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Zhao Y, Liu G, Yang F, Liang Y, Gao Q, Xiang C, Li X, Yang R, Zhang G, Jiang H, Yu L, Yang S. Multilayered regulation of secondary metabolism in medicinal plants. MOLECULAR HORTICULTURE 2023; 3:11. [PMID: 37789448 PMCID: PMC10514987 DOI: 10.1186/s43897-023-00059-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Medicinal plants represent a huge reservoir of secondary metabolites (SMs), substances with significant pharmaceutical and industrial potential. However, obtaining secondary metabolites remains a challenge due to their low-yield accumulation in medicinal plants; moreover, these secondary metabolites are produced through tightly coordinated pathways involving many spatiotemporally and environmentally regulated steps. The first regulatory layer involves a complex network of transcription factors; a second, more recently discovered layer of complexity in the regulation of SMs is epigenetic modification, such as DNA methylation, histone modification and small RNA-based mechanisms, which can jointly or separately influence secondary metabolites by regulating gene expression. Here, we summarize the findings in the fields of genetic and epigenetic regulation with a special emphasis on SMs in medicinal plants, providing a new perspective on the multiple layers of regulation of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Biology of Yunnan Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center on Germplasms Innovation & Utilization of Chinese Medicinal Materials in Southwest China, Yunnan Agricultural University, 650201, Kunming, China
- College of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Guanze Liu
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Biology of Yunnan Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center on Germplasms Innovation & Utilization of Chinese Medicinal Materials in Southwest China, Yunnan Agricultural University, 650201, Kunming, China
| | - Feng Yang
- Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yanli Liang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Biology of Yunnan Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center on Germplasms Innovation & Utilization of Chinese Medicinal Materials in Southwest China, Yunnan Agricultural University, 650201, Kunming, China
- College of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Qingqing Gao
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Biology of Yunnan Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center on Germplasms Innovation & Utilization of Chinese Medicinal Materials in Southwest China, Yunnan Agricultural University, 650201, Kunming, China
- College of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Chunfan Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Biology of Yunnan Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center on Germplasms Innovation & Utilization of Chinese Medicinal Materials in Southwest China, Yunnan Agricultural University, 650201, Kunming, China
- College of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Xia Li
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Biology of Yunnan Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center on Germplasms Innovation & Utilization of Chinese Medicinal Materials in Southwest China, Yunnan Agricultural University, 650201, Kunming, China
- College of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Run Yang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Biology of Yunnan Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center on Germplasms Innovation & Utilization of Chinese Medicinal Materials in Southwest China, Yunnan Agricultural University, 650201, Kunming, China
- College of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Guanghui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Biology of Yunnan Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center on Germplasms Innovation & Utilization of Chinese Medicinal Materials in Southwest China, Yunnan Agricultural University, 650201, Kunming, China
- College of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Huifeng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.
| | - Lei Yu
- College of Agronomy, Yunnan Urban Agricultural Engineering and Technological Research Center, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214, China.
| | - Shengchao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Biology of Yunnan Province, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center on Germplasms Innovation & Utilization of Chinese Medicinal Materials in Southwest China, Yunnan Agricultural University, 650201, Kunming, China.
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Zheng H, Jiao J, Niu Q, Zhu N, Huang Y, Ke L, Tang S, Liu H, Sun Y. Cloning and functional analysis of GhDFR1, a key gene of flavonoid synthesis pathway in naturally colored cotton. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:4865-4873. [PMID: 37052804 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08420-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The naturally colored brown cotton fiber is the most widely used environmentally friendly textile material, which primarily contains proanthocyanidins and their derivatives. Many structural genes in the flavonoid synthesis pathway are known to improve the genetic resources of naturally colored cotton. Among them, DFR is a crucial late enzyme to synthesis both anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins in the plant flavonoid pathway. METHODS The protein sequences of GhDFRs were analyzed using bioinformatic tools. The expression levels of GhDFRs in various tissues and organs of upland cotton Zongxu1 (ZX1), were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR, and the expression pattern of GhDFR1 during fiber development of white cotton and brown cotton was analyzed further. The function of GhDFR1 in NCC ZX1 was preliminarily analyzed by virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) technology. RESULTS Bioinformatic analysis revealed that GhDFRs sequences in upland cotton genome were extremely conserved. Furthermore, evolutionary tree analysis revealed that the functions of GhDFR1 and GhDFR2, and GhDFR3 and GhDFR4, presented different and shared some similarities. Our study showed GhDFR1 and GhDFR2 were specifically expressed in fibers, while GhDFR3 and GhDFR4 were specifically expressed in petals. GhDFR1 was exclusively expressed in brown cotton fiber at various stages of development and progressively increased with the growth of fiber, but the trend of expression in white cotton was quite the opposite. We silenced GhDFR1 expression in brown cotton fiber using VIGS technology, and observed the VIGS-interference plants. After reducing the expression level of GhDFR1, the period for significant GhDFR1 expression in the developing fibers changed, reducing the content of anthocyanins, and lightening the color of mature cotton fibers. CONCLUSION GhDFR1 was preferentially expressed in brown cotton during fiber development. The timing of GhDFR1 expression for flavonoid synthesis altered, resulting in anthocyanin contents reduced and the fiber color of the GhDFR1i lines lightened. These findings showed the role of GhDFR1 in fiber coloration of NCC and provided a new candidate for NCC genetic improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongli Zheng
- Plant Genomics and Molecular Improvement of Colored Fiber Laboratory, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, People's Republic of China
- College of Textile Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Junye Jiao
- Plant Genomics and Molecular Improvement of Colored Fiber Laboratory, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingqing Niu
- Plant Genomics and Molecular Improvement of Colored Fiber Laboratory, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Zhu
- Plant Genomics and Molecular Improvement of Colored Fiber Laboratory, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Yinshuai Huang
- Plant Genomics and Molecular Improvement of Colored Fiber Laboratory, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Liping Ke
- Plant Genomics and Molecular Improvement of Colored Fiber Laboratory, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Shouwu Tang
- China Colored-Cotton (Group) Co., Ltd., Ürümqi, 830011, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Haifeng Liu
- China Colored-Cotton (Group) Co., Ltd., Ürümqi, 830011, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yuqiang Sun
- Plant Genomics and Molecular Improvement of Colored Fiber Laboratory, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, People's Republic of China.
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Su R, Dossou SSK, Dossa K, Zhou R, Liu A, Zhong Y, Fang S, Zhang X, Wu Z, You J. Genome-wide characterization and identification of candidate ERF genes involved in various abiotic stress responses in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 22:256. [PMID: 35606719 PMCID: PMC9128266 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-022-03632-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The adverse effects of climate change on crop production are constraining breeders to develop high-quality environmentally stable varieties. Hence, efforts are being made to identify key genes that could be targeted for enhancing crop tolerance to environmental stresses. ERF transcription factors play an important role in various abiotic stresses in plants. However, the roles of the ERF family in abiotic stresses tolerance are still largely unknown in sesame, the "queen" of oilseed crops. RESULTS In total, 114 sesame ERF genes (SiERFs) were identified and characterized. 96.49% of the SiERFs were distributed unevenly on the 16 linkage groups of the sesame genome. The phylogenetic analysis with the Arabidopsis ERFs (AtERFs) subdivided SiERF subfamily proteins into 11 subgroups (Groups I to X; and VI-L). Genes in the same subgroup exhibited similar structure and conserved motifs. Evolutionary analysis showed that the expansion of ERF genes in sesame was mainly induced by whole-genome duplication events. Moreover, cis-acting elements analysis showed that SiERFs are mostly involved in environmental responses. Gene expression profiles analysis revealed that 59 and 26 SiERFs are highly stimulated under drought and waterlogging stress, respectively. In addition, qRT-PCR analyses indicated that most of SiERFs are also significantly up-regulated under osmotic, submerge, ABA, and ACC stresses. Among them, SiERF23 and SiERF54 were the most induced by both the abiotic stresses, suggesting their potential for targeted improvement of sesame response to multiple abiotic stresses. CONCLUSION This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the structure, classification, evolution, and abiotic stresses response of ERF genes in sesame. Moreover, it offers valuable gene resources for functional characterization towards enhancing sesame tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruqi Su
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Senouwa Segla Koffi Dossou
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Komivi Dossa
- CIRAD, UMR AGAP Institut, F-34398 Montpellier, France
- UMR AGAP Institut, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, F-34398 Montpellier, France
| | - Rong Zhou
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Aili Liu
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Yanping Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Sheng Fang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Xiurong Zhang
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Ziming Wu
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062 China
| | - Jun You
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan, 430062 China
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