Ren Xiaoxu, Huang Yuqing, Zhang Le, Lu Qiujun, Wang Xianbo, Ying Wu, Ruan Songlin
Institute of Crop Science, Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
Hangzhou Agricultural and Rural Affairs Security Center, Hangzhou, 310056, China.
Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 25;15(1):10342. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-93889-3.
Dendrobium officinale is an edible medicinal herb. Its flowers contain various nutrients and active compounds, the abundance of which differs significantly across developmental stages. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these variations remain poorly understood. This study employed combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to investigate changes in gene expression and metabolite concentrations in Dendrobium flowers and buds. The analysis identified 2767 differentially expressed genes between the bud (group B) and flower (group F) stages, with 902 up-regulated and 1865 down-regulated in group B relative to group F. The number of differentially abundant secondary metabolites was 221, including 113 up-regulated and 108 down-regulated metabolites. The differential metabolites primarily consisted of lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic heterocyclic compounds, organic acids, and their derivatives, phenylacetones and polyketides, organic oxides, benzene ring-type compounds, hydrocarbons, and alkaloids with their derivatives. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of the differentially expressed genes and metabolites revealed enrichment in pathways related to phytohormone signaling, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and zeaxanthin biosynthesis. Verification of 15 genes through quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmed the accuracy of the transcriptomic analysis. Taken together, these findings contribute to an improved understanding of the nutritional and pharmacological characteristics of Dendrobium officinale flowers at different developmental stages.
铁皮石斛是一种药食同源的草本植物。其花朵含有多种营养成分和活性化合物，这些成分的含量在不同发育阶段差异显著。然而，这些差异背后的分子机制仍知之甚少。本研究采用转录组学和代谢组学联合分析方法，研究铁皮石斛花朵和花蕾中基因表达和代谢物浓度的变化。分析确定了花蕾期（B组）和花期（F组）之间有2767个差异表达基因，相对于F组，B组中有902个上调基因和1865个下调基因。差异丰富的次生代谢物有221种，其中上调代谢物113种，下调代谢物108种。差异代谢物主要包括脂质和类脂质分子、有机杂环化合物、有机酸及其衍生物、苯丙酮和聚酮类化合物、有机氧化物、苯环型化合物、烃类以及生物碱及其衍生物。对差异表达基因和代谢物进行京都基因与基因组百科全书（KEGG）通路分析，结果显示在与植物激素信号传导、苯丙烷生物合成和玉米黄质生物合成相关的通路中富集。通过定量实时PCR（qRT-PCR）对15个基因进行验证，证实了转录组分析的准确性。综上所述，这些发现有助于更好地了解不同发育阶段铁皮石斛花朵的营养和药理特性。
