Multi-omics analyses revealed key factors involved in fluorescent carbon-dots-regulated secondary metabolism in Tetrastigma hemsleyanum

Xin Peng,Chuyun Yang,Mingjie Li,Xiuhua Wang,Zhongyi Zhang,Zhuomi Xie,Jianping Zheng,Yuhui Wang,Yuxiang Zhao

doi:10.1186/s12951-022-01271-6

Abstract

BackgroundLuminescent nanomaterials (LNMs), especially newly-exploited fluorescent carbon-dots (CDs), have demonstrated promising candidates for sunlight harvesting and enhanced photosynthesis efficiency of crops. However, most of the studies focus on the design and synthesis of LNMs and primary metabolism in biomass acceleration, secondary metabolism that closely associated with the quality ingredients of plants is rarely mentioned.ResultsUV-absorptive and water-soluble NIR-CDs were harvested via a facile microwave-assisted carbonization method. The effect and regulatory mechanism of NIR-CDs on the secondary metabolism and bioactive ingredients accumulation in Tetrastigma hemsleyanum were explored. A total of 191 differential secondary metabolites and 6874 differentially expressed genes were identified when the NIR-CDs were adopted for enhancing growth of T. hemsleyanum. The phenolic acids were generally improved, but the flavonoids were more likely to decrease. The pivotal differentially expressed genes were involved in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, flavonoid biosynthesis, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, etc. The gene-metabolite association was constructed and 44 hub genes highly related to quality ingredients accumulation and growth were identified, among which and the top 5 genes of the PPI network might be the key regulators.ConclusionThis research provided key regulatory genes and differentially accumulating quality ingredients under NIR-CDs-treatment, which could provide a theoretical basis for expanding the applications of nanomaterial in industrial crop agriculture.Graphical

Highlights

Luminescent nanomaterials (LNMs), especially newly-exploited fluorescent carbon-dots (CDs), have demonstrated promising candidates for sunlight harvesting and enhanced photosynthesis efficiency of crops
The structure and morphology of the harvested NIR-carbon dots (CDs) were characterized by a series of measurements of TEM, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Raman spectrum
A number of studies have demonstrated that CDs can promote the growth of various plants by enhancing the light absorption [11], stimulating biosynthase activity [41], converting ultraviolet light into blue and red light [17, 18], and we firstly demonstrated that potential molecular mechanisms behind the growth-stimulating effect might be related to upregulated expression of the primary metabolism related genes, among which PsbP and PsiK genes were the hub genes [23]

Summary

Introduction

Luminescent nanomaterials (LNMs), especially newly-exploited fluorescent carbon-dots (CDs), have demonstrated promising candidates for sunlight harvesting and enhanced photosynthesis efficiency of crops. In virtue of photoluminescence character, luminescent nanomaterials (LNMs) are ideal candidates for the sunlight absorption and photon use [11] Because of their small size and environmentally responsive release property, these LNMs possess the characteristics of good penetrability and diffusion in the plant vasculature after root or foliar applications [12]. Many types of LNMs, such as representative semiconductor-type quantum dots (QDs), fluorescent carbon dots (CDs), metal nanoclusters, lanthanide-doped up-conversion phosphors (UCPs), have been demonstrated great potentials in enhancing photon absorption in ultraviolet, red or near-infrared (NIR) region of the sunlight and elevated photosynthesis efficiency and crop yield [11]. ENMs may be an effective approach to ensure vigorous primary metabolism that could remain a high level of biomass growth rate, but it is essential and urgent to monitor the responses of secondary metabolism that would significantly influence the quality ingredients in plants [5, 11]

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