Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal Flower Color Differentiation Mechanisms in Various <i>Sophora japonica</i> L. Petal Types
Lingshan Guan,
Jinshi Liu,
Ruilong Wang,
Yanjuan Mu,
Tao Sun,
Lili Wang,
Yunchao Zhao,
Nana Zhu,
Xinyue Ji,
Yizeng Lu,
Yan Wang
Affiliations
Lingshan Guan
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation and Utilization of Warm Temperate Zone Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Shandong Provincial Center of Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Jinan 250102, China
Jinshi Liu
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation and Utilization of Warm Temperate Zone Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Shandong Provincial Center of Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Jinan 250102, China
Ruilong Wang
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation and Utilization of Warm Temperate Zone Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Shandong Provincial Center of Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Jinan 250102, China
Yanjuan Mu
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation and Utilization of Warm Temperate Zone Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Shandong Provincial Center of Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Jinan 250102, China
Tao Sun
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation and Utilization of Warm Temperate Zone Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Shandong Provincial Center of Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Jinan 250102, China
Lili Wang
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation and Utilization of Warm Temperate Zone Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Shandong Provincial Center of Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Jinan 250102, China
Yunchao Zhao
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation and Utilization of Warm Temperate Zone Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Shandong Provincial Center of Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Jinan 250102, China
Nana Zhu
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation and Utilization of Warm Temperate Zone Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Shandong Provincial Center of Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Jinan 250102, China
Xinyue Ji
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation and Utilization of Warm Temperate Zone Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Shandong Provincial Center of Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Jinan 250102, China
Yizeng Lu
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation and Utilization of Warm Temperate Zone Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Shandong Provincial Center of Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Jinan 250102, China
Yan Wang
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Conservation and Utilization of Warm Temperate Zone Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Shandong Provincial Center of Forest and Grass Germplasm Resources, Jinan 250102, China
Sophora japonica L. is an important landscaping and ornamental tree species throughout southern and northern parts of China. The most common color of S. japonica petals is yellow and white. In this study, S. japonica flower color mutants with yellow and white flag petals and light purple-red wing and keel petals were used for transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of flower color variation in S. japonica ‘AM’ mutant, 36 anthocyanin metabolites were screened in the anthocyanin-targeting metabolome. The results demonstrated that cyanidins such as cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside in the ‘AM’ mutant were the key metabolites responsible for the red color of the wing and keel petals. Transcriptome sequencing and differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis identified the key structural genes and transcription factors related to anthocyanin biosynthesis. Among these, F3′5′H, ANS, UFGT79B1, bHLH, and WRKY expression was significantly correlated with the cyanidin-type anthocyanins (key regulatory factors affecting anthocyanin biosynthesis) in the flag, wing, and keel petals in S. japonica at various flower development stages.
