Comparative transcriptomic analysis of the tea plant ( Camellia sinensis ) reveals key genes involved in pistil deletion
- PDF / 1,540,892 Bytes
- 11 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 31 Downloads / 213 Views
RESEARCH
Open Access
Comparative transcriptomic analysis of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) reveals key genes involved in pistil deletion Yufei Liu1,2† , Dandan Pang1,2†, Yiping Tian1,2, Youyong Li1,2, Huibing Jiang1,2, Yunnan Sun1,2, Lifei Xia1,2* and Linbo Chen1,2*
Abstract Background: The growth process of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) includes vegetative growth and reproductive growth. The reproductive growth period is relatively long (approximately 1.5 years), during which a large number of nutrients are consumed, resulting in reduced tea yield and quality, accelerated aging, and shortened economic life of the tea plant. The formation of unisexual and sterile flowers can weaken the reproductive growth process of the tea plant. To further clarify the molecular mechanisms of pistil deletion in the tea plant, we investigated the transcriptome profiles in the pistil-deficient tea plant (CRQS), wild tea plant (WT), and cultivated tea plant (CT) by using RNA-Seq. Results: A total of 3683 differentially expressed genes were observed between CRQS and WT flower buds, with 2064 upregulated and 1619 downregulated in the CRQS flower buds. These genes were mainly involved in the regulation of molecular function and biological processes. Ethylene synthesis–related ACC synthase genes were significantly upregulated and ACC oxidase genes were significantly downregulated. Further analysis revealed that one of the WIP transcription factors involved in ethylene synthesis was significantly upregulated. Moreover, AP1 and STK, genes related to flower development, were significantly upregulated and downregulated, respectively. Conclusions: The transcriptome analysis indicated that the formation of flower buds with pistil deletion is a complex biological process. Our study identified ethylene synthesis, transcription factor WIP, and A and D-class genes, which warrant further investigation to understand the cause of pistil deletion in flower bud formation. Keywords: Camellia sinensis, Special germplasm, Pistil deletion, ABCDE model, Ethylene
Introduction Tea plant [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze], originating from the southwest region of China [1], is a crucial perennial evergreen leafy plant and economically valuable woody crop. The tender shoots are harvested from cultivated tea plants, and the flourishing growth of branches and leaves of the tea plant are the prerequisites for high yield and stable production of tea gardens [2]. Therefore, flower bud * Correspondence: [email protected]; [email protected] † Yufei Liu and Dandan Pang contributed equally to this work. 1 Tea Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Menghai 666201, China Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
differentiation to tea fruit maturation requires 1.5 years, during which time, the plant consumes large quantities of nutrients, resulting in a decline in tea yield and quality, and accelerated aging of the tea plant [3, 4]. The research on tea flowers mainly focused on hybridization and incompatib
Data Loading...
