1
|
Quiñones CO, Gesto-Borroto R, Wilson RV, Hernández-Madrigal SV, Lorence A. Alternative pathways leading to ascorbate biosynthesis in plants: lessons from the last 25 years. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:2644-2663. [PMID: 38488689 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
l-Ascorbic acid (AsA) is an antioxidant with important roles in plant stress physiology, growth, and development. AsA also plays an essential role in human health, preventing scurvy. Humans do not synthesize AsA, which needs to be supplied via a diet rich in fresh produce. Research efforts have provided progress in the elucidation of a complex metabolic network with at least four routes leading to AsA formation in plants. In this review, three alternative pathways, namely the d-galacturonate, the l-gulose, and the myo-inositol pathways, are presented with the supporting evidence of their operation in multiple plant species. We critically discuss feeding studies using precursors and their conversion to AsA in plant organs, and research where the expression of key genes encoding enzymes involved in the alternative pathways showed >100% AsA content increase in the transgenics and in many cases accompanied by enhanced tolerance to multiple stresses. We propose that the alternative pathways are vital in AsA production in response to stressful conditions and to compensate in cases where the flux through the d-mannose/l-galactose pathway is reduced. The genes and enzymes that have been characterized so far in these alternative pathways represent important tools that are being used to develop more climate-tolerant crops.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cherryl O Quiñones
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, PO Box 639, State University, AR 72467, USA
| | - Reinier Gesto-Borroto
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, PO Box 639, State University, AR 72467, USA
| | - Rachael V Wilson
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, PO Box 639, State University, AR 72467, USA
| | - Sara V Hernández-Madrigal
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, PO Box 639, State University, AR 72467, USA
| | - Argelia Lorence
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, PO Box 639, State University, AR 72467, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Arkansas State University, PO Box 419, State University, AR 72467, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Liu H, Wei L, Ni Y, Chang L, Dong J, Zhong C, Sun R, Li S, Xiong R, Wang G, Sun J, Zhang Y, Gao Y. Genome-Wide Analysis of Ascorbic Acid Metabolism Related Genes in Fragaria × ananassa and Its Expression Pattern Analysis in Strawberry Fruits. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:954505. [PMID: 35873967 PMCID: PMC9296770 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.954505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ascorbic acid (AsA) is an important antioxidant for scavenging reactive oxygen species and it is essential for human health. Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) fruits are rich in AsA. In recent years, strawberry has been regarded as a model for non-climacteric fruit ripening. However, in contrast to climacteric fruits, such as tomato, the regulatory mechanism of AsA accumulation in strawberry fruits remains largely unknown. In this study, we first identified 125 AsA metabolism-related genes from the cultivated strawberry "Camarosa" genome. The expression pattern analysis using an available RNA-seq data showed that the AsA biosynthetic-related genes in the D-mannose/L-galactose pathway were downregulated remarkably during fruit ripening which was opposite to the increasing AsA content in fruits. The D-galacturonate reductase gene (GalUR) in the D-Galacturonic acid pathway was extremely upregulated in strawberry receptacles during fruit ripening. The FaGalUR gene above belongs to the aldo-keto reductases (AKR) superfamily and has been proposed to participate in AsA biosynthesis in strawberry fruits. To explore whether there are other genes in the AKR superfamily involved in regulating AsA accumulation during strawberry fruit ripening, we further implemented a genome-wide analysis of the AKR superfamily using the octoploid strawberry genome. A total of 80 FaAKR genes were identified from the genome and divided into 20 subgroups based on phylogenetic analysis. These FaAKR genes were unevenly distributed on 23 chromosomes. Among them, nine genes showed increased expression in receptacles as the fruit ripened, and notably, FaAKR23 was the most dramatically upregulated FaAKR gene in receptacles. Compared with fruits at green stage, its expression level increased by 142-fold at red stage. The qRT-PCR results supported that the expression of FaAKR23 was increased significantly during fruit ripening. In particular, the FaAKR23 was the only FaAKR gene that was significantly upregulated by abscisic acid (ABA) and suppressed by nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA, an ABA biosynthesis blocker), indicating FaAKR23 might play important roles in ABA-mediated strawberry fruit ripening. In a word, our study provides useful information on the AsA metabolism during strawberry fruit ripening and will help understand the mechanism of AsA accumulation in strawberry fruits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huabo Liu
- Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for Strawberry, Beijing, China
| | - Lingzhi Wei
- Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for Strawberry, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Ni
- Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
- Inspection and Testing Laboratory of Fruits and Nursery Stocks (Beijing), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
| | - Linlin Chang
- Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for Strawberry, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Dong
- Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for Strawberry, Beijing, China
| | - Chuanfei Zhong
- Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for Strawberry, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Sun
- Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for Strawberry, Beijing, China
| | - Shuangtao Li
- Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for Strawberry, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Xiong
- Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
- Inspection and Testing Laboratory of Fruits and Nursery Stocks (Beijing), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
| | - Guixia Wang
- Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for Strawberry, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Sun
- Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for Strawberry, Beijing, China
| | - Yuntao Zhang
- Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for Strawberry, Beijing, China
| | - Yongshun Gao
- Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Forestry and Pomology Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for Strawberry, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Krishnamurthy P, Pothiraj R, Suthanthiram B, Somasundaram SM, Subbaraya U. Phylogenomic classification and synteny network analyses deciphered the evolutionary landscape of aldo-keto reductase (AKR) gene superfamily in the plant kingdom. Gene 2022; 816:146169. [PMID: 35026291 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.146169] [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: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Aldo-keto reductase-domain (PF00248) containing proteins (AKRs) are NAD(P)(H)-dependent oxidoreductases of a multigene superfamily that mediate versatile functions in plants ranging from detoxification, metal chelation, potassium ion efflux to specialized metabolism. To uncover the complete repertoire of AKR gene superfamily in plants, a systematic kingdom-wide identification, phylogeny reconstruction, classification and synteny network clustering analyses were performed in this study using 74 diverse plant genomes. Plant AKRs were omnipresent, legitimately classified into 4 groups (based on phylogeny) and 14 subgroups (based on the ≥ 60% of protein sequence identity). Species composition of AKR subgroups highlights their distinct emergence during plant evolution. Loss of AKR subgroups among plants was apparent and that various lineage-, order/family- and species-specific losses were observed. The subgroups IA, IVB and IVF were flourished and diversified well during plant evolution, likely related to the complexity of plant's specialized metabolism and environmental adaptation. About 65% of AKRs were in genomic synteny regions across the plant kingdom and the AKRs relevant to important functions (e.g. vitamin B6 metabolism) were in profoundly conserved angiosperm-wide synteny communities. This study underscores the evolutionary landscape of plant AKRs and provides a comprehensive resource to facilitate the functional characterization of them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ramanujam Pothiraj
- Crop Improvement Division, ICAR National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli 620 102, India
| | - Backiyarani Suthanthiram
- Crop Improvement Division, ICAR National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli 620 102, India
| | | | - Uma Subbaraya
- Crop Improvement Division, ICAR National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli 620 102, India
| |
Collapse
|