The chromosome-level genome of Hemerocallis middendorffii provides new insights into the floral scents and color biosynthesis in Chinese native daylily

Abstract Background  Hemerocallis middendorffii is a kind of high quality ornamental plant with strong cold resistance, pleasant aroma, and gorgeous floral color. Hemerocallis is one of the three internationally recognized perennial flowers that has huge demand in the flower market. However, little...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Meiyu Sun, Baocai Han, Jianhua Xiao, Haiyan Yu, Yinli Jia, Shuhai Yuan, Juan Yao, Quan Xing, Dongqi Wu, Guofeng Sun, Jinzheng Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:BMC Plant Biology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06863-6
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849238707124568064
author Meiyu Sun
Baocai Han
Jianhua Xiao
Haiyan Yu
Yinli Jia
Shuhai Yuan
Juan Yao
Quan Xing
Dongqi Wu
Guofeng Sun
Jinzheng Zhang
author_facet Meiyu Sun
Baocai Han
Jianhua Xiao
Haiyan Yu
Yinli Jia
Shuhai Yuan
Juan Yao
Quan Xing
Dongqi Wu
Guofeng Sun
Jinzheng Zhang
author_sort Meiyu Sun
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background  Hemerocallis middendorffii is a kind of high quality ornamental plant with strong cold resistance, pleasant aroma, and gorgeous floral color. Hemerocallis is one of the three internationally recognized perennial flowers that has huge demand in the flower market. However, little is known about the floral scent and color biosynthesis in daylily due to the large genome size. Results We reported here a high-quality chromosome-scale genome of H. middendorffii which was a native daylily in China. Using PacBio HiFi and Hi-C sequencing technologies, we assembled a chromosome-level genome of 4.10 Gb with a contig N50 of 12.81 Mb. We identified 65,536 protein-coding genes across the 11 chromosomes. We employed a combination of genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic approaches to investigate mechanisms behind the floral scent and color biosynthesis in daylily. The main terpenoids contributing to floral fragrance were linalool, 3-carene, nerolidol, and α-farnesene, while carotenoids and anthocyanidins were the main components of floral color. These traits could be stably inherited by their hybrid progenies, and some of them exhibited heterosis. Through Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) analysis, we identified two modules MEblueviolet and MEgreenyellow related to terpenoids (floral scents) and carotenoids (floral colors) biosynthesis. The 10 hub genes including DXS, MVD, MVK, DXR, LCYBs, Z-ISO, CYPs, and JAS were screened by network construction. The results of qRT-PCR analysis showed that these hub genes were significant differentially expressed in daylily samples, and these results were basically consistent with the relative transcript levels of RNA-seq. Conclusions This study not only provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of floral scent and color, but also lays a foundation for subsequent research on key gene functions and molecular breeding in Hemerocallis.
format Article
id doaj-art-98b07a1601f9471a8b7ee657bf973c0c
institution Kabale University
issn 1471-2229
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Plant Biology
spelling doaj-art-98b07a1601f9471a8b7ee657bf973c0c2025-08-20T04:01:25ZengBMCBMC Plant Biology1471-22292025-07-0125112010.1186/s12870-025-06863-6The chromosome-level genome of Hemerocallis middendorffii provides new insights into the floral scents and color biosynthesis in Chinese native daylilyMeiyu Sun0Baocai Han1Jianhua Xiao2Haiyan Yu3Yinli Jia4Shuhai Yuan5Juan Yao6Quan Xing7Dongqi Wu8Guofeng Sun9Jinzheng Zhang10China National Botanical GardenKey Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of BotanyChina National Botanical GardenBeijing Linrun Tongda Landscape Engineering Co., LTDBeijing Linrun Tongda Landscape Engineering Co., LTDBeijing Linrun Tongda Landscape Engineering Co., LTDChina National Botanical GardenChina National Botanical GardenChina National Botanical GardenChina National Botanical GardenChina National Botanical GardenAbstract Background  Hemerocallis middendorffii is a kind of high quality ornamental plant with strong cold resistance, pleasant aroma, and gorgeous floral color. Hemerocallis is one of the three internationally recognized perennial flowers that has huge demand in the flower market. However, little is known about the floral scent and color biosynthesis in daylily due to the large genome size. Results We reported here a high-quality chromosome-scale genome of H. middendorffii which was a native daylily in China. Using PacBio HiFi and Hi-C sequencing technologies, we assembled a chromosome-level genome of 4.10 Gb with a contig N50 of 12.81 Mb. We identified 65,536 protein-coding genes across the 11 chromosomes. We employed a combination of genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic approaches to investigate mechanisms behind the floral scent and color biosynthesis in daylily. The main terpenoids contributing to floral fragrance were linalool, 3-carene, nerolidol, and α-farnesene, while carotenoids and anthocyanidins were the main components of floral color. These traits could be stably inherited by their hybrid progenies, and some of them exhibited heterosis. Through Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) analysis, we identified two modules MEblueviolet and MEgreenyellow related to terpenoids (floral scents) and carotenoids (floral colors) biosynthesis. The 10 hub genes including DXS, MVD, MVK, DXR, LCYBs, Z-ISO, CYPs, and JAS were screened by network construction. The results of qRT-PCR analysis showed that these hub genes were significant differentially expressed in daylily samples, and these results were basically consistent with the relative transcript levels of RNA-seq. Conclusions This study not only provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of floral scent and color, but also lays a foundation for subsequent research on key gene functions and molecular breeding in Hemerocallis.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06863-6Chinese native daylilyChromosome-scale genomeFloral scent and colorTranscriptomeMetabolomeNetwork
spellingShingle Meiyu Sun
Baocai Han
Jianhua Xiao
Haiyan Yu
Yinli Jia
Shuhai Yuan
Juan Yao
Quan Xing
Dongqi Wu
Guofeng Sun
Jinzheng Zhang
The chromosome-level genome of Hemerocallis middendorffii provides new insights into the floral scents and color biosynthesis in Chinese native daylily
BMC Plant Biology
Chinese native daylily
Chromosome-scale genome
Floral scent and color
Transcriptome
Metabolome
Network
title The chromosome-level genome of Hemerocallis middendorffii provides new insights into the floral scents and color biosynthesis in Chinese native daylily
title_full The chromosome-level genome of Hemerocallis middendorffii provides new insights into the floral scents and color biosynthesis in Chinese native daylily
title_fullStr The chromosome-level genome of Hemerocallis middendorffii provides new insights into the floral scents and color biosynthesis in Chinese native daylily
title_full_unstemmed The chromosome-level genome of Hemerocallis middendorffii provides new insights into the floral scents and color biosynthesis in Chinese native daylily
title_short The chromosome-level genome of Hemerocallis middendorffii provides new insights into the floral scents and color biosynthesis in Chinese native daylily
title_sort chromosome level genome of hemerocallis middendorffii provides new insights into the floral scents and color biosynthesis in chinese native daylily
topic Chinese native daylily
Chromosome-scale genome
Floral scent and color
Transcriptome
Metabolome
Network
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06863-6
work_keys_str_mv AT meiyusun thechromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT baocaihan thechromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT jianhuaxiao thechromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT haiyanyu thechromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT yinlijia thechromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT shuhaiyuan thechromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT juanyao thechromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT quanxing thechromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT dongqiwu thechromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT guofengsun thechromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT jinzhengzhang thechromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT meiyusun chromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT baocaihan chromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT jianhuaxiao chromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT haiyanyu chromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT yinlijia chromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT shuhaiyuan chromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT juanyao chromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT quanxing chromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT dongqiwu chromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT guofengsun chromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily
AT jinzhengzhang chromosomelevelgenomeofhemerocallismiddendorffiiprovidesnewinsightsintothefloralscentsandcolorbiosynthesisinchinesenativedaylily