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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Regulation and Biosynthesis of Secondary Metabolites in Ornamental Plants
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Regulation and Biosynthesis of Secondary Metabolites in Ornamental Plants

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Developmental Physiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 9273

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yifan Jiang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Interests: ornamental horticulture; floral scent; volatile organic compounds; terpene; stress-induced volatile
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Fei Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Tropical Crops, Sanya Nanfan Research Institute, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Interests: ornamental plants; flower development; color and fragrance; bioinformatics; genome sequencing
Dr. Yueqing Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
Interests: biosynthesis; regulation; floral scent; plant specialized metabolites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The dazzling flowers and pleasant aroma of ornamental plants make them attractive to customers, with the most aesthetic value among groups of plants. These traits formed during the evolutionary process not to please humans, but due to their reproductive and developmental benefits. Their economic and ecological traits are determined by the secondary metabolism, a series of natural compounds with relatively small molecular weight. In recent decades, knowledge about the identification of secondary metabolites from ornamental plants has increased.

The secondary metabolites produced by oramental plants not only impact their quality, but also determine their reproductive and survival strategies. Flower pigment and scent play critical roles as visual and olfactory cues that attract pollinators. An array of these compounds serves as “chemical defenses” against pathogenic fungi and bacteria and herbivorous insects. The chemical diversity of secondary metabolites is due to the diversified functions of biosynthetic enzymes. The elucidation of their biosynthetic pathways and regulation network is a central subject in studies on secondary metabolism.

For this Special Issue, we are seeking both original research articles and reviews on the secondary metabolites of ornamental plants in terms of multi-omics. A wide range of topics, including the composition, regulation, biosynthesis and ecological function of flavonoid, anthocyanin, carotenoid, volatile organic compounds, and other biologically/ pharmacologically active compounds are welcome.

Dr. Yifan Jiang
Prof. Dr. Fei Chen
Dr. Yueqing Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ornamental plants
  • secondary metabolites
  • metabolomics
  • floral scent
  • anthocyanin
  • carotenoid
  • volatile organic compounds
  • essential oil
  • terpene
  • abiotic/biotic stress
  • insect/pathogen defense
  • transcription factor

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 8417 KiB  
Article
The LibHLH22 and LibHLH63 from Lilium ‘Siberia’ Can Positively Regulate Volatile Terpenoid Biosynthesis
by Yuan Feng, Ziyu Guo, Jian Zhong, Yilin Liang, Peng Zhang and Ming Sun
Horticulturae 2023, 9(4), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9040459 - 04 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1730
Abstract
Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) play irreplaceable roles in plant growth and development, especially in plant secondary metabolism. However, the functions of most bHLH TFs in Lilium ‘Siberia’ are still unknown, especially their roles in regulating floral fragrance. In this study, two [...] Read more.
Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) play irreplaceable roles in plant growth and development, especially in plant secondary metabolism. However, the functions of most bHLH TFs in Lilium ‘Siberia’ are still unknown, especially their roles in regulating floral fragrance. In this study, two bHLH TFs in lily, i.e., LibHLH22 and LibHLH63, were identified and functionally characterized. A bioinformatics analysis revealed that LibHLH22 and LibHLH63 were unstable proteins. Subcellular localization demonstrated that LibHLH22 and LibHLH63 proteins were in the cell nucleus. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that the highest expression level of LibHLH22 was at the initial flowering stage and in the stigma, and the highest expression level of LibHLH63 was at the budding stage and in the filaments. The results of transient overexpression and virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of LibHLH22 and LibHLH63 in lily petals showed that these two transcription factors significantly promoted the expression of LiDXR and LiTPS2, and thus, markedly enhanced the release of floral fragrance. Our results indicated that LibHLH22 and LibHLH63 could effectively regulate the fragrance of Lilium ‘Siberia’, laying the foundation for fragrance breeding and improving the terpenoid transcriptional regulatory pathway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulation and Biosynthesis of Secondary Metabolites in Ornamental Plants)
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14 pages, 1563 KiB  
Article
Effects of Applying Nitrogen and Potassium on Lilium lancifolium Growth and Accumulation of Secondary Metabolites in Bulbs
by Yunxia Wang, Hubai Bu, Han Wang, Ping Zhang and Lei Jin
Horticulturae 2023, 9(3), 396; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030396 - 18 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1267
Abstract
Lilium lancifolium is a plant resource used as both medicine and food because it is enriched with polysaccharides, polyphenol compounds, and saponins. Increasing the quality of Lilium species is based largely on improvement using methods such as selective breeding and proper fertilization. In [...] Read more.
Lilium lancifolium is a plant resource used as both medicine and food because it is enriched with polysaccharides, polyphenol compounds, and saponins. Increasing the quality of Lilium species is based largely on improvement using methods such as selective breeding and proper fertilization. In this study, we investigated the different responses of L. lancifolium bulbs to treatment with nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) in Hoagland solution. A pot experiment was conducted with four N rates and five K rates under a completely random design. The agronomic traits, N and K contents, and concentrations of active compounds were determined in bulbs, including total phenols, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and saponins. L. lancifolium treated with N and K exhibited increases in the plant height, leaf number, and chlorophyll content compared with the control (N0 + K0). The bulb circumference increased by 17.41% under N2 (609.80 mg L−1) + K2 (523.34 mg L−1) compared with N0 + K0. Individual or combined application of N and K increased the total phenol, flavonoid, and saponin contents, especially under N2 + K3, with the highest increases of 1.87–2.93 times compared with N0 + K0. However, the individual application of N decreased the polysaccharide contents by 2.78–42.04%. Hoagland solution containing 443.24–572.87 mg L−1 N and 573.61–759.16 mg L−1 K is recommended to improve the active contents of bulb components based on regression analysis. Our results demonstrate that the combined application of N and K is important for obtaining high-quality L. lancifolium bulbs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulation and Biosynthesis of Secondary Metabolites in Ornamental Plants)
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15 pages, 3517 KiB  
Article
Effects of Different Irradiance Conditions on Photosynthetic Activity, Photosystem II, Rubisco Enzyme Activity, Chloroplast Ultrastructure, and Chloroplast-Related Gene Expression in Clematis tientaiensis Leaves
by Xiaohua Ma, Qin Zhou, Qingdi Hu, Xule Zhang, Jian Zheng and Renjuan Qian
Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010118 - 16 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1913
Abstract
Clematis is a perennial ornamental vine known as the “Vine Queen” for its gorgeous floral color and rich flower shape. Clematis tientaiensis, an endangered plant, is a key protected wild plant and a rare breeding parent of Clematis because of its extremely [...] Read more.
Clematis is a perennial ornamental vine known as the “Vine Queen” for its gorgeous floral color and rich flower shape. Clematis tientaiensis, an endangered plant, is a key protected wild plant and a rare breeding parent of Clematis because of its extremely high ornamental value. Light environment is one of the important environmental factors affecting the space distribution and the size of C. tientaiensis population. One-year-old homogenous and healthy potted C. tientaiensis plants were grown under four different light intensities (T1: 1800 ± 30/0 µmol m−2 s−1; T2: 1500 ± 30/0 µmol m−2 s−1; T3: 1200 ± 30/0 µmol m−2 s−1; T4: 900 ± 30/0 µmol m−2 s−1). This study analyzed the potential adaptive mechanism of C. tientaiensis in response to irradiance by investigating the photosynthesis, rapid light curve, chloroplast ultrastructure, Rubisco activase enzyme (RAC), Rubisco enzyme, amino acids, and gene expression under four irradiance treatments. High light caused the leaves chlorosis and yellowing, reduced the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), RAC and Rubisco enzyme activity; the quantum yield of unregulated energy dissipation [Y(NO)], and increased the content of eight amino acids content. The expression of psbA, psbB, psbC, and Psb(OEC) were down-regulated with decreasing irradiance. The results showed that C. tientaiensis plants grown under T1 (1800 ± 30 µmol m−2 s−1) irradiance were in danger of absorbing more light energy than they could use for photosynthesis, while they exhibited good adaptability to the T3 (1200 ± 30 µmol m−2 s−1) irradiance, and the PSII reaction center and Rubisco and RCA enzymes could be the key points in response to high light stress, which also emphasized the importance of appropriate light management practices for promoting the growth and population expansion of C. tientaiensis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulation and Biosynthesis of Secondary Metabolites in Ornamental Plants)
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13 pages, 2972 KiB  
Article
Relationship between Anthocyanin Composition and Floral Color of Hibiscus syriacus
by Jialong Chen, Heng Ye, Jie Wang and Lu Zhang
Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010048 - 03 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2128
Abstract
Hibiscus syriacus is a highly ornamental flowering shrub widely grown in East Asia. Its abundant flower colors mainly reflect the accumulation of anthocyanins. Classifying H. syriacus petals and identifying the relationship between flower color and anthocyanins can provide references for flower color breeding. [...] Read more.
Hibiscus syriacus is a highly ornamental flowering shrub widely grown in East Asia. Its abundant flower colors mainly reflect the accumulation of anthocyanins. Classifying H. syriacus petals and identifying the relationship between flower color and anthocyanins can provide references for flower color breeding. With eight cultivars of H. syriacus as experimental materials, the floral color was described using the Royal Horticultural Society Color Chart and the CIEL*a*b* coordinate. The anthocyanin in petals was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and the relationships between flower color and anthocyanin were analyzed by using stepwise regression analysis. We divided eight cultivars of H. syriacus into five color lines: red-purple, white, violet, purple, and blue-purple, and then into two groups: purple and red-purple. The results showed that the L* had a significant negative correlation with a* and C*. A total of 52 anthocyanin components were detected in the petals of H. syriacus, including cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, petunidin, peonidin, and pelargonidin derivatives. Cyanidin derivatives accounted for the highest proportion, and pelargonidin derivatives accounted for the lowest proportion of the total anthocyanins. Petals of ‘Pink Giant’ contained the largest number of types of anthocyanin components and the highest total anthocyanin content, while the petals of ‘Albus Single’ contained the smallest. Petunidin-3-O-glucoside showed a significant negative correlation with L* in the red-purple group and in all cultivars, whereas it showed a significant negative correlation with b* in the purple group. Delphinidin-3-O-(6-O-Malonyl-β-D-glucoside) exhibited a significant positive correlation with a* in the red-purple group, and delphinidin-3-O-glucoside showed a significant negative correlation with L* in the purple group. Therefore, our results suggest that changing the content of these three anthocyanin components may have the potential to alter the flower color. This research provides scientific guidance and a foundation for the molecular breeding of H. syriacus cultivars with new floral colors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulation and Biosynthesis of Secondary Metabolites in Ornamental Plants)
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14 pages, 23283 KiB  
Article
Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal New Insights into the Role of Metabolites and Genes in Modulating Flower Colour of Clematis tientaiensis
by Renjuan Qian, Youju Ye, Qingdi Hu, Xiaohua Ma, Xule Zhang and Jian Zheng
Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010014 - 21 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1443
Abstract
Clematis tientaiensis is an ornamental plant with beautiful flowers that belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. C. tientaiensis is endemic to Zhejiang Province in China. Five different colours of the C. tientaiensis flower have been observed, and to explore the reason for this flower [...] Read more.
Clematis tientaiensis is an ornamental plant with beautiful flowers that belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. C. tientaiensis is endemic to Zhejiang Province in China. Five different colours of the C. tientaiensis flower have been observed, and to explore the reason for this flower colour variation, transcriptome and metabolome sequencing analyses were conducted in this study. The results indicate that 32 metabolites participate in anthocyanin biosynthesis, and that 24 metabolites were differentially accumulated among the five different flower colours. The transcriptome sequencing results enabled the identification of 13,559 differentially expressed genes. Further analysis indicated that cyanidin-3-O-galactosidea and cyanidin-3-O-sophoroside promote anthocyanin accumulation in the flowers of C. tientaiensis, whereas the pelargonidin-3-O-galactoside plays a negative role in anthocyanin synthesis. In addition, a combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis showed that the WDR2 gene plays an important regulatory role in anthocyanin biosynthesis. The results of this study provide a basis for further research into the biosynthesis and regulation of anthocyanins in C. tientaiensis flowers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulation and Biosynthesis of Secondary Metabolites in Ornamental Plants)
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