Transcriptome analysis and metabolic profiling reveal the key role of carotenoids in the petal coloration of Liriodendron tulipifera.

ABSTRACT: Liriodendron tulipifera, also known as tuliptree, is a popular ornamental horticultural plant with extraordinary tulip-shaped flowers characterized by an orange band near their base. The mechanisms underlying petal band-specific pigmentation during L. tulipifera flower development are unclear. Here, we combined nontargeted and targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics to identify a pathway cascade leading to carotenoid biosynthesis that is specifically activated in the petal band. The comparative analysis of carotenoid metabolites between L. tulipifera and Liriodendron hybrids indicates that γ-carotene, a rare carotene in plants, is the most likely orange pigment responsible for the coloration of the petal band. Phenotypic and transcriptomic analyses of developi

SUBMITTER: Hao Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7193617 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature