Molecular insights into the mechanisms of a leaf color mutant in Anoectochilus roxburghii by gene mapping and transcriptome profiling based on PacBio Sequel II

Abstract Plants with partial or complete loss of chlorophylls and other pigments are frequently occurring in nature but not commonly found. In the present study, we characterize a leaf color mutant ‘arly01’ with an albino stripe in the middle of the leaf, which is an uncommon ornamental trait in Anoectochilus roxburghii. The albino “mutant” middle portion and green “normal” leaf parts were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and their pigment contents were determined. The mutant portion exhibited underdevelopment of plastids and had reduced chlorophyll and other pigment (carotenoid, anthocyanin, and flavonoid) content compared to the normal portion. Meanwhile, comparative transcript analysis and metabolic pathways mapping showed that a total of 599 differentially expressed genes were mapped to 78 KEGG pathways, most of which were down-regulated in the mutant portion. The five most affected metabolic pathways were determined to be oxidative phosphorylation, photosynthesis system, carbon fixation & starch and sucrose metabolism, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, and flavonoid biosynthesis. Our findings suggested that the mutant ‘arly01’ was a partial albinism of A. roxburghii, characterized by the underdevelopment of chloroplasts, low contents of photosynthetic and other color pigments, and a number of down-regulated genes and metabolites. With the emergence of ornamental A. roxburghii in southern China, ‘arly01’ could become a popular cultivar due to its unique aesthetics.