Zhang Yunyun, Qin Ping, Liu Yajun, Liu Yingnan, Li Wenjing, Luo Chunjuan, Chen Peng, Zhang Chunyu
College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Yunnan Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Herbal Oil Crops, Industrial Crops Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, China.
Front Plant Sci. 2025 Jun 5;16:1613360. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1613360. eCollection 2025.
Vitamin E is a crucial fat-soluble antioxidant playing vital roles in human health as well as the growth and development of plants and animals. L. (rapeseed) is recognized as the world's second most important oilseed crop, serving as a primary source of vegetable oil and vitamin E. However, the regulatory network governing vitamin E biosynthesis during rapeseed seed development remains poorly understood. In this study, transcriptome analyses were conducted using two pairs of rapeseed germplasms with high-VE (YH) or low-VE (YL) contents across entire seed developmental stages (15-50 DAF, days after flowering). The relationship between chlorophyll catabolism and vitamin E accumulation was systematically investigated, and candidate genes associated with seed VE biosynthesis were identified. Key findings include greater vitamin E accumulation observed in the high-VE line, primarily attributed to sustained VE biosynthesis during late seed development (45-50 DAF). Through transcriptome and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) during late seed development (35-50 DAF), four key regulatory modules were revealed, highlighting seven hub genes involved in chlorophyll catabolism and vitamin E biosynthesis. Additionally, two candidate loci on chromosomes A03 and C08 were identified via bulked segregant analysis sequencing (BSA-seq), along with five candidate genes (e.g., ) proposed as critical regulators for seed vitamin E biosynthesis. These results contribute to an advanced understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying seed VE biosynthesis in oilseed crops and provide valuable genetic resources for enhancing rapeseed nutritional quality through vitamin E biofortification.
维生素E是一种至关重要的脂溶性抗氧化剂，在人类健康以及动植物的生长发育中发挥着重要作用。甘蓝型油菜被认为是世界上第二重要的油料作物，是植物油和维生素E的主要来源。然而，人们对油菜籽种子发育过程中维生素E生物合成的调控网络仍知之甚少。在本研究中，我们使用了两对在整个种子发育阶段（开花后15 - 50天，DAF）具有高维生素E（YH）或低维生素E（YL）含量的油菜种质进行转录组分析。系统地研究了叶绿素分解代谢与维生素E积累之间的关系，并鉴定了与种子维生素E生物合成相关的候选基因。主要发现包括在高维生素E品系中观察到更多的维生素E积累，这主要归因于种子发育后期（45 - 50 DAF）维生素E生物合成的持续进行。通过对种子发育后期（35 - 50 DAF）的转录组和加权基因共表达网络分析（WGCNA），揭示了四个关键调控模块，突出了七个参与叶绿素分解代谢和维生素E生物合成的枢纽基因。此外，通过混合分组分析法测序（BSA-seq）在A03和C08染色体上鉴定了两个候选位点，同时提出了五个候选基因（如 ）作为种子维生素E生物合成的关键调节因子。这些结果有助于深入了解油料作物种子维生素E生物合成的调控机制，并为通过维生素E生物强化提高油菜籽营养品质提供了有价值的遗传资源。
