Accumulation of Secondary Metabolites and Improved Size of Glandular Trichomes in Artemisia annua

Abstract

Glandular trichomes are multicellular epidermal outgrowths that have characteristic globular head made up of secretory cells and store large quantities of specialized secondary metabolites. Artemisia annua is known for its medicinally important secondary metabolite “artemisinin” which is synthesized and stored in glandular trichomes. However, our understanding of morphological and transcriptional control related to glandular trichome development and accumulation of secondary metabolites in A. annua is available in scattered form. This chapter deals with the trichome biology including developmental and functional aspects along with their correlation with secondary metabolite accumulation in response to various biotic and abiotic signals of the environment using A. annua as model. This chapter also emphasizes the molecular mechanisms behind trichome development in A. annua and provides a glimpse of molecular players involved in this process. There are many environmental as well as intrinsic factors which directly or indirectly affect secondary metabolite synthesis and as a result determine the size of glandular trichomes. The compiled information available for A. annua trichome biology can further be utilized for exploring trichome engineering in many medicinal or aromatic plants which are less explored. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.