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Molecular Characterization of Carotenoid Biosynthetic Genes and Carotenoid Accumulation in Lycium chinense
- 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.
- Subjects :
- Phytoene desaturase
Lutein
Transcription, Genetic
Zeaxanthin epoxidase
Pharmaceutical Science
Genes, Plant
Article
Analytical Chemistry
lcsh:QD241-441
chemistry.chemical_compound
Lycium chinense
lcsh:Organic chemistry
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
Drug Discovery
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Cloning, Molecular
Carotenoid
chemistry.chemical_classification
lutein
Phytoene synthase
biology
Organic Chemistry
carotenoids
food and beverages
Lycium
biology.organism_classification
gene characterization
Lycopene
Biosynthetic Pathways
Zeaxanthin
Phenotype
zeaxanthin
chemistry
Biochemistry
Chemistry (miscellaneous)
Organ Specificity
biology.protein
Molecular Medicine
Sequence Alignment
Subjects
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