Saline-alkali stress affects the accumulation of proanthocyanidins and sesquiterpenoids via the MYB5-ANR/TPS31 cascades in the rose petals

Abstract

Rose (Rosa rugosa ) petals are rich in diverse secondary metabolites, which have important physiological functions as well as great economic values. Currently, it remains unclear how saline and/or alkaline stress(es) influence the accumulation of secondary metabolites in rose. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome and metabolite profiles of rose petals under aline-alkali stress and uncovered the induction mechanism underlying major metabolites. Dramatic changes were observed in the expression of 1363 genes and the abundances of 196 metabolites in petals in response to saline-alkali stress. These differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) are mainly associated with flavonoid and terpenoid metabolism and the reconstruction of cell walls. Of them, TERPENE SYNTHASE 31 (TPS31 ) overexpression in tobacco leaves driven by its own promoter resulted in significant alterations in the levels of diverse terpenoids, which were differentially influenced by saline-alkali stress. An integrated analysis of metabolomic and transcriptomic data revealed a high correlation between the abundances of flavonoids/terpenoids and the expression of the transcription factor MYB5. MYB5 may orchestrate the biosynthesis of sesquiterpenoids and proanthocyanidins through direct regulation of TPS31 and ANR expression under aline-alkali stress. Our finding facilitates improving the bioactive substance accumulation of rose petals by metabolic engineering.

Acknowledgements

Financial support was obtained from the Key R & D Program of Shandong Province (2023LZGVC012), the Dongying Social Science Project (DYSK-2024-272 to YC), Qingdao People’s Livelihood Science and Technology Project (22-1-3-13-zyyd-nsh), Science & Technology Specific Projects in Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Area of the Yellow River Delta (2022SZX39), and the Taishan Scholar Program of Shandong (tsqn202103092).

Author contributions

G.C. and Q.W. designed the research, analyzed the data, and wrote the paper. B.D., Y.B., Y.C., X.W., F.L., J.D., L.Y., and Y.B. performed the research. All the authors have read and approved the manuscript.

Data availability statement

The data and materials supporting the conclusions of this study are included in supplementary information.

Conflict of interest statements

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data is available at Horticulture Research online.

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