Identification, Characterization and Expression Profiling of the RS Gene Family during the Withering Process of White Tea in the Tea Plant (<i>Camellia sinensis</i>) Reveal the Transcriptional Regulation of <i>CsRS8</i>
Raffinose synthetase (RS) is a key enzyme in the process of raffinose (Raf) synthesis and is involved in plant development and stress responses through regulating Raf content. As a sweetener, Raf makes an important contribution to the sweet taste of white tea. However, studies on the identification,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/1/202 |
| Summary: | Raffinose synthetase (RS) is a key enzyme in the process of raffinose (Raf) synthesis and is involved in plant development and stress responses through regulating Raf content. As a sweetener, Raf makes an important contribution to the sweet taste of white tea. However, studies on the identification, analysis and transcriptional regulation of <i>CsRSs</i> (<i>Camellia sinensis</i> RS genes) are still lacking. In this study, nine CsRSs were identified from the tea plant (<i>Camellia sinensis</i>) genome database. The CsRSs were classified into five groups in the phylogenetic tree. Expression level analysis showed that the <i>CsRSs</i> varied in different parts of the tea plant. Transcriptome data showed that <i>CsRSs</i> could respond to persistent drought and cold acclimation. Except for <i>CsRS5</i> and <i>CsRS9</i>, the expression pattern of all <i>CsRSs</i> increased at 12 h and decreased at 30 h during the withering process of white tea, consistent with the change trend of the Raf content. Furthermore, combining yeast one-hybrid assays with expression analysis, we found that CsDBB could potentially regulate the expression of <i>CsRS8</i>. Our results provide a new perspective for further research into the characterization of <i>CsRS</i> genes and the formation of the white tea flavour. |
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| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |