Global transcriptome analysis profiles metabolic pathways in traditional herb Astragalus membranaceus Bge. var. mongolicus (Bge.) Hsiao

摘要

BackgroundAstragalus membranaceus Bge. var. mongolicus (Bge.) Hsiao (A. mongolicus, family Leguminosae) is one of the most important traditional Chinese herbs. Among many secondary metabolites it produces, the effective bioactive constituents include isoflavonoids and triterpene saponins. The genomic resources regarding the biosynthesis of these metabolites in A. mongolicus are limited. Although roots are the primary material harvested for medical use, the biosynthesis of the bioactive compounds and its regulation in A. mongolicus are not well understood. Therefore, a global transcriptome analysis on A. mongolicus tissues was performed to identify the genes essential for the metabolism and to profile their expression patterns in greater details.