Abstract
The root of the perennial herb Angelica sinensis is a widely used source for traditional Chinese medicines. While the plant thrives in cool-moist regions of western China, early bolting and flowering (EBF) for young plants significantly reduces root quality and yield. Approaches to inhibit EBF by changes in physiology during the vernalization process have been investigated; however, the mechanism for activating EBF is still limited. Here, transcript profiles for bolted and unbolted plants (BP and UBP, respectively) were compared by transcriptomic analysis, expression levels of candidate genes were validated by qRT-PCR, and the accumulations of gibberellins (GA1, GA4, GA8, GA9 and GA20) were also monitored by HPLC-MS/MS. A total of over 72,000 unigenes were detected with ca. 2600 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) observed in the BP compared with UBP. While various signaling pathways participate in flower induction, it is genes associated with floral development and the sucrose pathway that are observed to be coordinated in EBF plants, coherently up- and down-regulating flowering genes that activate and inhibit flowering, respectively. The signature transcripts pattern for the developmental pathways that drive flowering provides insight into the molecular signals that activate plant EBF.
Highlights
Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Family Umbelliferae) is a perennial herb distributed mainly in cool-moist regions of western China at elevations ranging from 2200 to 3000 m [1,2,3]
Yu et al [28] found that 5094 genes were differentially expressed in the apical meristem of plants presenting vegetative growth compared to flower buds of early flowering plants, and 13 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in photoperiodic, vernalization, sucrose, and GA pathway
Our previous studies found that 558 genes co-expressed during the four photoperiodic stages of plant growth and 38 DEGs were involved in photoperiodic, hormone signaling, carbohydrate metabolism, and floral development [29]
Summary
Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Family Umbelliferae) is a perennial herb distributed mainly in cool-moist regions of western China at elevations ranging from 2200 to 3000 m [1,2,3]. The transition from vegetative growth to flowering involves multiple signaling pathways that are transcriptionally regulated including: photoperiodic, autonomous/vernalization, sucrose, and gibberellin (GA) pathways [20]. Yu et al [28] found that 5094 genes were differentially expressed in the apical meristem of plants presenting vegetative growth compared to flower buds of early flowering plants, and 13 DEGs were involved in photoperiodic, vernalization, sucrose, and GA pathway. Our previous studies found that 558 genes co-expressed during the four photoperiodic stages of plant growth and 38 DEGs were involved in photoperiodic, hormone signaling, carbohydrate metabolism, and floral development [29]. The levels of amino acids, GA3, zeatin riboside and polyamines, and the activities of peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase in bolting plants (BP) compared to unbolted plants (UBP) have been investigated [27], early bolting-dependent changes that impact genes expression and GAs metabolism have not been investigated and identified. Gene expression levels were validated with qRT-PCR, and down-stream GA metabolites were profiled by HPLC-MS/MS
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