Wu Xiaozong, Zhu Zhiwen, Li Peilin, Qi Zhitao, Zhu Ruojie, Shi Chaonan
Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Tobacco Industry, College of Tobacco Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
Shiyan Branch of Hubei Tobacco Company, Shiyan, 442000, China.
Planta. 2025 May 13;261(6):138. doi: 10.1007/s00425-025-04715-z.
Our whole-genome resequencing of tobacco hairy roots reveals functionally relevant variations in secondary metabolism-related genes and NAC transcription factors, providing actionable targets for metabolic pathway optimization and bioreactor design. Tobacco hairy roots are a critical model system for studying plant root development and secondary metabolism. The in-depth analysis of their genetic background and molecular regulatory mechanisms is important for biotechnological applications. In this study, we performed a whole-genome resequencing of tobacco hairy roots to uncover their genomic variation characteristics and potential functional implications. Genes associated with stop-lost, stop-gained, start-lost, and premature-start-codon-gain variants were enriched in zeatin biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and glycosyltransferase activities. The results of metabolite content determination showed that hairy roots possessed a low content of zeatin and flavonoid but a higher content of glycoside compounds. Among transcription factors associated with effective variants, NAC transcription factors constituted the largest proportion. Further characterization of NAC proteins revealed their functional domains and expression patterns. This study not only explores the molecular genetic underpinnings of tobacco hairy roots but also provides a critical dataset for metabolic engineering optimization, development of efficient bioreactors, and plant-microbe interaction mechanisms research.
我们对烟草毛状根进行的全基因组重测序揭示了次生代谢相关基因和NAC转录因子中与功能相关的变异，为代谢途径优化和生物反应器设计提供了可操作的靶点。烟草毛状根是研究植物根系发育和次生代谢的关键模型系统。深入分析其遗传背景和分子调控机制对生物技术应用具有重要意义。在本研究中，我们对烟草毛状根进行了全基因组重测序，以揭示其基因组变异特征和潜在的功能影响。与终止丢失、终止获得、起始丢失和起始密码子提前获得变异相关的基因在玉米素生物合成、类黄酮生物合成和糖基转移酶活性中富集。代谢物含量测定结果表明，毛状根中玉米素和类黄酮含量较低，但糖苷类化合物含量较高。在与有效变异相关的转录因子中，NAC转录因子占比最大。对NAC蛋白的进一步表征揭示了它们的功能域和表达模式。本研究不仅探索了烟草毛状根的分子遗传基础，还为代谢工程优化、高效生物反应器的开发以及植物-微生物相互作用机制研究提供了关键数据集。
