Identification and Expression Analysis of Candidate Genes Involved in Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Chickpea Seeds

Abstract

Plant carotenoids have a key role in preventing various diseases in human because of their antioxidant and provitamin A properties. Chickpea is a good source of carotenoid among legumes and its diverse germplasm and genome accessibility makes it a good model for carotenogenesis studies. The structure, location, and copy numbers of genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis were retrieved from the chickpea genome. The majority of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) within these genes across five diverse chickpea cultivars was synonymous mutation. We examined the expression of the carotenogenesis genes and their association with carotenoid concentration at different seed development stages of five chickpea cultivars. Total carotenoid concentration ranged from 22 μg g−1 in yellow cotyledon kabuli to 44 μg g−1 in green cotyledon desi at 32 days post anthesis (DPA). The majority of carotenoids in chickpea seeds consists of lutein and zeaxanthin. The expression of the selected 19 genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis pathway showed common pattern across five cultivars with higher expression at 8 and/or 16 DPA then dropped considerably at 24 and 32 DPA. Almost all genes were up-regulated in CDC Jade cultivar. Correlation analysis between gene expression and carotenoid concentration showed that the genes involved in the primary step of carotenoid biosynthesis pathway including carotenoid desaturase and isomerase positively correlated with various carotenoid components in chickpea seeds. A negative correlation was found between hydroxylation activity and provitamin A concentration in the seeds. The highest provitamin A concentration including β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin were found in green cotyledon chickpea cultivars.

Metabolic analyses reveal different mechanisms of leaf color change in two purple-leaf tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) cultivars

“…Carotenoids may act as a supplement to the declining flavonoid/anthocyanin protection system and may be consumed subsequently in the leaf color change process because carotenoids in green leaves help ensure efficient photosynthesis, scavenge various reactive oxygen species, 54 and protect chlorophylls from photooxidation. 55 In addition, carotenoids can also function as precursors for apocarotenoids such as the plant hormone abscisic acid, 54 , 56 which is essential for plant growth, development, and antioxidant capacity. 57 – 59 In short, enhanced carotenoid biosynthesis contributed to maintaining the chlorophyll level, which resulted in the green leaf coloration.…”

Biofortification of Pulse Crops: Status and Future Perspectives

“…Pea and chickpea accessions with high carotenoid concentration that can be utilized in future breeding were identified. In five chickpea cultivars with different cotyledon colors, total carotenoid concentration varied from 22 µg g −1 (yellow cotyledon kabuli) to 44 µg g −1 (green cotyledon desi), with lutein and zeaxanthin as major components [187]. In a recent study, a wide range of total carotenoid concentration was observed in three F 2 populations developed by crossing cultivars with different cotyledon and seed coat colors, CDC Jade X CDC Frontier (14.9-58.1 µg g −1 ), CDC Cory X CDC Jade (1.9-77.6 µg g −1 ), and ICC4475 X CDC Jade (21.6-83.7 µg g −1 ) [188].…”

“…Previously, four QTLs for beta-carotene concentration and a single QTL for lutein concentration were detected in chickpeas [183] (Table 1). Using a GWAS, Rezaei et al [187] identified 32 candidate genes involved in isoprenoid and carotenoid pathways across all eight chromosomes of chickpeas. They observed positive correlation between the expression of genes of carotenoid biosynthesis with various carotenoid components.…”

Transcriptome-sequencing analyses reveal flower color formation in Strelitzia reginae

“…Carotenoids comprise 40 carbon isoprenoids that are usually involved in yelloworange coloration (Hirschberg 2001). To date, almost all of the genes related to carotenoid biosynthesis have been characterized (Pandurangaiah et al 2016, Rezaei et al 2016, Yang et al 2016. However, there are few genetic data involved in carotenoid pathways of Strelitzia reginae.…”