title: Biosynthesis of catechin components is differentially regulated in dark-treated tea (Camellia sinensis L.).
abstract: Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is a crop with both commercial and medicinal value with remarkably high polyphenol content in the form of catechins. To understand the molecular regulation of catechin biosynthesis in tea, we treated the tea plants with darkness. We used qRT-PCR to validate the expression of genes involved in catechin biosynthesis. It indicated that dark treatment displayed different effects on the genes participating in tea flavonoid (FL) pathway. The early genes of FL biosynthesis pathway, CHSI, F3H and DFR, remained at steady expression levels when treated by darkness. It is noteworthy that the expression level of LAR increased and the level of ANS decreased under dark conditions. The vanillin assay showed that the dark-treated plants contained lower levels of total catechins than those grown under normal conditions. The HPLC analysis further demonstrated the changes in biosynthesis of catechins under these conditions. In accordance with the gene expression pattern, the content of epicatechins (ECs) declined and that of catechins (Cs) was elevated in response to the darkness. Our study uncovered the molecular mechanisms and biochemical changes of shading in tea cultivation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Gaojie
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hochstetter
authors.affiliation: Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Shuping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Yunlong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: zdxp@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Growth, Development and Quality Improvement, Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, Hangzhou 310029, China. Electronic address: zdcy@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yuefei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways / Q000235:genetics* / Q000528:radiation effects; D028241:Camellia sinensis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002392:Catechin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003624:Darkness; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000528:radiation effects; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000528:radiation effects; D008027:Light; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009247:NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D013662:Tea; D002392:Catechin; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; D000429:Alcohol Oxidoreductases; C056570:dihydroflavanol 4-reductase; C048797:flavanone 3-dioxygenase; D009247:NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases; D000217:Acyltransferases; C020141:flavanone synthetase
keywords: Catechins; Darkness; Flavonoid pathway; Tea; Transcriptional regulation