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Xiang L, Zhu C, Qian J, Zhou X, Wang M, Song Z, Chen C, Yu W, Chen L, Zeng L. Positive contributions of the stem to the formation of white tea quality-related metabolites during withering. Food Chem 2024; 449:139173. [PMID: 38593722 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Most teas, including white tea, are produced from tender shoots containing both leaf and stem. However, the effect of the stem on white tea quality remains unclear, especially during withering, an essential process. Therefore, this study investigated the withering-induced changes in the leaves and stems of Camellia sinensis cv. 'Fudingdabai' by multi-group analysis. During withering, the levels of catechin and theobromine (i.e., major flavor-related compounds) decreased slightly, mainly in the leaves. The abundance of some proteinaceous amino acids related to fresh taste increased in stems due to increased protein hydrolysis. In addition, changes in biosynthetic pathways caused a decrease in theanine (a major non-proteinaceous amino acid) and an increase in gamma-aminobutyric acid in stems. Terpenes, mainly in the stems, were partially affected by withering. Phenylacetaldehyde, a major contributor to white tea aroma, increased mainly in the stems. These findings reflect the positive contribution of the stem to white tea quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihui Xiang
- Tea Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 104 Pudang Road, Xindian Town, Jin'an District, Fuzhou 350012, China
| | - Chen Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Jiajia Qian
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Xiaochen Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Miao Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Zhenshuo Song
- Tea Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 104 Pudang Road, Xindian Town, Jin'an District, Fuzhou 350012, China
| | - Changsong Chen
- Tea Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 104 Pudang Road, Xindian Town, Jin'an District, Fuzhou 350012, China
| | - Wenquan Yu
- Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 247 Wusi Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350003, China.
| | - Lin Chen
- Tea Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 104 Pudang Road, Xindian Town, Jin'an District, Fuzhou 350012, China.
| | - Lanting Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization in Southern China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.
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2
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Yu H, Li D, Wu Y, Miao P, Zhou C, Cheng H, Dong Q, Zhao Y, Liu Z, Zhou L, Pan C. Integrative omics analyses of tea (Camellia sinensis) under glufosinate stress reveal defense mechanisms: A trade-off with flavor loss. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 473:134542. [PMID: 38776809 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Extensively applied glufosinate (GLU) will trigger molecular alterations in nontarget tea plants (Camellia sinensis), which inadvertently disturbs metabolites and finally affects tea quality. The mechanistic response of tea plants to GLU remains unexplored. This study investigated GLU residue behavior, the impact on photosynthetic capacity, specialized metabolites, secondary pathways, and transcript levels in tea seedlings. Here, GLU mainly metabolized to MPP and accumulated more in mature leaves than in tender ones. GLU catastrophically affected photosynthesis, leading to leaf chlorosis, and decreased Fv/Fm and chlorophyll content. Physiological and biochemical, metabolomics, and transcriptomics analyses were integrated. Showing that GLU disrupted the photosynthetic electron transport chain, triggered ROS and antioxidant system, and inhibited photosynthetic carbon fixation. GLU targeted glutamine synthetase (GS) leading to the accumulation of ammonium and the inhibition of key umami L-theanine, causing a disorder in nitrogen metabolism, especially for amino acids synthesis. Interestingly, biosynthesis of primary flavonoids was sacrificed for defensive phenolic acids and lignin formulation, leading to possible losses in nutrition and tenderness in leaves. This study revealed the defense intricacies and potential quality deterioration of tea plants responding to GLU stress. Valuable insights into detoxification mechanisms for non-target crops post-GLU exposure were offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Yu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Dong Li
- School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan 570228, China
| | - Yangliu Wu
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Peijuan Miao
- Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Chunran Zhou
- Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Haiyan Cheng
- Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Qinyong Dong
- Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yingjie Zhao
- Guangxi Research Institute of Tea Science, Guilin 541004, China; Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Zhusheng Liu
- Guangxi Research Institute of Tea Science, Guilin 541004, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Canping Pan
- Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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3
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Qiu Z, Liao J, Chen J, Li A, Lin M, Liu H, Huang W, Sun B, Liu J, Liu S, Zheng P. Comprehensive analysis of fresh tea (Camellia sinensis cv. Lingtou Dancong) leaf quality under different nitrogen fertilization regimes. Food Chem 2024; 439:138127. [PMID: 38064834 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.138127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Our study investigated the impact of nitrogen fertilization at 0, 150, 300, and 450 kg/ha on the non-volatile and volatile substances, as well as gene expression in fresh leaves from Lingtou tea plants. We found that applying nitrogen at 450 kg/ha notably increased total polyphenols (TPs) and free amino acids (AAs) while decreasing the TP to AA ratio (TP/AA) and total catechins (TC) contents. Chlorophyll, caffeine (CAF) and theanine accumulated to a greater extent with nitrogen application rates of 150, 300, and 450 kg/ha, respectively, six substances - TP, CAF, TC, theanine, epigallocatechin (EGC), and AA - as key contributors to the taste quality of LTDC. Additionally, five substances with variable importance in projections (VIP) ≥ 1 and odor activation values (OAV) ≥ 1, notably linalool and cis-linalool oxide (furanoid), significantly contributed to the tea's overall aroma. Furthermore, applying 300 kg/ha nitrogen upregulated the dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR)gene, likely causing catechin decrease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Qiu
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jinmei Liao
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jiahao Chen
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Ansheng Li
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Minyao Lin
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Hongmei Liu
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Wei Huang
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Binmei Sun
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jing Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Shaoqun Liu
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Peng Zheng
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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Qiu H, Zhang X, Zhang Y, Jiang X, Ren Y, Gao D, Zhu X, Usadel B, Fernie AR, Wen W. Depicting the genetic and metabolic panorama of chemical diversity in the tea plant. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024; 22:1001-1016. [PMID: 38048231 PMCID: PMC10955498 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
As a frequently consumed beverage worldwide, tea is rich in naturally important bioactive metabolites. Combining genetic, metabolomic and biochemical methodologies, here, we present a comprehensive study to dissect the chemical diversity in tea plant. A total of 2837 metabolites were identified at high-resolution with 1098 of them being structurally annotated and 63 of them were structurally identified. Metabolite-based genome-wide association mapping identified 6199 and 7823 metabolic quantitative trait loci (mQTL) for 971 and 1254 compounds in young leaves (YL) and the third leaves (TL), respectively. The major mQTL (i.e., P < 1.05 × 10-5, and phenotypic variation explained (PVE) > 25%) were further interrogated. Through extensive annotation of the tea metabolome as well as network-based analysis, this study broadens the understanding of tea metabolism and lays a solid foundation for revealing the natural variations in the chemical composition of the tea plant. Interestingly, we found that galloylations, rather than hydroxylations or glycosylations, were the largest class of conversions within the tea metabolome. The prevalence of galloylations in tea is unusual, as hydroxylations and glycosylations are typically the most prominent conversions of plant specialized metabolism. The biosynthetic pathway of flavonoids, which are one of the most featured metabolites in tea plant, was further refined with the identified metabolites. And we demonstrated the further mining and interpretation of our GWAS results by verifying two identified mQTL (including functional candidate genes CsUGTa, CsUGTb, and CsCCoAOMT) and completing the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway of the tea plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiji Qiu
- National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), College of Horticulture and Forestry SciencesHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and HealthHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
| | - Xiaoliang Zhang
- National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), College of Horticulture and Forestry SciencesHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Youjun Zhang
- Max‐Planck‐Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
- Center of Plant Systems Biology and BiotechnologyPlovdivBulgaria
| | - Xiaohui Jiang
- National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), College of Horticulture and Forestry SciencesHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Yujia Ren
- National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), College of Horticulture and Forestry SciencesHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Dawei Gao
- National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), College of Horticulture and Forestry SciencesHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Xiang Zhu
- Thermo Fisher ScientificShanghaiChina
| | - Björn Usadel
- Institute of Bio‐ and Geosciences, IBG‐4: Bioinformatics, CEPLAS, Forschungszentrum JülichJülichGermany
- Institute for Biological Data ScienceHeinrich Heine UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
| | - Alisdair R. Fernie
- Max‐Planck‐Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
- Center of Plant Systems Biology and BiotechnologyPlovdivBulgaria
| | - Weiwei Wen
- National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), College of Horticulture and Forestry SciencesHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and HealthHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
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Yang T, Zhang D, Cai M, Zhang H, Pan X, You J, Zhang X, Xu M, Rao Z. Combining protein and metabolic engineering strategies for high-level production of L-theanine in Corynebacterium glutamicum. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 394:130200. [PMID: 38103752 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.130200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
L-theanine is a natural non-protein amino acid with wide applications. Thus, a high yield of L-theanine production is required on an industrial scale. Herein, an efficient L-theanine-producing strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum was constructed by combining protein and metabolic engineering. Firstly, a γ-glutamylmethylamide synthetase from Paracoccus aminovorans (PaGMAS) was isolated and engineered by computer-aided design, the resulting mutant E179K/N105R improved L-theanine yield by 36.61 %. Subsequently, to increase carbon flux towards L-theanine production, the gene ggt which degrades L-theanine, the gene alaT which participated in L-alanine synthesis, and the gene NCgl1221 which encodes glutamate-exporting protein were deleted. Finally, ppk gene was overexpressed to enhance intracellular ATP production. The reprogramed strain produced 44.12 g/L L-theanine with a yield of 57.11 % and productivity of 1.16 g/L/h, which is the highest L-theanine titer reported by Corynebacterium glutamicum. This study provides an efficient and economical biosynthetic pathway for the industrial production of L-theanine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taowei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China; Institute of Future Food Technology, JITRI, Yixing 214200, China
| | - Di Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China; Institute of Future Food Technology, JITRI, Yixing 214200, China
| | - Mengmeng Cai
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China; Institute of Future Food Technology, JITRI, Yixing 214200, China
| | - Hengwei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China; Institute of Future Food Technology, JITRI, Yixing 214200, China
| | - Xuewei Pan
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China; Institute of Future Food Technology, JITRI, Yixing 214200, China
| | - Jiajia You
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China; Institute of Future Food Technology, JITRI, Yixing 214200, China
| | - Xian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China; Institute of Future Food Technology, JITRI, Yixing 214200, China
| | - Meijuan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China; Institute of Future Food Technology, JITRI, Yixing 214200, China
| | - Zhiming Rao
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, PR China; Institute of Future Food Technology, JITRI, Yixing 214200, China.
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Huang R, Wang Z, Wen W, Yao M, Liu H, Li F, Zhang S, Ni D, Chen L. Comprehensive dissection of variation and accumulation of free amino acids in tea accessions. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2024; 11:uhad263. [PMID: 38304331 PMCID: PMC10833077 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Free amino acids (FAAs) positively determine the tea quality, notably theanine (Thea), endowing umami taste of tea infusion, which is the profoundly prevalent research in albino tea genetic resources. Therefore, 339 tea accessions were collected to study FAAs level for deciphering its variation and accumulation mechanism. Interestingly, alanine (Ala) and Thea which had the highest diversity index (H') value among three varieties of Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze were significantly higher than wild relatives (P < 0.05). The intraspecific arginine (Arg) and glutamine (Gln) contents in C. sinensis var. assamica were significantly lower than sinensis and pubilimba varieties. Moreover, the importance of interdependencies operating across FAAs and chlorophyll levels were highlighted via the cell ultrastructure, metabolomics, and transcriptome analysis. We then determined that the association between phytochrome interacting factor 1 (CsPIF1) identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and Thea content. Intriguingly, transient knock-down CsPIF1 expression increased Thea content in tea plant, and the function verification of CsPIF1 in Arabidopsis also indicated that CsPIF1 acts as a negative regulator of Thea content by mainly effecting the genes expression related to Thea biosynthesis, transport, and hydrolysis, especially glutamate synthase (CsGOGAT), which was validated to be associated with Thea content with a nonsynonymous SNP by Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP). We also investigated the interspecific and geographical distribution of this SNP. Taken together, these results help us to understand and clarify the variation and profile of major FAAs in tea germplasms and promote efficient utilization in tea genetic improvement and breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Special Economic Animals and Plants, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
- College of Horticulture and Forestry Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zhihua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Special Economic Animals and Plants, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Weiwei Wen
- College of Horticulture and Forestry Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Mingzhe Yao
- Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Special Economic Animals and Plants, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Haoran Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Special Economic Animals and Plants, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Fang Li
- Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Special Economic Animals and Plants, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Shuran Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Special Economic Animals and Plants, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Dejiang Ni
- College of Horticulture and Forestry Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Special Economic Animals and Plants, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
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Xie N, Huang X, Zhou J, Song X, Lin J, Yan M, Zhu M, Li J, Wang K. The R2R3-MYB transcription factor CsMYB42 regulates theanine biosynthesis in albino tea leaves. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 336:111850. [PMID: 37648117 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Theanine is a unique secondary metabolite in tea plants and contributes to the umami taste and health benefits of tea. However, theanine biosynthesis in tea plants is not fully understood, and its mechanism of transcriptional regulation remains poorly reported. Theanine content was significantly correlated with the expression of theanine biosynthesis-related gene CsGS1c and transcription factor CsMYB42 in different leaf positions and picking times, but there was no significant correlation in different tissues of albino tea plant 'Anjibaicha'. This suggests that CsMYB42 may regulate CsGS1c to synthesize theanine in albino tea leaves, and the regulation is tissue specific. CsMYB42 is a nuclear-localized R2R3-MYB transcription factor gene with transcriptional activation activity. Yeast one-hybrid assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay confirmed the direct binding of CsMYB42 to the promoter of CsGS1c. Luciferase assay showed that CsMYB42 activates the CsGS1c expression. Furthermore, the inhibition of CsMYB42 using an antisense oligonucleotide in tea leaves decreased CsGS1c expression and theanine content. These results indicate that CsMYB42 plays a crucial role in activating the expression of CsGS1c and may be involved in the biosynthesis of theanine in albino tea leaves. This study provides fresh insights into the tissue-specific regulation of theanine biosynthesis, which laid a foundation for breeding high-theanine tea plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nianci Xie
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients & Co-Innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Xiangxiang Huang
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients & Co-Innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Jiaxin Zhou
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients & Co-Innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Xiaofeng Song
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients & Co-Innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Junming Lin
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients & Co-Innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Meihong Yan
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients & Co-Innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Mingzhi Zhu
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients & Co-Innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Juan Li
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients & Co-Innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Kunbo Wang
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients & Co-Innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Key Laboratory for Evaluation and Utilization of Gene Resources of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
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Zhang W, Ni K, Long L, Ruan J. Nitrogen transport and assimilation in tea plant ( Camellia sinensis): a review. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1249202. [PMID: 37810380 PMCID: PMC10556680 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1249202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for tea plants, as it contributes significantly to tea yield and serves as the component of amino acids, which in turn affects the quality of tea produced. To achieve higher yields, excessive amounts of N fertilizers mainly in the form of urea have been applied in tea plantations where N fertilizer is prone to convert to nitrate and be lost by leaching in the acid soils. This usually results in elevated costs and environmental pollution. A comprehensive understanding of N metabolism in tea plants and the underlying mechanisms is necessary to identify the key regulators, characterize the functional phenotypes, and finally improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Tea plants absorb and utilize ammonium as the preferred N source, thus a large amount of nitrate remains activated in soils. The improvement of nitrate utilization by tea plants is going to be an alternative aspect for NUE with great potentiality. In the process of N assimilation, nitrate is reduced to ammonium and subsequently derived to the GS-GOGAT pathway, involving the participation of nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NiR), glutamine synthetase (GS), glutamate synthase (GOGAT), and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH). Additionally, theanine, a unique amino acid responsible for umami taste, is biosynthesized by the catalysis of theanine synthetase (TS). In this review, we summarize what is known about the regulation and functioning of the enzymes and transporters implicated in N acquisition and metabolism in tea plants and the current methods for assessing NUE in this species. The challenges and prospects to expand our knowledge on N metabolism and related molecular mechanisms in tea plants which could be a model for woody perennial plant used for vegetative harvest are also discussed to provide the theoretical basis for future research to assess NUE traits more precisely among the vast germplasm resources, thus achieving NUE improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kang Ni
- Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Xihu National Agricultural Experimental Station for Soil Quality, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lizhi Long
- Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianyun Ruan
- Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Xihu National Agricultural Experimental Station for Soil Quality, Hangzhou, China
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9
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Wen L, Sun L, Chen R, Li Q, Lai X, Cao J, Lai Z, Zhang Z, Li Q, Song G, Sun S, Cao F. Metabolome and Microbiome Analysis to Study the Flavor of Summer Black Tea Improved by Stuck Fermentation. Foods 2023; 12:3414. [PMID: 37761123 PMCID: PMC10527649 DOI: 10.3390/foods12183414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Tea is the most popular and widely consumed beverage worldwide, especially black tea. Summer tea has a bitter and astringent taste and low aroma compared to spring tea due to the higher content of polyphenols and lower content of amino acids. Microbial fermentation is routinely used to improve the flavor of various foods. This study analyzed the relationship between the quality of black tea, metabolic characteristics, and microbial communities after microbial stuck fermentation in summer black tea. Stuck fermentation decreased the bitterness, astringency sourness, and freshness, and increased the sweetness, mellowness, and smoothness of summer black tea. The aroma also changed from sweet and floral to fungal, with a significant improvement in overall quality. Metabolomics analysis revealed significant changes in 551 non-volatile and 345 volatile metabolites after fermentation. The contents of compounds with bitter and astringent taste were decreased. Sweet flavor saccharides and aromatic lipids, and acetophenone and isophorone that impart fungal aroma showed a marked increase. These changes are the result of microbial activities, especially the secretion of extracellular enzymes. Aspergillus, Pullululanibacillus, and Bacillus contribute to the reduction of bitterness and astringency in summer black teas after stuck fermentation, and Paenibacillus and Basidiomycota_gen_Incertae_sedis contribute positively to sweetness. In addition, Aspergillus was associated with the formation of fungal aroma. In summary, our research will provide a suitable method for the improvement of tea quality and utilization of summer tea, as well as provide a reference for innovation and improvement in the food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianghua Wen
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510000, China;
| | - Lingli Sun
- Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation & Utilization, Guangzhou 510640, China; (L.S.); (R.C.); (Q.L.); (X.L.); (J.C.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Ruohong Chen
- Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation & Utilization, Guangzhou 510640, China; (L.S.); (R.C.); (Q.L.); (X.L.); (J.C.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Qiuhua Li
- Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation & Utilization, Guangzhou 510640, China; (L.S.); (R.C.); (Q.L.); (X.L.); (J.C.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Xingfei Lai
- Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation & Utilization, Guangzhou 510640, China; (L.S.); (R.C.); (Q.L.); (X.L.); (J.C.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Junxi Cao
- Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation & Utilization, Guangzhou 510640, China; (L.S.); (R.C.); (Q.L.); (X.L.); (J.C.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Zhaoxiang Lai
- Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation & Utilization, Guangzhou 510640, China; (L.S.); (R.C.); (Q.L.); (X.L.); (J.C.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Zhenbiao Zhang
- Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation & Utilization, Guangzhou 510640, China; (L.S.); (R.C.); (Q.L.); (X.L.); (J.C.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Qian Li
- Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sericultural & Agri-Food Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Functional Foods, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Products Processing, Guangzhou 510610, China;
| | - Guang Song
- Guangzhou Yitang Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510277, China;
| | - Shili Sun
- Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation & Utilization, Guangzhou 510640, China; (L.S.); (R.C.); (Q.L.); (X.L.); (J.C.); (Z.L.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Fanrong Cao
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510000, China;
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10
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Chang M, Ma J, Sun Y, Tian L, Liu L, Chen Q, Zhang Z, Wan X, Sun J. γ-Glutamyl-transpeptidase CsGGT2 functions as light-activated theanine hydrolase in tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.). PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:1596-1609. [PMID: 36757089 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Theanine is an important secondary metabolite endowing tea with umami taste and health effects. It is essential to explore the metabolic pathway and regulatory mechanism of theanine to improve tea quality. Here, we demonstrated that the expression patterns of CsGGT2 (γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase), participated in theanine synthesis in vitro in our previous research, are significantly different in the aboveground and underground tissues of tea plants and regulated by light. Light up-regulated the expression of CsHY5, directly binding to the promoter of CsGGT2 and acting as an activator of CsGGT2, with a negative correlation with theanine accumulation. The enzyme activity assays and transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana showed that CsGGT2, acting as bifunctional protein, synthesize and degrade theanine in vitro and in planta. The results of enzyme kinetics, Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays and targeted gene-silencing assays showed that CsGGT2 had a higher substrate affinity of theanine than that of ethylamine, and performed a higher theanine degradation catalytic efficiency. Therefore, light mediates the degradation of theanine in different tissues by regulating the expression of the theanine hydrolase CsGGT2 in tea plants, and these results provide new insights into the degradation of theanine mediated by light in tea plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manman Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyu Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Liying Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Linlin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoliang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaochun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
- College of Horticulture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
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11
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Chen Z, Lin S, Chen T, Han M, Yang T, Wang Y, Bao S, Shen Z, Wan X, Zhang Z. Haem Oxygenase 1 is a potential target for creating etiolated/albino tea plants ( Camellia sinensis) with high theanine accumulation. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2023; 10:uhac269. [PMID: 37533676 PMCID: PMC10390853 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Theanine content is highly correlated with sensory quality and health benefits of tea infusion. The tender shoots of etiolated and albino tea plants contain higher theanine than the normal green tea plants and are valuable materials for high quality green tea processing. However, why these etiolated or albino tea plants can highly accumulate theanine is largely unknown. In this study, we observed an Arabidopsis etiolated mutant hy1-100 (mutation in Haem Oxygenase 1, HO1) that accumulated higher levels of glutamine (an analog of theanine). We therefore identified CsHO1 in tea plants and found CsHO1 is conserved in amino acid sequences and subcellular localization with its homologs in other plants. Importantly, CsHO1 expression in the new shoots was much lower in an etiolated tea plants 'Huangkui' and an albino tea plant 'Huangshan Baicha' than that in normal green tea plants. The expression levels of CsHO1 were negatively correlated with theanine contents in these green, etiolated and albino shoots. Moreover, CsHO1 expression levels in various organs and different time points were also negatively correlated with theanine accumulation. The hy1-100 was hypersensitive to high levels of theanine and accumulated more theanine under theanine feeding, and these phenotypes were rescued by the expression of CsHO1 in this mutant. Transient knockdown CsHO1 expression in the new shoots of tea plant using antisense oligonucleotides (asODN) increased theanine accumulation. Collectively, these results demonstrated CsHO1 negatively regulates theanine accumulation in tea plants, and that low expression CsHO1 likely contributes to the theanine accumulation in etiolated/albino tea plants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tingting Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Mengxue Han
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Tianyuan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Yan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Shilai Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- School of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhougao Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Xiaochun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
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12
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Khosravi-Nezhad S, Hassanpour S, Hesaraki S. L-Theanine Improves Locomotor Function in a Model of Multiple Sclerosis Mice. ARCHIVES OF RAZI INSTITUTE 2023; 78:195-203. [PMID: 37312698 PMCID: PMC10258260 DOI: 10.22092/ari.2022.360066.2544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study designed to investigate the protective effects of L-theanine on experimental Multiple sclerosis in mice. Frothy Male C57BL/6 mice were allocated into 4 experimental groups: control no treatment received a regular chew pellet, and the cuprizone (CPZ) group received a standard chew pellet containing 0.2% (w/w) CPZ. In group 3, mice were fed a regular diet and administered p.o. with L-theanine (50mg/kg). In group 4, mice received a diet containing CPZ and were administered p.o. with L-theanine (50mg/kg). Finally, reflexive motor behavior and serum antioxidant levels were determined. Based on findings, CPZ significantly decreased ambulation score, hind-limb suspension, front limb suspension, and grip strength (P<0.05). The CPZ + L-theanine reduced the adverse effect of the CPZ on ambulation score, hind-limb foot angle, surface righting, and negative geotaxis (P<0.05). The CPZ + L-theanine increased front and hind-limb suspension, grip strength, number of the cross, and duration of a stay on the rotarod compared to the control animal (P<0.05). CPZ administration significantly elevated serum malondialdehyde (MDA) while superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels decreased compared to control mice (P<0.05). The CPZ + L-theanine leads to the cessation of MDA production while increasing SOD, GPx, and TAS levels (P<0.05). These results suggested L-theanine has a protective effect against CPZ-induced MS in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sh Khosravi-Nezhad
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sh Hassanpour
- Division of Physiology, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - S Hesaraki
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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13
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Chen T, Ma J, Li H, Lin S, Dong C, Xie Y, Yan X, Zhang S, Yang T, Wan X, Zhang Z. CsGDH2.1 negatively regulates theanine accumulation in late-spring tea plants ( Camellia sinensis var. sinensis). HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2022; 10:uhac245. [PMID: 36643747 PMCID: PMC9832843 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Theanine, a unique and the most abundant non-proteinogenic amino acid in tea plants, endows tea infusion with the umami taste and anti-stress effects. Its content in tea correlates highly with green tea quality. Theanine content in new shoots of tea plants is high in mid-spring and greatly decreases in late spring. However, how the decrease is regulated is largely unknown. In a genetic screening, we observed that a yeast mutant, glutamate dehydrolase 2 (gdh2), was hypersensitive to 40 mM theanine and accumulated more theanine. This result implied a role of CsGDH2s in theanine accumulation in tea plants. Therefore, we identified the two homologs of GDH2, CsGDH2.1 and CsGDH2.2, in tea plants. Yeast complementation assay showed that the expression of CsGDH2.1 in yeast gdh2 mutant rescued the theanine hypersensitivity and hyperaccumulation of this mutant. Subcellular localization and tissue-specific expression showed CsGDH2.1 localized in the mitochondria and highly expressed in young tissues. Importantly, CsGDH2.1 expression was low in early spring, and increased significantly in late spring, in the new shoots of tea plants. These results all support the idea that CsGDH2.1 regulates theanine accumulation in the new shoots. Moreover, the in vitro enzyme assay showed that CsGDH2.1 had glutamate catabolic activity, and knockdown of CsGDH2.1 expression increased glutamate and theanine accumulation in the new shoots of tea plants. These findings suggested that CsGDH2.1-mediated glutamate catabolism negatively regulates theanine accumulation in the new shoots in late spring, and provides a functional gene for improving late-spring green tea quality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Shijia Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Chunxia Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Yunxia Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Xiaomei Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Shupei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Tianyuan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Xiaochun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
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14
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Li J, Xiao Y, Zhou X, Liao Y, Wu S, Chen J, Qian J, Yan Y, Tang J, Zeng L. Characterizing the cultivar-specific mechanisms underlying the accumulation of quality-related metabolites in specific Chinese tea (Camellia sinensis) germplasms to diversify tea products. Food Res Int 2022; 161:111824. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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15
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Zhou Z, Chang N, Lv Y, Jiang H, Yao C, Wan X, Li Y, Zhang X. K-solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus) promote theanine synthesis in tea roots (Camellia sinensis) by activating CsTSI activity. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 42:1613-1627. [PMID: 35271713 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpac027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Theanine is an important quality parameter referring to tea quality. Applying nitrogen fertilizers is one strategy to improve the level of theanine; however, the effect of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria on theanine synthesis in tea roots has been less studied. In this study, the bacteria isolated from Qimen County with the maximum potassium (K) solubilization were identified as Bacillus by biochemical and molecular analyses. We show that tartaric and pyruvic acids produced by Bacillus were important components related to K solubilization in vitro. Pot experiments and enzymatic assays in vitro showed that inoculation with Bacillus-secreted organic acids increased the level of available potassium in the soil. The increased K level activated recombinant CsTSI activity (theanine biosynthesis enzyme) and increased ethylamine content (the synthesis precursor of theanine), resulting in promoted theanine synthesis in tea roots. Therefore, our study indicates that Bacillus can be a potential bioinoculant for biofortification of tea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwen Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Changjiang West Road Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Na Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Changjiang West Road Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Yaning Lv
- Technology Center of Hefei Customs, NO 329 Tunxi Road, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- Anhui Keemun Black Tea Industry Co., Ltd, Huangshan, Anhui 245600, China
| | - Cheng Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Changjiang West Road Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Xiaochun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Changjiang West Road Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Yeyun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Changjiang West Road Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Xianchen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Changjiang West Road Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
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16
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Xu YX, Yang L, Lei YS, Ju RN, Miao SG, Jin SH. Integrated transcriptome and amino acid profile analyses reveal novel insights into differential accumulation of theanine in green and yellow tea cultivars. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 42:1501-1516. [PMID: 35146518 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpac016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Tea cultivars with yellow- or white-leaf variations have a high economic value due to their high amino acid (especially theanine) concentration. However, the dynamic changes of amino acid components (especially theanine) and related gene expression during new shoot development in these cultivars are still unclear. In this study, 264 tea samples from four representative varieties picked during the harvest period in spring were analyzed for their amino acid profiles. The dynamic change rules of ethylamine and 19 amino acids were summarized in normal green and yellow cultivars during new shoot development. Interestingly, the theanine concentration in the yellow cultivar was significantly higher than that in the green cultivar, and increased gradually as the leaves matured until they reached a maximum in the one bud and three leaves stage. The amino acid concentration in the leaves of the yellow cultivar increased significantly with leaf position, which was generally in contrast to the normal green cultivar. Transcriptome and correlation analyses revealed that CsGS1, CsPDX2, CsGGP5, CsHEMA3 and CsCLH4 might be the key genes potentially responsible for the differential accumulation of theanine in green and yellow tea cultivars. These results provide further information for the utilization and improvement of tea plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Xia Xu
- Jiyang College, Zhejiang A&F University, 66 Puyang Road, Zhuji, Zhejiang 311800, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Forest Aromatic Plants-based Healthcare Functions, Zhejiang A &F University, 666 Wusu Street, Lin'an, Zhejiang 311300, China
| | - Long Yang
- Jiyang College, Zhejiang A&F University, 66 Puyang Road, Zhuji, Zhejiang 311800, China
| | - Yun-Sheng Lei
- Jiyang College, Zhejiang A&F University, 66 Puyang Road, Zhuji, Zhejiang 311800, China
| | - Rui-Na Ju
- Jiyang College, Zhejiang A&F University, 66 Puyang Road, Zhuji, Zhejiang 311800, China
| | - Shu-Gang Miao
- Jiyang College, Zhejiang A&F University, 66 Puyang Road, Zhuji, Zhejiang 311800, China
| | - Song-Heng Jin
- Jiyang College, Zhejiang A&F University, 66 Puyang Road, Zhuji, Zhejiang 311800, China
- The Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, 666 Wusu Street, Lin'an, Zhejiang 311300, China
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17
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Fu X, Chen J, Li J, Dai G, Tang J, Yang Z. Mechanism underlying the carotenoid accumulation in shaded tea leaves. Food Chem X 2022; 14:100323. [PMID: 35571330 PMCID: PMC9097638 DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2022.100323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term shading treatment (14 days) increased carotenoid content in tea leaves. Long-term darkness (14 days) decreased carotenoid content in tea leaves. Long-term shading treatment increased carotenoid biosynthetic gene expression levels. Long-term darkness decreased carotenoid biosynthetic gene expression levels. The functions of CsDXS1, CsDXS3, CsPSY, CsLCYB and CsLCYE genes have been verified.
Carotenoids contribute to tea leaf coloration and are the precursors of important aromatic compounds. Shading can promote the accumulation of carotenoids in tea leaves, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In the study, we analyzed the content and composition of carotenoids, and transcript levels and functions of related genes in carotenoid biosynthesis using HPLC, qRT-PCR, and heterologous expression system. It was found that long-term shading (14 days, 90% shading) significantly increased the total carotenoid content in tea leaves, and increased the expression of non-mevalonate pathway (MEP) genes (CsDXS1 and CsDXS3) and key genes in carotenoid synthesis pathway (CsPSY, CsLCYB, and CsLCYE). Long-term exposure to darkness (14 days, 0 lx) decreased the transcription of most carotenoid biosynthetic genes and adversely affected carotenoid accumulation. Furthermore, CsDXS1, CsDXS3, CsPSY, CsLCYB, and CsLCYE were functionally identified and contributed to the enhanced accumulation of carotenoids in tea leaves in response to long-term shading.
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Yang G, Zhou D, Wan R, Wang C, Xie J, Ma C, Li Y. HPLC and high-throughput sequencing revealed higher tea-leaves quality, soil fertility and microbial community diversity in ancient tea plantations: compared with modern tea plantations. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 22:239. [PMID: 35550027 PMCID: PMC9097118 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-022-03633-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ancient tea plantations with an age over 100 years still reserved at Mengku Town in Lincang Region of Yunan Province, China. However, the characteristic of soil chemicophysical properties and microbial ecosystem in the ancient tea plantations and their correlation with tea-leaves chemical components remained unclear. Tea-leaves chemical components including free amino acids, phenolic compounds and purine alkaloids collected from modern and ancient tea plantations in five geographic sites (i.e. Bingdao, Baqishan, Banuo, Dongguo and Jiulong) were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), while their soil microbial community structure was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing, respectively. Additionally, soil microbial quantity and chemicophysical properties including pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN), available phosphorous (AP) and available potassium (AK) were determined in modern and ancient tea plantations. RESULTS Tea-leaves chemical components, soil chemicophysical properties and microbial community structures including bacterial and fungal community abundance and diversity evaluated by Chao 1 and Shannon varied with geographic location and tea plantation type. Ancient tea plantations were observed to possess significantly (P < 0.05) higher free amino acids, gallic acid, caffeine and epigallocatechin (EGC) in tea-leaves, as well as soil fertility. The bacterial community structure kept stable, while fungal community abundance and diversity significantly (P < 0.05) increased in ancient tea plantation because of higher soil fertility and lower pH. The long-term plantation in natural cultivation way might significantly (P < 0.05) improve the abundances of Nitrospirota, Methylomirabilota, Ascomycota and Mortierellomycota phyla. CONCLUSIONS Due to the natural cultivation way, the ancient tea plantations still maintained relatively higher soil fertility and soil microbial ecosystem, which contributed to the sustainable development of tea-leaves with higher quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangrong Yang
- College of Tea, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Dapeng Zhou
- College of Tea, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Renyuan Wan
- College of Tea, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Conglian Wang
- College of Tea, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Jin Xie
- College of Tea, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Cunqiang Ma
- College of Tea, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China.
- College of Horticulture and Forestry, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
| | - Yongmei Li
- College of Resources and Environment, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China.
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19
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Lin S, Chen Z, Chen T, Deng W, Wan X, Zhang Z. Theanine metabolism and transport in tea plants ( Camellia sinensis L.): advances and perspectives. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2022; 43:327-341. [PMID: 35430936 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2022.2036692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Theanine, a tea plant-specific non-proteinogenic amino acid, is the most abundant free amino acid in tea leaves. It is also one of the most important quality components of tea because it endows the "umami" taste, relaxation-promoting, and many other health benefits of tea infusion. Its content in tea leaves is directly correlated with the quality and price of green tea. Theanine biosynthesis primarily occurs in roots and is transported to new shoots in tea plants. Recently, great advances have been made in theanine metabolism and transport in tea plants. Along with the deciphering of the genomic sequences of tea plants, new genes in theanine metabolic pathway were discovered and functionally characterized. Theanine transporters were identified and were characterized on the affinity for: theanine, substrate specificity, spatiotemporal expression, and the role in theanine root-to-shoot transport. The mechanisms underlying the regulation of theanine accumulation by: cultivars, seasons, nutrients, and environmental factors are also being rapidly uncovered. Transcription factors were identified to be critical regulators of theanine biosynthesis. In this review, we summarize the progresses in theanine: biosynthesis, catabolism, and transport processes. We also discuss the future studies on theanine in tea plants, and application of the knowledge to crops to synthesize theanine to improve the health-promoting quality of non-tea crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijia Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, PR China
| | - Ziping Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, PR China
| | - Tingting Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, PR China
| | - Weiwei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, PR China
| | - Xiaochun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, PR China
| | - Zhaoliang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, PR China
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20
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Shao C, Jiao H, Chen J, Zhang C, Liu J, Chen J, Li Y, Huang J, Yang B, Liu Z, Shen C. Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism Are Jointly Regulated During Shading in Roots and Leaves of Camellia Sinensis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:894840. [PMID: 35498711 PMCID: PMC9051521 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.894840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown that plant shading can promote the quality of green tea. However, the association of shading with metabolic regulation in tea leaves and roots remains unelucidated. Here, the metabolic profiling of two tea cultivars ("Xiangfeicui" and "Jinxuan") in response to shading and relighting periods during the summer season was performed using non-targeted metabolomics methods. The metabolic pathway analyses revealed that long-term shading remarkably inhibit the sugar metabolism such as glycolysis, galactose metabolism, and pentose phosphate pathway in the leaves and roots of "Xiangfeicui," and "Jinxuan" were more sensitive to light recovery changes. The lipid metabolism in the leaves and roots of "Xiangfeicui" was promoted by short-term shading, while it was inhibited by long-term shading. In addition, the intensity of the flavonoid metabolites in the leaves and roots of "Jinxuan" were upregulated with a trend of rising first and then decreasing under shading, and five flavonoid synthesis genes showed the same trend (F3H, F3'5'H, DFR, ANS, and ANR). Simultaneously, the amino acids of the nitrogen metabolism in the leaves and roots of the two cultivars were significantly promoted by long-term shading, while the purine and caffeine metabolism was inhibited in the leaves of "Xiangfeicui." Interestingly, CsGS1.1 and CsTSI, amino acid synthase genes was upregulated in the leaves and roots of two cultivars. These results indicated that shading could participate in carbon and nitrogen metabolic regulation of both leaf and root, and root metabolism could have a positive association with leaf metabolism to promote the shaded tea quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyu Shao
- Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Co-innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Haizhen Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Co-innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Jiahao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Co-innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Chenyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Co-innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Tea Research Institution, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Co-innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Jianjiao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Co-innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Yunfei Li
- Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Co-innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Jing Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Co-innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Biao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Co-innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Co-innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Chengwen Shen
- Key Laboratory of Tea Science of Ministry of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- National Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Co-innovation Center of Education Ministry for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
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21
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She G, Yu S, Li Z, Peng A, Li P, Li Y, Chang M, Liu L, Chen Q, Shi C, Sun J, Zhao J, Wan X. Characterization of CsTSI in the Biosynthesis of Theanine in Tea Plants ( Camellia sinensis). JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:826-836. [PMID: 35029385 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c04816] [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] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Theanine is a unique major amino acid in tea plants responsible for umami taste and mental health benefits of tea. However, theanine biosynthesis and physiological role in tea plants are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that tea plant theanine synthetase is encoded by a glutamine synthetase gene CsTSI. The expression pattern of CsTSI is closely correlated with theanine and glutamine levels in various tissues. CsTSI transcripts were accumulated in root tip epidermal cells, pericycle and procambial cells, where CsTSI presents as a cytosolic protein. Ectopic expression of the gene in Arabidopsis led to greater glutamine and theanine production than controls when fed with ethylamine (EA). RNAi knockdown or overexpression of CsTSI in tea plant hairy roots reduced or enhanced theanine and glutamine contents, respectively, compared with controls. The CsTSI recombinant enzymes used glutamate as an acceptor and ammonium or EA as a donor to synthesize glutamine and theanine, respectively. CsTSI expression in tea roots responded to nitrogen supply and deprivation and was correlated with theanine contents. This study provides fresh insights into the molecular basis for the biosynthesis of theanine, which may facilitate the breeding of high-theanine tea plants for improving the nutritional benefit of tea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangbiao She
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Shuwei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Zhenguo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Anqi Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Penghui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Yingying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Manman Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Linlin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Qi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Chengying Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Jun Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Jian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Xiaochun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, College of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
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22
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Huang R, Wang JY, Yao MZ, Ma CL, Chen L. Quantitative trait loci mapping for free amino acid content using an albino population and SNP markers provides insight into the genetic improvement of tea plants. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2022; 9:6510850. [PMID: 35040977 PMCID: PMC8788373 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhab029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Free amino acids are one of the main chemical components in tea, and they contribute to the pleasant flavor, function, and quality of tea, notably the level of theanine. Here, a high-density genetic map was constructed to characterize quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for free amino acid content. A total of 2688 polymorphic SNP markers were obtained using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) based on 198 individuals derived from a pseudotestcross population of "Longjing 43" × "Baijiguan", which are elite and albino tea cultivars, respectively. The 1846.32 cM high-density map with an average interval of 0.69 cM was successfully divided into 15 linkage groups (LGs) ranging from 93.41 cM to 171.28 cM. Furthermore, a total of 4 QTLs related to free amino acid content (theanine, glutamate, glutamine, aspartic acid and arginine) identified over two years were mapped to LG03, LG06, LG11 and LG14. The phenotypic variation explained by these QTLs ranged from 11.8% to 23.7%, with an LOD score from 3.56 to 7.7. Furthermore, several important amino acid metabolic pathways were enriched based on the upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among the offspring. These results will be essential for fine mapping genes involved in amino acid pathways and diversity, thereby providing a promising avenue for the genetic improvement of tea plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Jun-Ya Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Ming-Zhe Yao
- Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Chun-Lei Ma
- Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
- Corresponding authors: E-mail: ,
| | - Liang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
- Corresponding authors: E-mail: ,
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23
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Liu Y, Xiong Y. Protoplast for Gene Functional Analysis in Arabidopsis. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2464:29-47. [PMID: 35258823 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2164-6_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Protoplast, a plant cell without cell wall, can be readily transfected by exogenous macromolecules (DNA, RNA, protein) and therefore offer a versatile single cell-based functional analysis system to rapidly assess these exogenous macromolecules' functions. Properly prepared Arabidopsis leaf mesophyll protoplasts exhibit similar responses as intact plants to diverse abiotic and biotic stress signals as well as different hormones and nutrients, based on well-established reporter and marker gene assays. The protoplast transient expression system has been proven to be a vital and reliable tool for elucidation of the activities of transcription factors and protein kinases, protein subcellular localization and trafficking, protein-protein interaction, and protein stabilities in various signal transduction pathways. Moreover, protoplast also offers a platform for single cell-based plant regeneration, gene silencing, and genome editing. Healthy protoplasts isolated from plant tissues and the high transfection efficiency are key steps for successful use of the protoplast transient expression system. In this chapter, we describe the detailed methods of the protoplast transient expression system in Arabidopsis, including plant material preparation, high-quality maxi-plasmid DNA extraction, non-stressed protoplast isolation, highly efficient PEG-calcium transfection of plasmid DNA, and protoplast culture and harvest. We also provide several examples of gene functional analysis using this protoplast transient expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanlin Liu
- Basic Forestry and Proteomics Research Center, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yan Xiong
- Basic Forestry and Proteomics Research Center, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
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24
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Fu X, Liao Y, Cheng S, Deng R, Yang Z. Stable Isotope-Labeled Precursor Tracing Reveals that l-Alanine is Converted to l-Theanine via l-Glutamate not Ethylamine in Tea Plants In Vivo. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:15354-15361. [PMID: 34904439 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c06660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Tea plants (Camellia sinensis) specifically produce l-theanine, which contributes to tea function and taste. Ethylamine is a limiting factor differentiating l-theanine accumulation between tea and other plants. Ethylamine has long been assumed to be derived from l-alanine in tea. In this study, the l-alanine content in tea root cells was mainly located in vacuoles and mitochondria using a nonaqueous fractionation technique, while alanine decarboxylase in tea (CsADC) was located in the cytoplasm. Although CsADC was able to catalyze l-alanine decarboxylation to produce ethylamine in vitro, it may not provide the same enzyme activity in tea plants. Stable isotope-labeled precursor tracing in tea plants discovered that l-alanine is not a direct precursor of ethylamine but a precursor of l-glutamate, which is involved in l-theanine biosynthesis in tea. Cortex with epidermis from root tissue was the main location of ethylamine. In summary, l-alanine is converted to l-theanine via l-glutamate not ethylamine in tea plants in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiumin Fu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Yinyin Liao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Sihua Cheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Rufang Deng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Ziyin Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
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25
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Feng L, Yu Y, Lin S, Yang T, Chen Q, Liu L, Sun J, Zheng P, Zhang Z, Wan X. Tonoplast-Localized Theanine Transporter CsCAT2 May Mediate Theanine Storage in the Root of Tea Plants ( Camellia sinensis L.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:797854. [PMID: 34975988 PMCID: PMC8719441 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.797854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Theanine is the component endowing tea infusion with "umami" taste and antidepression benefits. Theanine is primarily synthesized and stored in root in winter and is transported via vascular tissues to the new shoot in spring. However, the mechanism underlying theanine storage in the root of tea plants remains largely unknown. Cationic amino acid transporter 2 (CsCAT2) in tea plants is homologous to glutamine permease 1 (GNP1), the specific glutamine transporter in yeast. In this study, we identified CsCAT2 as an H+-dependent theanine transporter with medium affinity for theanine. The result of subcellular localization showed that CsCAT2 was a tonoplast-localized transporter. Importantly, CsCAT2 highly expressed in the root in winter during theanine storage and reduced its expression in the root during theanine transport from root-to-shoot in spring. In addition, CsCAT2 expression in the roots of 5 varieties at four time points during December and April was significant negatively correlated with the capacity of theanine root-to-shoot movement. Taken together, these results suggested that CsCAT2 may mediate theanine storage in the vacuole of root cells and may negatively modulate theanine transport from root to shoot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, School of Tea and Food science and Technology, Anhui Agricutural University, Hefei, China
- Institute of Fruit and Tea, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongchao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, School of Tea and Food science and Technology, Anhui Agricutural University, Hefei, China
| | - Shijia Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, School of Tea and Food science and Technology, Anhui Agricutural University, Hefei, China
| | - Tianyuan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, School of Tea and Food science and Technology, Anhui Agricutural University, Hefei, China
| | - Qi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, School of Tea and Food science and Technology, Anhui Agricutural University, Hefei, China
| | - Linlin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, School of Tea and Food science and Technology, Anhui Agricutural University, Hefei, China
| | - Jun Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, School of Tea and Food science and Technology, Anhui Agricutural University, Hefei, China
| | - Pengcheng Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, School of Tea and Food science and Technology, Anhui Agricutural University, Hefei, China
- Institute of Fruit and Tea, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhaoliang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, School of Tea and Food science and Technology, Anhui Agricutural University, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaochun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Resource Utilization, School of Tea and Food science and Technology, Anhui Agricutural University, Hefei, China
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26
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Yu Y, Kou X, Gao R, Chen X, Zhao Z, Mei H, Li J, Jeyaraj A, Thangaraj K, Periakaruppan R, Zhuang J, Chen X, Arkorful E, Li X. Glutamine Synthetases Play a Vital Role in High Accumulation of Theanine in Tender Shoots of Albino Tea Germplasm "Huabai 1". JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:13904-13915. [PMID: 34775761 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c04567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Theanine (N-ethyl-γ-l-glutamine) is a special nonprotein amino acid that contributes to the umami taste and health function of tea. Although recent studies on tea breeding have focused on albino tea because of its umami taste, a factor of higher theanine concentration, the mechanism of biosynthesis of l-theanine is still unclear. In this study, four glutamine synthetase genes (CsGSs) were obtained and functionally characterized by overexpressing them in Arabidopsis. The enzyme activities of the purified CsGS proteins from Escherichia coli were detected. The results showed that CsGSs have a dual function in the synthesis of glutamine and theanine in vivo and in vitro. Interestingly, l-theanine was abundantly synthesized in the tender shoots of "Huabai 1". In the white tender shoots, the cytosol CsGS1.2 might exhibit increased expression to compensate for decreasing levels of chloroplast CsGS2, which plays a vital role in high accumulation of theanine in "Huabai 1". In addition, CsGS2 was most likely the key l-theanine synthases in green tissues of tea. The present findings will provide basis for and considerably broaden the scope of understanding the function of CsGSs and the mechanism of l-theanine accumulation in the tender shoots of "Huabai 1", and will be useful for breeding and screening tea with high l-theanine content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yu
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No.1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaobing Kou
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No.1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Ruoshi Gao
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No.1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xuefei Chen
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No.1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Zhen Zhao
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No.1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Huiling Mei
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jianjie Li
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Anburaj Jeyaraj
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No.1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Kuberan Thangaraj
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No.1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Rajiv Periakaruppan
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No.1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jing Zhuang
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No.1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xuan Chen
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No.1, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Emmanuel Arkorful
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Xinghui Li
- College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No.1, Nanjing 210095, China
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27
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28
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Production of l-Theanine by Escherichia coli in the Absence of Supplemental Ethylamine. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:AEM.00031-21. [PMID: 33741612 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00031-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
l-Theanine is a nonproteinogenic amino acid present almost exclusively in tea plants and is beneficial for human health. For industrial production, l-theanine is enzymatically or chemically synthesized from glutamine/glutamate (or a glutamine/glutamate derivative) and ethylamine. Ethylamine is extremely flammable and toxic, which complicates and increases the cost of operational procedures. To solve these problems, we developed an artificial biosynthetic pathway to produce l-theanine in the absence of supplemental ethylamine. For this purpose, we identified and selected a novel transaminase (NCBI:protein accession number AAN70747) from Pseudomonas putida KT2440, which catalyzes the transamination of acetaldehyde to produce ethylamine, as well as γ-glutamylmethylamide synthetase (NCBI:protein accession number AAY37316) from Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae B728a, which catalyzes the condensation of l-glutamate and ethylamine to produce l-theanine. Expressing these genes in Escherichia coli W3110S3GK and enhancing the production capacity of acetaldehyde and l-alanine achieved successful production of l-theanine without ethylamine supplementation. Furthermore, the deletion of ggt, which encodes γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (EC 2.3.2.2), achieved large-scale production of l-theanine by attenuating its decomposition. We show that an alanine decarboxylase-utilizing pathway represents a promising route for the fermentative production of l-theanine. Our study reports efficient methods to produce l-theanine in the absence of supplemental ethylamine.IMPORTANCE l-Theanine is widely used in food additives and dietary supplements. Industrial production of l-theanine uses the toxic and highly flammable precursor ethylamine, raising production costs. In this study, we used Escherichia coli to engineer two biosynthetic pathways that produce l-theanine from glucose and ammonia in the absence of supplemental ethylamine. This study establishes a foundation for safely and economically producing l-theanine.
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Yang T, Xie Y, Lu X, Yan X, Wang Y, Ma J, Cheng X, Lin S, Bao S, Wan X, Lucas WJ, Zhang Z. Shading Promoted Theanine Biosynthesis in the Roots and Allocation in the Shoots of the Tea Plant ( Camellia sinensis L.) Cultivar Shuchazao. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:4795-4803. [PMID: 33861578 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c00641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Shading was thought as an effective approach to increase theanine in harvested tea shoots. Previous studies offered conflicting findings, perhaps since the integration of theanine metabolism and transport in different tissues was not considered. Theanine is synthesized primarily in the roots and is then transported, via the vascular system, to new vegetative tissues. Here, we found that theanine increased in the stem, was reduced in the leaf, and remained stable in the roots, under shading conditions. Notably, in tea roots, shading significantly increased ethylamine and activated the theanine biosynthesis pathway and theanine transporter genes. Furthermore, shading significantly increased the expression of theanine transporter genes, CsAAP2/4/5/8, in the stem, while decreasing the expression of CsAAP1/2/4/5/6 in the leaf, in accordance with shading effects on theanine levels in these tissues. These findings reveal that shading of tea plants promotes theanine biosynthesis and allocation in different tissues, processes which appear to involve the theanine biosynthesis pathway enzymes and AAP family of theanine transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyuan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Yunxia Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Xin Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Xiaomei Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Yan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Jingzhen Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Xunmin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Shijia Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Shilai Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaochun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - William J Lucas
- Department of Plant Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Zhaoliang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
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Chen Y, Wang F, Wu Z, Jiang F, Yu W, Yang J, Chen J, Jian G, You Z, Zeng L. Effects of Long-Term Nitrogen Fertilization on the Formation of Metabolites Related to Tea Quality in Subtropical China. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11030146. [PMID: 33801425 PMCID: PMC8000315 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11030146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
As a main agronomic intervention in tea cultivation, nitrogen (N) application is useful to improve tea yield and quality. However, the effects of N application on the formation of tea quality-related metabolites have not been fully studied, especially in long-term field trials. In this study, a 10-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of long-term N application treatments on tea quality-related metabolites, their precursors, and related gene expression. Long-term N application up-regulated the expression of key genes for chlorophyll synthesis and promoted its synthesis, thus increasing tea yield. It also significantly increased the contents of total free amino acids, especially l-theanine, in fresh tea leaves, while decreasing the catechin content, which is conducive to enhancing tea liquor freshness. However, long-term N application significantly reduced the contents of benzyl alcohol and 2-phenylethanol in fresh tea leaves, and also reduced (E)-nerolidol and indole in withered leaves, which were not conducive to the formation of floral and fruity aroma compounds. In general, an appropriate amount of N fertilizer (225 kg/hm2) balanced tea yield and quality. These results not only provide essential information on how N application affects tea quality, but also provide detailed experimental data for field fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhen Chen
- Tea Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 104 Pudang Road, Xindian Town, Jin’an District, Fuzhou 350012, China; (Y.C.); (F.W.); (Z.W.); (F.J.)
- National Agricultural Experimental Station for Soil Quality, No. 1 Hutouyang Road, Shekou Town, Fu’an 355015, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Tea Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 104 Pudang Road, Xindian Town, Jin’an District, Fuzhou 350012, China; (Y.C.); (F.W.); (Z.W.); (F.J.)
- National Agricultural Experimental Station for Soil Quality, No. 1 Hutouyang Road, Shekou Town, Fu’an 355015, China
| | - Zhidan Wu
- Tea Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 104 Pudang Road, Xindian Town, Jin’an District, Fuzhou 350012, China; (Y.C.); (F.W.); (Z.W.); (F.J.)
- National Agricultural Experimental Station for Soil Quality, No. 1 Hutouyang Road, Shekou Town, Fu’an 355015, China
| | - Fuying Jiang
- Tea Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 104 Pudang Road, Xindian Town, Jin’an District, Fuzhou 350012, China; (Y.C.); (F.W.); (Z.W.); (F.J.)
- National Agricultural Experimental Station for Soil Quality, No. 1 Hutouyang Road, Shekou Town, Fu’an 355015, China
| | - Wenquan Yu
- Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 247 Wusi Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350013, China;
| | - Jie Yang
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (J.Y.); (J.C.); (G.J.)
| | - Jiaming Chen
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (J.Y.); (J.C.); (G.J.)
| | - Guotai Jian
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (J.Y.); (J.C.); (G.J.)
| | - Zhiming You
- Tea Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 104 Pudang Road, Xindian Town, Jin’an District, Fuzhou 350012, China; (Y.C.); (F.W.); (Z.W.); (F.J.)
- National Agricultural Experimental Station for Soil Quality, No. 1 Hutouyang Road, Shekou Town, Fu’an 355015, China
- Correspondence: (Z.Y.); (L.Z.)
| | - Lanting Zeng
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (J.Y.); (J.C.); (G.J.)
- Correspondence: (Z.Y.); (L.Z.)
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Li J, Xiao Y, Fan Q, Liao Y, Wang X, Fu X, Gu D, Chen Y, Zhou B, Tang J, Zeng L. Transformation of Salicylic Acid and Its Distribution in Tea Plants ( Camellia sinensis) at the Tissue and Subcellular Levels. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:282. [PMID: 33540509 PMCID: PMC7912924 DOI: 10.3390/plants10020282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Salicylic acid (SA) is a well-known immune-related hormone that has been well studied in model plants. However, less attention has been paid to the presence of SA and its derivatives in economic plants, such as tea plants (Camellia sinensis). This study showed that tea plants were rich in SA and responded differently to different pathogens. Feeding experiments in tea tissues further confirmed the transformation of SA into salicylic acid 2-O-β-glucoside (SAG) and methyl salicylate. Nonaqueous fractionation techniques confirmed that SA and SAG were mostly distributed in the cytosol of tea leaves, consistent with distributions in other plant species. Furthermore, the stem epidermis contained more SA than the stem core both in C. sinensis cv. "Jinxuan" (small-leaf species) and "Yinghong No. 9" (large-leaf species). Compared with cv. "Yinghong No. 9", cv. "Jinxuan" contained more SAG in the stem epidermis, which might explain its lower incidence rate of wilt disease. This information will improve understanding of SA occurrence in tea plants and provide a basis for investigating the relationship between SA and disease resistance in tea plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlong Li
- Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation and Utilization, No. 6 Dafeng Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510640, China; (J.L.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.)
| | - Yangyang Xiao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (Y.X.); (Q.F.); (Y.L.); (X.W.); (X.F.); (D.G.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qian Fan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (Y.X.); (Q.F.); (Y.L.); (X.W.); (X.F.); (D.G.)
- National Navel Orange Engineering Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Rongjiang New District, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Yinyin Liao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (Y.X.); (Q.F.); (Y.L.); (X.W.); (X.F.); (D.G.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xuewen Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (Y.X.); (Q.F.); (Y.L.); (X.W.); (X.F.); (D.G.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiumin Fu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (Y.X.); (Q.F.); (Y.L.); (X.W.); (X.F.); (D.G.)
| | - Dachuan Gu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (Y.X.); (Q.F.); (Y.L.); (X.W.); (X.F.); (D.G.)
| | - Yiyong Chen
- Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation and Utilization, No. 6 Dafeng Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510640, China; (J.L.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.)
| | - Bo Zhou
- Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation and Utilization, No. 6 Dafeng Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510640, China; (J.L.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.)
| | - Jinchi Tang
- Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation and Utilization, No. 6 Dafeng Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510640, China; (J.L.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.)
| | - Lanting Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (Y.X.); (Q.F.); (Y.L.); (X.W.); (X.F.); (D.G.)
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
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Liao Y, Zhou X, Zeng L. How does tea ( Camellia sinensis) produce specialized metabolites which determine its unique quality and function: a review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2021; 62:3751-3767. [PMID: 33401945 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1868970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Tea (Camellia sinensis) is both a plant and a foodstuff. Many bioactive compounds, which are present in the final tea product and related to its quality or functional properties, are produced during the tea manufacturing process. However, the characteristic secondary metabolites, which give tea its unique qualities and are beneficial to human health, are produced mainly in the leaves during the process of plant growth. Therefore, it is important to understand how tea leaves produce these specialized metabolites. In this review, we first compare the common metabolites and specialized metabolites in tea, coffee, cocoa, and grape and discuss the occurrence of characteristic secondary metabolites in tea. Progress in research into the formation of these characteristic secondary metabolites in tea is summarized, including establishing a biological database and genetic transformation system, and the biosynthesis of characteristic secondary metabolites. Finally, speculation on future research into the characteristic secondary metabolites of tea is provided from the viewpoints of the origin, resources, cultivation, and processing of tea. This review provides an important reference for future research on the specialized metabolites of tea in terms of its characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinyin Liao
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaochen Zhou
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lanting Zeng
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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Chen Z, Lin S, Li J, Chen T, Gu Q, Yang T, Zhang Z. Theanine Improves Salt Stress Tolerance via Modulating Redox Homeostasis in Tea Plants ( Camellia sinensis L.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:770398. [PMID: 34721495 PMCID: PMC8554060 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.770398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Theanine, a unique non-proteinogenic amino acid, is one of the most abundant secondary metabolites in tea. Its content largely determines green tea quality and price. However, its physiological roles in tea plants remain largely unknown. Here, we showed that salt stress significantly increased the accumulation of glutamate, glutamine, alanine, proline, and γ-aminobutyric acid, as well as theanine, in the new shoots of tea plants. We further found that salt stress induced the expression of theanine biosynthetic genes, including CsGOGATs, CsAlaDC, and CsTSI, suggested that salt stress induced theanine biosynthesis. Importantly, applying theanine to the new shoots significantly enhanced the salt stress tolerance. Similar effects were also found in a model plant Arabidopsis. Notably, exogenous theanine application increased the antioxidant activity of the shoots under salt stress, suggested by reduced the reactive oxygen species accumulation and lipid peroxidation, as well as by the increased SOD, CAT, and APX activities and expression of the corresponding genes. Finally, genetic evidence supported that catalase-mediated antioxidant scavenging pathway is required for theanine-induced salt stress tolerance. Taken together, this study suggested that salt stress induces theanine biosynthesize in tea plants to enhance the salt stress tolerance through a CAT-dependent redox homeostasis pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziping Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Shijia Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Juan Li
- Biotechnology Center, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Tingting Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Quan Gu
- School of Biology, Food and Environment, Hefei University, Hefei, China
| | - Tianyuan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Zhaoliang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
- *Correspondence: Zhaoliang Zhang,
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Fu X, Cheng S, Liao Y, Xu X, Wang X, Hao X, Xu P, Dong F, Yang Z. Characterization of l-Theanine Hydrolase in Vitro and Subcellular Distribution of Its Specific Product Ethylamine in Tea ( Camellia sinensis). JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2020; 68:10842-10851. [PMID: 32866009 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c01796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
l-Theanine has a significant role in the taste of tea (Camellia sinensis) infusions. Our previous research indicated that the lower l-theanine metabolism in ethylamine and l-glutamate is a key factor that explains the higher content of l-theanine in albino tea with yellow or white leaves, compared with that of normal tea with green leaves. However, the specific genes encoding l-theanine hydrolase in tea remains unknown. In this study, CsPDX2.1 was cloned together with the homologous Arabidopsis PDX2 gene and the recombinant protein was shown to catalyze l-theanine hydrolysis into ethylamine and l-glutamate in vitro. There were higher CsPDX2.1 transcript levels in leaf tissue and lower transcripts in the types of albino (yellow leaf) teas compared with green controls. The subcellular location of ethylamine in tea leaves was shown to be in the mitochondria and peroxisome using a nonaqueous fractionation method. This study identified the l-theanine hydrolase gene and subcellular distribution of ethylamine in tea leaves, which improves our understanding of the l-theanine metabolism and the mechanism of differential accumulation of l-theanine among tea varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiumin Fu
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Sihua Cheng
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yinyin Liao
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xinlan Xu
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Xinchao Wang
- National Center for Tea Improvement, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Xinyuan Hao
- National Center for Tea Improvement, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
| | - Ping Xu
- Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, No. 388 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Fang Dong
- Guangdong Food and Drug Vocational College, No. 321 Longdongbei Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510520, China
| | - Ziyin Yang
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
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Liao Y, Fu X, Zeng L, Yang Z. Strategies for studying in vivo biochemical formation pathways and multilevel distributions of quality or function-related specialized metabolites in tea (Camellia sinensis). Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2020; 62:429-442. [DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1819195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yinyin Liao
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiumin Fu
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lanting Zeng
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ziyin Yang
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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36
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Zhou X, Zeng L, Chen Y, Wang X, Liao Y, Xiao Y, Fu X, Yang Z. Metabolism of Gallic Acid and Its Distributions in Tea ( Camellia sinensis) Plants at the Tissue and Subcellular Levels. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165684. [PMID: 32784431 PMCID: PMC7460824 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In tea (Camellia sinensis) plants, polyphenols are the representative metabolites and play important roles during their growth. Among tea polyphenols, catechins are extensively studied, while very little attention has been paid to other polyphenols such as gallic acid (GA) that occur in tea leaves with relatively high content. In this study, GA was able to be transformed into methyl gallate (MG), suggesting that GA is not only a precursor of catechins, but also can be transformed into other metabolites in tea plants. GA content in tea leaves was higher than MG content-regardless of the cultivar, plucking month or leaf position. These two metabolites occurred with higher amounts in tender leaves. Using nonaqueous fractionation techniques, it was found that GA and MG were abundantly accumulated in peroxisome. In addition, GA and MG were found to have strong antifungal activity against two main tea plant diseases, Colletotrichum camelliae and Pseudopestalotiopsis camelliae-sinensis. The information will advance our understanding on formation and biologic functions of polyphenols in tea plants and also provide a good reference for studying in vivo occurrence of specialized metabolites in economic plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Zhou
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.Z.); (L.Z.); (X.W.); (Y.L.); (Y.X.); (X.F.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lanting Zeng
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.Z.); (L.Z.); (X.W.); (Y.L.); (Y.X.); (X.F.)
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Yingjuan Chen
- Department of Tea Science, College of Food Science, Southwest University, No. 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China;
| | - Xuewen Wang
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.Z.); (L.Z.); (X.W.); (Y.L.); (Y.X.); (X.F.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yinyin Liao
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.Z.); (L.Z.); (X.W.); (Y.L.); (Y.X.); (X.F.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yangyang Xiao
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.Z.); (L.Z.); (X.W.); (Y.L.); (Y.X.); (X.F.)
| | - Xiumin Fu
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.Z.); (L.Z.); (X.W.); (Y.L.); (Y.X.); (X.F.)
| | - Ziyin Yang
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; (X.Z.); (L.Z.); (X.W.); (Y.L.); (Y.X.); (X.F.)
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
- Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-20-3807-2989
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