Transcriptional profiling of genes involved in ascorbic acid biosynthesis, recycling, and degradation during three leaf developmental stages in celery.
Ascorbic acid (AsA) is an important nutrient in the human body and performs various healthy functions. With considerable medicinal properties, celery (Apium graveolens L.) could be a good source of AsA for human health. However, the biosynthetic, recycling, and degradation pathways of AsA in celery have yet to be characterized. To study the metabolic pathways involved in AsA, the genes involved in AsA biosynthesis, recycling, and degradation were isolated from celery, and their expression profiles and AsA levels were analyzed in the leaf blades and petioles of two celery varieties at three different growth stages. AsA levels were higher in 'Ventura' compared with 'Liuhehuangxinqin' in both tissues possibly because of different transcription levels of genes, such as L-galactose dehydrogenase (GalDH), L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GalLDH), and glutathione reductase (GR). Results revealed that the D-mannose/L-galactose pathway may be the predominant pathway in celery, and the D-galacturonic acid pathway appeared to contribute largely to AsA accumulation in petioles than in leaf blades in 'Liuhehuangxinqin.' AsA contents are regulated by complex regulatory mechanisms and vary at different growth stages, tissues, and varieties in celery. The results provide novel insights into AsA metabolic pathways in leaf during celery growth and development.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
Wei
W
Huang
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
Guang-Long
GL
Wang
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
Hui
H
Li
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
Feng
F
Wang
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
Zhi-Sheng
ZS
Xu
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China. xiongaisheng@njau.edu.cn.
Ai-Sheng
AS
Xiong
D000077102:Apium / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D010940:Plant Proteins; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
Apium graveolens L.; Ascorbic acid; Development; Gene expression; Leaf; Metabolism