Time-course transcriptomics reveals MeJA-responsive genes in ginseng roots

A time-course transcriptome study of Panax ginseng adventitious roots exposed to methyl jasmonate identified 11,789 differentially expressed genes across 120 hours of induction. The researchers combined RNA sequencing, Gene Ontology annotation, weighted gene co-expression network analysis and measurements of ginsenoside content to characterize the changing transcriptional response and identify gene modules associated with the roots’ ginsenoside phenotype. The work focuses on plant roots in an experimental induction system; it does not test effects in people or demonstrate improved cultivation or medicine production.

The experimental series sampled MeJA-induced roots at 0, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, 108 and 120 hours. By examining this sequence of induction times, the study sought to describe both the scale of differential gene expression and the functional character of the responsive genes as the response unfolded. The researchers used Gene Ontology functional annotation and classification to characterize the genes, then compared these profiles with ginsenoside-content measurements recorded across the same induction period.

The project was designed to investigate regulation of ginsenoside synthesis from two linked perspectives: the response to an inducer and the activity of transcription factors. Methyl jasmonate, abbreviated MeJA, is a phytohormone associated with plant growth and development, resistance to adversity and secondary-metabolite synthesis. At the network level, weighted gene co-expression network analysis was used to identify modules of differentially expressed genes that were significantly associated with the measured ginsenoside-content phenotype.

The researchers then selected functionally important genes from these associated modules and analyzed their interaction networks. This approach provides a way to connect broad temporal patterns in RNA expression with a biochemical trait. It does not by itself demonstrate that MeJA directly regulates a particular gene, that an identified gene directly controls ginsenoside production, or that every observed change was caused solely by MeJA.

Overall, the study presents a temporal view of the MeJA response in ginseng adventitious roots and supplies candidate genes and co-expression modules for further investigation of ginsenoside synthesis and its regulatory mechanisms. Its principal value is the integration of gene-expression trajectories, functional annotations and ginsenoside measurements rather than a reported clinical result. The authors describe the findings as a foundation for interpreting MeJA’s dynamic regulatory role, for identifying potentially important genes in ginsenoside synthesis, and for building a database that can support additional basic research on the molecular mechanisms of ginsenoside production.

Subject of Research: Temporal transcriptomic regulation associated with ginsenoside content in methyl jasmonate-induced ginseng adventitious roots

Article Title: Transcriptome analysis of methyl jasmonate-elicited Panax ginseng adventitious roots to discover the temporal feature of ginsenoside biosynthesis

Article References: Jiang, Y., Wang, S., Li, L., Liu, L., Wang, C., Lin, Y., Zang, K., Li, R., Zhang, M., Wang, Y., & Chen, G. (2026). Transcriptome analysis of methyl jasmonate-elicited Panax ginseng adventitious roots to discover the temporal feature of ginsenoside biosynthesis. BMC Plant Biology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-09129-x

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12870-026-09129-x

Keywords: Panax ginseng, methyl jasmonate, ginsenoside biosynthesis, adventitious roots, transcriptome sequencing, differential gene expression, Gene Ontology, co-expression analysis, secondary metabolites, plant hormones, Transcriptome, analysis