Aug 2026· Metabolites· Vol 16, pp. 612· 0 citations· 42 references
TL;DR
The three D. huoshanense germplasm materials exhibited distinct metabolic and transcriptional profiles, providing candidate genes and metabolic features for subsequent targeted validation.
Abstract
Background: Dendrobium huoshanense flowers are a potentially valuable medicinal resource, but metabolic variation among different germplasm materials remains incompletely characterized. This study aimed to characterize metabolic and transcriptional differences among three D. huoshanense germplasm materials and to explore gene–metabolite associations related to phenylpropanoid metabolism. Methods: Untargeted LC–MS metabolomics and transcriptome sequencing were used to comparatively profile flowers of three D. huoshanense germplasm materials (DH-1, DH-2, and DH-3). Results: Metabolomic profiling detected 4357 metabolic features putatively assigned to 12 chemical classes and revealed clear separation among the three materials. A total of 1292, 1861, and 2035 differentially accumulated metabolic features were identified in DH-1 vs. DH-2, DH-1 vs. DH-3, and DH-2 vs. DH-3, respectively. Transcriptome analysis identified 33,665 expressed genes, including 3365, 5244, and 5964 DEGs in the respective pairwise comparisons. Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis was recurrently enriched across all three DEG comparisons. Exploratory gene–metabolite analysis identified associations involving phenylpropanoid–related candidate genes, including PAL, C4H, 4CL/4CL–like, HCT–like, CSE–like, COMT/OMT–like, and CAD, with the DH-2 vs. DH-3 comparison showing the most extensive molecular differences. Conclusions: The three D. huoshanense germplasm materials exhibited distinct metabolic and transcriptional profiles, providing candidate genes and metabolic features for subsequent targeted validation.
The molecular basis of terpenoid diversity in MF is revealed, and theoretical references for germplasm discrimination, quality evaluation and genetic improvement of medicinal magnolia resources are provided.
Rui Ma, Hong-Dan Liu, Wei-Meng Feng et al.· Frontiers in Plant Science· 0 citations
These findings collectively support flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H) as a candidate regulatory node governing organ-specific flavonoid partitioning in Rhododendron yedoense var.
Polygonatum cyrtonema
Hua is a traditional Chinese medicine with the same origin as both medicine and food, and its medicinal components have considerable clinical value. Due to its substantial market demand, it is now primarily produced through artificial cultivation. To produce high-quality
P. cyrtonema
, we performed transcriptome and metabolome sequencing of one-year-old and three-year-old
P. cyrtonema
to explore the growth regulation mechanisms and key genes involved in improving its quality. A total of 1,957 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 163 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) were identified in this study. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses suggested that the growth regulation of
P. cyrtonema
may be primarily associated with sphingolipid metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and starch and sucrose metabolism. Our data suggest that sucrose transport to sink organs may be facilitated by increased expression of the bidirectional sugar transporter
SWEET14
, and sucrose may be hydrolyzed by
β-fructofuranosidase
, potentially providing energy for plant growth on one hand and contributing to fructose accumulation on the other. Furthermore, the elevated abundance of L-phenylalanine may be associated with an increase in secondary metabolites, which could provide a metabolic basis for age-dependent growth and metabolite partitioning in rhizomes. The observed downregulation of sphingolipid metabolism-related genes may reflect the perennial growth habit of
P. cyrtonema
, whereby slower growth in the first year may promote sphingolipid-mediated root development. However, we emphasize that these inferences are based on correlative transcriptomic and metabolomic data, and functional validation is required to establish causal relationships.
Yu Wang, Hai-Yang Zhao, Wen-Jie He et al.· Frontiers in Plant Science· 0 citations
Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (Chinese peony), a perennial plant indigenous to northeastern China, exhibits extensive flower-color variation, but the metabolite-gene relationships underlying anthocyanin accumulation remain incompletely understood. We integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic of petals from three cultivars with pink (cv. ‘Exclusive Memory’, PF), pale pink (cv. ‘Salad’, PPF), and white (cv. ‘Duchess’, WF) flowers. Metabolomic profiling detected 689 metabolites, including 169 flavonoids and six anthocyanins. Pairwise comparisons identified 153, 199, and 137 differentially accumulated metabolites in PF vs. PPF, PF vs. WF, and PPF vs. WF, respectively, with 27 metabolites shared among the three comparisons. The total anthocyanin signal in PF petals was 3.25-fold that in PPF petals and 60.37-fold that in WF petals. By contrast, the abundance of the individual compound cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside (cyanin) was 76.85-fold higher in PF than in WF and 23.10-fold higher in PPF than in WF, these values therefore describe compound-specific rather than total-anthocyanin differences. RNA-seq identified 6,777, 8,030, and 6,794 differentially expressed genes in the three pairwise comparisons, including 779 shared genes. Correlation analysis prioritized 21 flavonoid-pathway structural genes and 53 candidate transcription factors associated with anthocyanin abundance. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified a turquoise module positively associated with anthocyanins and a DFR-centered subnetwork containing 24 candidate transcription factors, including MYB and bHLH genes. qRT-PCR of 12 selected genes reproduced the RNA-seq expression trends. These results elucidate the metabolic basis of peony petal coloration and identify candidate regulatory networks and key genes potentially involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis, providing a foundation for future functional validation.
Yang Cao, Pin Lv, Yong-Chuan Guo et al.· Frontiers in Plant Science· 0 citations
Paeonia ostii ‘Fengdan’ is an important woody ornamental crop that integrates ornamental value with practical applications in oil production and traditional medicine. The fruit pods of tree peony are rich in terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids which are valuable secondary metabolites yet frequently discarded as waste. Oxypaeoniflorin is a significant terpenoid secondary metabolite in tree peony; however, the temporal accumulation pattern of oxypaeoniflorin in tree peony fruit pods and the molecular mechanisms governing its biosynthesis remain incompletely understood. In this study, fruit pods of P. ostii ‘Fengdan’ were used as experimental materials. Samples from seven developmental stages (from 25 to 109 days after pollination) were collected and subjected to integrated analysis using non‐targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics approaches. A total of 1740 metabolites were identified through metabolomic profiling, among which 105 common differentially accumulated metabolites were screened. Oxypaeoniflorin was identified as the target metabolite, exhibiting a dynamic accumulation pattern from stage 25 DAP to 109 DAP and reaching its peak level at stage 81 DAP. Through integrated weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA) and Mfuzz clustering, two candidate genes associated with oxypaeoniflorin biosynthesis were identified: ZEP and UGT73B4. Based on integrated multi‐omics analysis, this study elucidated the temporal accumulation pattern and the underlying regulatory mechanisms of oxypaeoniflorin biosynthesis, which provides a theoretical basis for the high‐value utilization of tree peony fruit pods and further studies on monoterpenoid glycoside biosynthesis.
Ting-Ting Zhou, Ding-Ding Zuo, Di Yang et al.· Physiologia Plantarum : An I...· 0 citations
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