Artemisinin (AN), a sesquiterpene, derived from the herb, Artemisia annua is the most widely used anti-malarial compound. Current production is insufficient to meet the growing demand for this important drug. Many experiments have been done to try and deduce what factors may be important to increased yield. Here is is shown that many disparate phenomena known to induce AN production may be linked under the umbrella of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To that end, the metabolite and transcriptional changes associated with the transition from vegetative growth to flowering have been investigated. In addition, the role that exogenous sugars play in modulating these same factors has been explored in young seedlings. Lastly, exposure to DMSO was shown to increase AN production and that it may be linked to ROS. These combined results wered further explored to determine the effects of direct ROS elicitation and subsequent quenching on the production of AN and related metabolites. Information gained here supported a new alternative hypothesis for the role of ROS in AN production, one in which hydrogen peroxide may be controlling the balance of deoxyartemisinin (deoxyAN) and AN.

Creator

• Arsenault, Patrick Ryan

Contributors

• Argüello, José M.
• Rao, Reeta Prusty
• Wobbe, Kristin K.
• Weathers, Pamela J.
• Lorence, Argelia

Degree

• PhD

Unit

• Biology & Biotechnology

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Language

• English

Identifier

• etd-042710-144413

Keyword

• reactive oxygen s
• artemisinin, sugars, metabolism, development

Advisor

• Weathers, Pamela

Committee

• Argüello, José
• Rao, Reeta Prusty
• Lorence, Argelia
• Wobbe, Kristin K.

Defense date

• 2010-04-15

Year

• 2010

Date created

• 2010-04-27

Resource type

• Dissertation

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2021-12-14