Journal
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
Volume 169, Issue -, Pages 29-39Publisher
ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.10.032
Keywords
Camellia sinensis; Transcriptome; Variegation; Theanine; Chlorophyll synthesis
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Funding
- Joint Funds of National Natural Science Foundation of China [U19A2030]
- Central Committee Guides Local Science and Technology Development Program [2019XF5041]
- Special Project for the Construction of Modern Agricultural Industrial Technology System in Hunan Province [2020)112]
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The albino zone of the tea plant variety showed a lack of photosynthetic pigments but higher levels of total amino acids and theanine. Transcriptomic analysis revealed differences in carbon metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis among the different zones.
Camellia sinensis cv. 'Yanling Huayecha' (YHC) is an albino-green chimaeric tea mutant with stable genetic traits. Here, we analysed the cell ultrastructure, photosynthetic pigments, amino acids, and transcriptomes of the albino, mosaic, and green zones of YHC. Well-organized thylakoids were found in chloroplasts in mesophyll cells of the green zone but not the albino zone. The albino zone of the leaves contained almost no photosynthetic pigment. However, the levels of total amino acids and theanine were higher in the albino zone than in the mosaic and green zones. A transcriptomic analysis showed that carbon metabolism, nitrogen metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis showed differences among the different zones. Metabolite and transcriptomic analyses revealed that (1) downregulation of CsPPOX1 and damage to thylakoids in the albino zone may block chlorophyll synthesis; (2) downregulation of CsLHCB6, CsFdC2 and CsSCY1 influences chloroplast biogenesis and thylakoid membrane formation, which may contribute to the appearance of variegated tea leaves; and (3) tea plant variegation disrupts the balance between carbon and nitrogen metabolism and promotes the accumulation of amino acids, and upregulation of CsTSI and CsAlaDC may enhance L-theanine synthesis. In summary, our study provides a theoretical basis and valuable insights for elucidating the molecular mechanisms and promoting the economic utilization of variegation in tea.
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