Integrated Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Mechanisms Regulating Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Blueberry Leaves under Salt Stress

The flavonoids play important roles in plant salt tolerance. Blueberries (<i>Vaccinium</i> spp.) are extremely sensitive to soil salt increases. Therefore, improving the salt resistance of blueberries by increasing the flavonoid content is crucial for the development of the blueberry ind...

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Main Authors: Bin Ma, Yan Song, Xinghua Feng, Pu Guo, Lianxia Zhou, Sijin Jia, Qingxun Guo, Chunyu Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Horticulturae
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/10/10/1084
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author Bin Ma
Yan Song
Xinghua Feng
Pu Guo
Lianxia Zhou
Sijin Jia
Qingxun Guo
Chunyu Zhang
author_facet Bin Ma
Yan Song
Xinghua Feng
Pu Guo
Lianxia Zhou
Sijin Jia
Qingxun Guo
Chunyu Zhang
author_sort Bin Ma
collection DOAJ
description The flavonoids play important roles in plant salt tolerance. Blueberries (<i>Vaccinium</i> spp.) are extremely sensitive to soil salt increases. Therefore, improving the salt resistance of blueberries by increasing the flavonoid content is crucial for the development of the blueberry industry. To explore the underlying molecular mechanism, we performed an integrated analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome of blueberry leaves under salt stress. We identified 525 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) under salt stress vs. control treatment, primarily including members of the flavonoid class. We also identified 20,920 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) based on transcriptome data; of these, 568 differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs) were annotated, and bHLH123, OsHSP20, and HSP20 TFs might be responsible for blueberry leaf salt tolerance. DEGs involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway were significantly enriched at almost all stages of salt stress. Salt treatment upregulated the expression of most flavonoid biosynthetic pathway genes and promoted the accumulation of flavonols, flavonol glycosides, flavans, proanthocyanidins, and anthocyanins. Correlation analysis suggested that 4-coumarate CoA ligases (<i>4CL5</i> and <i>4CL1</i>) play important roles in the accumulation of flavonols (quercetin and pinoquercetin) and flavan-3-ol (epicatechin and prodelphinidin C2) under salt stress, respectively. The flavonoid 3′5′-hydroxylases (<i>F3</i>′<i>5</i>′<i>H</i>) regulate anthocyanin (cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-sambubioside and delphinidin-3-O-glucoside chloride) biosynthesis, and leucoanthocyanidin reductases (<i>LAR</i>) are crucial for the biosynthesis of epicatechin and prodelphinidin C2 during salt stress. Taken together, it is one of the future breeding goals to cultivate salt-resistant blueberry varieties by increasing the expression of flavonoid biosynthetic genes, especially <i>4CL</i>, <i>F3</i>′<i>5</i>′<i>H</i>, and <i>LAR</i> genes, to promote flavonoid content in blueberry leaves.
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spelling doaj-art-8908b3a4c9174950b6c03d5b7f4e9fa32025-08-20T02:11:00ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242024-10-011010108410.3390/horticulturae10101084Integrated Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Mechanisms Regulating Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Blueberry Leaves under Salt StressBin Ma0Yan Song1Xinghua Feng2Pu Guo3Lianxia Zhou4Sijin Jia5Qingxun Guo6Chunyu Zhang7Department of Horticulture, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, ChinaDepartment of Horticulture, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, ChinaDepartment of Horticulture, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, ChinaDepartment of Horticulture, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, ChinaDepartment of Horticulture, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, ChinaDepartment of Horticulture, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, ChinaDepartment of Horticulture, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, ChinaDepartment of Horticulture, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, ChinaThe flavonoids play important roles in plant salt tolerance. Blueberries (<i>Vaccinium</i> spp.) are extremely sensitive to soil salt increases. Therefore, improving the salt resistance of blueberries by increasing the flavonoid content is crucial for the development of the blueberry industry. To explore the underlying molecular mechanism, we performed an integrated analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome of blueberry leaves under salt stress. We identified 525 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) under salt stress vs. control treatment, primarily including members of the flavonoid class. We also identified 20,920 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) based on transcriptome data; of these, 568 differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs) were annotated, and bHLH123, OsHSP20, and HSP20 TFs might be responsible for blueberry leaf salt tolerance. DEGs involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway were significantly enriched at almost all stages of salt stress. Salt treatment upregulated the expression of most flavonoid biosynthetic pathway genes and promoted the accumulation of flavonols, flavonol glycosides, flavans, proanthocyanidins, and anthocyanins. Correlation analysis suggested that 4-coumarate CoA ligases (<i>4CL5</i> and <i>4CL1</i>) play important roles in the accumulation of flavonols (quercetin and pinoquercetin) and flavan-3-ol (epicatechin and prodelphinidin C2) under salt stress, respectively. The flavonoid 3′5′-hydroxylases (<i>F3</i>′<i>5</i>′<i>H</i>) regulate anthocyanin (cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-sambubioside and delphinidin-3-O-glucoside chloride) biosynthesis, and leucoanthocyanidin reductases (<i>LAR</i>) are crucial for the biosynthesis of epicatechin and prodelphinidin C2 during salt stress. Taken together, it is one of the future breeding goals to cultivate salt-resistant blueberry varieties by increasing the expression of flavonoid biosynthetic genes, especially <i>4CL</i>, <i>F3</i>′<i>5</i>′<i>H</i>, and <i>LAR</i> genes, to promote flavonoid content in blueberry leaves.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/10/10/1084blueberrymetabolometranscriptomesalt stressflavonoids
spellingShingle Bin Ma
Yan Song
Xinghua Feng
Pu Guo
Lianxia Zhou
Sijin Jia
Qingxun Guo
Chunyu Zhang
Integrated Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Mechanisms Regulating Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Blueberry Leaves under Salt Stress
Horticulturae
blueberry
metabolome
transcriptome
salt stress
flavonoids
title Integrated Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Mechanisms Regulating Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Blueberry Leaves under Salt Stress
title_full Integrated Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Mechanisms Regulating Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Blueberry Leaves under Salt Stress
title_fullStr Integrated Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Mechanisms Regulating Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Blueberry Leaves under Salt Stress
title_full_unstemmed Integrated Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Mechanisms Regulating Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Blueberry Leaves under Salt Stress
title_short Integrated Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Mechanisms Regulating Flavonoid Biosynthesis in Blueberry Leaves under Salt Stress
title_sort integrated metabolome and transcriptome analyses reveal the mechanisms regulating flavonoid biosynthesis in blueberry leaves under salt stress
topic blueberry
metabolome
transcriptome
salt stress
flavonoids
url https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/10/10/1084
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