Multi-Omics Analyses Uncover the Mechanism Underlying Polyploidization-Enhanced Steviol Glycosides Biosynthesis in <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i>

<i>Stevia rebaudiana</i> (Bertoni) is a valuable sweetener plant whose sweetness primarily derives from steviol glycosides (SGs), especially rebaudioside A (RA). Polyploidization has the potential to enhance the content of active ingredients in medicinal plants, making this strategy a pr...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Juan Liu, Jiaxue Wang, Mingjia Chen, Wenna Meng, Anping Ding, Miao Chen, Rongping Ding, Mingpu Tan, Zengxu Xiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-09-01
Series:Plants
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/18/2542
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850259873502068736
author Juan Liu
Jiaxue Wang
Mingjia Chen
Wenna Meng
Anping Ding
Miao Chen
Rongping Ding
Mingpu Tan
Zengxu Xiang
author_facet Juan Liu
Jiaxue Wang
Mingjia Chen
Wenna Meng
Anping Ding
Miao Chen
Rongping Ding
Mingpu Tan
Zengxu Xiang
author_sort Juan Liu
collection DOAJ
description <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i> (Bertoni) is a valuable sweetener plant whose sweetness primarily derives from steviol glycosides (SGs), especially rebaudioside A (RA). Polyploidization has the potential to enhance the content of active ingredients in medicinal plants, making this strategy a promising avenue for genetic improvement. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms that contribute to the fluctuating SGs content between autotetraploid and diploid stevia remain unclear. In this study, we employed metabolic analysis to identify 916 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs), with the majority, specifically terpenoids, flavonoids, and lipids, exhibiting upregulation due to polyploidization. Notably, the content of stevia’s signature metabolite SGs (including RA, steviolbioside, and rebaudioside C), along with their precursor steviol, increased significantly after polyploidization. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome revealed that the majority of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in the SG-synthesis pathway (<i>ent-KAH</i>, <i>ent-KS1</i>, <i>UGT73E1</i>, <i>UGT74G1</i>, <i>UGT76G1</i>, <i>UGT85C2</i>, and <i>UGT91D2</i>) were upregulated in autotetraploid stevia, and these DEGs exhibited a positive correlation with the polyploidization-enhanced SGs. Additionally, multi-omics network analysis indicated that several transcription factor families (such as five <i>NACs</i>, four <i>WRKYs</i>, three <i>MYBs</i>, eight <i>bHLHs</i>, and three <i>AP2/ERFs</i>), various transporter genes (four ABC transporters, three triose-phosphate transporters, and two sugar efflux transporters for intercellular exchange), as well as microorganisms (including <i>Ceratobasidium</i> and <i>Flavobacterium</i>) were positively correlated with the accumulation of RA and steviol. Overall, our results indicate the presence of a regulatory circuit orchestrated by polyploidization, which recruits beneficial rhizosphere microbes and modulates the expression of genes associated with SG biosynthesis, ultimately enhancing the SG content in stevia. This finding will provide new insights for promoting the propagation and industrial development of stevia.
format Article
id doaj-art-a89dfc77465e483f91c0c545aa85c410
institution OA Journals
issn 2223-7747
language English
publishDate 2024-09-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Plants
spelling doaj-art-a89dfc77465e483f91c0c545aa85c4102025-08-20T01:55:46ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472024-09-011318254210.3390/plants13182542Multi-Omics Analyses Uncover the Mechanism Underlying Polyploidization-Enhanced Steviol Glycosides Biosynthesis in <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i>Juan Liu0Jiaxue Wang1Mingjia Chen2Wenna Meng3Anping Ding4Miao Chen5Rongping Ding6Mingpu Tan7Zengxu Xiang8College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaCollege of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaCollege of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaCollege of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaCollege of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China<i>Stevia rebaudiana</i> (Bertoni) is a valuable sweetener plant whose sweetness primarily derives from steviol glycosides (SGs), especially rebaudioside A (RA). Polyploidization has the potential to enhance the content of active ingredients in medicinal plants, making this strategy a promising avenue for genetic improvement. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms that contribute to the fluctuating SGs content between autotetraploid and diploid stevia remain unclear. In this study, we employed metabolic analysis to identify 916 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs), with the majority, specifically terpenoids, flavonoids, and lipids, exhibiting upregulation due to polyploidization. Notably, the content of stevia’s signature metabolite SGs (including RA, steviolbioside, and rebaudioside C), along with their precursor steviol, increased significantly after polyploidization. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome revealed that the majority of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in the SG-synthesis pathway (<i>ent-KAH</i>, <i>ent-KS1</i>, <i>UGT73E1</i>, <i>UGT74G1</i>, <i>UGT76G1</i>, <i>UGT85C2</i>, and <i>UGT91D2</i>) were upregulated in autotetraploid stevia, and these DEGs exhibited a positive correlation with the polyploidization-enhanced SGs. Additionally, multi-omics network analysis indicated that several transcription factor families (such as five <i>NACs</i>, four <i>WRKYs</i>, three <i>MYBs</i>, eight <i>bHLHs</i>, and three <i>AP2/ERFs</i>), various transporter genes (four ABC transporters, three triose-phosphate transporters, and two sugar efflux transporters for intercellular exchange), as well as microorganisms (including <i>Ceratobasidium</i> and <i>Flavobacterium</i>) were positively correlated with the accumulation of RA and steviol. Overall, our results indicate the presence of a regulatory circuit orchestrated by polyploidization, which recruits beneficial rhizosphere microbes and modulates the expression of genes associated with SG biosynthesis, ultimately enhancing the SG content in stevia. This finding will provide new insights for promoting the propagation and industrial development of stevia.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/18/2542polyploidizationmetabolometranscriptomerhizosphere microbesUDP-glycosyltransferases
spellingShingle Juan Liu
Jiaxue Wang
Mingjia Chen
Wenna Meng
Anping Ding
Miao Chen
Rongping Ding
Mingpu Tan
Zengxu Xiang
Multi-Omics Analyses Uncover the Mechanism Underlying Polyploidization-Enhanced Steviol Glycosides Biosynthesis in <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i>
Plants
polyploidization
metabolome
transcriptome
rhizosphere microbes
UDP-glycosyltransferases
title Multi-Omics Analyses Uncover the Mechanism Underlying Polyploidization-Enhanced Steviol Glycosides Biosynthesis in <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i>
title_full Multi-Omics Analyses Uncover the Mechanism Underlying Polyploidization-Enhanced Steviol Glycosides Biosynthesis in <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i>
title_fullStr Multi-Omics Analyses Uncover the Mechanism Underlying Polyploidization-Enhanced Steviol Glycosides Biosynthesis in <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i>
title_full_unstemmed Multi-Omics Analyses Uncover the Mechanism Underlying Polyploidization-Enhanced Steviol Glycosides Biosynthesis in <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i>
title_short Multi-Omics Analyses Uncover the Mechanism Underlying Polyploidization-Enhanced Steviol Glycosides Biosynthesis in <i>Stevia rebaudiana</i>
title_sort multi omics analyses uncover the mechanism underlying polyploidization enhanced steviol glycosides biosynthesis in i stevia rebaudiana i
topic polyploidization
metabolome
transcriptome
rhizosphere microbes
UDP-glycosyltransferases
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/18/2542
work_keys_str_mv AT juanliu multiomicsanalysesuncoverthemechanismunderlyingpolyploidizationenhancedsteviolglycosidesbiosynthesisinisteviarebaudianai
AT jiaxuewang multiomicsanalysesuncoverthemechanismunderlyingpolyploidizationenhancedsteviolglycosidesbiosynthesisinisteviarebaudianai
AT mingjiachen multiomicsanalysesuncoverthemechanismunderlyingpolyploidizationenhancedsteviolglycosidesbiosynthesisinisteviarebaudianai
AT wennameng multiomicsanalysesuncoverthemechanismunderlyingpolyploidizationenhancedsteviolglycosidesbiosynthesisinisteviarebaudianai
AT anpingding multiomicsanalysesuncoverthemechanismunderlyingpolyploidizationenhancedsteviolglycosidesbiosynthesisinisteviarebaudianai
AT miaochen multiomicsanalysesuncoverthemechanismunderlyingpolyploidizationenhancedsteviolglycosidesbiosynthesisinisteviarebaudianai
AT rongpingding multiomicsanalysesuncoverthemechanismunderlyingpolyploidizationenhancedsteviolglycosidesbiosynthesisinisteviarebaudianai
AT mingputan multiomicsanalysesuncoverthemechanismunderlyingpolyploidizationenhancedsteviolglycosidesbiosynthesisinisteviarebaudianai
AT zengxuxiang multiomicsanalysesuncoverthemechanismunderlyingpolyploidizationenhancedsteviolglycosidesbiosynthesisinisteviarebaudianai