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Transcriptome sequencing and metabolite profiling analyses provide comprehensive insight into molecular mechanisms of flower development in Dendrobium officinale (Orchidaceae)

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This research provides comprehensive insight into the molecular networks and molecular mechanisms underlying D. officinale flower development.

Abstract

Flowers are complex reproductive organs and play a crucial role in plant propagation, while also providing sustenance for insects and natural bioactive metabolites for humans. However, knowledge about gene regulation and floral metabolomes in flowers is limited. In this study, we used an important orchid species (Dendrobium officinale), whose flowers can be used to make herbal tea, to perform transcriptome sequencing and metabolic profiling of early- and medium-stage flower buds, as well as opened flowers, to provide comprehensive insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying flower development. A total of 8019 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 239 differentiated metabolites were found. The transcription factors that were identified and analyzed belong exclusively to the MIKC-type MADS-box proteins and auxin responsive factors that are known to be involved in flower development. The expression of genes involved in chlorophyll and carotenoid biosynthesis strongly matched the metabolite accumulation patterns. The genes related to flavonoid and polysaccharide biosynthesis were active during flower development. Interestingly, indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid, whose trend of accumulation was inverse during flower development, may play an important role in this process. Collectively, the identification of DEGs and differentiated metabolites could help to illustrate the regulatory networks and molecular mechanisms important for flower development in this orchid.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number: 31800204), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province Projects (Grant Number: 2018A030313603), and the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou (Grant Number: 201704020010).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Gene Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China

    Chunmei He, Xuncheng Liu, Mingze Zhang & Jun Duan

  2. Kagawa-ken, Japan

    Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva

  3. Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China

    Nan Liu

  4. University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Mingze Zhang

  5. Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China

    Jun Duan

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  1. Chunmei He
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  2. Xuncheng Liu
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  3. Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva
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  4. Nan Liu
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Contributions

JD supervised the project. CH conceived the research and designed the experiments. MZ analysed mannose content. CH, XL, NL and JATdS collectively interpreted the results and wrote all drafts of the manuscript. All authors approved the final draft for submission and take full public responsibility for the content of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jun Duan.

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He, C., Liu, X., Teixeira da Silva, J.A. et al. Transcriptome sequencing and metabolite profiling analyses provide comprehensive insight into molecular mechanisms of flower development in Dendrobium officinale (Orchidaceae). Plant Mol Biol 104, 529–548 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-020-01058-z

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