Volatile Profiling and Transcriptome Sequencing Provide Insights into the Biosynthesis of α-Pinene and β-Pinene in Liquidambar formosana Hance Leaves

• Published in: Genes 2023-01, Vol.14 (1), p.163
• Main Authors: Li, Yongquan, Gao, Yanfang, Deng, Lin, Lian, Huiming, Guo, Wei, Wu, Wei, Xue, Bine, Li, Baobin, Su, Yuzhen, Zhang, Hui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biosynthesis; Catalysis; Chromatography; Enzymes; Gas chromatography; Gene expression; Headspace; Leaves; Liquidambar - chemistry; Liquidambar - genetics; Liquidambar formosana; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Medicinal plants; Phylogeny; Plant Leaves - physiology; Reductoisomerase; Scientific imaging; Solid phase methods; Terpene synthase; Transcriptome - genetics; Transcriptomes; Transcriptomics; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; Xylulose; α-Pinene
• ISSN: 2073-4425; 2073-4425
• DOI: 10.3390/genes14010163

Hance is a pinene-rich deciduous plant species in the Altingiaceae family that is used as a medicinal plant in China. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying α-pinene and β-pinene biosynthesis in leaves remain unknown. Here, a joint analysis of the volatile compounds and transcriptomes of leaves was performed to comprehensively explore the terpene synthase (TPS) that may participate in α-pinene and β-pinene biosynthesis. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) jointly detected volatile leaves. Trees with high and low levels of both α-pinene and β-pinene were defined as the H group and L group, respectively. RNA sequencing data revealed that DXR (1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase), HDS [(E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-eny-l-diphosphate synthase], and TPS may be the major regulators of monoterpenoid biosynthesis. We identified three TPSs ( , and ), which are highly homologous to α-pinene and β-pinene synthases of other species in phylogenetic analysis. Four TPS genes ( , , , ) may be critically involved in the biosynthesis and regulation of α-pinene and β-pinene in . Bioinformatic and transcriptomic results were verified using quantitative real-time PCR. We identified as candidate genes for α-pinene and β-pinene biosynthesis that significantly improve the yield of beneficial terpenoids.