Chen Shanshan, Zhang Mofan, Ding Shuo, Xu Zhichao, Wang Sifan, Meng Xiangxiao, Chen Shilin, Gao Ranran, Sun Wei
State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China.
Mol Hortic. 2025 Apr 3;5(1):20. doi: 10.1186/s43897-024-00140-0.
Lanxangia tsaoko is widely utilized in human cuisine as a popular flavoring agent due to its distinctive aroma. It also has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. The edible and medicinal properties of L. tsaoko are primarily attributed to its diverse array of volatile metabolites. Previous research has mainly focused on classifying the constituents and their pharmacological activities in L. tsaoko, leaving gaps in comprehensive identification and elucidation of the biosynthetic mechanisms of these metabolites. In this study, we employed a multi-omics approach and functional characterization to investigate the biosynthesis of volatile terpenoids in L. tsaoko. The results demonstrated that terpenoids constituted the highest proportion of volatile compounds in L. tsaoko. Additionally, 42 terpene synthase (TPS) coding genes were identified through genome-wide analysis. Functional characterization revealed that eight LtTPSs effectively catalyzed geranyl pyrophosphate to produce monoterpenoids, while four LtTPSs converted farnesyl pyrophosphate to generate sesquiterpenoids. Genome-wide and single-gene duplication events contributed to functional diversification among LtTPSs with high identity, promoting the diversity of terpenoids. These findings provide a foundation for understanding the biosynthesis of volatile terpenoids in L. tsaoko, enhance the current knowledge of TPS, and contribute to the broader understanding of the biochemical diversity of terpenoids in plants.
草果因其独特的香气，作为一种受欢迎的调味剂在人类烹饪中被广泛使用。它在传统中药中也有悠久的使用历史。草果的食用和药用特性主要归因于其多种挥发性代谢产物。先前的研究主要集中在草果中成分的分类及其药理活性，在这些代谢产物的生物合成机制的全面鉴定和阐明方面存在空白。在本研究中，我们采用多组学方法和功能表征来研究草果中挥发性萜类化合物的生物合成。结果表明，萜类化合物在草果挥发性化合物中占比最高。此外，通过全基因组分析鉴定出42个萜烯合酶（TPS）编码基因。功能表征表明，8个LtTPSs有效地催化香叶基焦磷酸生成单萜类化合物，而4个LtTPSs将法呢基焦磷酸转化生成倍半萜类化合物。全基因组和单基因复制事件导致具有高度同一性的LtTPSs之间功能多样化，促进了萜类化合物的多样性。这些发现为理解草果中挥发性萜类化合物的生物合成提供了基础，增强了目前对TPS的认识，并有助于更广泛地了解植物中萜类化合物的生化多样性。
