Zhu Mingzhao, Zhao Ran, Wu Hanying, Zhang Baohai, Zhang Bin, Han Xiangyang
State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Beijing Key Laboratory of Vegetable Germplasms Improvement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Beijing Vegetable Research Center, National Engineering Research Center for Vegetables, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China.
State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
BMC Plant Biol. 2025 Apr 1;25(1):409. doi: 10.1186/s12870-025-06393-1.
Chicory is a unique and nutritious vegetable crop. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying anthocyanin biosynthesis in chicory remain poorly understood. We combined transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses to explore the molecular basis of anthocyanin biosynthesis in red-budded (Z1) and yellow-budded (Z7) chicory.
Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses were performed to investigate the molecular basis of anthocyanin biosynthesis in chicory. A total of 26 key structural genes, including F3'H, DFR, CHS, and ANS, were identified and enriched in pathways such as flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis. Additionally, 29 transcription factors were identified, including 11 MYB, five bHLH, and two WD40 transcription factors, with seven MYB genes upregulated and four genes downregulated, indicating their roles in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis. Notably, the MYB transcription factor, CI35997, which is homologous to RLL2A in lettuce, was predicted to positively regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis. Other transcription factors, such as AP2/ERF, bZIP, NAC, and Trihelix, have also been implicated. Metabolomics analysis revealed that cyanidin derivatives were the main contributors to the red coloration of chicory buds, with cyanidin-3-O-(6-O-malonyl)-glucoside being the most abundant. Furthermore, a competitive relationship between lignin and anthocyanin biosynthesis was observed, wherein the downregulation of lignin-related genes enhanced anthocyanin accumulation.
This study identified key structural genes and transcription factors that offer molecular-level insights into anthocyanin biosynthesis in chicory. These findings provide valuable guidance for genetic improvement of chicory and other crops with high anthocyanin content.
菊苣是一种独特且营养丰富的蔬菜作物。然而，菊苣中花青素生物合成的分子机制仍知之甚少。我们结合转录组学和代谢组学分析，以探究红芽（Z1）和黄芽（Z7）菊苣中花青素生物合成的分子基础。
进行了综合转录组学和代谢组学分析，以研究菊苣中花青素生物合成的分子基础。共鉴定出26个关键结构基因，包括F3'H、DFR、CHS和ANS，并在类黄酮和花青素生物合成等途径中富集。此外，鉴定出29个转录因子，包括11个MYB、5个bHLH和2个WD40转录因子，其中7个MYB基因上调，4个基因下调，表明它们在调节花青素生物合成中的作用。值得注意的是，与生菜中的RLL2A同源的MYB转录因子CI35997被预测为正向调节花青素生物合成。其他转录因子，如AP2/ERF、bZIP、NAC和Trihelix也有涉及。代谢组学分析表明，矢车菊素衍生物是菊苣芽红色的主要贡献者，其中矢车菊素-3-O-(6-O-丙二酰基)-葡萄糖苷含量最高。此外，观察到木质素和花青素生物合成之间存在竞争关系，其中木质素相关基因的下调增强了花青素的积累。
本研究鉴定出关键结构基因和转录因子，为菊苣中花青素生物合成提供了分子水平的见解。这些发现为菊苣和其他高花青素含量作物的遗传改良提供了有价值的指导。
