Comparative Transcriptome and Metabolome Analyses Provide New Insights into the Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Taproot Development and Bioactive Compound Biosynthesis in Ficus hirta vahl

作者：Meiqiong Tang, Chunying Liang, Yude Peng, Hong He, Fan Wei, Ying Hu, Lin Yang, Chunfeng Tang, Gang Li, Linxuan Li · 发表于：Genes · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3390/genes16070784 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Plant biochemistry and biosynthesis、Plant Gene Expression Analysis、Plant tissue culture and regeneration

Background: F. hirta vahl is a famous Chinese medicinal plant. The root is the main organ accumulating bioactive compounds, and its development is directly related to the yield and quality of the harvested F. hirta. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the bioactive compound biosynthesis occurring during the root development of F. hirta are unknown. Method: Transcriptome and widely targeted metabolome analyses were performed to investigate gene expression and metabolite variation during the development of F. hirta taproots. Results: A total of 3792 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the one- and three-year-old F. hirta taproots; they are related to circadian rhythm–plant, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, and plant–pathogen interaction pathways. In total, 119 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified between the one- and three-year-old F. hirta taproots, including flavonols, phenolic acids, and coumarins compounds. Integrative transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed a significant correlation between 172 DEGs and 21 DAMs; they were predominantly enriched for processes associated with phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, and stilbenoid, diarylheptanoid, and ginerol biosynthesis. In addition, 26 DEGs were identified to be significantly correlated with the DAMs that accumulated in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, and these DEGs may ...