Effect of Ca2＋-Mediated Endophytic Fungal Elicitors on Essential Oil Accumulation in Suspension Cells of Cinnamomum longepaniculatum

Calcium ion (Ca2) is a signal molecule that plays crucial roles in plant secondary metabolism. In order to explore the signaling mechanism of endophytic fungal elicitors (Penicillium commune 2J1) for promoting essential oil accumulation in Cinnamomum longepaniculatum, changes in the contents of Ca2 and essential oil were investigated after the addition of elicitors to the C. longepaniculatumcultures. The essential oil contents in C. longepaniculatum cells were increased upon addition of the CaCl3 into the culture. The concentration of Ca2 was suppressed and the essential oil contents decreased after the Ca2 channel blocker (LaCl3) was added into the cell cultures. LaCl3 did not completely inhibit essential oil accumulation in C. longepaniculatum cells induced by endophytic fungal elicitors. Based on these experimental results, adding elicitors were found to significantly increase Ca2 concentration and essential oil synthesis in C. longepaniculatum cells. Reliable evidence that Ca2can effectively mediate endophytic fungal elicitors to promote essential oil synthesis in C. longepaniculatum cells is presented in this study. It is further demonstrated that endophytic fungal elicitors may facilitate essential oil synthesis in C. longepaniculatum suspension cells through other signal transduction pathways.