Metabolomic and transcriptomic changes in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) sprouts under salinity stress

Abstract

Mungbean (Vigna radiata) sprouts are consumed globally as a healthy food with high nutritional values, having antioxidant and anticancer capacity. Under mild salinity stress, plants accumulate more secondary metabolites to alleviate oxidative stress. In this study, metabolomic and transcriptomic changes in mungbean sprouts were identified using a reference cultivar, sunhwa, to understand the regulatory mechanisms of secondary metabolites in response to salinity stress. Under salinity conditions, the contents of phenylpropanoid-derived metabolites, including catechin, chlorogenic acid, isovitexin, p-coumaric acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, and vitexin, significantly increased. Through RNA sequencing, 728 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and 20 DEGs were detected in phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways. Among them, 11 DEGs encoding key enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the secondary metabolites that increased after NaCl treatment were significantly upregulated, including dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (log2FC 1.46), caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase (1.38), chalcone synthase (1.15), and chalcone isomerase (1.19). Transcription factor families, such as MYB, WRKY, and bHLH, were also identified as upregulated DEGs, which play a crucial role in stress responses in plants. Furthermore, this study showed that mild salinity stress can increase the contents of phenylpropanoids and flavonoids in mungbean sprouts through transcriptional regulation of the key enzymes involved in the biosynthetic pathways. Overall, these findings will provide valuable information for molecular breeders and scientists interested in improving the nutritional quality of sprout vegetables.

Transcriptome Profiling of a Soybean Mutant with Salt Tolerance Induced by Gamma-ray Irradiation

“…Specifically, the phenylpropanoid pathway is activated by various external factors, including abiotic stress, and is known to be involved in the life cycle and stress tolerance of plants [ 36 , 37 ]. One of the final products of this pathway is an alcohol called monolignol, which is one of the precursors of lignin, a major component of cell walls.…”

Can Simulated Microgravity and Darkness Conditions Influence the Phytochemical Content and Bioactivity of the Sprouts?—A Preliminary Study on Selected Fabaceae Species

“…Interestingly, the germination rate of the white clover seeds in the first 3 days was increased in darkness (D) and microgravity (DM and LM) conditions compared to control conditions (L). However, in the following days (5)(6)(7), the growth of the sprouts in microgravity conditions (LM and DM) was inhibited in comparison to the control sprouts (L), as shown by the results of biomass accumulation, while the growth of the sprouts in darkness and control conditions on the other hand was accelerated (Figure 2). by the results of biomass accumulation, while the growth of the sprouts in darkness and control conditions on the other hand was accelerated (Figure 2).…”

“…There are a lot of different methods to stimulate the synthesis of active compounds during sprouts’ growth, with special emphasis on LED lights [ 3 , 4 ], salinity [ 5 ], or disturbed gravity. The use of altered gravity and its impact on growth, cellular changes, and plant orientation was extensively studied [ 6 , 7 ] but in the case of sprouts, this method was implemented only rarely.…”

Progress in the Use of Combined Omics for Mungbean Breeding Improvement and Its Potential in Promoting Resistance against Cercospora Leaf Spot

“…Their findings inferred that the two genes play an important role in defence against stored insect bruchids, and PGIP proteins are important in the selective breeding of resistant mungbeans to Callosobruchus maculatus. Lim et al [123] informed on transcriptomic changes in mungbean sprouts through RNA sequencing, where 728 DEGs were identified for several metabolite biosynthetic pathways. In the recently conducted study by Guo et al [5] on transcriptomic and biochemical analyses of drought response mechanism in mungbean leaves, RNA sequencing-based DEGs were analysed to clarify the molecular mechanism of mungbean in response to drought stress.…”