Rewiring of the seed metabolome during Tartary buckwheat domestication

Abstract

Crop domestication usually leads to the narrowing genetic diversity. However, human selection mainly focuses on visible traits, such as yield and plant morphology, with most metabolic changes being invisible to the naked eye. Buckwheat accumulates abundant bioactive substances, making it a dual-purpose crop with excellent nutritional and medical value. Therefore, examining the wiring of these invisible metabolites during domestication is of major importance. The comprehensive profiling of 200 Tartary buckwheat accessions exhibits 540 metabolites modified as a consequence of human selection. Metabolic genome-wide association study illustrates 384 mGWAS signals for 336 metabolites are under selection. Further analysis showed that an R2R3-MYB transcription factor FtMYB43 positively regulates the synthesis of procyanidin. Glycoside hydrolase gene FtSAGH1 is characterized as responsible for the release of active salicylic acid, the precursor of aspirin and indispensably in plant defence. UDPglucosyltransferase gene FtUGT74L2 is characterized as involved in the glycosylation of emodin, a major medicinal component specific in Polygonaceae. The lower expression of FtSAGH1 and FtUGT74L2 were associated with the reduction of salicylic acid and soluble EmG owing to domestication. This first large-scale metabolome profiling in Tartary buckwheat will facilitate genetic improvement of medicinal properties and disease resistance in Tartary buckwheat.

The SlDOG1 Affect Biosynthesis of Steroidal Glycoalkaloids by Regulating GAME Expression in Tomato

“…In the early stages of tomato domestication, preferences for fruit taste and weight drove the artificial selection of tomato crops [ 23 , 29 , 38 ]. However, in the process of selection for fruit weight, metabolism-related genes linked to those controlling fruit weight experienced hitchhiking effects and tended to be co-inherited [ 39 ]. As tomato fruits ripen, tomatidine is gradually converted to esculeoside A (which is less toxic), and changes in flavor characteristics also occur.…”

Recent progress in molecular genetics and omics-driven research in seed biology

“…Domestication, often unintentionally modified the composition and amount of SMs in seeds of cultivated species compared to their wild relatives [39,[145][146][147][148]. Domestication was mainly focused on physiological and visible traits, such as yield or taste sensory characteristics, and drastically modified the composition and amount of many plant and seed metabolites.…”

“…La domestication a souvent modifié involontairement la composition et la quantité de SMs dans les graines des espèces cultivées par rapport à leurs parents sauvages [39,[145][146][147][148]. La domestication s'est principalement concentrée sur des traits physiologiques et visibles, tels que le rendement ou les caractéristiques sensorielles du goût, et a radicalement modifié la composition et la quantité de nombreux métabolites des plantes et des graines.…”

Transcription factors FtMYB22 negatively regulates anthocyanin synthesis by forming an MBW ternary complex in Tartary buckwheat

“…Among the MYB family, R2R3‐MYB transcription factors are extensively involved in regulating secondary plant metabolism, hormone response, and responses to external environmental factors. Tartary buckwheat R2R3‐MYB SG4 subtype transcription factor FtMYB43 can regulate proanthocyanidin synthesis through up‐modulation of flavonoid synthesis (Zhao et al., 2023). FtMYB18 contains a C5 suppressor motif, which inhibits anthocyanins and proanthocyanins synthesis in plants by suppressing the expression of CHS and DFR genes by forming an MBW complex (Dong et al., 2020).…”