Abstract
Main conclusion
Transcription factors MhMYB1 and MhMYB2 correlate with monoterpenoid biosynthesis pathway in l-menthol chemotype of Mentha haplocalyx Briq, which could affect the contents of ( −)-menthol and ( −)-menthone.
Abstract
Mentha haplocalyx Briq., a plant with traditional medicinal and edible uses, is renowned for its rich essential oil content. The distinct functional activities and aromatic flavors of mint essential oils arise from various chemotypes. While the biosynthetic pathways of the main monoterpenes in mint are well understood, the regulatory mechanisms governing different chemotypes remain inadequately explored. In this investigation, we identified and cloned two transcription factor genes from the M. haplocalyx MYB family, namely MhMYB1 (PP236792) and MhMYB2 (PP236793), previously identified by our research group. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that MhMYB1 possesses two conserved MYB domains, while MhMYB2 contains a conserved SANT domain. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) analysis results demonstrated that both MhMYB1 and MhMYB2 interacted with the promoter regions of MhMD and MhPR, critical enzymes in the monoterpenoid biosynthesis pathway of M. haplocalyx. Subsequent virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of MhMYB1 and MhMYB2 led to a significant reduction (P < 0.01) in the relative expression levels of MhMD and MhPR genes in the VIGS groups of M. haplocalyx. In addition, there was a noteworthy decrease (P < 0.05) in the contents of ( −)-menthol and ( −)-menthone in the essential oil of M. haplocalyx. These findings suggest that MhMYB1 and MhMYB2 transcription factors play a positive regulatory role in ( −)-menthol biosynthesis, consequently influencing the essential oil composition in the l-menthol chemotype of M. haplocalyx. This study serves as a pivotal foundation for unraveling the regulatory mechanisms governing monoterpenoid biosynthesis in different chemotypes of M. haplocalyx.
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Data availability
The nucleotide sequence information and transcriptome sequencing data in this article is available in GeneBank database [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov] under accession numbers mentioned in this article. Detailed data that support the findings of this study are available upon reasonable request.
Abbreviations
- GPPS:
-
Geranyl-diphosphate synthase
- LS:
-
(−)-Limonene synthase
- MD:
-
(−)-Menthol dehydrogenase
- PR:
-
( +)-Pulegone reductase
- TF:
-
Transcription factor
- VIGS:
-
Virus-induced gene silencing
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Funding
This work was supported by the Key project at central government level (2060302–2004-09) of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant numbers 82274040), and the National Key R&D Program of China “Chinese-Australian” ‘Belt and Road’ Joint Laboratory on Traditional Chinese Medicine for the Prevention and Treatment of Severe Infectious Diseases (Grant Number: 2020YFE0205100).
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ZO conceived the experiments. XA designed and performed the experiments, and wrote the draft. XA, YL, YY and JF analyzed the data. YW and ZO helped review and revise the draft. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final manuscript.
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An, X., Liao, Y., Yu, Y. et al. Effects of MhMYB1 and MhMYB2 transcription factors on the monoterpenoid biosynthesis pathway in l-menthol chemotype of Mentha haplocalyx Briq. Planta 260, 3 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-024-04441-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-024-04441-y