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Xie N, Guo Q, Li H, Yuan G, Gui Q, Xiao Y, Liao M, Yang L. Integrated transcriptomic and WGCNA analyses reveal candidate genes regulating mainly flavonoid biosynthesis in Litsea coreana var. sinensis. BMC Plant Biol 2024; 24:231. [PMID: 38561656 PMCID: PMC10985888 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-04949-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Litsea coreana Levl. var. sinensis (Allen) Yang et P. H. Huang is a popular ethnic herb and beverage plant known for its high flavonoid content, which has been linked to a variety of pharmacological benefits and crucial health-promoting impacts in humans. The progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of flavonoid accumulation in this plant has been hindered due to the deficiency of genomic and transcriptomic resources. We utilized a combination of Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) sequencing to generate a de novo hybrid transcriptome assembly. In total, 126,977 unigenes were characterized, out of which 107,977 were successfully annotated in seven public databases. Within the annotated unigenes, 3,781 were categorized into 58 transcription factor families. Furthermore, we investigated the presence of four valuable flavonoids-quercetin-3-O-β-D-galactoside, quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-β-D-galactoside, and kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucoside in 98 samples, using high-performance liquid chromatography. A weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified two co-expression modules, MEpink and MEturquoise, that showed strong positive correlation with flavonoid content. Within these modules, four transcription factor genes (R2R3-MYB, NAC, WD40, and ARF) and four key enzyme-encoding genes (CHI, F3H, PAL, and C4H) emerged as potential hub genes. Among them, the R2R3-MYB (LcsMYB123) as a homologous gene to AtMYB123/TT2, was speculated to play a significant role in flavonol biosynthesis based on phylogenetic analysis. Our findings provided a theoretical foundation for further research into the molecular mechanisms of flavonoid biosynthesis. Additionally, The hybrid transcriptome sequences will serve as a valuable molecular resource for the transcriptional annotation of L. coreana var. sinensis, which will contribute to the improvement of high-flavonoid materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Xie
- Institute for Forest Resources and Environment of Guizhou, College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Qiqaing Guo
- Institute for Forest Resources and Environment of Guizhou, College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China.
| | - Huie Li
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Gangyi Yuan
- Institute for Forest Resources and Environment of Guizhou, College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Qin Gui
- Institute for Forest Resources and Environment of Guizhou, College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Yang Xiao
- Institute for Forest Resources and Environment of Guizhou, College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Mengyun Liao
- Institute for Forest Resources and Environment of Guizhou, College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Lan Yang
- Institute for Forest Resources and Environment of Guizhou, College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
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Zhao Y, Chen Y, Gao M, Wu L, Wang Y. LcMYB106 suppresses monoterpene biosynthesis by negatively regulating LcTPS32 expression in Litsea cubeba. Tree Physiol 2023; 43:2150-2161. [PMID: 37682081 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpad111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Litsea cubeba, the core species of the Lauraceae family, is valuable for the production of essential oils due to its high concentration of monoterpenes (90%). The key monoterpene synthase and metabolic regulatory network of monoterpene biosynthesis have provided new insights for improving essential oil content. However, there are few studies on the regulation mechanism of monoterpenes in L. cubeba. In this study, we investigated LcTPS32, a member of the TPS-b subfamily, and identified its function as an enzyme for the synthesis of monoterpenes, including geraniol, α-pinene, β-pinene, β-myrcene, linalool and eucalyptol. The quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that LcTPS32 was highly expressed in the fruits of L. cubeba and contributed to the characteristic flavor of its essential oil. Overexpression of LcTPS32 resulted in a significant increase in the production of monoterpenes in L. cubeba by activating both the MVA and MEP pathways. Additionally, the study revealed that LcMYB106 played a negative regulatory role in monoterpenes biosynthesis by directly binding to the promoter of LcTPS32. Our study indicates that LcMYB106 could serve as a crucial target for metabolic engineering endeavors, aiming at enhancing the monoterpene biosynthesis in L. cubeba.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunxiao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xiangshan Rd, Beijing 100091, China
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Daqiao Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311400, China
| | - Yicun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xiangshan Rd, Beijing 100091, China
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Daqiao Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311400, China
| | - Ming Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xiangshan Rd, Beijing 100091, China
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Daqiao Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311400, China
| | - Liwen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xiangshan Rd, Beijing 100091, China
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Daqiao Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311400, China
| | - Yangdong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xiangshan Rd, Beijing 100091, China
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Daqiao Rd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311400, China
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Wang S, Zhao Y, Chen Y, Gao M, Wang Y. The Association between BZIP Transcription Factors and Flower Development in Litsea cubeba. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16646. [PMID: 38068969 PMCID: PMC10705912 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) family is one of the largest families of transcription factors among eukaryotic organisms. Members of the bZIP family play various roles in regulating the intricate process of flower development in plants. Litsea cubeba (Lour.) (family: Lauraceae) is an aromatic, dioecious plant used in China for a wide range of applications. However, no study to date has undertaken a comprehensive analysis of the bZIP gene family in L. cubeba. In this work, we identified 68 members of the bZIP gene family in L. cubeba and classified them into 12 subfamilies based on previous studies on Arabidopsis thaliana. Transcriptome data analysis revealed that multiple LcbZIP genes exhibit significantly high expression levels in the flowers of L. cubeba, while some also demonstrate distinct temporal specificity during L. cubeba flower development. In particular, some LcbZIP genes displayed specific and high expression levels during the stamen and pistil degradation process. Using differential gene expression analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, we identified six candidate LcbZIP genes that potentially regulate stamen or pistil degradation during flower development. In summary, our findings provide a framework for future functional analysis of the LcbZIP gene family in L. cubeba and offer novel insights for investigating the mechanism underlying pistil and stamen degeneration in this plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100000, China; (S.W.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Yunxiao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100000, China; (S.W.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Yicun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100000, China; (S.W.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Ming Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100000, China; (S.W.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Yangdong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100000, China; (S.W.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 310000, China
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Xu Z, Wang Y, Chen Y, Yin H, Wu L, Zhao Y, Wang M, Gao M. A Model of Hormonal Regulation of Stamen Abortion during Pre-Meiosis of Litsea cubeba. Genes (Basel) 2019; 11:genes11010048. [PMID: 31906074 PMCID: PMC7017044 DOI: 10.3390/genes11010048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers., a popular essential oil plant, is a dioecious species with degenerative sexual organs in both male and female individuals. Yet, the mechanism of degenerative organs development in male and female flowers is poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the morphological characters of degenerative organ development by morphological and histological observations, and determined the critical stage of abortion that occurs at pre-meiosis in male and female flowers. We also conducted RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to understand the genetic basis of stamen abortion in female flowers. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified during the staminode development in female flowers; functional enrichment analysis revealed some important biological pathways involved the regulation of stamen abortion, including plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis and monoterpenoid biosynthesis. Furthermore, 15 DEGs involved in the hormone pathways were found to regulate stamen development. By HPLC-MS/MS analysis, there were a salicylic acid (SA) content peak and the gibberellin (GA) content lowest point in the abortion processes in female flowers, suggesting a vital function of hormonal processes. Co-expression network analysis further identified several hub genes that potentially played significant roles in the stamen abortion of L. cubeba. Taken together, we proposed a model involved in plant hormones pathways underlying stamen abortion during pre-meiosis in female flowers of L. cubeba.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zilong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (Z.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.C.); (H.Y.); (L.W.); (Y.Z.); (M.W.)
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China
| | - Yangdong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (Z.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.C.); (H.Y.); (L.W.); (Y.Z.); (M.W.)
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China
| | - Yicun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (Z.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.C.); (H.Y.); (L.W.); (Y.Z.); (M.W.)
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China
| | - Hengfu Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (Z.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.C.); (H.Y.); (L.W.); (Y.Z.); (M.W.)
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China
| | - Liwen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (Z.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.C.); (H.Y.); (L.W.); (Y.Z.); (M.W.)
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China
| | - Yunxiao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (Z.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.C.); (H.Y.); (L.W.); (Y.Z.); (M.W.)
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China
| | - Minyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (Z.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.C.); (H.Y.); (L.W.); (Y.Z.); (M.W.)
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China
| | - Ming Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (Z.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.C.); (H.Y.); (L.W.); (Y.Z.); (M.W.)
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-571-6332-7982
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Insect galls are atypical plant tissues induced by the invasion of insects. Compared to the host leaf, gall tissues lose photosynthetic ability, but have higher soluble sugar content. Although the physiological and biochemical regulation of gall tissues have been demonstrated, the mechanism of genetic regulation has only been analyzed in few studies. RESULTS In this study, the transcriptome of cup-shaped galls and its host leaf were de novo assembled. Cellular functional enrichment and differentially expressed gene groups in the gall tissues were analyzed. The genes associated with primary metabolism, including photosynthesis, cell wall turnover, and sugar degradation, were expressed differently in galls and leaves. The examination of gene expression demonstrated that the genes involved in brassinosteroid synthesis and responses exhibited a remarkable modulation in cup-shaped galls, suggesting a potential role of steroid hormones in regulating gall development. CONCLUSIONS This study revealed the genetic responses, including those involved in source-sink reallocation and phytohormone metabolism, of galls induced by a dipteran insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tin-Han Shih
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Szu-Hsien Lin
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Yuan Huang
- Department of Horticulture and Biotechnology, Chinese Culture University, Shihlin, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wen Sun
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Wenshan, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Ming Yang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan
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Han XJ, Wang YD, Chen YC, Lin LY, Wu QK. Transcriptome sequencing and expression analysis of terpenoid biosynthesis genes in Litsea cubeba. PLoS One 2013; 8:e76890. [PMID: 24130803 PMCID: PMC3793921 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aromatic essential oils extracted from fresh fruits of Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers., have diverse medical and economic values. The dominant components in these essential oils are monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of terpenoid biosynthesis is essential for improving the yield and quality of terpenes. However, the 40 available L. cubeba nucleotide sequences in the public databases are insufficient for studying the molecular mechanisms. Thus, high-throughput transcriptome sequencing of L. cubeba is necessary to generate large quantities of transcript sequences for the purpose of gene discovery, especially terpenoid biosynthesis related genes. RESULTS Using Illumina paired-end sequencing, approximately 23.5 million high-quality reads were generated. De novo assembly yielded 68,648 unigenes with an average length of 834 bp. A total of 38,439 (56%) unigenes were annotated for their functions, and 35,732 and 25,806 unigenes could be aligned to the GO and COG database, respectively. By searching against the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database (KEGG), 16,130 unigenes were assigned to 297 KEGG pathways, and 61 unigenes, which contained the mevalonate and 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate pathways, could be related to terpenoid backbone biosynthesis. Of the 12,963 unigenes, 285 were annotated to the terpenoid pathways using the PlantCyc database. Additionally, 14 terpene synthase genes were identified from the transcriptome. The expression patterns of the 16 genes related to terpenoid biosynthesis were analyzed by RT-qPCR to explore their putative functions. CONCLUSION RNA sequencing was effective in identifying a large quantity of sequence information. To our knowledge, this study is the first exploration of the L. cubeba transcriptome, and the substantial amount of transcripts obtained will accelerate the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of essential oils biosynthesis. The results may help improve future genetic and genomics studies on the molecular mechanisms behind the chemical composition of essential oils in L. cubeba fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Jiao Han
- State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, P. R. China
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Fuyang, P. R. China
| | - Yang-Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, P. R. China
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Fuyang, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Cun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, P. R. China
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Fuyang, P. R. China
| | - Li-Yuan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, P. R. China
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Fuyang, P. R. China
| | - Qing-Ke Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, P. R. China
- Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Fuyang, P. R. China
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Chiang YC, Shih HC, Huang MC, Ju LP, Hung KH. Characterization of microsatellite loci from Litsea hypophaea (Lauraceae), a tree endemic to Taiwan. Am J Bot 2012; 99:e251-e254. [PMID: 22615307 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1100551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Microsatellite primers were developed for the endemic tree Litsea hypophaea (Lauraceae) in Taiwan to investigate its genetic diversity and population genetic structure and to investigate species delimitation within Litsea. METHODS AND RESULTS Fifteen new simple sequence repeat markers were developed from L. hypophaea with a magnetic bead enrichment method. Most loci were also amplified from three closely related species, L. coreana, L. lii, and L. acutivena. The number of alleles and observed and expected heterozygosities across loci varied with a range of 1-25, 0.000-1.000, and 0.000-0.956, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The application of these microsatellite markers of L. hypophaea provides a tool for understanding genetic diversity and population differentiation. In addition, interspecific amplification suggests that these markers will also be useful for species identification of related taxa within Litsea in Taiwan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chung Chiang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
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