Hu Haichao, Fei Xitong, He Beibei, Luo Yingli, Qi Yichen, Wei Anzhi
College of Forestry, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang, China.
Research Centre for Engineering and Technology of Zanthoxylum State Forestry Administration, Xianyang, China.
Front Nutr. 2022 Feb 4;8:801244. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.801244. eCollection 2021.
Maxim. leaves (ZBLs) are rich in flavonoids and have become popular in nutrition, foods and medicine. However, the flavonoid components in ZBLs and the mechanism of flavonoid biosynthesis under drought stress have received little attention. Here, we performed an integrative analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome of ZBLs from HJ ( cv. "Hanjiao") and FJ ( cv. "Fengjiao") at four drought stages. A total of 231 individual flavonoids divided into nine classes were identified and flavones and flavonols were considered the most abundant flavonoid components in ZBLs. The total flavonoid content of ZBLs was higher in FJ; it increased in FJ under drought stress but decreased in HJ. Nine-quadrant analysis identified five and eight differentially abundant flavonoids in FJ and HJ leaves, respectively, under drought stress. Weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) identified nine structural genes and eight transcription factor genes involved in the regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis. Moreover, qRT-PCR results verified the accuracy of the transcriptome data and the reliability of the candidate genes. Taken together, our results reveal the flavonoid components of ZBLs and document changes in flavonoid metabolism under drought stress, providing valuable information for nutrition value and food utilization of ZBLs.
牡荆叶富含黄酮类化合物，在营养、食品和医药领域已受到广泛关注。然而，牡荆叶中的黄酮类成分以及干旱胁迫下黄酮类生物合成的机制却鲜受关注。在此，我们对旱金莲花（品种“汉娇”）和凤金莲花（品种“凤娇”）在四个干旱阶段的牡荆叶代谢组和转录组进行了综合分析。共鉴定出231种分为九类的单一黄酮类化合物，黄酮和黄酮醇被认为是牡荆叶中最丰富的黄酮类成分。凤金莲花中牡荆叶的总黄酮含量更高；在干旱胁迫下，其在凤金莲花中增加，而在旱金莲花中减少。九象限分析确定了干旱胁迫下凤金莲花和旱金莲花叶片中分别有5种和8种差异丰富的黄酮类化合物。加权基因共表达网络分析（WGCNA）确定了9个参与黄酮类生物合成调控的结构基因和8个转录因子基因。此外，qRT-PCR结果验证了转录组数据的准确性和候选基因的可靠性。综上所述，我们的结果揭示了牡荆叶的黄酮类成分，并记录了干旱胁迫下黄酮类代谢的变化，为牡荆叶的营养价值和食品利用提供了有价值的信息。
