Combined analysis of lipidomics and transcriptomics revealed the key pathways and genes of lipids in light-sensitive albino tea plant (Camellia sinensis cv. Baijiguan)

Abstract

Currently, the mechanism by which light-sensitive albino tea plants respond to light to regulate pigment synthesis has been only partially elucidated. However, few studies have focused on the role of lipid metabolism in the whitening of tea leaves. Therefore, in our study, the leaves of the Baijiguan (BJG) tea tree under shade and light restoration conditions were analyzed by a combination of lipidomics and transcriptomics. The leaf color of BJG was regulated by light intensity and responded to light changes in light by altering the contents and proportions of lipids. According to the correlation analysis, we found three key lipid components that were significantly associated with the chlorophyll SPAD value, namely, MGDG (36:6), DGDG (36:6) and DGDG (34:3). Further weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) showed that HY5 TF and GLIP genes may be hub genes involved lipid regulation in albino tea leaves. Our results lay a foundation for further exploration of the color changes in albino tea leaves.

Integrated Analysis of Metabolome and Transcriptome Revealed Different Regulatory Networks of Metabolic Flux in Tea Plants [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] with Varied Leaf Colors

“…Currently, the mechanisms of leaf color variation are widely investigated, but few studies have focused on the influences of lipid metabolism in the process of leaf color transformation [ 6 ]. Significant variation in lipid metabolism was found, particularly in ‘Baijiguan’, which was different from other albino tea mutants [ 12 ]. The leaf color of ‘Baijiguan’ under light treatment was regulated by light intensity by altering the contents and proportions of lipids.…”

“…The leaf color of ‘Baijiguan’ under light treatment was regulated by light intensity by altering the contents and proportions of lipids. The proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in albino leaves was lower than that in shaded green leaves [ 11 , 12 ]. The changes in lipid metabolism and specific fatty acids affect the re-arrangement of the thylakoid membrane structure and the stability and functional maintenance of the membrane.…”

“…The leaf color could convert from yellow to green under shade treatment [ 11 ]. Interestingly, the following study revealed that the transformation of leaf color in ‘Baijiguan’ was regulated by light intensity through altering the contents and proportions of lipids, which provided new insights into the variation mechanism of tea leaves [ 12 ]. In addition, different from other albino tea cultivars with increased free amino acid levels and decreased catechin levels, there are no significant differences in albino half-sibs of ‘Baijiguan’ [ 13 ].…”

Integrative Metabolic and Transcriptomic Profiling in Camellia oleifera and Camellia meiocarpa Uncover Potential Mechanisms That Govern Triacylglycerol Degradation during Seed Desiccation

“…FAD6, FAD7, and FAD8 are plastidial galactolipid desaturases, which sequentially desaturate 18:1 (16:1) to 18:2 (16:2) to 18:3 (16:3) [ 39 , 40 , 41 ]. Camellia are 18:3 plants, their leaf galactolipids are dominated by 18:3 fatty acids [ 42 , 43 ], suggesting that FAD6, FAD7, and FAD8 play important roles for galactolipid desaturation in Camellia leaf tissue. However, Camellia seed oil only contains trace amounts of 18:3, while 16:2 or 16:3 fatty acids are barely detectable ( Figure 2 and Figure S3 ).…”

Lipidomic analyses of five Carya illinoinensis cultivars

“…In food science, lipidomics can be used for quality identification, through the analysis of lipid types and content, to find characteristic differences and screen out altered products. It can also be used to trace lipid origin by analyzing lipid metabolism and lipid molecular regulation mechanisms in food samples, as products with the same mechanism can be used as raw materials to improve existing products (Zhou et al, 2022 ).…”