Chen Zexin, Cao Linqing, Chen Chuansong, Zhong Qiuping, He Tieding, Wang Jinfeng, Zhou Youcheng, Zou Yuling, Ge Xiaoning
Experimental Center of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Fenyi, China.
Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China.
PLoS One. 2025 Sep 3;20(9):e0331313. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0331313. eCollection 2025.
Camellia chekiangoleosa is a significant oil-bearing tree species, known for its high oleic acid content and shorter reproductive cycle compared to traditional oil-tea plants. However, there are few studies on the molecular mechanism and compatibility of the interaction between oil-Camellia scion and rootstock, which poses certain challenges to the cultivation and promotion of oil-Camellia. This study systematically evaluates the effects of hetero-grafting Camellia chekiangoleosa scions onto divergent rootstocks (Camellia chekiangoleosa, Camellia oleifera, and Camellia yuhsienensis). Then the research investigates how rootstock selection alters scion growth and development through phenotypic, biochemical, and transcriptomic analyses. Our findings reveal that the combination of C. oleifera scion grafted onto C. yuhsienensis suppresses auxin (IAA) and cytokinin (ZR) levels while elevating abscisic acid (ABA). Transcriptomic analysis identified that the PYL1, AMY, and INV1 screened by transcriptome data were mainly enriched in starch and sucrose metabolic pathways and plant hormone signal transduction, which collectively prioritize carbon allocation toward growth over storage. Meanwhile, hetero-grafting improved photosynthetic capacity by upregulating light-harvesting complex (LHC) genes and carotenoid biosynthesis enzymes (ZEP), optimizing light energy conversion and photoprotection. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying rootstock-scion interactions in oil-Camellia, bridging a critical knowledge gap in this economically important genus.
浙江红花油茶是一种重要的油料树种，以其高油酸含量和与传统油茶植物相比更短的繁殖周期而闻名。然而，关于油用茶花接穗与砧木相互作用的分子机制和亲和性的研究较少，这给油用茶花的栽培和推广带来了一定挑战。本研究系统评估了将浙江红花油茶接穗嫁接到不同砧木（浙江红花油茶、油茶和攸县油茶）上的效果。然后，通过表型、生化和转录组分析，研究砧木选择如何改变接穗的生长发育。我们的研究结果表明，将油茶接穗嫁接到攸县油茶上的组合会抑制生长素（IAA）和细胞分裂素（ZR）水平，同时提高脱落酸（ABA）水平。转录组分析确定，通过转录组数据筛选出的PYL1、AMY和INV1主要富集在淀粉和蔗糖代谢途径以及植物激素信号转导中，这些共同将碳分配优先用于生长而非储存。同时，异砧嫁接通过上调捕光复合体（LHC）基因和类胡萝卜素生物合成酶（ZEP）提高了光合能力，优化了光能转换和光保护。这些发现为油用茶花砧木-接穗相互作用的分子机制提供了新的见解，填补了这个经济重要属中的关键知识空白。
