Integrated Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Flavonoid Regulatory Network by <i>Eutrema EsMYB90</i>

Flavonoids are representative secondary metabolites with different metabolic functions in plants. Previous study found that ectopic expression of <i>EsMYB90</i> from <i>Eutrema</i><i>salsugineum</i> could strongly increase anthocyanin content in transgenic tobacco...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yuting Qi, Chuanshun Li, Chonghao Duan, Caihong Gu, Quan Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/16/8751
Description
Summary:Flavonoids are representative secondary metabolites with different metabolic functions in plants. Previous study found that ectopic expression of <i>EsMYB90</i> from <i>Eutrema</i><i>salsugineum</i> could strongly increase anthocyanin content in transgenic tobacco via regulating the expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes. In the present research, metabolome analysis showed that there existed 130 significantly differential metabolites, of which 23 metabolites enhanced more than 1000 times in <i>EsMYB90</i> transgenic tobacco leaves relative to the control, and the top 10 of the increased metabolites included caffeic acid, cyanidin O-syringic acid, myricetin and naringin. A total of 50 markedly differential flavonoids including flavones (14), flavonols (13), flavone C-glycosides (9), flavanones (7), catechin derivatives (5), anthocyanins (1) and isoflavone (1) were identified, of which 46 metabolites were at a significantly enhanced level. Integrated analysis of metabolome and transcriptome revealed that ectopic expression of <i>EsMYB90</i> in transgenic tobacco leaves is highly associated with the prominent up-regulation of 16 flavonoid metabolites and the corresponding 42 flavonoid biosynthesis structure genes in phenylpropanoid/flavonoid pathways. Dual luciferase assay documented that EsMYB90 strongly activated the transcription of <i>NtANS</i> and <i>NtDFR</i> genes via improving their promoter activity in transiently expressed tobacco leaves, suggesting that EsMYB90 functions as a key regulator on anthocyanin and flavonoid biosynthesis. Taken together, the crucial regulatory role of <i>EsMYB90</i> on enhancing many flavonoid metabolite levels is clearly demonstrated via modulating flavonoid biosynthesis gene expression in the leaves of transgenic tobacco, which extends our understanding of the regulating mechanism of MYB transcription factor in the phenylpropanoid/flavonoid pathways and provides a new clue and tool for further investigation and genetic engineering of flavonoid metabolism in plants.
ISSN:1661-6596
1422-0067