Abstract
Glucosinolates (GSLs) are important secondary metabolites that play important defensive roles in cruciferous plants. Chinese flowering cabbage, one of the most common vegetable crops, is rich in GSLs and thus has the potential to reduce the risk of cancer in humans. Many genes that are involved in GSL biosynthesis and metabolism have been identified in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana; however, few studies investigated the genes related to GSL biosynthesis and metabolism in Chinese flowering cabbage. In the present study, the GSL composition and content in three different organs of Chinese flowering cabbage (leaf, stalk, and flower bud) were determined. Our results showed that the total GSL content in flower buds was significantly higher than in stalks and leaves, and aliphatic GSLs were the most abundant GSL type. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the variations of GSL content, we analyzed the expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in GSL biosynthesis and transport in different tissues of Chinese flowering cabbage using RNA sequencing; the expression levels of most genes were found to be consistent with the pattern of total GSL content. Correlation and consistency analysis of differentially expressed genes from different organs with the GSL content revealed that seven genes (Bra029966, Bra012640, Bra016787, Bra011761, Bra006830, Bra011759, and Bra029248) were positively correlated with GSL content. These findings provide a molecular basis for further elucidating GSL biosynthesis and transport in Chinese flowering cabbage.
Highlights
Chinese flowering cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinesis var. utilis Tsen et Lee), known as choy sum, is a variant of a Brassica rapa subspecies and belongs to the cruciferous family
Seven different GSLs were detected in the three organs, including three aliphatic GSLs, three indole GSLs (4-OH-glucobrassicin, glucobrassicin, and 4-methoxy-glucobrassicin), and one aromatic GSL (Table 1)
On the basis of Arabidopsis genes related to GSL metabolism, we identified 59 and 7 homologous genes associated with GSL synthesis and transport, respectively, on the Chinese cabbage website (Table 2)
Summary
Chinese flowering cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinesis var. utilis Tsen et Lee), known as choy sum, is a variant of a Brassica rapa subspecies and belongs to the cruciferous family. Utilis Tsen et Lee), known as choy sum, is a variant of a Brassica rapa subspecies and belongs to the cruciferous family It is an annual plant and the tender stalks and flower buds are the main edible organs. Because of the unique flavor and taste of cruciferous plants and its tenderness, Chinese flowering cabbage enjoys the reputation of “the crown of vegetables.”. It is rich in nutrients such as proteins and Glucosinolates Metabolism Research in Choy Sum vitamin C, and secondary metabolites such as glucosinolates (GSLs), which are beneficial for human health (Johnson, 2018). The GSLs enriched in Chinese flowering cabbage may promote human health and reduce the risk of cancer (Cartea and Velasco, 2008)
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