Wang Yanduo, Zhong Liwen, Fang Huiqi, Liu Zhao, Wang Peng, Li Longfei, Chen Lin, Ding Gang
State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China.
College of Pharmacy, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China.
Plants (Basel). 2025 Mar 14;14(6):916. doi: 10.3390/plants14060916.
Orchids produce tiny, light seeds (dust-like seeds without endosperm) that rely on specific symbiotic fungi for successful germination. Plant roots often release small signaling molecules or bioactive compounds to attract arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, promoting fungal growth and hyphal branching. However, until now, no such bioactive or signaling molecules have been identified in orchids that help recruit fungi for seed germination. In this study, we used metabolomics and UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, combined with a molecular network approach, to explore potential bioactive/signaling molecules in the seeds of the achlorophyllous orchid Bl. Our analysis revealed the presence of amino acids, nucleotides, lipids, organic acids, saccharides, phospholipids, and lignanamides. Specifically, organic acids, saccharides, and lignanamides were shown to promote the growth of , a fungus important for seed germination. Additionally, lignanamides inhibited the plant pathogen and exhibited strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This is the first systematic identification of bioactive/signaling molecules in Bl. seeds, providing new insights into the symbiotic relationship between orchids and fungi.
兰花产生微小、轻质的种子（无胚乳的粉尘状种子），这些种子依靠特定的共生真菌才能成功萌发。植物根系通常会释放小的信号分子或生物活性化合物来吸引丛枝菌根（AM）真菌，促进真菌生长和菌丝分支。然而，到目前为止，尚未在兰花中鉴定出有助于招募真菌进行种子萌发的此类生物活性或信号分子。在本研究中，我们使用代谢组学和超高效液相色谱-四极杆飞行时间串联质谱（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS），结合分子网络方法，来探索无叶绿色兰花种子中的潜在生物活性/信号分子。我们的分析揭示了氨基酸、核苷酸、脂质、有机酸、糖类、磷脂和木脂酰胺的存在。具体而言，有机酸、糖类和木脂酰胺被证明能促进对种子萌发很重要的真菌的生长。此外，木脂酰胺抑制植物病原体，并表现出强大的抗氧化和抗炎活性。这是首次对无叶绿色兰花种子中的生物活性/信号分子进行系统鉴定，为兰花与真菌之间的共生关系提供了新的见解。
