Cationic Conjugated Polymer Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer for DNA Methylation Assessment to Discriminate the Geographical Origins of Lonicerae japonicae flos

Theflavor and taste of Lonicerae japonicae flos (LJF) products are heavily influenced by geographical origin. Tracingthe geographical origin is an important aspect of LJF quality assessment.Here, DNA methylation analysis coupled with chemometrics revealedthat, in 10 CpG islands upstream of genes in the chlorogenic acidand iridoid biosynthetic pathways, DNA methylation differences appearclose association with LJF geographical origin. DNA methylation statusin these CpG islands was determined using the cationic conjugatedpolymer fluorescence resonance energy transfer method. As a result,LJFs from 39 geographical origins were classified into four groupscorresponding to Northern China, Central Plain of China, SoutheastChina, and Western China, according to cluster analysis and principalcomponent analysis. Our findings contribute to an understanding ofthe modulation of LJF taste and can assist in understanding how DNAmethylation in LJF varies with geographical origin.

Automated summary

DNA methylation differences in the CpG islands upstream of genes in the chlorogenic acid and iridoid biosynthetic pathways are closely associated with the geographical origin of Lonicerae japonicae flos (LJF). Using cluster analysis and principal component analysis, LJFs from 39 geographical origins were classified into four groups: Northern China, Central Plain of China, Southeast China, and Western China. These findings provide insights into the modulation of LJF taste and the variation of DNA methylation in LJF with geographical origin.