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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Metabolism and Chemodiversity
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1525226
This article is part of the Research Topic Plant Natural Products: Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Function View all 13 articles

Seasonal dynamics and molecular regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis in Cyclocarya paliurus

Provisionally accepted
Duo Chen Duo Chen Yixin Xiao Yixin Xiao Xuehai Zheng Xuehai Zheng Huamiao Suen Huamiao Suen Cifeng Zhang Cifeng Zhang Jinmao Zhu Jinmao Zhu Ting Xue Ting Xue *
  • Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China

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

    This study investigates the seasonal dynamics and molecular regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis in Cyclocarya paliurus, an important species with potential for industrial applications due to its high flavonoid content. Through an integrated analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic data, we identified key biosynthetic and regulatory genes responsible for flavonoid production. Our results show that flavonoid content peaks in August and declines towards November, with quercetin and kaempferol glycosides being the most abundant compounds. Pearson correlation analysis between functional genes of the flavonoid synthesis pathway and flavonoid content in C. paliurus revealed significant correlations, offering deeper insights into the genetic regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis. The expression of key biosynthetic genes (CHS, CHI, F3H, DFR, FLS) and regulatory transcription factors (MYB11, MYB12, MYB111, MYB75, MYB90, bHLH, WD40) exhibited notable seasonal variations, correlating strongly with flavonoid levels, particularly during periods of environmental stress. These findings provide valuable knowledge for optimizing flavonoid production, offering potential applications in industrial breeding and biotechnological processes aimed at enhancing the functional properties of C. paliurus for industrial crops and product development. This study lays a foundation for future research on the molecular regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis and its potential to contribute to the industrial production of bioactive compounds.

    Keywords: Cyclocarya paliurus, Flavonoid biosynthesis, Seasonal variation, Transcriptomics, Metabolomics

    Received: 09 Nov 2024; Accepted: 07 Feb 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Chen, Xiao, Zheng, Suen, Zhang, Zhu and Xue. 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: Ting Xue, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 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.