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Zhang Y, Jin J, Zhu S, Sun Q, Zhang Y, Xie Z, Ye J, Deng X. Citrus β-carotene hydroxylase 2 (BCH2) participates in xanthophyll synthesis by catalyzing the hydroxylation of β-carotene and compensates for BCH1 in citrus carotenoid metabolism. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2023; 10:uhac290. [PMID: 36938563 PMCID: PMC10018782 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
As an essential horticultural crop, Citrus has carotenoid diversity, which affects its aesthetic and nutritional values. β,β-Xanthophylls are the primary carotenoids accumulated in citrus fruits, and non-heme di-iron carotene hydroxylase (BCH) enzymes are mainly responsible for β,β-xanthophyll synthesis. Previous studies have focused on the hydroxylation of BCH1, but the role of its paralogous gene in citrus, BCH2, remains largely unknown. In this study, we revealed the β-hydroxylation activity of citrus BCH2 (CsBCH2) for the first time through the functional complementation assay using Escherichia coli, although CsBCH2 exhibited a lower activity in hydroxylating β-carotene into β-cryptoxanthin than citrus BCH1 (CsBCH1). Our results showed that overexpression of CsBCH2 in citrus callus increased xanthophyll proportion and plastoglobule size with feedback regulation of carotenogenic gene expression. This study revealed the distinct expression patterns and functional characteristics of two paralogous genes, CsBCH1 and CsBCH2, and illustrated the backup compensatory role of CsBCH2 for CsBCH1 in citrus xanthophyll biosynthesis. The independent function of CsBCH2 and its cooperative function with CsBCH1 in β-cryptoxanthin biosynthesis suggested the potential of CsBCH2 to be employed for expanding the synthetic biology toolkit in carotenoid engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingzi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jiajing Jin
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Shenchao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Quan Sun
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Zongzhou Xie
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Junli Ye
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
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Zacarías-García J, Cronje PJ, Diretto G, Zacarías L, Rodrigo MJ. A comprehensive analysis of carotenoids metabolism in two red-fleshed mutants of Navel and Valencia sweet oranges ( Citrus sinensis). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1034204. [PMID: 36330241 PMCID: PMC9623303 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1034204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Kirkwood Navel and Ruby Valencia are two spontaneous bud mutations of the respective parental lines of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) Palmer Navel and Olinda Valencia, showing an atypical red pigmentation of the pulp. These red-fleshed varieties are commercially available and highly attractive for consumers but their carotenoid metabolism and the basis of the mutation have not been investigated. The red colour of Kirkwood and Ruby pulp was observed from the very early stages of fruit development until full maturity and associated with an altered carotenoid profiling. The red-fleshed varieties accumulated from 6- up to 1000-times more total carotenoids compared to the standard oranges. Specifically, the pulp of Kirkwood and Ruby accumulated large amounts of phytoene and phytofluene, and moderate contents of lycopene. Moreover, the red-fleshed oranges contained other unusual carotenes as δ-carotene, and lower concentrations of downstream products such as β,β-xanthophylls, abscisic acid (ABA) and ABA-glucosyl ester. This peculiar profile was associated with chromoplasts with lycopene crystalloid structures and round vesicles likely containing colourless carotenes. The flavedo and leaves of Kirkwood and Ruby showed minor changes in carotenoids, mainly limited to higher levels of phytoene. The carotenoid composition in Kirkwood and Ruby fruits was not explained by differences in the transcriptional profile of 26 genes related to carotenoid metabolism, covering the main steps of biosynthesis, catabolism and other processes related to carotenoid accumulation. Moreover, sequence analysis of the lycopene cyclase genes revealed no alterations in those of the red-fleshed oranges compared to the genes of the standard varieties. A striking event observed in Kirkwood and Ruby trees was the reddish coloration of the inner side of the bark tissue, with larger amounts of phytoene, accumulation of lycopene and lower ABA content. These observation lead to the conclusion that the mutation is not only manifested in fruit, affecting other carotenogenic tissues of the mutant plants, but with different consequences in the carotenoid profile. Overall, the carotenoid composition in the red-fleshed mutants suggests a partial blockage of the lycopene β-cyclization in the carotenoid pathway, rendering a high accumulation of carotenes upstream lycopene and a reduced flow to downstream xanthophylls and ABA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Zacarías-García
- Departamento de Biotecnología de Alimentos, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Paul J. Cronje
- Citrus Research International (CRI), Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Gianfranco Diretto
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Development (ENEA), Biotechnology Laboratory, Casaccia Research Center, Roma, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Zacarías
- Departamento de Biotecnología de Alimentos, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - María Jesús Rodrigo
- Departamento de Biotecnología de Alimentos, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
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Borredá C, Perez-Roman E, Talon M, Terol J. Comparative transcriptomics of wild and commercial Citrus during early ripening reveals how domestication shaped fruit gene expression. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 22:123. [PMID: 35300613 PMCID: PMC8928680 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-022-03509-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Interspecific hybridizations and admixtures were key in Citrus domestication, but very little is known about their impact at the transcriptomic level. To determine the effects of genome introgressions on gene expression, the transcriptomes of the pulp and flavedo of three pure species (citron, pure mandarin and pummelo) and four derived domesticated genetic admixtures (sour orange, sweet orange, lemon and domesticated mandarin) have been analyzed at color break. RESULTS Many genes involved in relevant physiological processes for domestication, such sugar/acid metabolism and carotenoid/flavonoid synthesis, were differentially expressed among samples. In the low-sugar, highly acidic species lemon and citron, many genes involved in sugar metabolism, the TCA cycle and GABA shunt displayed a reduced expression, while the P-type ATPase CitPH5 and most subunits of the vacuolar ATPase were overexpressed. The red-colored species and admixtures were generally characterized by the overexpression in the flavedo of specific pivotal genes involved in the carotenoid biosynthesis, including phytoene synthase, ζ-carotene desaturase, β-lycopene cyclase and CCD4b, a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase. The expression patterns of many genes involved in flavonoid modifications, especially the flavonoid and phenylpropanoid O-methyltransferases showed extreme diversity. However, the most noticeable differential expression was shown by a chalcone synthase gene, which catalyzes a key step in the biosynthesis of flavonoids. This chalcone synthase was exclusively expressed in mandarins and their admixed species, which only expressed the mandarin allele. In addition, comparisons between wild and domesticated mandarins revealed that the major differences between their transcriptomes concentrate in the admixed regions. CONCLUSION In this work we present a first study providing broad evidence that the genome introgressions that took place during citrus domestication largely shaped gene expression in their fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carles Borredá
- Centro de Genómica, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), 46113, Moncada, Valencia, Spain
| | - Estela Perez-Roman
- Centro de Genómica, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), 46113, Moncada, Valencia, Spain
| | - Manuel Talon
- Centro de Genómica, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), 46113, Moncada, Valencia, Spain
| | - Javier Terol
- Centro de Genómica, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), 46113, Moncada, Valencia, Spain.
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Carotenoid Accumulation and the Expression of Carotenoid Metabolic Genes in Mango during Fruit Development and Ripening. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app11094249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids are considered to be important components in mango fruits. However, there is a lack of understanding about the regulation of carotenoids in mango. To gain an insight into the carotenoid metabolism pathway, carotenoid content and the expression of carotenoid metabolic genes were investigated in the peel and pulp of mango during fruit development and ripening in three cultivars, ‘Kaituk’, ‘Nam Dok Mai No.4′, and ‘Nam Dok Mai Sithong’, which are different in color. The highest carotenoid content was observed in ‘Kaituk’, followed by ‘Nam Dok Mai No.4′ and ‘Nam Dok Mai Sithong’, with the major carotenoid being β-carotene. The gene expression analysis found that carotenoid metabolism in mango fruit was primarily regulated at the transcriptional level. The changing patterns of carotenoid biosynthetic gene expression (MiPSY, MiPDS, MiZDS, MiCRTISO, MiLCYb, MiLCYe, MiHYb, and MiZEP) were similar to carotenoid accumulation, and ‘Kaituk’ exhibited a higher expression level than the other two cultivars. In addition, the differential regulation of carotenoid catabolic genes was found to be a mechanism responsible for variability in carotenoid content among the three mango cultivars. The expression of carotenoid catabolic genes (MiCCD1, MiNCED2, and MiNCED3) more rapidly decreased in ‘Kaituk’, resulting in a larger amount of carotenoids in ‘Kaituk’ than the other two cultivars.
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Ma G, Zhang L, Kudaka R, Inaba H, Furuya T, Kitamura M, Kitaya Y, Yamamoto R, Yahata M, Matsumoto H, Kato M. Exogenous Application of ABA and NAA Alleviates the Delayed Coloring Caused by Puffing Inhibitor in Citrus Fruit. Cells 2021; 10:cells10020308. [PMID: 33546256 PMCID: PMC7913354 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Combined spraying of gibberellin (GA) and prohydrojasmon (PDJ) was an effective method to reduce peel puffing in Satsuma mandarins. However, in the GA-and-PDJ combined treatment, fruit color development was delayed during the ripening process. In the present study, to improve the coloration of the GA and PDJ-treated fruit, the effects of exogenous application of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) on chlorophyll and carotenoid accumulation were investigated. The results showed that both ABA and NAA treatments accelerated the color changes from green to orange in the GA and PDJ-treated fruit during the ripening process. With the NAA and ABA treatments, chlorophylls contents were decreased rapidly, and the contents of β,β-xanthophylls were significantly enhanced in the GA and PDJ-treated fruit. In addition, gene expression results showed that the changes of the chlorophyll and carotenoid metabolisms in the NAA and ABA treatments were highly regulated at the transcriptional level. The results presented in this study suggested that the application of NAA and ABA could potentially be used for improving the coloration of the GA and PDJ-treated fruit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Ma
- Department of Bioresource Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; (G.M.); (L.Z.); (M.Y.)
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; (R.K.); (H.I.); (T.F.); (M.K.); (Y.K.); (R.Y.)
| | - Lancui Zhang
- Department of Bioresource Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; (G.M.); (L.Z.); (M.Y.)
| | - Rin Kudaka
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; (R.K.); (H.I.); (T.F.); (M.K.); (Y.K.); (R.Y.)
| | - Hayato Inaba
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; (R.K.); (H.I.); (T.F.); (M.K.); (Y.K.); (R.Y.)
| | - Takuma Furuya
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; (R.K.); (H.I.); (T.F.); (M.K.); (Y.K.); (R.Y.)
| | - Minami Kitamura
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; (R.K.); (H.I.); (T.F.); (M.K.); (Y.K.); (R.Y.)
| | - Yurika Kitaya
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; (R.K.); (H.I.); (T.F.); (M.K.); (Y.K.); (R.Y.)
| | - Risa Yamamoto
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; (R.K.); (H.I.); (T.F.); (M.K.); (Y.K.); (R.Y.)
| | - Masaki Yahata
- Department of Bioresource Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; (G.M.); (L.Z.); (M.Y.)
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; (R.K.); (H.I.); (T.F.); (M.K.); (Y.K.); (R.Y.)
| | - Hikaru Matsumoto
- National Institute of Fruit Tree Science (NIFTS), National Agriculture and Bio-Oriented Research Organization (NARO), Shizuoka 424-0292, Japan;
| | - Masaya Kato
- Department of Bioresource Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; (G.M.); (L.Z.); (M.Y.)
- Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan; (R.K.); (H.I.); (T.F.); (M.K.); (Y.K.); (R.Y.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-54-238-4830
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Lana G, Zacarias-Garcia J, Distefano G, Gentile A, Rodrigo MJ, Zacarias L. Transcriptional Analysis of Carotenoids Accumulation and Metabolism in a Pink-Fleshed Lemon Mutant. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E1294. [PMID: 33143225 PMCID: PMC7692314 DOI: 10.3390/genes11111294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pink lemon is a spontaneous bud mutation of lemon (Citrus limon, L. Burm. f) characterized by the production of pink-fleshed fruits due to an unusual accumulation of lycopene. To elucidate the genetic determinism of the altered pigmentation, comparative carotenoid profiling and transcriptional analysis of both the genes involved in carotenoid precursors and metabolism, and the proteins related to carotenoid-sequestering structures were performed in pink-fleshed lemon and its wild-type. The carotenoid profile of pink lemon pulp is characterized by an increased accumulation of linear carotenoids, such as lycopene, phytoene and phytofluene, from the early stages of development, reaching their maximum in mature green fruits. The distinctive phenotype of pink lemon is associated with an up-regulation and down-regulation of the genes upstream and downstream the lycopene cyclase, respectively. In particular, 9-cis epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase genes were overexpressed in pink lemon compared with the wild-type, suggesting an altered regulation of abscisic acid biosynthesis. Similarly, during early development of the fruits, genes of the carotenoid-associated proteins heat shock protein 21, fibrillin 1 and 2 and orange gene were overexpressed in the pulp of the pink-fleshed lemon compared to the wild-type, indicating its increased capacity for sequestration, stabilization or accumulation of carotenes. Altogether, the results highlighted significant differences at the transcriptomic level between the pink-fleshed lemon and its wild-type, in terms of carotenoid metabolism and the capacity of stabilization in storage structures between the two accessions. Such changes may be either responsible for the altered carotenoid accumulation or in contrast, a metabolic consequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Lana
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.L.); (G.D.); (A.G.)
| | - Jaime Zacarias-Garcia
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, 46980 Valencia, Spain; (J.Z.-G.); (M.J.R.)
| | - Gaetano Distefano
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.L.); (G.D.); (A.G.)
| | - Alessandra Gentile
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.L.); (G.D.); (A.G.)
| | - María J. Rodrigo
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, 46980 Valencia, Spain; (J.Z.-G.); (M.J.R.)
| | - Lorenzo Zacarias
- Food Biotechnology Department, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, 46980 Valencia, Spain; (J.Z.-G.); (M.J.R.)
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Sun T, Li L. Toward the 'golden' era: The status in uncovering the regulatory control of carotenoid accumulation in plants. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2020; 290:110331. [PMID: 31779888 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2019.110331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids are essential pigments to plants and important natural products to humans. Carotenoids as both primary and specialized metabolites fulfill multifaceted functions in plants. As such, carotenoid accumulation (a net process of biosynthesis, degradation and sequestration) is subjected to complicated regulation throughout plant life cycle in response to developmental and environmental signals. Investigation of transcriptional regulation of carotenoid metabolic genes remains the focus in understanding the regulatory control of carotenoid accumulation. While discovery of bona fide carotenoid metabolic regulators is still challenging, the recent progress of identification of various transcription factors and regulators helps us to construct hierarchical regulatory network of carotenoid accumulation. The elucidation of carotenoid regulatory mechanisms at protein level and in chromoplast provides some insights into post-translational regulation of carotenogenic enzymes and carotenoid sequestration in plastid sink. This review briefly describes the pathways and main flux-controlling steps for carotenoid accumulation in plants. It highlights our recent understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying carotenoid accumulation at both transcriptional and post-translational levels. It also discusses the opportunities to expand toolbox for further shedding light upon the intrinsic regulation of carotenoid accumulation in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianhu Sun
- Robert W Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, USDA-ARS, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA; Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Li Li
- Robert W Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, USDA-ARS, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA; Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA.
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Rodrigo MJ, Lado J, Alós E, Alquézar B, Dery O, Hirschberg J, Zacarías L. A mutant allele of ζ-carotene isomerase (Z-ISO) is associated with the yellow pigmentation of the "Pinalate" sweet orange mutant and reveals new insights into its role in fruit carotenogenesis. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2019; 19:465. [PMID: 31684878 PMCID: PMC6829850 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-019-2078-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fruit coloration is one of the main quality parameters of Citrus fruit primarily determined by genetic factors. The fruit of ordinary sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) displays a pleasant orange tint due to accumulation of carotenoids, representing β,β-xanthophylls more than 80% of the total content. 'Pinalate' is a spontaneous bud mutant, or somatic mutation, derived from sweet orange 'Navelate', characterized by yellow fruits due to elevated proportions of upstream carotenes and reduced β,β-xanthophylls, which suggests a biosynthetic blockage at early steps of the carotenoid pathway. RESULTS To identify the molecular basis of 'Pinalate' yellow fruit, a complete characterization of carotenoids profile together with transcriptional changes in carotenoid biosynthetic genes were performed in mutant and parental fruits during development and ripening. 'Pinalate' fruit showed a distinctive carotenoid profile at all ripening stages, accumulating phytoene, phytofluene and unusual proportions of 9,15,9'-tri-cis- and 9,9'-di-cis-ζ-carotene, while content of downstream carotenoids was significantly decreased. Transcript levels for most of the carotenoid biosynthetic genes showed no alterations in 'Pinalate'; however, the steady-state level mRNA of ζ-carotene isomerase (Z-ISO), which catalyses the conversion of 9,15,9'-tri-cis- to 9,9'-di-cis-ζ-carotene, was significantly reduced both in 'Pinalate' fruit and leaf tissues. Isolation of the 'Pinalate' Z-ISO genomic sequence identified a new allele with a single nucleotide insertion at the second exon, which generates an alternative splicing site that alters Z-ISO transcripts encoding non-functional enzyme. Moreover, functional assays of citrus Z-ISO in E.coli showed that light is able to enhance a non-enzymatic isomerization of tri-cis to di-cis-ζ-carotene, which is in agreement with the partial rescue of mutant phenotype when 'Pinalate' fruits are highly exposed to light during ripening. CONCLUSION A single nucleotide insertion has been identified in 'Pinalate' Z-ISO gene that results in truncated proteins. This causes a bottleneck in the carotenoid pathway with an unbalanced content of carotenes upstream to β,β-xanthophylls in fruit tissues. In chloroplastic tissues, the effects of Z-ISO alteration are mainly manifested as a reduction in total carotenoid content. Taken together, our results indicate that the spontaneous single nucleotide insertion in Z-ISO is the molecular basis of the yellow pigmentation in 'Pinalate' sweet orange and points this isomerase as an essential activity for carotenogenesis in citrus fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- María J. Rodrigo
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Valencia, Spain
| | - Joanna Lado
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Valencia, Spain
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Salto, Uruguay
| | - Enriqueta Alós
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Valencia, Spain
| | - Berta Alquézar
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Valencia, Spain
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP) UPV-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Orly Dery
- Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Joseph Hirschberg
- Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Lorenzo Zacarías
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Valencia, Spain
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Shen YH, Lu BG, Feng L, Yang FY, Geng JJ, Ming R, Chen XJ. Isolation of ripening-related genes from ethylene/1-MCP treated papaya through RNA-seq. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:671. [PMID: 28859626 PMCID: PMC5580268 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4072-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since papaya is a typical climacteric fruit, exogenous ethylene (ETH) applications can induce premature and quicker ripening, while 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) slows down the ripening processes. Differential gene expression in ETH or 1-MCP-treated papaya fruits accounts for the ripening processes. To isolate the key ripening-related genes and better understand fruit ripening mechanisms, transcriptomes of ETH or 1-MCP-treated, and non-treated (Control Group, CG) papaya fruits were sequenced using Illumina Hiseq2500. RESULTS A total of 18,648 (1-MCP), 19,093 (CG), and 15,321 (ETH) genes were detected, with the genes detected in the ETH-treatment being the least. This suggests that ETH may inhibit the expression of some genes. Based on the differential gene expression (DGE) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment, 53 fruit ripening-related genes were selected: 20 cell wall-related genes, 18 chlorophyll and carotenoid metabolism-related genes, four proteinases and their inhibitors, six plant hormone signal transduction pathway genes, four transcription factors, and one senescence-associated gene. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses confirmed the results of RNA-seq and verified that the expression pattern of six genes is consistent with the fruit senescence process. Based on the expression profiling of genes in carbohydrate metabolic process, chlorophyll metabolism pathway, and carotenoid metabolism pathway, the mechanism of pulp softening and coloration of papaya was deduced and discussed. We illustrate that papaya fruit softening is a complex process with significant cell wall hydrolases, such as pectinases, cellulases, and hemicellulases involved in the process. Exogenous ethylene accelerates the coloration of papaya changing from green to yellow. This is likely due to the inhibition of chlorophyll biosynthesis and the α-branch of carotenoid metabolism. Chy-b may play an important role in the yellow color of papaya fruit. CONCLUSIONS Comparing the differential gene expression in ETH/1-MCP-treated papaya using RNA-seq is a sound approach to isolate ripening-related genes. The results of this study can improve our understanding of papaya fruit ripening molecular mechanism and reveal candidate fruit ripening-related genes for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Hong Shen
- College of Horticulture, Fijian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 China
- Institute of Genetics and Breeding in Horticultural Plants, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 China
| | - Bing Guo Lu
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350117 China
| | - Li Feng
- College of Horticulture, Fijian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 China
- Institute of Genetics and Breeding in Horticultural Plants, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 China
| | - Fei Ying Yang
- College of Horticulture, Fijian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 China
- Institute of Genetics and Breeding in Horticultural Plants, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 China
| | - Jiao Jiao Geng
- College of Horticulture, Fijian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 China
- Institute of Genetics and Breeding in Horticultural Plants, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 China
| | - Ray Ming
- FAFU and UIUC-SIB Joint Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 China
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801 USA
| | - Xiao Jing Chen
- College of Horticulture, Fijian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 China
- Institute of Genetics and Breeding in Horticultural Plants, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002 China
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10
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Wisutiamonkul A, Ampomah-Dwamena C, Allan AC, Ketsa S. Carotenoid accumulation in durian (Durio zibethinus) fruit is affected by ethylene via modulation of carotenoid pathway gene expression. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2017; 115:308-319. [PMID: 28415031 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2017.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoid content in durian (Durio zibethinus) fruit is an important aspect of fruit quality, with different cultivars distinguished by differing pigmentation. We have studied the dependence of carotenogenesis on ethylene. Fruit of the cultivar 'Chanee' harvested at the mature stage were either left untreated (controls), treated with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) for 12 h, or treated with application of an aqueous ethephon solution to the stem end, or treated for 12 h with 1-MCP followed by ethephon application. Fruit were then stored for 9 d at 25 °C. Pulp color of durian became steadily yellowish as a result of accumulation of carotenoids, which were mainly beta-carotene, and alpha-carotene, with a minor amount of zeaxanthin and lutein. 1-MCP delayed the increase in the accumulation of beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and zeaxanthin, but not lutein. In contrast, ethephon had no significant effect on carotenoid accumulation. The expression of zeta-carotene desaturase (ZDS), lycopene beta-cyclase (LCYB), chromoplast specific lycopene beta-cyclase (CYCB) and beta-carotene hydroxylase (BCH) genes was highly correlated with carotenoid content and pulp color.1-MCP resulted in significant down-regulation of ZDS, LCYB, CYCB and BCH expression. The accumulation of beta-carotene and alpha-carotene appears to be controlled by the level of expression of LCYB gene, whose function was tested in bacteria to show conversion of lycopene and delta-carotene to beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, respectively. These results suggest that ripening-induced carotenoid accumulation is regulated by endogenous ethylene controlling the expression of key genes such as LCYB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apinya Wisutiamonkul
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Charles Ampomah-Dwamena
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, New Zealand; School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Saichol Ketsa
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; Academy of Science, The Royal Society of Thailand, Dusit, Bangkok 10300, Thailand.
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11
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Liang MH, Lu Y, Chen HH, Jiang JG. The salt-regulated element in the promoter of lycopene β-cyclase gene confers a salt regulatory pattern in carotenogenesis of Dunaliella bardawil. Environ Microbiol 2016; 19:982-989. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Hua Liang
- College of Food Science and Engineering; South China University of Technology; Guangzhou 510640 China
| | - Yan Lu
- College of Food Science and Engineering; South China University of Technology; Guangzhou 510640 China
| | - Hao-Hong Chen
- College of Food Science and Engineering; South China University of Technology; Guangzhou 510640 China
| | - Jian-Guo Jiang
- College of Food Science and Engineering; South China University of Technology; Guangzhou 510640 China
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12
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Ma G, Zhang L, Yungyuen W, Tsukamoto I, Iijima N, Oikawa M, Yamawaki K, Yahata M, Kato M. Expression and functional analysis of citrus carotene hydroxylases: unravelling the xanthophyll biosynthesis in citrus fruits. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2016; 16:148. [PMID: 27358074 PMCID: PMC4928310 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-016-0840-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xanthophylls are oxygenated carotenoids and fulfill critical roles in plant growth and development. In plants, two different types of carotene hydroxylases, non-heme di-iron and heme-containing cytochrome P450, were reported to be involved in the biosynthesis of xanthophyll. Citrus fruits accumulate a high amount of xanthophylls, especially β,β-xanthophylls. To date, however, the roles of carotene hydroxylases in regulating xanthophyll content and composition have not been elucidated. RESULTS In the present study, the roles of four carotene hydroxylase genes (CitHYb, CitCYP97A, CitCYP97B, and CitCYP97C) in the biosynthesis of xanthophyll in citrus fruits were investigated. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the four citrus carotene hydroxylases presented in four distinct clusters which have been identified in higher plants. CitHYb was a non-heme di-iron carotene hydroxylase, while CitCYP97A, CitCYP97B, and CitCYP97C were heme-containing cytochrome P450-type carotene hydroxylases. Gene expression results showed that the expression of CitHYb increased in the flavedo and juice sacs during the ripening process, which was well consistent with the accumulation of β,β-xanthophyll in citrus fruits. The expression of CitCYP97A and CitCYP97C increased with a peak in November, which might lead to an increase of lutein in the juice sacs during the ripening process. The expression level of CitCYP97B was much lower than that of CitHYb, CitCYP97A, and CitCYP97C in the juice sacs during the ripening process. Functional analysis showed that the CitHYb was able to catalyze the hydroxylation of the β-rings of β-carotene and α-carotene in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells. Meanwhile, when CitHYb was co-expressed with CitCYP97C, α-carotene was hydroxylated on the β-ring and ε-ring sequentially to produce lutein. CONCLUSIONS CitHYb was a key gene for β,β-xanthophyll biosynthesis in citrus fruits. CitCYP97C functioned as an ε-ring hydroxylase to produce lutein using zeinoxanthin as a substrate. The results will contribute to elucidating xanthophyll biosynthesis in citrus fruits, and provide new strategies to improve the nutritional and commercial qualities of citrus fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Ma
- />Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Shizuoka, Suruga 422-8529 Japan
| | - Lancui Zhang
- />Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Shizuoka, Suruga 422-8529 Japan
| | - Witchulada Yungyuen
- />Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Shizuoka, Suruga 422-8529 Japan
- />The United Graduate school of Agricultural Science, Gifu University (Shizuoka University), Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1193 Japan
| | - Issei Tsukamoto
- />Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Shizuoka, Suruga 422-8529 Japan
| | - Natsumi Iijima
- />Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Shizuoka, Suruga 422-8529 Japan
| | - Michiru Oikawa
- />Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Shizuoka, Suruga 422-8529 Japan
| | - Kazuki Yamawaki
- />Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Shizuoka, Suruga 422-8529 Japan
| | - Masaki Yahata
- />Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Shizuoka, Suruga 422-8529 Japan
| | - Masaya Kato
- />Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Shizuoka, Suruga 422-8529 Japan
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13
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Ikoma Y, Matsumoto H, Kato M. Diversity in the carotenoid profiles and the expression of genes related to carotenoid accumulation among citrus genotypes. BREEDING SCIENCE 2016; 66:139-47. [PMID: 27069398 PMCID: PMC4780797 DOI: 10.1270/jsbbs.66.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids are not only important to the plants themselves but also are beneficial to human health. Since citrus fruit is a good source of carotenoids for the human diet, it is important to study carotenoid profiles and the accumulation mechanism in citrus fruit. Thus, in the present paper, we describe the diversity in the carotenoid profiles of fruit among citrus genotypes. In regard to carotenoids, such as β-cryptoxanthin, violaxanthin, lycopene, and β-citraurin, the relationship between the carotenoid profile and the expression of carotenoid-biosynthetic genes is discussed. Finally, recent results of quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses of carotenoid contents and expression levels of carotenoid-biosynthetic genes in citrus fruit are shown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshinori Ikoma
- Citrus Research Division, NARO Institute of Fruit Tree Science,
485-6 Okitsunakacho, Shimizu, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 424-0292,
Japan
- Corresponding author (e-mail: )
| | - Hikaru Matsumoto
- Citrus Research Division, NARO Institute of Fruit Tree Science,
485-6 Okitsunakacho, Shimizu, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 424-0292,
Japan
| | - Masaya Kato
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University,
836 Ohya, Suruga, Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8529,
Japan
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14
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Abstract
Carotenoids are recognized as the main pigments in most fruit crops, providing colours that range from yellow and pink to deep orange and red. Moreover, the edible portion of widely consumed fruits or their derived products represent a major dietary source of carotenoids for animals and humans. Therefore, these pigments are crucial compounds contributing to fruit aesthetic and nutritional quality but may also have protecting and ecophysiological functions in coloured fruits. Among plant organs, fruits display one of the most heterogeneous carotenoids patterns in terms of diversity and abundance. In this chapter a comprehensive list of the carotenoid content and profile in the most commonly cultivated fleshy fruits is reported. The proposed fruit classification systems attending to carotenoid composition are revised and discussed. The regulation of carotenoids in fruits can be rather complex due to the dramatic changes in content and composition during ripening, which are also dependent on the fruit tissue and the developmental stage. In addition, carotenoid accumulation is a dynamic process, associated with the development of chromoplasts during ripening. As a general rule, carotenoid accumulation is highly controlled at the transcriptional level of the structural and accessory proteins of the biosynthetic and degradation pathways, but other mechanisms such as post-transcriptional modifications or the development of sink structures have been recently revealed as crucial factors in determining the levels and stability of these pigments. In this chapter common key metabolic reactions regulating carotenoid composition in fruit tissues are described in addition to others that are restricted to certain species and generate unique carotenoids patterns. The existence of fruit-specific isoforms for key steps such as the phytoene synthase, lycopene β-cyclases or catabolic carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases has allowed an independent regulation of the pathway in fruit tissues and a source of variability to create novel activities or different catalytic properties. Besides key genes of the carotenoid pathway, changes in carotenoid accumulation could be also directly influenced by differences in gene expression or protein activity in the pathway of carotenoid precursors and some relevant examples are discussed. The objective of this chapter is to provide an updated review of the main carotenoid profiles in fleshy fruits, their pattern of changes during ripening and our current understanding of the different regulatory levels responsible for the diversity of carotenoid accumulation in fruit tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Lado
- Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Avenida Agustin Escardino 7, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
- Instituto Nacional de Investigacion Agropecuaria (INIA), Camino a la Represa s/n, Salto, Uruguay.
| | - Lorenzo Zacarías
- Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Avenida Agustin Escardino 7, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - María Jesús Rodrigo
- Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de Alimentos (IATA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Avenida Agustin Escardino 7, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
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15
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Lu S, Zhang Y, Zheng X, Zhu K, Xu Q, Deng X. Isolation and Functional Characterization of a Lycopene β-cyclase Gene Promoter from Citrus. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:1367. [PMID: 27679644 PMCID: PMC5020073 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Lycopene β-cyclases are key enzymes located at the branch point of the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway. However, the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of LCYb1 in citrus with abundant carotenoid accumulation are still unclear. To understand the molecular basis of CsLCYb1 expression, we isolated and functionally characterized the 5' upstream sequences of CsLCYb1 from citrus. The full-length CsLCYb1 promoter and a series of its 5' deletions were fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene and transferred into different plants (tomato, Arabidopsis and citrus callus) to test the promoter activities. The results of all transgenic species showed that the 1584 bp upstream region from the translational start site displayed maximal promoter activity, and the minimal promoter containing 746 bp upstream sequences was sufficient for strong basal promoter activity. Furthermore, the CsLCYb1 promoter activity was developmentally and tissue-specially regulated in transgenic Arabidopsis, and it was affected by multiple hormones and environmental cues in transgenic citrus callus under various treatments. Finer deletion analysis identified an enhancer element existing as a tandem repeat in the promoter region between -574 to -513 bp and conferring strong promoter activity. The copy numbers of the enhancer element differed among various citrus species, leading to the development of a derived simple sequence repeat marker to distinguish different species. In conclusion, this study elucidates the expression characteristics of the LCYb1 promoter from citrus and further identifies a novel enhancer element required for the promoter activity. The characterized promoter fragment would be an ideal candidate for genetic engineering and seeking of upstream trans-acting elements.
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16
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Rodrigo MJ, Alquézar B, Alós E, Medina V, Carmona L, Bruno M, Al-Babili S, Zacarías L. A novel carotenoid cleavage activity involved in the biosynthesis of Citrus fruit-specific apocarotenoid pigments. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2013; 64:4461-78. [PMID: 24006419 PMCID: PMC3808326 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ert260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Citrus is the first tree crop in terms of fruit production. The colour of Citrus fruit is one of the main quality attributes, caused by the accumulation of carotenoids and their derivative C30 apocarotenoids, mainly β-citraurin (3-hydroxy-β-apo-8'-carotenal), which provide an attractive orange-reddish tint to the peel of oranges and Mandarins. Though carotenoid biosynthesis and its regulation have been extensively studied in Citrus fruits, little is known about the formation of C30 apocarotenoids. The aim of this study was to the identify carotenoid cleavage enzyme(s) [CCD(s)] involved in the peel-specific C30 apocarotenoids. In silico data mining revealed a new family of five CCD4-type genes in Citrus. One gene of this family, CCD4b1, was expressed in reproductive and vegetative tissues of different Citrus species in a pattern correlating with the accumulation of C30 apocarotenoids. Moreover, developmental processes and treatments which alter Citrus fruit peel pigmentation led to changes of β-citraurin content and CCD4b1 transcript levels. These results point to the involvement of CCD4b1 in β-citraurin formation and indicate that the accumulation of this compound is determined by the availability of the presumed precursors zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin. Functional analysis of CCD4b1 by in vitro assays unequivocally demonstrated the asymmetric cleavage activity at the 7',8' double bond in zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin, confirming its role in C30 apocarotenoid biosynthesis. Thus, a novel plant carotenoid cleavage activity targeting the 7',8' double bond of cyclic C40 carotenoids has been identified. These results suggest that the presented enzyme is responsible for the biosynthesis of C30 apocarotenoids in Citrus which are key pigments in fruit coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- María J. Rodrigo
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Berta Alquézar
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Enriqueta Alós
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Víctor Medina
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lourdes Carmona
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mark Bruno
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Salim Al-Babili
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lorenzo Zacarías
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
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17
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Ma G, Zhang L, Matsuta A, Matsutani K, Yamawaki K, Yahata M, Wahyudi A, Motohashi R, Kato M. Enzymatic formation of β-citraurin from β-cryptoxanthin and Zeaxanthin by carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase4 in the flavedo of citrus fruit. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 163:682-95. [PMID: 23966550 PMCID: PMC3793050 DOI: 10.1104/pp.113.223297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 08/17/2013] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the pathway of β-citraurin biosynthesis, carotenoid contents and the expression of genes related to carotenoid metabolism were investigated in two varieties of Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu), Yamashitabeni-wase, which accumulates β-citraurin predominantly, and Miyagawa-wase, which does not accumulate β-citraurin. The results suggested that CitCCD4 (for Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase4) was a key gene contributing to the biosynthesis of β-citraurin. In the flavedo of Yamashitabeni-wase, the expression of CitCCD4 increased rapidly from September, which was consistent with the accumulation of β-citraurin. In the flavedo of Miyagawa-wase, the expression of CitCCD4 remained at an extremely low level during the ripening process, which was consistent with the absence of β-citraurin. Functional analysis showed that the CitCCD4 enzyme exhibited substrate specificity. It cleaved β-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin at the 7,8 or 7',8' position. But other carotenoids tested in this study (lycopene, α-carotene, β-carotene, all-trans-violaxanthin, and 9-cis-violaxanthin) were not cleaved by the CitCCD4 enzyme. The cleavage of β-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin by CitCCD4 led to the formation of β-citraurin. Additionally, with ethylene and red light-emitting diode light treatments, the gene expression of CitCCD4 was up-regulated in the flavedo of Yamashitabeni-wase. These increases in the expression of CitCCD4 were consistent with the accumulation of β-citraurin in the two treatments. These results might provide new strategies to improve the carotenoid contents and compositions of citrus fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Asami Matsuta
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Suruga, Shizuoka 422–8529, Japan
| | - Kazuki Matsutani
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Suruga, Shizuoka 422–8529, Japan
| | - Kazuki Yamawaki
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Suruga, Shizuoka 422–8529, Japan
| | - Masaki Yahata
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Suruga, Shizuoka 422–8529, Japan
| | - Anung Wahyudi
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Suruga, Shizuoka 422–8529, Japan
| | - Reiko Motohashi
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Suruga, Shizuoka 422–8529, Japan
| | - Masaya Kato
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Suruga, Shizuoka 422–8529, Japan
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18
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Obrero Á, González-Verdejo CI, Die JV, Gómez P, Del Río-Celestino M, Román B. Carotenogenic gene expression and carotenoid accumulation in three varieties of Cucurbita pepo during fruit development. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2013; 61:6393-6403. [PMID: 23773001 DOI: 10.1021/jf4004576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The control of gene expression is a crucial regulatory mechanism in carotenoid accumulation of fruits and flowers. We investigated the role of transcriptional regulation of nine genes involved in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway in three varieties of Cucurbita pepo with evident differences in fruit color. The transcriptional levels of the key genes involved in the carotenoid biosynthesis were higher in flower-, leaf-, and fruit skin tissues than flesh tissues. This correlated with higher concentration of carotenoid content in these tissues. The differential expression among the colored and white cultivars detected for some genes, such as LCYe, in combination with other regulatory mechanisms, could explain the large differences found in terms of carotenoid content among the three varieties. These results are a first step to elucidate carotenogenesis in C. pepo and demonstrate that, in general, regulation of the pathway genes is a critical factor that determines the accumulation of these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángeles Obrero
- IFAPA, Centro Alameda del Obispo, Área de Mejora y Biotecnología, Apdo. 14004 Córdoba, Spain.
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