Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Research on the Germination Process of Panax ginseng Overwintering Buds

Abstract

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) is a perennial plant with a long dormancy period. While some researchers employ gibberellin and other substances to stimulate premature germination, this method is limited to laboratory settings and cannot be applied to the field cultivation of ginseng. The mechanism underlying the germination of ginseng overwintering buds remains largely unexplored. Understanding the internal changes during the dormancy release process in the overwintering buds would facilitate the discovery of potential genes, metabolites, or regulatory pathways associated with it. In this study, we approximately determined the onset of dormancy release through morphological observations and investigated the process of dormancy release in ginseng overwintering buds using transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches. Our analyses revealed that the germination process of ginseng overwintering buds is regulated by multiple plant hormones, each acting at different times. Among these, abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA) serve as classical signaling molecules regulating the dormancy process, while other hormones may promote the subsequent growth of overwintering buds. Additionally, metabolic pathways associated with arginine may be involved in the dormancy release process. Polyamines synthesized downstream may promote the growth of overwintering buds after dormancy release and participate in subsequent reproductive growth. This study provides insights into the germination process of ginseng overwintering buds at the molecular level and serves as a reference for further exploration of the detailed mechanism underlying ginseng overwintering germination in the future.