Effect of Light Intensity on Leaf Photosynthetic Characteristics and Accumulation of Flavonoids in Lithocarpus litseifolius (Hance) Chun. (Fagaceae)

The active compounds in herb drugs are mainly secondary metabolites, which are greatly influenced by external conditions. Particularly, light intensity has a great influence on the photosynthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites. In this study, the light intensity was changed, and the influence of the light intensity on leaf photosynthetic characteristics, antioxidant enzyme activity and flavone contents of Lithocarpus litseifoliusp (Hance) Chun. was discussed. The results showed that (1) L. litseifolius is a typical heliophyte. As the light intensity decreased, the contents of chlorophyll a (Chl a), chlorophyll b (Chl b) and total chlorophyll (Chl a + b) all increased. However, the Chl a/b ratio gradually decreased. The daily variation of net photosynthetic rate changed from a double-peak curve under natural light to single-peak curve under 20% full light two shading nets. (2) As the light intensity decreased, the SOD and POD activities and the soluble proteins content decreased in the leaves. In contrast, the malondialdehyde content increased. (3) The flavone content was the highest in leaves at one shading nets 60% of full light, and the lowest occurred in leaves at two shading nets 20% of full light. A comprehensive analysis indicated that an appropriate shading could induce shade tolerance in the leaves of L. litseifolius, which promoted the accumulation of flavonoids. L. litseifolius should be planted in the lower position of sunny slope or the upper position of shady slope to increase the content of flavone in the leaves.

Insights into triterpene synthesis and unsaturated fatty-acid accumulation provided by chromosomallevel genome analysis of Akebia trifoliata subsp . australis

Akebia trifoliata subsp.australis is a well-known medicinal and potential woody oil plant in China.The limited genetic information available for A.trifoliata subsp.australis has hindered its exploitation.Here,a high-quality chromosomelevel genome sequence of A.trifoliata subsp.australis is reported.The de novo genome assembly of 682.14 Mb was generated with a scaffold N50 of 43.11 Mb.The genome includes 25,598 protein-coding genes,and 71.18%(485.55 Mb)of the assembled sequences were identi fi ed as repetitive sequences.An ongoing massive burst of long terminal repeat(LTR)insertions,which occurred~1.0 million years ago,has contributed a large proportion of LTRs in the genome of A.trifoliata subsp.australis.Phylogenetic analysis shows that A.trifoliata subsp.australis is closely related to Aquilegia coerulea and forms a clade with Papaver somniferum and Nelumbo nucifera,which supports the well-established hypothesis of a close relationship between basal eudicot species.The expansion of UDP-glucoronosyl and UDP-glucosyl transferase gene families and fi-amyrin synthase-like genes and the exclusive contraction of terpene synthase gene families may be responsible for the abundant oleanane-type triterpenoids in A.trifoliata subsp.australis.Furthermore,the acyl-ACP desaturase gene family,including 12 stearoyl-acyl-carrier protein desaturase(SAD)genes,has expanded exclusively.A combined transcriptome and fatty-acid analysis of seeds at fi ve developmental stages revealed that homologs of SADs,acyl-lipid desaturase omega fatty acid desaturases(FADs),and oleosins were highly expressed,consistent with the rapid increase in the content of fatty acids,especially unsaturated fatty acids.The genomic sequences of A.trifoliata subsp.australis will be a valuable resource for comparative genomic analyses and molecular breeding.