Identification and expression analysis of seed dehydration tolerance and PLD gene family in Panax medicinal plants.
10.19540/j.cnki.cjcmm.20250217.105
- Author:
Chao-Lin LI
1
;
Min HUANG
1
;
Na GE
1
;
Qing-Yan WANG
1
;
Jin-Shan JIA
1
;
Ting LUO
1
;
Jin-Yan ZHANG
2
;
Ping ZHOU
2
;
Jun-Wen CHEN
1
Author Information
1. College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University Kunming 650201, China National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center on Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Chinese Medicinal Materials in Southwestern China, Yunnan Agricultural University Kunming 650201, China Key Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Biology of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University Kunming 650201, China.
2. College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University Kunming 650201, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
PLD gene family;
desiccation tolerance;
phospholipase D(PLD);
seeds of the genus Panax
- MeSH:
Seeds/metabolism*;
Panax/physiology*;
Plant Proteins/metabolism*;
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant;
Phospholipase D/metabolism*;
Plants, Medicinal/enzymology*;
Germination;
Multigene Family;
Water/metabolism*;
Dehydration;
Phylogeny
- From:
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica
2025;50(12):3307-3321
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Panax species are mostly valuable medicinal plants. While some species' seeds are sensitive to dehydration, the dehydration tolerance of seeds from other Panax species remains unclear. The phospholipase D(PLD) gene plays an important role in plant responses to dehydration stress. However, the characteristics of the PLD gene family and their mechanisms of response to dehydration stress in seeds of Panax species with different dehydration tolerances are not well understood. This study used seeds from eight Panax species to measure the germination rates and PLD activity after dehydration and to analyze the correlation between dehydration tolerance and seed traits. Bioinformatics analysis was also conducted to characterize the PnPLD and PvPLD gene families and to evaluate their expression patterns under dehydration stress. The dehydration tolerance of Panax seeds was ranked from high to low as follows: P. ginseng, P. zingiberensis, P. quinquefolius, P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, P. japonicus var. angustifolius, P. japonicus, P. notoginseng, and P. stipuleanatus. A significant negative correlation was found between dehydration tolerance and seed shape(three-dimensional variance), with flatter seeds exhibiting stronger dehydration tolerance(r=-0.792). Eighteen and nineteen PLD members were identified in P. notoginseng and P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, respectively. These members were classified into five isoforms: α, β, γ, δ, and ζ. The gene structures, subcellular localization, physicochemical properties, and other characteristics of PnPLD and PvPLD were similar. Both promoters contained regulatory elements associated with plant growth and development, hormone responses, and both abiotic and biotic stress. During dehydration, the PLD enzyme activity in P. notoginseng seeds gradually increased as the water content decreased, whereas in P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, PLD activity first decreased and then increased. The expression of PLDα and PLDδ in P. notoginseng seeds initially increased and then decreased, whereas in P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, the expression of PLDα and PLDδ consistently decreased. In conclusion, the dehydration tolerance of Panax seeds showed a significant negative correlation with seed shape. The dehydration tolerance in P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus and dehydration sensitivity of P. notoginseng seeds may be related to differences in PLD enzyme activity and the expression of PLDα and PLDδ genes. This study provided the first systematic comparison of dehydration tolerance in Panax seeds and analyzed the causes of tolerance differences and the optimal water content for long-term storage at ultra-low temperatures, thus providing a theoretical basis for the short-term and ultra-low temperature long-term storage of medicinal plant seeds with varying dehydration tolerances.
