao Zhang
AU - Manhong Wang
AU - Hua Yao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/11
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27208996
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/8996
AB - Root flavones, especially baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside, and wogonin, contribute substantially to the medicinal quality of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. In the arid and semi-arid regions where this crop is grown, salinized soils constrain establishment but reshape specialized metabolism. We used field density trials, salt-stress experiments, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and time-series RNA-seq, followed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), to ask whether agronomic practices and salt-induced transcriptional changes alter root flavone content. Planting density showed a clear yield-quality trade-off: higher density increased belowground biomass per unit area but reduced individual root growth and flavone content, with 150 plants·m−2 providing a practical balance between population yield and root quality under the tested Xinjiang field conditions. In established seedlings, 0.5% NaCl caused no visible damage over 24 h and specifically raised baicalin and baicalein at 12 h, whereas wogonoside and wogonin (the wogonin-type flavones) remained nearly unchanged. Time-series RNA-seq identified thousands of differentially expressed genes between 2 and 24 h. WGCNA identified a turquoise module (one of the color-named co-expression modules) that was enriched for genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and cytoskeletal/microtubule processes. Salt-responsive NAC, MYB and WRKY transcription factors co-expressed with core structural genes (PAL, 4CL, CHS, CHI); one candidate, SbNAC86, was up-regulated mainly at 24 h after the metabolite peak, consistent with a potential role in the later phase of the response rather than in triggering the initial accumulation peak. These findings outline the temporal dynamics of salt-induced branch-selective flavone accumulation and suggest candidate regulators for functional validation, with implications for quality-focused cultivation on saline marginal lands.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -