Transcriptome sequencing and differential expression analysis of seed starch accumulation in Chinese chestnut Metaxenia

• Published in: BMC genomics Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 1 - 617
• Main Authors: Li, Shengxing, Shi, Zhuogong, Zhu, Qiurong, Tao, Liang, Liang, Wenhui, Zhao, Zhiheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central Ltd 13.08.2021; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Accumulation; Adenosine diphosphate; ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase; Bioaccumulation; Carbohydrate metabolism; Carbohydrates; Chestnut; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Differential gene expression; DNA; Edible nuts; Enzymes; Fruits; Gene expression; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genomes; Genomics; Granule-bound starch synthase; Kernels; Metaxenia; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Plant reproduction; Pollination; Principal components analysis; Proteins; Seed development; Seeds; Starch; Starch synthase; Starch synthesis; Sucrose; Sugar; Transcription factors; Transcriptomes; China
• ISSN: 1471-2164; 1471-2164
• DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07923-5

Chestnut seeds are important kinds of edible nuts rich in starch and protein. The characteristics and nutrient contents of chestnut have been found to show obvious metaxenia effects in previous studies. To improve the understanding of the effect of metaxenia on chestnut starch and sucrose metabolism, this study used three varieties of chestnut, 'Yongfeng 1', 'YongRen Zao' and 'Yimen 1', as male parents to pollinate the female parent, 'Yongfeng 1', and investigated the mechanisms of starch and sucrose metabolism in three starch accumulation stages (70 (S1), 82 (S2), and 94 (S3) days after pollination, DAP) in chestnut seed kernels. Most carbohydrate metabolism genes were highly expressed in YFF (self-pollinated 'Yongfeng 1') in stage S2 and in YFR ('Yongfeng 1' x 'Yongren Zao') and YFM ('Yongfeng 1' x 'Yimen 1') in stage S3. In stage S3, hub genes encoding HSF_DNA-binding, ACT, Pkinase, and LIM proteins and four transcription factors were highly expressed, with YFF showing the highest expression, followed by YFR and YFM. In addition, transcriptome analysis of the kernels at 70, 82 and 94 DAP showed that the starch granule-bound starch synthase (EC 2.4.1.242) and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (EC 2.7 .7.27) genes were actively expressed at 94 DAF. Chestnut seeds regulate the accumulation of soluble sugars, reducing sugars and starch by controlling glycosyl transferase and hydrolysis activity during development. These results and resources have important guiding significance for further research on starch and sucrose metabolism and other types of metabolism related to chestnut metaxenia.