Abstract
BackgroundCymbidium faberi, one of the most famous oriental orchids, has a distinct flower scent, which increases its economic value. However, the molecular mechanism of the flower scent biosynthesis was unclear prior to this study. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is one of the main volatile organic compounds (VOC) produced by the flowers of C. faberi. In this study, unigene 79,363 from comparative transcriptome analysis was selected for further investigation.ResultsA transcriptome comparison between blooming and withered flowers of C. faberi yielded a total of 9409 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 558 of which were assigned to 258 pathways. The top ten pathways included α-linolenic acid metabolism, pyruvate metabolism and fatty acid degradation, which contributed to the conversion of α-linolenic acid to MeJA. One of the DEGs, jasmonic acid carboxyl methyltransferase (CfJMT, Unigene 79,363) was highly expressed in the blooming flower of C. faberi, but was barely detected in leaves and roots. Although the ectopic expression of CfJMT in tomato could not increase the MeJA content, the expression levels of endogenous MeJA biosynthesis genes were influenced, especially in the wound treatment, indicating that CfJMT may participate in the response to abiotic stresses.ConclusionThis study provides a basis for elucidating the molecular mechanism of flower scent biosynthesis in C. faberi, which is beneficial for the genetically informed breeding of new cultivars of the economically valuable oriental orchids.
Highlights
Cymbidium faberi, one of the most famous oriental orchids, has a distinct flower scent, which increases its economic value
The biosynthetic pathway of Jasmonic acid (JA) in plants was elucidated previously, and its derivative methyl jasmonate (MeJA) was found to be formed by the action of jasmonic acid carboxyl methyltransferase (JMT), which transfers a methyl group derived from S-adenosyl-L- methionine to the carboxyl group of JA [9]
According to GC/MS analysis, one of the main volatile organic compounds (VOC) of the flower fragrance of C. faberi in blooming stage is methyl jasmonate (MeJA), followed by alkanes and other esters, which were not detected in the withered stage, as shown in Additional file 1: Figure S1
Summary
One of the most famous oriental orchids, has a distinct flower scent, which increases its economic value. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is one of the main volatile organic compounds (VOC) produced by the flowers of C. faberi. After the publication of the whole-genome sequence of Phalaenopsis equestris, extensive studies have focused on the molecular mechanism of orchid development and interaction with. Jasmonic acid (JA), which is ubiquitously distributed in the plant kingdom, is synthesized via the octadecanoid pathway [6]. It is involved in diverse biological processes, including seed germination, flower and fruit development, leaf abscission, senescence and defensive responses against abiotic and biotic stresses [7, 8]. The biosynthetic pathway of JA in plants was elucidated previously, and its derivative MeJA was found to be formed by the action of jasmonic acid carboxyl methyltransferase (JMT), which transfers a methyl group derived from S-adenosyl-L- methionine to the carboxyl group of JA [9]
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