Comparative transcriptomics of two petal variants reveals key functional genes underlying petal shape development in lotus (Nelumbo)

作者：Jiaxin He, Yini Ma, Qingqing Liu, Rui Zhang, Guohong Huang, Dasheng Zhang, Fengluan Liu, Cai‐Xia Yang · 发表于：Frontiers in Plant Science · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fpls.2025.1596925 · 研究领域：Plant Molecular Biology Research、Plant Gene Expression Analysis、Postharvest Quality and Shelf Life Management

Introduction: Adans.) is a versatile plant that integrates ornamental beauty, culinary applications, medicinal benefits, ecological significance, and cultural symbolism. However, its ornamental value is somewhat restricted by the relatively limited diversity in petal shapes. Consequently, it is essential to explore the genes regulating petal shape, in order to lay a primary foundation for molecular-assisted breeding of lotus cultivars with novel petal shapes. Methods: 'Chenshan Feiyan' (CSFY). Petal shape differences, including length, width, length-to-width ratio, and epidermal cell density, were compared at four floral bud stages between these variants and their respective wild types. Using RNA-sequencing technology, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between variant and wild-type petals were identified, followed by gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. By integrating the results of morphological and enrichment analysis, key genes involved in the development of wide and narrow petal shapes in lotus were identified. Results: It revealed that the broad petal variation of M512 was caused by a reduction in petal length while maintaining width, whereas the narrow petal phenotype of CSFY resulted from a combination of increased length and decreased width. The final petal shapes in both variants were primarily determined by the total number of cells along the petal's longitudinal (length) and transverse (width) directions, ra...