Fig. 5

Expression patterns of shikonin biosynthesis-related genes regulated by LeEIL-1. (a) The metabolic pathway outline for the biosynthesis of shikonin and its derivatives. The genes encoding crucial enzymes of this pathway are marked in bold and italic fonts; (b) Transcript levels of the key shikonin biosynthesis-related gene in EV, Ei, and EO hairy root lines cultured in M9 medium for 6 days. A representative example from two biological experiments is shown; the values are means ± SD (n = 3) and the bars with different capital letters indicate significant differences at P < 0.01 (Least Significant Difference)