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Molecular Characterization of Carotenoid Biosynthetic Genes and Carotenoid Accumulation in Lycium chinense

Authors :
Yeon Bok Kim
Pham Anh Tuan
Jingli Yang
Cheng Hao Li
Naif Abdullah Al-Dhabi
Jae Kwang Kim
Mariadhas Valan Arasu
Woo Tae Park
Sang Un Park
Shicheng Zhao
Source :
Molecules; Volume 19; Issue 8; Pages: 11250-11262, Molecules, Molecules, Vol 19, Iss 8, Pp 11250-11262 (2014)
Publication Year :
2014
Publisher :
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2014.

Abstract

Lycium chinense is a shrub that has health benefits and is used as a source of medicines in Asia. In this study, a full-length cDNA clone encoding β-ring carotene hydroxylase (LcCHXB) and partial-length cDNA clones encoding phytoene synthase (LcPSY), phytoene desaturase (LcPDS), ξ-carotene desaturase (LcZDS), lycopene β-cyclase (LcLCYB), lycopene ε-cyclase (LcLCYE), ε-ring carotene hydroxylase (LcCHXE), zeaxanthin epoxidase (LcZEP), carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (LcCCD1), and 9-cis epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (LcNCED) were identified in L. chinense. The transcripts were constitutively expressed at high levels in leaves, flowers and red fruits, where the carotenoids are mostly distributed. In contrast, most of the carotenoid biosynthetic genes were weakly expressed in the roots and stems, which contained only small amounts of carotenoids. The level of LcLCYE transcripts was very high in leaves and correlated with the abundance of lutein in this plant tissue. During maturation, the levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in L. chinense fruits dramatically increased, concomitant with a rise in the level of β-cryptoxanthin. LcPSY, LcPDS, LcZDS, LcLCYB, and LcCHXE were highly expressed in red fruits, leading to their substantially higher total carotenoid content compared to that in green fruits. Total carotenoid content was high in both the leaves and red fruits of L. chinense. Our findings on the biosynthesis of carotenoids in L. chinense provide insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in carotenoid biosynthesis and may facilitate the optimization of carotenoid production in L. chinense.

Details

Language :
English
ISBN :
978-1-125-01126-3
1-125-01126-2
ISSN :
14203049
ISBNs :
9781125011263 and 1125011262
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Molecules; Volume 19; Issue 8; Pages: 11250-11262
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....fd34d073ba520767ba09bd2b3d27e3ef
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules190811250