Comprehensive Transcriptomics, Hormone Metabolomics, and Physiological Analysis Reveal the Mechanism of Exogenous GA<sub>4+7</sub> Breaking the Seed Dormancy in <i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> Hua
<i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> Hua <i>(P. cyrtonema)</i> is a medicinal plant with high pharmaceutical value. Due to morphological and physiological dormancy mechanisms in <i>P. cyrtonema</i> seeds, natural germination rates remain exceptionally low. This biological...
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2025-06-01
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| author | Mi Qiu Jionglan Wan Chunxiang Hao Zixin Zeng Yalong Hu Guoqun Yang Hua Yang Xiaoyun Zhou |
| author_facet | Mi Qiu Jionglan Wan Chunxiang Hao Zixin Zeng Yalong Hu Guoqun Yang Hua Yang Xiaoyun Zhou |
| author_sort | Mi Qiu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> Hua <i>(P. cyrtonema)</i> is a medicinal plant with high pharmaceutical value. Due to morphological and physiological dormancy mechanisms in <i>P. cyrtonema</i> seeds, natural germination rates remain exceptionally low. This biological constraint necessitates the development of protocols to shorten germination timelines and improve germination efficiency, which are critical requirements for advancing <i>P. cyrtonema</i> breeding programs. In this study, exogenous gibberellin A4 + A7 (GA<sub>4+7</sub>) was applied to break dormancy in <i>P. cyrtonema</i> seeds. Transcriptomic, hormone metabolomic, and physiological analyses were then employed to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Germination tests revealed that 50 mg·L<sup>−1</sup> GA<sub>4+7</sub> was the optimal concentration to break dormancy in <i>P. cyrtonema</i> seeds. Transcriptome analysis indicated that exogenous GA<sub>4+7</sub> induced the expression of genes involved in GA and ABA biosynthesis and signaling. A total of 19 differential hormone metabolites were identified through hormone metabolomics, with significantly increased levels of active GA<sub>1</sub> and GA<sub>4</sub>, but decreased levels of ABA content. These findings were consistent with the up-regulation of transcript levels of GA biosynthesis-related genes and the down-regulation of ABA biosynthesis-related genes, which resulted in an increase in active GA/ABA ratio. At the same time, it was found that exogenous GA<sub>4+7</sub> treatment induced sucrose and starch metabolism and pectin catabolic pathways. We measured the relevant physiological indicators and found that the content of soluble sugar and α-amylase activity increased, but the pectin content decreased. These findings establish a theoretical foundation for applying GA<sub>4+7</sub> in the standardized production of <i>P. cyrtonema</i>, particularly for accelerating breeding cycles in medicinal germplasm development. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cf37ee9d2a044ffbb2bdee4a61c7c3f7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj-art-cf37ee9d2a044ffbb2bdee4a61c7c3f72025-08-20T03:27:15ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242025-06-0111662710.3390/horticulturae11060627Comprehensive Transcriptomics, Hormone Metabolomics, and Physiological Analysis Reveal the Mechanism of Exogenous GA<sub>4+7</sub> Breaking the Seed Dormancy in <i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> HuaMi Qiu0Jionglan Wan1Chunxiang Hao2Zixin Zeng3Yalong Hu4Guoqun Yang5Hua Yang6Xiaoyun Zhou7College of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaCollege of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaCollege of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaCollege of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaHunan Tianhong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shaoyang 422000, ChinaKey Laboratory of Forest Bio-resources and Integrated Pest Management for Higher Education in Hunan Province, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, ChinaCollege of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, ChinaCollege of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China<i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> Hua <i>(P. cyrtonema)</i> is a medicinal plant with high pharmaceutical value. Due to morphological and physiological dormancy mechanisms in <i>P. cyrtonema</i> seeds, natural germination rates remain exceptionally low. This biological constraint necessitates the development of protocols to shorten germination timelines and improve germination efficiency, which are critical requirements for advancing <i>P. cyrtonema</i> breeding programs. In this study, exogenous gibberellin A4 + A7 (GA<sub>4+7</sub>) was applied to break dormancy in <i>P. cyrtonema</i> seeds. Transcriptomic, hormone metabolomic, and physiological analyses were then employed to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Germination tests revealed that 50 mg·L<sup>−1</sup> GA<sub>4+7</sub> was the optimal concentration to break dormancy in <i>P. cyrtonema</i> seeds. Transcriptome analysis indicated that exogenous GA<sub>4+7</sub> induced the expression of genes involved in GA and ABA biosynthesis and signaling. A total of 19 differential hormone metabolites were identified through hormone metabolomics, with significantly increased levels of active GA<sub>1</sub> and GA<sub>4</sub>, but decreased levels of ABA content. These findings were consistent with the up-regulation of transcript levels of GA biosynthesis-related genes and the down-regulation of ABA biosynthesis-related genes, which resulted in an increase in active GA/ABA ratio. At the same time, it was found that exogenous GA<sub>4+7</sub> treatment induced sucrose and starch metabolism and pectin catabolic pathways. We measured the relevant physiological indicators and found that the content of soluble sugar and α-amylase activity increased, but the pectin content decreased. These findings establish a theoretical foundation for applying GA<sub>4+7</sub> in the standardized production of <i>P. cyrtonema</i>, particularly for accelerating breeding cycles in medicinal germplasm development.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/6/627gibberellic acid<i>P. cyrtonema</i>seed dormancyhormone metabolomicstranscriptomics |
| spellingShingle | Mi Qiu Jionglan Wan Chunxiang Hao Zixin Zeng Yalong Hu Guoqun Yang Hua Yang Xiaoyun Zhou Comprehensive Transcriptomics, Hormone Metabolomics, and Physiological Analysis Reveal the Mechanism of Exogenous GA<sub>4+7</sub> Breaking the Seed Dormancy in <i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> Hua Horticulturae gibberellic acid <i>P. cyrtonema</i> seed dormancy hormone metabolomics transcriptomics |
| title | Comprehensive Transcriptomics, Hormone Metabolomics, and Physiological Analysis Reveal the Mechanism of Exogenous GA<sub>4+7</sub> Breaking the Seed Dormancy in <i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> Hua |
| title_full | Comprehensive Transcriptomics, Hormone Metabolomics, and Physiological Analysis Reveal the Mechanism of Exogenous GA<sub>4+7</sub> Breaking the Seed Dormancy in <i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> Hua |
| title_fullStr | Comprehensive Transcriptomics, Hormone Metabolomics, and Physiological Analysis Reveal the Mechanism of Exogenous GA<sub>4+7</sub> Breaking the Seed Dormancy in <i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> Hua |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comprehensive Transcriptomics, Hormone Metabolomics, and Physiological Analysis Reveal the Mechanism of Exogenous GA<sub>4+7</sub> Breaking the Seed Dormancy in <i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> Hua |
| title_short | Comprehensive Transcriptomics, Hormone Metabolomics, and Physiological Analysis Reveal the Mechanism of Exogenous GA<sub>4+7</sub> Breaking the Seed Dormancy in <i>Polygonatum cyrtonema</i> Hua |
| title_sort | comprehensive transcriptomics hormone metabolomics and physiological analysis reveal the mechanism of exogenous ga sub 4 7 sub breaking the seed dormancy in i polygonatum cyrtonema i hua |
| topic | gibberellic acid <i>P. cyrtonema</i> seed dormancy hormone metabolomics transcriptomics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/6/627 |
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