Ruifeng Wang

Astragalin (AG), a typical flavonoid found in Thesium chinense Turcz (T. chinense), is abundant in various edible plants and possesses high nutritional value, as well as antioxidant and antibacterial effects. In this study, we initially predicted the mechanism of action of AG with two anti-aging and antioxidant-related protein targets (CD38 and IGFR) by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation techniques. Subsequently, we examined the anti-aging effects of AG in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), the antioxidant effects in zebrafish, and verified the related molecular mechanisms. In C. elegans, AG synergistically extended the lifespan of C. elegans by up-regulating the expression of daf-16 through inhibiting the expression of daf-2/IGFR and also activating the AMPK and MAPK pathways to up-regulate the expression of sir-2.1, sir-2.4, and skn-1. In oxidatively damaged zebrafish embryos, AG demonstrated a synergistic effect in augmenting the resistance of zebrafish embryos to oxidative stress by up-regulating the expression levels of SIRT1 and SIRT6 within the zebrafish embryos system via the suppression of CD38 enzymatic activity and then inhibiting the expression of IGFR through high levels of SIRT6. These findings highlight the antioxidant and anti-aging properties of AG and indicate its potential application as a supplementary ingredient in aquaculture for enhancing fish health and growth.

Background: Thesium chinense known as the “plant antibiotic” is a facultative root hemi-parasitic herb while Prunella vulgaris can serve as its host. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the communication between T. chinense and its host remained largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive view of transferred metabolites and mobile mRNAs exchanged between T. chinense and P. vulgaris. Results: The wide-target metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis identified 5 transferred metabolites (ethylsalicylate, eriodictyol-7-O-glucoside, aromadendrin-7-O-glucoside, pruvuloside B, 2-ethylpyrazine) and 50 mobile genes between T. chinense and P. vulgaris, as well as haustoria formation related 56 metabolites and 44 genes. There were 4 metabolites (ethylsalicylate, eriodictyol-7-O-glucoside, aromadendrin-7-O-glucoside and pruvuloside B) that are transferred from P. vulgaris to T. chinense, whereas 2-ethylpyrazine was transferred in the opposite direction. Furthermore, we inferred a regulatory network potentially involved in haustoria formation, where three metabolites (N,N′-Dimethylarginine/SDMA, NG,NG-Dimethyl-L-arginine, 2-Acetoxymethyl-anthraquinone) showed significant positive correlations with the majority of haustoria formation-related genes. Conclusions: These results suggested that there was an extensive exchange of information with P. vulgaris including transferred metabolites and mobile mRNAs, which might facilitate the haustoria formation and parasition of T. chinense.

Background: Thesium chinense known as “plant antibiotic” is a facultative root hemi-parasitic herb while Prunella vulgaris can serve as its host. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the communication between T. chinense and its host remained largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive view of transferred metabolites and mobile mRNAs between T. chinense and P. vulgaris . Results: The wide-target metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis identified 5 transferred metabolites and 668 mobile genes between T. chinense and P. vulgaris , as well as haustoria formation related 56 metabolites and 189 genes. Furthermore, we inferred a regulatory network that might be involved in haustoria formation, and 18 genes promoting haustoria formation and 1 gene inhibiting it were identified as a consequence. There were 4 metabolites (ethylsalicylate, eriodictyol-7-O-glucoside, aromadendrin-7-O-glucoside and pruvuloside B) that are transferred from P. vulgaris to T. chinense , whereas 2-ethylpyrazine was transferred from T. chinense to P. vulgaris . Conclusions: These results suggested that there was an extensive exchange of information with P. vulgaris including transferred metabolites and mobile mRNAs, which might facilitate the haustoria formation and parasition of T. chinense . Author summary: T. chinense known as “plant antibiotic” is a facultative root hemi-parasitic herb while P. vulgaris can serve as its host. Currently, the information exchange between T. chinense and its host remained unknown, and a comprehensive view of transferred metabolites and mobile mRNAs between T. chinense and its host is critical so that appropriate chemical and genetic improvement can be used to facilitate haustoria formation and successful parasitism. Here, we employ the conjoint wide-target metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis to explore the information exchange between T. chinense and P. vulgaris. We identified 5 transferred metabolites and 668 mobile genes between T. chinense and P. vulgaris , as well as haustoria formation related 56 metabolites and 189 genes. Our study provides new insights into the complex interplay between parasite and host during parasitism.