Biotechnology Bulletin ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (5): 231-243.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2024-1007

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Integrated Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis to Explore the Carotenoid Synthesis and Metabolism Mechanism in Anoectochilus roxburghii under Different Shading Conditions

HU Ruo-qun(), ZENG Jing-jing, LIANG Wan-feng, CAO Jia-yu, HUANG Xiao-wei, LIANG Xiao-ying, QIU Ming-yue, CHEN Ying()   

  1. College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350100
  • Received:2024-10-15 Online:2025-05-26 Published:2025-06-05
  • Contact: CHEN Ying E-mail:357031900@qq.com;000q020057@fafu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Objective To explore the effects of different shading conditions on the biosynthesis and metabolism of carotenoids in Anoectochilus roxburghii and to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying carotenoid accumulation. Method Anoectochilus roxburghii was used as the experimental material, and the leaves from different shading treatments (T1: 25% shading, T2: 50% shading, T3: 75% shading) were selected. High-throughput RNA sequencing technology (RNA-Seq) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were employed to obtain transcriptomic and metabolomic data of A. roxburghii. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to identify and quantify differentially expressed genes and metabolites, and to explore their relationships. Result Under different shading conditions, a total of 20 differentially expressed genes and 21 differential metabolites were identified. The significant expressions of key enzyme genes such as ZEP, LUT5, LUT1, LCYE, and NCED1 regulated the changes in metabolites like zeaxanthin, neoxanthin, and violaxanthin, with the highest content under the 75% shading treatment. Additionally, 22 transcription factors were predicted to regulate 14 differentially expressed genes, including ZEP, ZDS, and CYP707A, with 15 transcription factors responding to abscisic acid, gibberellins, and other plant hormone elements involved in the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis. Eight differentially expressed genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis were selected for RT-qPCR validation, and the results indicated that the expression trends of these 8 genes were consistent with the sequencing results. Conclusion Under different shading conditions, a total of 15 transcription factors in the leaves of A. roxburghii responded to five types of plant hormone elements, thereby regulating the expression of differentially expressed genes such as ZEP, NCED1, and CCD7, leading to significant accumulation of carotenoid-related metabolites such as zeaxanthin and lutein under 75% shading treatment.

Key words: Anoectochilus roxburghii, shading, carotenoids, transcriptome, metabolome, transcription factors, plant hormone elements