Cloning and Functional Analysis of bHLH Gene Related to Anthocyanin Synthesis in Paeonia qiui

doi:10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2024-0149

Abstract

Abstract:

【Objective】Using Paeonia qiui as the experimental material, the regulatory mechanism of PqbHLH1 gene on anthocyanin synthesis during leaf development was studied.【Method】Based on the transcriptome data obtained in the early stage, primers were designed and the bHLH1 gene was cloned from the leaves of Paeonia qiui using PCR technology. Bioinformatics methods were used to analyze the physicochemical properties, hydrophobicity, theoretical isoelectric points, protein secondary structure, and evolutionary relationships of the PqbHLH1 gene. Fluorescence quantitative PCR technology was used to detect its expressions in different tissues and stages. Agrobacterium mediated method was employed to overexpress it in Arabidopsis thaliana and detect the effect of overexpressing PqbHLH1 on the anthocyanins of peony leaves.【Result】The total length of the coding region of PqbHLH1 gene was 1 920 bp, encoding 639 amino acids. The PqbHLH1 protein was hydrophilic and does not contain signal peptides or transmembrane structures, and was localized in the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the PqbHLH1 protein in peony ovale had the closest genetic relationship with VvMYCA1 in grapes. Fluorescence quantitative PCR analysis showed that the expression of PqbHLH1 gene in peony leaves had a trend of first decreasing and then increasing, and the expression was significant in the S6 stage of leaves. The expressions of anthocyanin synthesis structural genes PqCHS, PqF3'H, PqDFR, and PqANS showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing with leaf development. In A. thaliana strains overexpressing the PqbHLH1 gene, the expressions of structural genes related to anthocyanin synthesis was significantly higher than that of wild-type Arabidopsis, and the expression trend of anthocyanin content was consistent with that of structural genes AtCHI, AtF3'H, and AtUFGT, while the expression trend of flavonol content was consistent with that of structural gene AtFLS.【Conclusion】The PqbHLH1 gene positively regulates the synthesis of anthocyanins and flavonols in peony leaves by regulating the expressions of genes related to anthocyanin synthesis.

Key words: Paeonia qiui, bHLH transcription factor, anthocyanin, expression analysis

LI Yu-qing, WU Nan, LUO Jian-rang. Cloning and Functional Analysis of bHLH Gene Related to Anthocyanin Synthesis in Paeonia qiui[J]. Biotechnology Bulletin, 2024, 40(8): 174-185.

Figures/Tables 12

Fig. 1 Phenotypes of flowers (A) and leaves（B）of P. qiui S1: Sprout for 5 d; S2: 15 d after sprouting; S3: 35 d after sprouting; S4: 45 d after sprouting; S5: 60 d after sprouting; S6: 80 d after sprouting. The same below

Fig. 2 PCR amplification of gene PqbHLH1 DNA fragments amplified using cDNA from peony as a template; M: DNA standards with different molecular weights; 1: amplification products of bHLH1 full-length sequence

Fig. 3 Bioinformatics analysis of PqbHLH1 A: Hydrophilic and hydrophobic prediction; B: signal peptide prediction; C: amino acid transmembrane prediction; D: tertiary structure prediction of protein; E: secondary structure prediction of protein; F: structure domain analysis

Fig. 4 Alignment of PqbHLH1-deduced amino acid sequences

Fig. 5 Phylogenetic tree analysis of PqbHLH1 protein

Fig. 6 Subcellular localization analysis of PqbHLH1

Fig. 7 Expressions of PqbHLH1 during leaf development（A）and in various tissues（B） According to the Ducan multiple test, the different letters above each column indicate significant differences, P<0.05. The same below

Fig. 8 Anthocyanin contents in peony leaves at different developmental stages

Fig. 9 Expressions of anthocyanin synthesis structural genes during the development of six stages in P. qiui leaves

Fig. 10 PCR detection of PqbHLH1 transformed Arabi-dopsis thaliana and transgenic Arabidopsis pheno-type M：DL5000 DNA marker; 1-2: negative control; 3-5: the product PCR of transformed Arabidopsis

Fig. 11 Overexpression of PqbHLH1 gene promotes anthocyanin accumulation and related gene expressions in Arabidopsis A: Expression of PqbHLH1 gene in transgenic Arabidopsis; B: PCR identification of transgenic Arabidopsis（M: DNA marker; WT: wild type Arabidopsis PCR product; OE-1-3: PCR product of transgenic Arabidopsis）; C: expression analysis of genes related to anthocyanin synthesis in transgenic Arabidopsis lines

Fig. 12 Analysis of anthocyanin content and flavonol content in transgenic Arabidopsis

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