Inhibition of target of rapamycin signaling suppresses growth and andrographolide biosynthesis in Andrographis paniculata

The target of rapamycin (TOR) is a central regulator of growth-defense trade-offs in plants; however, its role in secondary metabolite biosynthesis in medicinal plants remains unclear. This study investigated the metabolic and transcriptional mechanisms by which TOR signaling modulates both plant growth and andrographolide accumulation in Andrographis paniculata, employing the TOR inhibitor AZD-8055 (AZD). We found that treatment with 5 µmol·L− 1 AZD significantly suppressed plant growth and red