Identification of Key Genes in the Synthesis Pathway of Volatile Terpenoids in Fruit of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim

Jingwei Shi,Anzhi Wei,Yulin Liu,Yang Hu,Xitong Fei

doi:10.3390/f10040328

Abstract

Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. (Z. bungeanum), a plant that belongs to the Rutaceae family, is widely planted in China. Its outstanding feature is its rich aroma. The main component that creates this aroma is the volatile terpenoids. In this study, we aimed to understand the molecular mechanism related to aroma synthesis in Z. bungeanum and provide new ideas for breeding. Headspace solid phase micro extraction-gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), RT-qPCR and bioinformatics were used to study the changes in volatile terpenoids and identify key genes in the pathway of terpenoids in fruits of Z. bungeanum. The results show that the trend of volatile terpenoids is consistent among the two varieties. As the fruit matures, the terpenoids gradually accumulate and peak in the third period (mid-development) before gradually decreasing. Among these terpenoids, there is the highest content of α-pinene. In Z. bungeanum cv. ‘Hanchengdahongpao’ (Hanchengdahongpao) and Z. bungeanum cv. ‘Fuguhuajiao’ (Fuguhuajiao), this reached 24.74% and 20.78% respectively. In general, for the content of volatile terpenoids, Hanchengdahongpao is 62% and Fuguhuajiao is 41%. The results of RT-qPCR showed that most gene expression in this study was upregulated. Among them, ZbDXS has the highest relative level of expression in itself, which is the key rate-limiting enzymein the MEP pathway. These results explore the synthetic route of terpenoids during the ripening process of Z. bungeanum, which provides a reference for cultivar and improving good traits.

Highlights

Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. (Z. bungeanum) belongs to the Rutaceae family and is an important medicinal and edible plant
Z. bungeanum is colloquially known as Chinese prickly ash, which is usually divided into two cultivars according to the color of the fruit: Zanthoxylum Bungeanum (Red huajiao) and Zanthoxylum armatum (Green huajiao) [2]
Based on the above results, we provided a referenceidentified for the terpenoid we combined theseanalysis results with bioinformatics to analyzethe key genes.biosynthesis

Summary

Introduction

Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. (Z. bungeanum) belongs to the Rutaceae family and is an important medicinal and edible plant. (Z. bungeanum) belongs to the Rutaceae family and is an important medicinal and edible plant. China is the largest area of Z. bungeanum cultivation in the world [1]. Z. bungeanum is colloquially known as Chinese prickly ash, which is usually divided into two cultivars according to the color of the fruit: Zanthoxylum Bungeanum (Red huajiao) and Zanthoxylum armatum (Green huajiao) [2]. The main features of Z. bungeanum include its numbness and aroma. They are widely used as seasoning in various cuisines, especially Sichuan cuisine, which has a unique flavor [3]. Aroma is one of the most important indexes to evaluate the quality of

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