COMT, CRTZ, and F3′H regulate glycyrrhizic acid biosynthesis in Glycyrrhiza uralensis hairy roots

Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. is prescribed as one of the original plants licorice in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. This herbal medicine possesses numerous pharmacological activities and has been used clinic China since ancient times. Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) a triterpenoid compound isolated from G. uralensis. It often marker components for medicinal quality herb. Previously, we showed that expression levels three genes were inversely correlated with content GA, including caffeic 3-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT), β-carotene 3-hydroxylase (CRTZ), flavonoid 3′-monooxygenase (F3′H). In this study, main aim to determine roles on GA production through knockout overexpression hairy roots. We observed neither nor any affected viability transgenic roots, indicating these are not essential survival Compared wild type negative control was significantly lower roots overexpressing COMT, CRTZ, or F3′H, but higher those anyone knocked out. Our findings demonstrate genes, all negatively regulate biosynthesis.