Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses provide new insights into the appropriate harvest period in regenerated bulbs of Fritillaria hupehensis

Abstract

IntroductionThe bulb of Fritillaria hupehensis, a traditional cough and expectorant medicine, is usually harvested from June to September according to traditional cultivation experience, without practical scientific guidance. Although steroidal alkaloid metabolites have been identified in F. hupehensis, the dynamic changes in their levels during bulb development and their molecular regulatory mechanisms are poorly understood.MethodsIn this study, integrative analyses of the bulbus phenotype, bioactive chemical investigations, and metabolome and transcriptome profiles were performed to systematically explore the variations in steroidal alkaloid metabolite levels and identify the genes modulating their accumulation and the corresponding regulatory mechanisms.ResultsThe results showed that weight, size, and total alkaloid content of the regenerated bulbs reached a maximum at IM03 (post-withering stage, early July), whereas peiminine content reached a maximum at IM02 (withering stage, early June). There were no significant differences between IM02 and IM03, indicating that regenerated bulbs could be harvested appropriately in early June or July. Peiminine, peimine, tortifoline, hupehenine, korseveramine, delafrine, hericenone N-oxide, korseveridine, puqiedinone, pingbeinone, puqienine B, puqienine E, pingbeimine A, jervine, and ussuriedine levels were upregulated in IM02 and IM03, compared with IM01 (vigorous growth stage, early April). The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis indicated that the accumulation of steroidal alkaloid metabolites mainly occurred prior to IM02. HMGR1, DXR, CAS1, CYP 90A1, and DET2 may play a positive role in peiminine, peimine, hupehenine, korseveramine, korseveridine, hericenone N-oxide, puqiedinone, delafrine, tortifoline, pingbeinone, puqienine B, puqienine E, pingbeimine A, jervine, and ussuriedine biosynthesis, whereas the downregulation of FPS1, SQE and 17-DHCR may lead to a reduction in peimisine levels. Weighted gene correlation network analysis showed that CYP 74A2-1, CYP 74A2-2, CYP 71A26-1, CYP 71A26-2, and CYP74A were negatively correlated with peiminine and pingbeimine A, whereas CYP R and CYP707A1 were positively correlated. . CYP 74A2-1 and CYP 74A2-2 may play a negative role in peimine and korseveridine biosynthesis, whereas CYP R plays a positive role. In addition, the highly expressed C2H2, HSF, AP2/ERF, HB, GRAS, C3H, NAC, MYB-related transcription factors (TFs), GARP-G2-like TFs, and WRKY may play positive roles in the accumulation of peiminine, peimine, korseveridine, and pingbeimine A.DiscussionThese results provide new insights into scientific harvesting of F. hupehensis.

Exploring regulatory network of icariin synthesis in Herba Epimedii through integrated omics analysis

“…They are well-known for having antioxidant qualities and possible health advantages. Critical metabolic genes in medicinal plants have been well studied in the past using transcriptome and metabolic analysis in a variety of organs ( Lou et al., 2014 ; Rai et al., 2017 ; Adejobi et al., 2021 ; Chen et al., 2021 ; Duan et al., 2023 ). Specifically, a study on A. roxburghii revealed 14 genes involved in the manufacture of flavonoids and 10 genes encoding transcription factors, highlighting the significance of these pathways in medicinal plants ( Chen et al., 2020 ).…”

Combined metabolomics and transcriptomics reveal the secondary metabolite networks in different growth stages of Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb.f.

“…In the current era of rapid advancements in high-throughput sequencing, the integrating metabolome and transcriptome analysis has emerged as a prevalent approach for investigating secondary metabolite composition, identifying gene function, and elucidating metabolic pathways during plant development [ 20 ]. For example, by integrating metabolomics and transcriptome data, key genes involved in the biosynthesis of water-soluble polysaccharides (WSP), flavonoids, and phosphoserine in leaves of Dendrobium officinale at different developmental stages were identified by integrating metabolomics and transcriptome data [ 21 ].…”

Integrated Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Analysis of Puerarin Biosynthesis in Pueraria montana var. thomsonii at Different Growth Stages

“…In recent years, omics technology has developed rapidly, and the integrated analysis of multi-omics data has been fruitfully used to study secondary metabolic components, identify gene functions, and elucidate metabolic pathways during plant development [8][9][10][11][12]. Studies on the biosynthesis of puerarin, an important secondary metabolite in P. montana var.…”