Effect of elicitation on terpinen-4-ol production and differential expression analysis of terpenes biosynthesis genes in Zingiber montanum

• Elicitors methyl jasmonate and jasmonic acid had a positive influence while salicylic acid negatively impacted rhizome biomass accumulation in Z. montanum. • The nine genes involved in terpenes biosynthesis pathway showed different expression in response to elicitors. • MeJA and JA led to up-regulation of TPS, along with enhancement of terpinen-4-ol production. • Down-regulated expression of genes ZDS, CYP, HDR, DXR and GDS. • A moderate to good correlation ( r = −0.05 to 0.82) was observed between terpinen-4-ol biosynthesis and gene expression level. Terpenes are among the largest class of secondary metabolites in Zingiber species and they account for the preponderance of diverse biological properties attributed to it. Elicitation has proved to be a well-known strategy to enhance the biosynthesis of secondary metabolite compounds such as terpenes, alkaloids, flavonoids and phenylbutanoids in plant. In the present study, rhizome of Zingiber montanum were treated with abiotic elicitors such as salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and jasmonic acid (JA), and the effect was evaluated on the production of terpinen-4-ol as well as differential expression patterns of genes involved in terpenes biosynthesis of this plant. Quantity of biomass was also evaluated in a time course factorial experiment employing three different concentrations each of SA, MeJA and JA. SA negatively impacted biomass accumulation while MeJA and JA had a positive impact on biomass accumulation. Amongst the elicitors and concentrations used, rhizomes elicited with 500 µM of JA for 72 h led to maximum enhancement of terpinen-4-ol production along with up-regulation of TPS gene. ZDS, CYP, HDR, DXR and GDS were down-regulated whereas ZSS, HMGR, HDS were differentially expressed in all the elicited rhizomes. A moderate to good correlation (Pearson's correlation coefficient, r = -0.05 to 0.82) were evident between terpinen-4-ol biosynthesis and gene expression level. Our results provided insights into the role of MeJA and JA as positive regulators of elicitor induced gene expression and terpinen-4-ol production in Z. montanum plant.