Transcriptomic Profiling of Buds Unveils Insights into Floral Initiation in Tea-Oil Tree (<i>Camellia oleifera</i> ‘changlin53’)
Flowering is a key agronomic trait that directly influences the yield of the tea-oil tree (<i>Camellia oleifera</i>). Floral initiation, which precedes flower bud differentiation, represents a critical developmental stage affecting the flowering outcomes. However, the molecular mechanism...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Hongyan Guo Zongshun Zhou Jian Zhou Chao Yan Wenbin Zhong Chang Li Ying Jiang Yaqi Yuan Linqing Cao Wenting Pan Jinfeng Wang Jia Wang Tieding He Yikai Hua Yisi Liu Lixian Cao Chuansong Chen |
| author_facet | Hongyan Guo Zongshun Zhou Jian Zhou Chao Yan Wenbin Zhong Chang Li Ying Jiang Yaqi Yuan Linqing Cao Wenting Pan Jinfeng Wang Jia Wang Tieding He Yikai Hua Yisi Liu Lixian Cao Chuansong Chen |
| author_sort | Hongyan Guo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Flowering is a key agronomic trait that directly influences the yield of the tea-oil tree (<i>Camellia oleifera</i>). Floral initiation, which precedes flower bud differentiation, represents a critical developmental stage affecting the flowering outcomes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying floral initiation in <i>C. oleifera</i> remain poorly understood. In this study, buds from five key developmental stages of a 12-year-old <i>C. oleifera</i> cultivar ‘changlin53’ were collected as experimental samples. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to identify the stage of floral initiation. UPLC-MS/MS was used to analyze endogenous gibberellin (GA) concentrations, while transcriptomic analysis was performed to reveal the underlying transcriptional regulatory network. Six GA types were detected during floral initiation and petal development. GA<sub>4</sub> was exclusively detected at the sprouting stage (BII), while GA<sub>3</sub> was present in all samples but was significantly lower in BII and the flower bud primordium formation stage (BIII) than in the other samples. A total of 64 differentially expressed genes were concurrently enriched in flower development, reproductive shoot system development, and shoot system development. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified eight specific modules significantly associated with different developmental stages. The magenta module, containing Unigene0084708 (<i>CoFT</i>) and Unigene0037067 (<i>CoLEAFY</i>), emerged as a key regulatory module driving floral initiation. Additionally, <i>GA20OX1</i> and <i>GA2OX8</i> were identified as candidate genes involved in GA-mediated regulation of floral initiation. Based on morphological and transcriptomic analyses, we conclude that floral initiation of <i>C. oleifera</i> is a continuous regulatory process governed by multiple genes, with the <i>FT</i>-<i>LFY</i> module playing a central role in the transition from apical meristem to floral meristem. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a033173f9d32409fb9a002dfb4dbf2ef |
| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-a033173f9d32409fb9a002dfb4dbf2ef2025-08-20T04:00:50ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-07-011415234810.3390/plants14152348Transcriptomic Profiling of Buds Unveils Insights into Floral Initiation in Tea-Oil Tree (<i>Camellia oleifera</i> ‘changlin53’)Hongyan Guo0Zongshun Zhou1Jian Zhou2Chao Yan3Wenbin Zhong4Chang Li5Ying Jiang6Yaqi Yuan7Linqing Cao8Wenting Pan9Jinfeng Wang10Jia Wang11Tieding He12Yikai Hua13Yisi Liu14Lixian Cao15Chuansong Chen16Key Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaXinyu University, Xinyu 336600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaJiangxi Environmental Engineering Vocational College, Ganzhou 341000, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cultivation and Utilization for Oil-Camellia Resources, Experimental Center for Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Xinyu 336600, ChinaFlowering is a key agronomic trait that directly influences the yield of the tea-oil tree (<i>Camellia oleifera</i>). Floral initiation, which precedes flower bud differentiation, represents a critical developmental stage affecting the flowering outcomes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying floral initiation in <i>C. oleifera</i> remain poorly understood. In this study, buds from five key developmental stages of a 12-year-old <i>C. oleifera</i> cultivar ‘changlin53’ were collected as experimental samples. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to identify the stage of floral initiation. UPLC-MS/MS was used to analyze endogenous gibberellin (GA) concentrations, while transcriptomic analysis was performed to reveal the underlying transcriptional regulatory network. Six GA types were detected during floral initiation and petal development. GA<sub>4</sub> was exclusively detected at the sprouting stage (BII), while GA<sub>3</sub> was present in all samples but was significantly lower in BII and the flower bud primordium formation stage (BIII) than in the other samples. A total of 64 differentially expressed genes were concurrently enriched in flower development, reproductive shoot system development, and shoot system development. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified eight specific modules significantly associated with different developmental stages. The magenta module, containing Unigene0084708 (<i>CoFT</i>) and Unigene0037067 (<i>CoLEAFY</i>), emerged as a key regulatory module driving floral initiation. Additionally, <i>GA20OX1</i> and <i>GA2OX8</i> were identified as candidate genes involved in GA-mediated regulation of floral initiation. Based on morphological and transcriptomic analyses, we conclude that floral initiation of <i>C. oleifera</i> is a continuous regulatory process governed by multiple genes, with the <i>FT</i>-<i>LFY</i> module playing a central role in the transition from apical meristem to floral meristem.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2348<i>Camellia oleifera</i>floral initiationbudstranscriptome analysisgibberellins |
| spellingShingle | Hongyan Guo Zongshun Zhou Jian Zhou Chao Yan Wenbin Zhong Chang Li Ying Jiang Yaqi Yuan Linqing Cao Wenting Pan Jinfeng Wang Jia Wang Tieding He Yikai Hua Yisi Liu Lixian Cao Chuansong Chen Transcriptomic Profiling of Buds Unveils Insights into Floral Initiation in Tea-Oil Tree (<i>Camellia oleifera</i> ‘changlin53’) Plants <i>Camellia oleifera</i> floral initiation buds transcriptome analysis gibberellins |
| title | Transcriptomic Profiling of Buds Unveils Insights into Floral Initiation in Tea-Oil Tree (<i>Camellia oleifera</i> ‘changlin53’) |
| title_full | Transcriptomic Profiling of Buds Unveils Insights into Floral Initiation in Tea-Oil Tree (<i>Camellia oleifera</i> ‘changlin53’) |
| title_fullStr | Transcriptomic Profiling of Buds Unveils Insights into Floral Initiation in Tea-Oil Tree (<i>Camellia oleifera</i> ‘changlin53’) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transcriptomic Profiling of Buds Unveils Insights into Floral Initiation in Tea-Oil Tree (<i>Camellia oleifera</i> ‘changlin53’) |
| title_short | Transcriptomic Profiling of Buds Unveils Insights into Floral Initiation in Tea-Oil Tree (<i>Camellia oleifera</i> ‘changlin53’) |
| title_sort | transcriptomic profiling of buds unveils insights into floral initiation in tea oil tree i camellia oleifera i changlin53 |
| topic | <i>Camellia oleifera</i> floral initiation buds transcriptome analysis gibberellins |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2348 |
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