An Investigation of the JAZ Family and the CwMYC2-like Protein to Reveal Their Regulation Roles in the MeJA-Induced Biosynthesis of β-Elemene in .

β-Elemene (CH), a sesquiterpenoid compound isolated from the volatile oil of , has been proven to be effective for multiple cancers and is widely used in clinical treatment. Unfortunately, the β-elemene content in is very low, which cannot meet market demands. Our previous research showed that methyl jasmonate (MeJA) induced the accumulation of β-elemene in . However, the regulatory mechanism is unclear. In this study, 20 jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ) proteins in were identified, which are the core regulatory factors of the JA signaling pathway. Then, the conservative domains, motifs composition, and evolutionary relationships of CwJAZs were analyzed comprehensively and systematically. The interaction analysis indicated that CwJAZs can form homodimers or heterodimers. Fifteen out of twenty were significantly induced via MeJA treatment. As the master switch of the JA signaling pathway, the CwMYC2-like protein has also been identified and demonstrated to interact with CwJAZ2/3/4/5/7/15/17/20. Further research found that the overexpression of the - gene increased the accumulation of β-elemene in leaves. Simultaneously, the expressions of , , , , , , , and related to β-elemene biosynthesis were also up-regulated by the CwMYC2-like protein. These results indicate that CwJAZs and the CwMYC2-like protein respond to the JA signal to regulate the biosynthesis of β-elemene in .