红花原以染料引入中原，栽培区域曾较广泛，汉唐始入药，后发展为活血化瘀要药，四川简阳、河南封丘逐步成其道地产区。但目前约80%红花产自新疆，产区演变的科学内涵及环境与品质的内在关系如何？植物次生代谢产物多样性源自其长期响应环境的结果，也是中药安全和有效性的物质基础。黄酮类成分红花黄色素是红花主要活性物质，我们认为“生物合成功能基因响应环境胁迫导致有效成分累积变化，是红花道地产区形成与变迁的内生驱动力”，本研究以红花试管苗为研究对象，以药用部位化学表征、基因表达及对环境胁迫响应为切入点，开展道地产区/主产区环境的模拟培养及胁迫增强培养，筛选出与红花品质密切相关的胁迫生态因子，采用比较转录组学筛选差异表达基因，挖掘红花黄酮类成分生物合成相关功能基因，探究“环境胁迫-基因表达-成分积累”三者的内在关联，以期阐明红花道地产区形成与变迁的分子内涵，也为探索药材道地性形成机制提供新的思路和方法。

Carthamus tinctorius L. (safflower), introduced as a dye at the beginning, is broadly cultivated and used as a TCM. in China since Han and Tang dynasties. Its genuine producing areas used to be Jianyang, Sichuan and Fengqiu, Henan, however, 80% of the safflower in market is now from Xinjiang.Previous study suggested that safflower yellow（SY）, a flavonoid, is the major effective substance in safflower; and the variation of secondary metabolites in plants, the material basis of safety and efficacy of TCM, is due to their long-term response to the change of environment.Based on our preliminary data, we propose that “SY biosynthetic genes’ response to environmental stresses is the reason of variation of SY in safflower harvested from different areas, and thus is the cause of formation and change of its genuine producing areas”.In this project, safflower test-tube plantlet will be used for chemical characterization of secondary metabolites and comparative transcriptomics analysis aiming to: screen for genes expressed differently under various simulated environment; find genes involved in SY biosynthesis; and elucidate the relationship among ecological factors, expression level of SY biosynthetic genes and accumulation of SY in safflower. Our study will provide molecular evidences of formation and change of safflower genuine producing areas, and suggest a new idea of improving cultivation of medicinal plants.