TY - JOUR
T1 - Regulation of Carotenoid Biosynthesis and Degradation in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) from Seedlings to Harvest
AU - Brychkova, Galina
AU - de Oliveira, Cleiton Lourenço
AU - Gomes, Luiz Antonio Augusto
AU - de Souza Gomes, Matheus
AU - Fort, Antoine
AU - Esteves-Ferreira, Alberto Abrantes
AU - Sulpice, Ronan
AU - McKeown, Peter C.
AU - Spillane, Charles
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/6
Y1 - 2023/6
N2 - Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is one of the commercially important leafy vegetables worldwide. However, lettuce cultivars vary widely in their carotenoid concentrations at the time of harvest. While the carotenoid content of lettuce can depend on transcript levels of key biosynthetic enzymes, genes that can act as biomarkers for carotenoid accumulation at early stages of plant growth have not been identified. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis was performed on the inner and outer leaves of the six cultivars at different developmental stages to identify gene-to-metabolite networks affecting the accumulation of two key carotenoids, β-carotene and lutein. Statistical analysis, including principal component analysis, was used to better understand variations in carotenoid concentration between leaf age and cultivars. Our results demonstrate that key enzymes of carotenoid biosynthesis pathway can alter lutein and β-carotene biosynthesis across commercial cultivars. To ensure high carotenoids content in leaves, the metabolites sink from β-carotene and lutein to zeaxanthin, and subsequently, abscisic acid needs to be regulated. Based on 2–3-fold carotenoids increase at 40 days after sowing (DAS) as compared to the seedling stage, and 1.5–2-fold decline at commercial stage (60 DAS) compared to the 40 DAS stage, we conclude that the value of lettuce for human nutrition would be improved by use of less mature plants, as the widely-used commercial stage is already at plant senescence stage where carotenoids and other essential metabolites are undergoing degradation.
AB - Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is one of the commercially important leafy vegetables worldwide. However, lettuce cultivars vary widely in their carotenoid concentrations at the time of harvest. While the carotenoid content of lettuce can depend on transcript levels of key biosynthetic enzymes, genes that can act as biomarkers for carotenoid accumulation at early stages of plant growth have not been identified. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis was performed on the inner and outer leaves of the six cultivars at different developmental stages to identify gene-to-metabolite networks affecting the accumulation of two key carotenoids, β-carotene and lutein. Statistical analysis, including principal component analysis, was used to better understand variations in carotenoid concentration between leaf age and cultivars. Our results demonstrate that key enzymes of carotenoid biosynthesis pathway can alter lutein and β-carotene biosynthesis across commercial cultivars. To ensure high carotenoids content in leaves, the metabolites sink from β-carotene and lutein to zeaxanthin, and subsequently, abscisic acid needs to be regulated. Based on 2–3-fold carotenoids increase at 40 days after sowing (DAS) as compared to the seedling stage, and 1.5–2-fold decline at commercial stage (60 DAS) compared to the 40 DAS stage, we conclude that the value of lettuce for human nutrition would be improved by use of less mature plants, as the widely-used commercial stage is already at plant senescence stage where carotenoids and other essential metabolites are undergoing degradation.
KW - Lactuca sativa
KW - biofortification
KW - biomarkers
KW - carotenoid synthesis
KW - carotenoids
KW - gene expression
KW - lettuce development
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163930975&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijms241210310
DO - 10.3390/ijms241210310
M3 - Article
C2 - 37373458
AN - SCOPUS:85163930975
SN - 1661-6596
VL - 24
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
IS - 12
M1 - 10310
ER -