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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Biotechnology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1505199

Under simulated microgravity and gravity anthocyanin is regulated by DcaWRKY2 in Dendrobium catenatum leaves

Provisionally accepted
Tianze Hou Tianze Hou 1Bao-Qiang Zheng Bao-Qiang Zheng 1Fucheng Peng Fucheng Peng 1*Zehui Jiang Zehui Jiang 2*Wenbo Zhang Wenbo Zhang 2*Yan Wang Yan Wang 1*
  • 1 Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
  • 2 International Center for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing, China

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

    Long-term space missions will require high-quality plants that are edible, medicinal, and ornamental, to support the physical and mental health of astronauts under altered gravity conditions.Anthocyanins play a key role in enhancing the medicinal and edible value and ornamental properties of plants. However, under simulated microgravity, the transcription control of anthocyanin biosynthesis is not clear. Here, in order to investigate the influences of simulated microgravity on the anthocyanin accumulation further, clones of Dendrobium catenatum were exposed for 20 days to simulated microgravity conditions. The anthocyanin content in Dendrobium catenatum leaves increased in the simulated microgravity conditions compared with gravity-treated clones. Further, based on the transcriptome sequencing, differential gene expression (DEG) and (weighted gene co-expression network analysis)WGCNA analysis combined with RT-qPCR, we identified one WRKY gene, DcaWRKY2, from a Dendrobium catenatum under simulated microgravity conditions, which indicated that DcaWRKY2 may be involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis under simulated microgravity conditions. A more in-depth analysis evaluating the function of DcaWRKY2, transcription factor gene DcaWRKY2 was silenced by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS)under gravity conditions, which resulted in the increase of anthocyanin accumulation in leaves, and the expression levels of anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway(ABP)structural genes, including DcaCHS, DcaCHI, DcaF3H, DcaDFR and DcaANS were increased significantly. This research provides new insights into how altered gravity can affect anthocyanin synthesis in plants and illuminated the regulatory effects of DcaWRKY2 on the leaves pigmentation and anthocyanin biosynthesis in Dendrobium catenatum under gravity and simulated microgravity.

    Keywords: VIGS, virus-induced gene silencing, TF, transcription factors, ABP, anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway, CHS, chalcone synthase, CHI, Chalcone isomerase, DFR, dihydroflavonol 4-reductase, ANS, anthocyanidin synthase, F3H, flavanone 3-hydroxylase

    Received: 02 Oct 2024; Accepted: 20 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Hou, Zheng, Peng, Jiang, Zhang and Wang. 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:
    Fucheng Peng, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
    Zehui Jiang, International Center for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing, China
    Wenbo Zhang, International Center for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing, China
    Yan Wang, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 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.