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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Metabolism and Chemodiversity
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1425154
This article is part of the Research Topic Plant Specialized Metabolisms: Physiological Responses and Molecular Mechanisms View all 9 articles

Proteomic and Metabolomic Insights into the Impact of Topping Treatment on Cigar Tobacco

Provisionally accepted
Guo Dong Guo Dong *Gao Huajun Gao Huajun Tongjing Yan Tongjing Yan Xia Changjian Xia Changjian Lin Beisen Lin Beisen Xiang Xiaohua Xiang Xiaohua Bin Cai Bin Cai *Zhaoliang Geng Zhaoliang Geng
  • Haikou Cigar Research Institute, Haikou, Hainan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Top removal is a widely utilized method in production process of tobacco, but little is known regarding the way it impacts protein and metabolic regulation. In this study, we investigated the underlying processes of alterations in cigar tobacco leaves with and without top removal, using a combined proteomic and metabolomic approach. The results revealed that: (1) Topping significantly affected superoxide anion (O2 -) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, (2) In the cigar tobacco proteome, 385 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, with 228 proteins upregulated and 156 downregulated. Key pathways enriched included flavonoid biosynthesis, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism. A network of 161 nodes interconnected by 102 significantly altered proteins was established, (3) In the cigar tobacco metabolome, 247 significantly different metabolites (DEMs) were identified, with 120 upregulated and 128 downregulated metabolites, mainly comprising lipids and lipid-like molecules, phenylpropanoids and polyketides, organic acids and derivatives, and organic heterocyclic compounds, (4) KEGG pathway enrichment revealed upregulation of proteins such as chalcone synthase (CHS), chalcone isomerase (CHI), naringenin 3-dioxygenase (F3H), and flavonoid 3'-monooxygenase (F3'H), along with metabolites like pinocembrin, kaempferol, trifolin, rutin, and quercetin, enhancing the pathways of 'flavonoid' and 'flavone and flavonol' biosynthesis. This study sheds light on the metabolic and proteomic responses of cigar tobacco after topping.

    Keywords: Tobacco, Top removal, Flavonoid biosynthesis, Proteomics, Metabolomics

    Received: 29 Apr 2024; Accepted: 07 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Dong, Huajun, Yan, Changjian, Beisen, Xiaohua, Cai and Geng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Guo Dong, Haikou Cigar Research Institute, Haikou, Hainan Province, China
    Bin Cai, Haikou Cigar Research Institute, Haikou, Hainan Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.