Effects of nitrogen levels on gene expression and amino acid metabolism in Welsh onion
Chen Zhao,
Guanchu Ma,
Lin Zhou,
Song Zhang,
Le Su,
Xin Sun,
Orlando Borrás-Hidalgo,
Kunlun Li,
Qiulin Yue,
Lin Zhao
Affiliations
Chen Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Shandong Provincial Key Lab. of Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences)
Guanchu Ma
State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Shandong Provincial Key Lab. of Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences)
Lin Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Shandong Provincial Key Lab. of Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences)
Song Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Shandong Provincial Key Lab. of Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences)
Le Su
State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Shandong Provincial Key Lab. of Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences)
Xin Sun
State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Shandong Provincial Key Lab. of Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences)
Orlando Borrás-Hidalgo
State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Shandong Provincial Key Lab. of Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences)
Kunlun Li
Jinan Hangchen Biotechnology Co., Ltd
Qiulin Yue
State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Shandong Provincial Key Lab. of Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences)
Lin Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Shandong Provincial Key Lab. of Microbial Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences)
Abstract Background Welsh onion constitutes an important crop due to its benefits in traditional medicine. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for plant growth and yield; however, little is known about its influence on the mechanisms of Welsh onion regulation genes. In this study, we introduced a gene expression and amino acid analysis of Welsh onion treated with different concentrations of nitrogen (N0, N1, and N2 at 0 kg/ha, 130 kg/ha, and 260 kg/ha, respectively). Results Approximately 1,665 genes were differentially regulated with different concentrations of nitrogen. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that the genes involved in metabolic processes, protein biosynthesis, and transportation of amino acids were highly represented. KEGG analysis indicated that the pathways were related to amino acid metabolism, cysteine, beta-alanine, arginine, proline, and glutathione. Differential gene expression in response to varying nitrogen concentrations resulted in different amino acid content. A close relationship between gene expression and the content of amino acids was observed. Conclusions This work examined the effects of nitrogen on gene expression and amino acid synthesis and provides important evidence on the efficient use of nitrogen in Welsh onion.
